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Historic Southport CT Estate Contents In Auction
On the Auction Block | PUBLISHED 09.13.17 | Jennifer Ventresca
We were recently contacted by the owners of "Restmore," an exquisite multi-generational Warner Hill Road estate in Southport, CT. This stately home is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The family needed help in liquidating the contents of this estate which contains pieces (many passed down through the generations and from a lifetime of collecting) that hold historical and sentimental value to the family.
During the course of inventorying and photographing this estate collection, we discovered that Restmore's history is indeed very interesting. The abridged version is that Dr. Ira DeVer Warner, Sr. and his wife, Eva, custom designed their dream summer home in the early 1900s on more than five bucolic acres in the quiet, rolling hills of the Mill Hill section of Southport, CT. The road leading to this estate is now known as Warner Hill Road.
Ira DeVer Warner, and his brother, Lucien, built an empire by revolutionizing the corset (women's undergarments) industry. They were the founders and executive officers of the extremely successful Warnaco company, formerly known as the Warner Brother's Corset Company of Bridgeport in the mid 1870s. Up until the 1980s, Warnaco was responsible for designing, licensing, and distributing intimate apparel, swimwear, and more.
Dr. Warner's motto, "Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two following," was the inspiration for the name, "Restmore." The estate was frequented by the prominent industrialist and good friend of Dr. Warner, J.D. Rockefeller. This splendid estate collection features fine antiques, art, and furniture, as well as a vast assortment of outdoor furniture and decorative pieces. Here are a few of our favorites:
Keywords: Restmore National Register of Historic Places Southport, CT Warnaco Dr. Ira DeVer Warner Estate Liquidation