An ocean blufftop Laguna Beach mansion known as Château du Soleil, located on the northern rocky edge of Crescent Bay Beach, just hit the market for $19.995 million.
The three-story residence spans 6,908 square feet and features four bedrooms, five bathrooms and multiple flexible-use rooms, allowing for different configurations.
Records show it’s been in the family of philanthropist couple James and Martha Newkirk since June 1985, when they bought it for $2.04 million.
Built by a developer in 1981, the home sits on a nearly third-acre lot next to Crescent Bay Point Park. It backs up to a patio that steps down to an expansive lawn and gardens described in the listing as a “private outlook park.”
A wrought iron fence encloses the property that offers elevated views of marine life, from migrating whales to the pinnipeds and seabirds that congregate off shore on Seal Rock. The crescent-shaped quarter-mile stretch of sand also host tidepools at both ends, including to south where Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Los Angeles Times’ billionaire owner, bought his 2.3-acre Twin Points estate in 2016 for a then-record-breaking $45 million.
Inside, Château du Soleil features towering two-story windows, a sunken living room, a formal dining room, a kitchen with an island, a family room and a game room.
Other amenities include multiple staircases, an elevator, fireplaces in the living room and primary suite, and a three-car garage with additional driveway parking.
Annie Clougherty and Mike Johnson of Compass are the listing agents.
The Newkirk family has a history of philanthropy in Orange County, which includes actively supporting both UC Irvine and Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. Their commitment to UCI, the late Martha Newkirk’s alma mater, is evident in the Newkirk Center for Science and Society, the Newkirk Alumni Center and the Newkirk Pavilion at Anteater Ballpark, as well as two fellowships in social ecology.
In 2017, the couple donated $3 million to Hoag to establish the Newkirk Family Endowed Chair in Aortic Care.