A Nantucket Estate Asking $56 Million Could Set a Record

The sellers, venture capitalist

Evan Jones

and his wife, wildlife photographer Cindy Jones, bought the roughly 3.5 acre property for $16 million in 2006, the agents said. The Joneses custom built the main house and a two-bedroom guesthouse. Another house on the property, a four-bedroom structure they also use as a guesthouse, dates back to the early 1900s, according to the listing agents.

The shingled main house has four bedrooms and spans about 11,000 square feet. It has antique limestone floors and extensive millwork, the agents said, with amenities including a billiards room, a sauna and several bars throughout the house. 

The estate has about 500 feet of waterfront, perennial gardens, and roughly 3,000 square feet of patios, porches and decks, according to the agents. 

The Joneses chose the property for its privacy, views and waterfront access, said Ms. Jones. Formerly Washington, D.C.,-area residents, they used the Nantucket property as a vacation home and hosted events there featuring speakers such as “Frasier” actor Kelsey Grammer. They plan to buy a smaller home on Nantucket and spend more time at their homes in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Kauai, Hawaii, said Ms. Jones.

Mr. Jones is the founder of the life sciences investment management company jVen Capital, and was co-founder and chief executive of the Digene Corporation, a Maryland-based healthcare technology company later purchased by Dutch genetic testing company Qiagen. 

From January to May, Nantucket homes sold for an average of about $3.9 million, up from $2.7 million in the same period last year, according to the listing agents.