We spill the tea on this Marblehead mansion listed for $6.79m

“The Tea House on the Neck” is how local real estate agent Liz Walters of Coldwell Banker Realty refers to her new listing at 405 Ocean Ave. in Marblehead, which is on the market with an asking price of $6,795,000.

The main reason for the nickname is that this North Shore home formerly belonged to W. Gardner Barker, the longtime head of Lipton Tea Co.

“It got passed along generation to generation,” Walters told Boston.com.

It was built in the late 1880s by a William Barker, who then bequeathed it to his sister, and from her it went to the nephew. “The nephew was Gardner Barker, and he was the last owner within the Barker family,” Walters explained.

The house remained in the Barker family until 1990. Since then, it has had two owners, including the current sellers. Someone along the way discovered the Liptons legacy hidden behind the wood paneling of the basement-level den, which is artfully — or thriftily — lined with repurposed tea crates.  The origin of the rudimentary wood paneling was revealed after its removal: The rear sides are stamped with writing and emblems of the companies with which Liptons traded. The wood was flipped around and put back on the wall to form a historic wooden “mural.”

Another unique detail is an actual painted mural in the hallway dating to the 1970s. “I believe it’s Salem,” Walters said of the neighboring town. “It looks like Salem Harbor. You can see various landmarks.”

History and period details throughout the Victorian were preserved during renovations, but livability is equally important: The current owners made it a priority to bring the house up to modern-day standards.

The mansion offers a spacious 6,518 square feet of living space and now boasts five bedrooms, four full baths, and two half baths, as well as fireplaces in the living room and the office.

The property was originally four parcels: Two were sold off, leaving this home spread over two lots and totaling 1.82 acres. The terraced grounds include mature trees and an easement to a small beach.

A traditional wraparound deck overlooks the gardens, and the property also boasts spectacular picture book 360 views of Marblehead Harbor, Marblehead Lighthouse, Marblehead Rock, Castle Rock Park, and on to Children’s Island in the distance.

Interestingly, a small “folly” or summer house (more a charming shingled shelter and quite basic) also overlooks the harbor. It has a sign marking it as the “Tea House.”

“I think that’s what the Barker owners put on there,” said Walters. “All the owners have always called it that. It’s very small, and it’s got these huge wooden windows that you need to crank open and lift up, so you’d have the breeze coming in. I don’t know what they used it for.”

It may have been a spot for a reviving cup of tea!

See more photos of the home below: