Blue Heron Farm, the former Martha’s Vineyard summer retreat of President Barack Obama and his family, is coming to the market for $39 million, WSJ reports. The estate, located in Chilmark, Massachusetts, covers about 30 acres and features a 7,000-square-foot main house with classic white clapboard and a wraparound porch, a guesthouse in traditional Cape style, a boathouse, a 150-year-old barn moved from Pennsylvania, a riding ring, tennis and basketball courts, gardens, an apple orchard, and a private stretch of waterfront on Tisbury Great Pond.
The property is owned by the family of Lord Norman Foster, the renowned British architect behind landmarks like London’s Gherkin and Wembley Stadium. Foster and his wife, Lady Elena Ochoa Foster, bought the estate in December 2011 for $22.4 million through a limited company, after it was previously owned by Mollie and William Van Devender, who had rented it to the Obamas for their summer stays starting in 2009 through 2011.
Blue Heron Farm.
After acquiring Blue Heron Farm, the Fosters invested in major upgrades, including renovating the main house, planting new trees, and adding a pool and pool house.
The property’s history stretches back to 1991, when philanthropist M. Anthony Fisher began assembling the land and building out the estate. Fisher and his wife were killed in a plane crash in 2003, and the Van Devenders purchased the property in 2005 before eventually selling to the Fosters.
Blue Heron Farm is no stranger to high-profile guests: the Obamas spent three summers there, and Bill and Hillary Clinton attended a dinner party at the estate in 1998.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama at Blue Heron Farm in August 2011.
The Fosters, who maintain homes around the world, have not rented out the estate since purchasing it. Lord Foster is a celebrated architect, honored with numerous awards and a knighthood, while Lady Foster is a respected academic and founder of the arts publishing house Ivory Press.
In the context of Martha’s Vineyard’s real estate market, Blue Heron Farm is a standout. The median home price on the island in April was $1.1 million, but properties with major pedigrees still command top dollar—Diane Sawyer’s home sold for nearly $24 million in 2023. The sale of Blue Heron Farm will also benefit the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, which collects a 2% fee on real estate transactions to fund local conservation efforts. On a $39 million sale, the buyer would owe the Land Bank $780,000 at closing.
Julia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE Decor, where she manages the brand’s social media presence and covers trends, lifestyle, and culture in the design world. Julia built her background at Inked magazine, where she grew their social media audiences by two million, conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, and penned feature articles focusing on pop culture, art and lifestyle. Over her five years of digital media experience, Julia has written about numerous topics, from fashion to astrology.
