Former Bette Davis property in Cape Elizabeth sets southern Maine price record

An aerial view shows a house surrounded by lawns and woods.

Photo / Courtesy Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty A coastal home in Cape Elizabeth set a sale record for the Cumberland County town and for southern Maine, and was the highest priced sale in Maine so far this year.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The sale price for a coastal home in Cape Elizabeth set a record for the Cumberland County town and for southern Maine, and was the highest priced sale in Maine so far this year, according to Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty.

The 7,600-square-foot home on eight acres, at 55 Zeb Cove Road, sold for $13.4 million.

Bill Gaynor and Sam Michaud of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty and RE/MAX By The Bay brokered the transaction.

Legacy listed the property for $15 million.

Film star

In the 1950s, a previous house on the property was occupied by film star Bette Davis, who died in 1989. That house was razed.

The main house and carriage house that are there now were built in 2002. The property includes 1,184 feet of ocean frontage, groomed fields, woods and 12 rooms. The main house includes balconies, covered porches and a bluestone terrace. The carriage house has a kitchen, two bedrooms and two baths.

The property was on the market for 30 days and received a lot of national and international interest, Michaud told Mainebiz.

“Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Michaud said of the listing. “I am not surprised it sold in just 30 days.”

The seller, buyer and reason for the price drop were not disclosed.

The southern Maine record eclipsed one set in January, with the $12 million sale of the oceanfront 267 Ocean Ave. in Kennebunkport, which sold to a Chicago buyer after being on the market for only 90 minutes. Gaynor represented the seller in that transaction.