By Tim Kelly
History lovers, bargain hunters and the curious descended on secluded Bay Road in the Gardens section over the weekend for a peek at an earlier time.
A sale on the contents of the former Kirkman estate, a sprawling nearly 11,000-square-foot property situated on a half-acre bayfront lot drew hundreds of people. They walked through the 1940 vintage main house, filled with tagged household items.
Complete sets of fine china and silverware, dozens of paintings, furniture, sculptures, lamps, books, and more. It was all available.
A price tag even hung from the fountain in the circular cobblestone driveway.
“I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to go through the place,” said Carol Dotts, interim executive director of the Ocean City Historical Museum.
“It’s not a typical house, particularly in Ocean City,” she noted. “People don’t live that way anymore. It looks like a country estate to me, from an earlier time.”
Elwood and Jeanne Kirkman and their family, former owners of the Flanders Hotel, resided in the rambling compound for years. Many of the items for sale were attributed to be from the nearly 100-year-old hotel.
In addition to the primary residence, an attached guest house nearly as large as the original and a smaller third home is also attached.
The estate, also known as North Point, because it is the northernmost residential property situated on the bayfront, is long-rumored to have been owned at one time by one Francis Albert Sinatra.
“That rumor dates back to the ’70s,” said Ken Cooper, a local historian and real estate broker. “When casino gambling first came to Atlantic City, the rumor got started that Sinatra was going to buy a home in Ocean City to be close to the action. But it isn’t true.”
Nevertheless, the rumor wouldn’t have persisted all this time if the home wasn’t deemed worthy of the legendary crooner from Hoboken.
According to Dotts, Elwood Kirkman passed away in 1993, nine years after the death of his wife.
“I would hate to see this place torn down,” said Dotts. “The views of the bay are spectacular from any window.”
Cooper said that because of Bay Road’s secluded location, “this house is well-known to the people in boats, but not (in cars).”
The home was sold at auction last month, through Ocean City’s Grace Realty. Reached on Thursday, Grace owner Harry Vanderslice called the property “unique” and said he was not aware what plans the buyer has for it.
“I really don’t know what the plans are at this time,” he said.
Details of the sale were not available immediately because of the Easter holiday weekend. However, a posting on the real estate website Zillow said a high bid of $3.665 million had been submitted, with an estimated value of $5.091 million.
On Friday, Clarke Burns, of Egg Harbor Township, emerged from the main house with a large framed print ($40) and an ice container ($14).
“I heard about (the sale) and decided to check it out, and there were some pretty cool things in there,” Burns said.
Jill and Matt McLaughlin, of Bucks County, Pa., and their young son Eli walked through the house to see what was available.
“Now that we see what’s here, we will be coming back tomorrow,” Jill McLaughlin said.
A woman who declined to give her name said she was at the estate sale “because this is one of those places you always looked at and wanted to go inside. It was everything I imagined and then some.”
The huge “great room” was filled with items for sale arranged on tables and stacked in neat piles on the floor. Many people walking through the home paused and looked up at the vaulted ceiling and gasped at the sight of the massive exposed wooden beams.
“It’s a cliché, but they don’t build them like this anymore,” one man was overheard saying.
The sale, organized and run by Duncan Estate Services, will run through 4 p.m. Saturday, after which the home will be emptied of any remaining items.
“There won’t be a thing left in here when we’re done,” said Ron Duncan. “All of the prices will be cut, and what’s left will be purchased in bulk by our clients who specialize in clean-outs.”
And with that, a lingering piece of Ocean City’s past will fade into history.
