Dorinda Medley lists surprise 3.69-acre estate land for $1.2M

Dorinda Medley is selling a parcel from her famous Blue Stone Manor estate (Pictures: Getty images and Bravo)Blue Stone Manor has become one of the most recognisable homes on television after appearing on Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City. Now, for the first time in more than two decades, a part of the famous estate is being offered for sale.Dorinda Medley, who is best known for starring on the reality television show, is selling a 3.69-acre parcel from her property in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, for $1.2 million. The land is separate from the main house and gives a future buyer the chance to build a home on a site that has long been part of the historic estate.According to the listing, the land has its own private entrance and access road. It is surrounded by protected conservation land and offers views stretching across Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. The property is also close to downtown Great Barrington."When you're on this property, it's unlike anything you've ever experienced," Medley told People's magazine. "I always say, the minute I go through the gates, time just stops. You leave everything behind. It's like you've entered into a whole different world. It's peaceful and calm and restorative, in a way words can't do justice," she added. Land she didn't know she ownedAccording to Medley, she never imagined selling part of Blue Stone Manor. The decision came only after she began reviewing her property as part of her estate planning.She had the estate professionally surveyed for the first time since her late husband bought the property in 2005. The results surprised her. She had believed the estate covered around nine acres, but the survey showed that it actually stretched across nearly 20 acres divided into nine separate lots."I thought to myself, 'Why do I need 20 acres?' I'd been happy with nine! Now I found out I owned 19 and a half!" Medley said.She explained that much of the land was far away from the house and was no longer being used. "I don't want to pay all these taxes on this land I'm not even using. It felt wasteful, because the land I own is so far away from the house," she added,Medley also said she often went for long walks through the wooded trails, believing the land belonged to someone else. "I'd been walking on that land thinking I was trespassing on someone else's property the whole time!" she said with a laugh. "I'd say to anyone who was with me, 'We're gonna walk the horse trails, but I don't know who owns it so we gotta be quick.' Turns out, it's me! I own it!"After the survey, Medley hired a law firm to review the property's easements, topography and building restrictions. The estate was then reorganised into three lots. The parcel now being sold lies beyond the main house, while Medley has kept land closer to the mansion.Dorinda Medley tours her extravagant Blue Stone Manor (Picture: Screengrab/Bravo)A home that became TV landmarkBlue Stone Manor became famous after appearing in The Real Housewives of New York City. Its grand rooms featured in several memorable moments from the show, including Medley's well-known line, "I cooked, I cleaned, I made it nice."The estate later became the setting for an entire season of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. It will also appear again when the cast of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th visits the property for a finale gathering.But for Medley, the home's story began long before television crews arrived. As a child, she dreamed of living in the Tudor-style house, which her grandfather and great-grandfather helped build. She often spoke about the property to her late husband, Richard, and even took him to see the neglected estate.In 2005, shortly before their wedding, Richard surprised her by buying the property. "I'll never forget," Medley recalled. "He takes out the deed with my name on it and says, 'I bought you the house!'" She admitted that her first reaction was shock because she knew how much work the property needed.After buying the estate, the couple invested nearly $4 million restoring the 1902 mansion. The work included lifting the house from its foundation, repairing years of damage, insulating the walls and bringing the old summer home back to life.After Richard died in 2011, Medley continued looking after the estate on her own. She said caring for Blue Stone Manor has required constant attention over the years. Although she is selling part of the land, Medley said the move is about making the estate more practical for the future while preserving its history.As the land goes on the market, Medley hopes its next owner will add a new chapter to the story of Blue Stone Manor while respecting the character that has made it so well known. "The thing that's been the most beautiful thing about Blue Stone Manor is how it resonates with people," she said. "It's not a house, it's a lifestyle. I don't think people really believe it's real. When they finally come up, they don't get it until they get there. It's magic."