House Lust: An Artful, Treehouse-Style Cabin on Slacks Pond is on the Market

This sweet cottage, on a peninsula in Greenville’s Slacks Pond, offers “absolutely the best experience you could ever have as a child,” say real estate agent Karl Martone — one that could keep a young person busy and out of trouble.

Martone, of RE/MAX Professionals, should know: He grew up here, in this house his late parents owned for half a century, alongside his two siblings. He recalls many mornings rising early to go water skiing off his back porch.

His mom, Sally Ann Martone, was an accomplished watercolor artist and was the home’s creative force. What’s more, the family would’ve never owned the property were it not for her.

“Back in the day, a woman named Helen Gilligan owned it,” Martone says. “My mom’s parents used to rent a house across the cove and, as a teenager, she used to swim over to Mrs. Gilligan’s.”

When Mrs. Gilligan was looking to sell, she called Sally Ann directly. Back then, it was a one-level stone cottage in a summer colony. But, after two years of ownership, the Martones decided to make it their year-round home, tacking on a second floor and a large family room. A series of contractors were hired to work on the property — his dad was fervent about updating the mechanicals, including adding central air — but Martone says his mom was very particular about the aesthetic.

“She would follow them around,” he says, laughing, to ensure the home’s character was preserved amid the renovations. “All the fieldstone rocks on the interior? Those were the external walls.”

Martone, who listed the property last week, says the process of selling his late parents’ home is an emotional one. He even asked another agent in his real estate team, the Martone Group, to handle in-person showings — “I’d be like, ‘What do you mean you don’t like it?!’ ” he jokes.

He adds that, while it was perfect for his family, it could also suit other buyers.

“At the end of the day, it really attracts such a quality of life; it’s literally therapeutic. This house puts you in a state of serenity,” he says. “You walk on the property and your blood pressure drops.”

Martone says his connection to the property will always remain strong through his mother’s art. Often, she captured water vistas from their gazebo. His favorite is a painting of a sailboat on the pond.

“Hopefully the right buyer will come along and appreciate it the way my parents did,” he says.

For more information on 85 Coolridge Road in Greenville, contact RE/MAX Properties’ Karl Martone at 401-439-1669 or visit martonegroup.com. 

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