Potato Island is a private island retreat in the Thimble Islands, the storied archipelago in Long Island Sound off Stony Creek, Branford. It is reached by a five-minute boat ride from the mainland, close enough for an easy arrival and far enough that the house, the lawns and the water are entirely your own. The residence is a Cape Cod style house built in 1912, offering 3,871 square feet of living space across seven rooms, with sunlit interiors and water views from nearly every room. Living and entertaining spaces open onto balconies, terraces and a wrap-around covered porch oriented to both sunrise and sunset over the Sound, so the light and the view change with the day from the first coffee to the last drink outside.
The House
The main level is arranged for gathering. The living room (18 by 23 feet) has a fireplace, French doors and hardwood floors, and opens toward the water on two sides. The dining room (17 by 18 feet) seats a full table under the same water views, and the kitchen (12 by 13 feet) has a breakfast bar, a central island, a pantry and new countertops, with the full appliance suite included: gas range, oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, compactor and instant hot water tap, plus a washer and dryer in the main-level laundry room. An open floor plan and a fitted audio system run through the entertaining spaces. Upstairs, the primary suite (23 by 31 feet) is a room in its own right, with a vaulted ceiling, private balconies, hardwood floors and a spa-inspired bath. Three further bedrooms (16 by 27, 15 by 15 and 14 by 16 feet) give family and guests their own space, served by three full bathrooms and a half bath in total. A floored attic with pull-down stairs adds storage above.
Land and Water
The grounds run to 1.1 acres: a treed, level lot, professionally landscaped, with manicured lawns, garden areas and winding pathways connecting the house to every corner of the island. At the western end, set among the trees, is a heated gunite swimming pool, with lounging decks and shaded sitting areas around the lawns. On the rocky eastern shore, a hot tub sits on the stone terrace at the water's edge. The island has direct Long Island Sound frontage, a private dock with a kayak launch, and a wrap-around deck and covered porch that keep outdoor living in shade or sun as the day moves. An underground sprinkler system keeps the landscaping at its best through the season, and a shed handles the practical side of island life.
Potato Island in one document — photos, island facts, and regional background.
Access and Utilities
Potato Island is a boat-access property: five minutes by private boat from Stony Creek, or by the seasonal water taxi that runs hourly through the summer from Stony Creek Town Dock. The house is fully serviced for comfortable seasonal living. Active solar panels are owned outright under a solar contract, backed by a generator. Heat is hot air fuelled by propane from an above-ground tank, cooling is by ceiling fans, and thermopane windows run throughout. Public water is connected to the island, with a septic system for sewage. The house is frame construction on a concrete foundation, with cedar shake siding, an asphalt shingle roof and a crawl-space basement.
Lifestyle and Value
Few properties offer this combination so close to the mainland: a whole private island, a substantial and characterful house, a pool, a dock and complete privacy, five minutes from shore. The sellers suggest the island lends itself to a vacation escape through spring, summer and fall, to a VRBO investment, or to use as a wedding venue, and its Thimble Islands setting puts it in one of the most storied stretches of the Connecticut coast. Offered at $3,890,000, reduced from its original $4,339,000 listing price, Potato Island is a rare chance to own one of the fabled Thimbles outright, on a freehold basis.
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