Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

2 0 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I MANIFESTOOF AN AMERICAN CASTLE FORT WAYNE, INDIANA I t i s a comp l ex unl i ke any other : an es t a t e , a ca s t l e , a f a rm, an Ar ab i an hor se breeding r anch, and – f i r s t and foremos t – a beaut i ful dwe l l ing for a l a rge , l ov ing f ami l y M arilyn H offman F reeland Farms, a stunning estate, is sprawled across 50 acres of prime Midwest land near Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Aboite Township. Ironically, Fort Wayne was originally a French outpost built in 1697 and it was later named after General Wayne who served under George Washington. The architecture is composed of various structures along the lines of a French chateau down to the intricately planned add-ons; it is one of the great mansions of the world. Similar to owning a famed work of art, the entire complex is a ballet, a classic symphony, a Verdi opera and a Swan Lake of a ballet, wrapped up in a series of one beautiful building after another. This preeminent home and farm is the envy of any European castle estate and is coveted by those who know true quality. “Built by Amish craftsmen equivalent to those employed by the likes of the Astors or Vanderbilts, the stone structures wear the elegance and grandeur of a bygone era,” explained Marilyn Hoffman, of Hoffman International Properties Inc., the listing Broker par excellence and sometimes called the “Dream Location Expert.” “Dick Freeland, the fast food entrepreneur, wanted everything very authentic – down to the creaking floors of those castles he and his family visited in Europe. Believe it or not, he had the floor ripped out three times to duplicate that sound. He and I were great friends for many years and we often discussed the construction of the mansion when it began in 2005 or so.” The estate is an impressive 38,000+ sq. ft. of museum quality construction that took more than five years to complete. In addition to the main structure, there is a guest apartment, a separate 5,567 sq. ft. caretaker stone home with 3,329 sq. ft. of finished basement, a barn with an apartment complete with en suite bedrooms, an additional apartment above a garage, a machine/equipment building, a standalone office with fireplace, storage building, and a gazebo. The horse stable alone is 6,720 sq. ft. of area. A seven-acre private lake which took over one year to build shimmers playfully myriad weeping willow trees dot the property and foot bridges form arching patterns against the lake, ponds and creeks. Ms. Hoffman told Simply Abu Dhabi: “Visitors have often commented that there is no