A 12,500 square foot mansion in Newport, Rhode Island called "Ker Arvor" is for sale for $12 million. The mansion was built in the 1930s and has 9 bedrooms and 21 rooms total. It sits on 9.1 acres of land with formal gardens and outdoor amenities. The current owner, Maureen Donnell, is selling because she wants to travel more and downsize to a smaller home in Newport.

1. 5/2/2017 Newport Mansion Asks $12 Million ­ Mansion Global
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Newport Mansion Asks $12 Million
‘Ker Arvor’ is owned by Maureen Donnell, widow of John R. Donnell, whose family founded Marathon Oil.
BY CANDACE TAYLOR
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 02, 2017 | THE WALL STREET JOURNAL |  SAVE ARTICLE
One of the historic mansions in Newport, R.I. is going on the market for $12 million.
“Ker Arvor,” a restored Louis XV Revival­style house measuring about 12,500 square feet,
was built in the 1930s, according to listing agent Kate Leonard of Lila Delman Real Estate
International. With roughly 21 rooms, the house sits on 9.1 acres across from the Newport
Country Club.
The U­shaped home took its inspiration from the “La Lanterne” hunting lodge in
Versailles, France, said Ms. Leonard. The main gates open to reveal a long driveway
leading to a motor court in front of the house, which has nine bedrooms and a wine cellar.
A curtained terrace opens to formal gardens, which contain a fountain from the 1840s. The
grounds include a heated outdoor pool and a pool house with a kitchen and men’s and
women’s changing rooms, as well as a barn and a children’s playhouse with its own porch.
MORE: 19th­Century Home in Rhode Island Hits Market for First Time
The owner is socialite Maureen Donnell, widow of John R. Donnell, whose family founded
Marathon Oil. Mrs. Donnell said when she and her husband bought Ker Arvor about 30
years ago, the house was in disrepair, and they spent more than two years restoring the
house, repairing items such as the original wallpaper, which was hand­painted in China.
Mrs. Donnell splits her time between Newport and Palm Beach, although she said she has
spent less time in Newport since her husband’s death in 2004. She said she’s selling
because she plans to travel more often and wants to downsize to a smaller home in
Newport. “I feel like I want a change,” she said.
Newport has seen several of its mansions change hands in recent years. The haircare­and­
tequila tycoon John Paul DeJoriabought “Ocean Lawn” for $11.65 million earlier this year.
Another mansion, Fairholme, sold in February of last year for $16.1 million, less than a
year after trading for $15 million.
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2. 5/2/2017 Newport Mansion Asks $12 Million ­ Mansion Global
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