Kennedy Heiress Lists Cape Cod Home for $1.6 Million After Failed ‘Dream’

Former US Attorney General Robert F Kennedy‘s daughter, Kathleen Kennedy Townsendis offering a chance to get a taste of the political dynasty’s legendary Cape Cod lifestyle by putting her Hyannis Port home on the market for $1.59 million — after admitting that her own “dream” of replicating the family’s legendary summers in the beach town failed.

Kennedy Townsend, 74, the daughter of the late politician Robert and his wife, Ethelpurchased the property in December 2023 for $1.28 million in an effort to pass on the tradition of spending the warm months surrounded by family in the storied city.

But she has now admitted that dream of rediscovering her own childhood joy didn’t quite work out as she had hoped – prompting her to put the property back on the market less than three years later.

“I had a dream that I would recreate the childhood, the beautiful childhood that I had, for my children and grandchildren, so that they could come to the Cape; they could sail, they could walk on breakwaters, and they would be, you know, beautiful summers,” she says. told The Boston Globe.

“I wanted it to be a place where some people could have fun and use the beach and be in a safe place. I had a wonderful dream. … But not all dreams work, right?”

On paper, the home was perfectly positioned to serve as an extension of the Kennedy family’s old Hyannis Port complex, which is just a seven-minute drive from the five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home.

Yet the property is a far cry from the historic Kennedy estate, which was purchased in 1928 by the family patriarch, diplomat and businessman. Joseph P Kennedy for his wife Rose and their nine children, included President John F Kennedy And Sen. Robert F Kennedy.

While the family’s estate sits on a huge lot next to the ocean, Kennedy Townsend’s home is far from the beach, although the listing notes that it features private access to a nearby beach, which is just a few minutes’ walk away.

In keeping with Kennedy Townend’s vision to make the home a hub for family, friends and loved ones, the home is equipped with several sleeping areas, including a basement room with multiple beds, as well as a sitting area.

There are also bunk beds in an upstairs room, providing even more space for guests to lay their heads.

“With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the home offers generous space and a flexible layout suitable for both year-round living and seasonal enjoyment,” says the listing, which is managed by Kathy O’Neil from Sotheby’s International Realty, notes.

A large open plan kitchen comes complete with an informal dining area, ideal for entertaining large groups, while the sun-drenched living room features its own fireplace for cozy evenings during the winter months. A more formal dining room adds another space for large family meals.

However, it is the exterior where the property really shines.

“Located in the sought-after Breakwater Shores neighborhood, this split-level pond view home offers coastal living with peaceful water views and glimpses of the ocean beyond,” the description continues.

A huge terrace overlooking the garden and pond beyond seems the perfect place for alfresco dinners on a summer evening, or to enjoy a quiet moment with a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise.

A sizable fire pit in the yard itself seems tailor-made for family game nights or s’mores sessions, and is surrounded by a lush green lawn and elegant landscaping.

While some interiors appear to need some freshening up, especially in the kitchen, the bones of the house would provide the perfect blank canvas for someone looking for a more modern retreat, with the more traditional elements in the 1966-built home adding a rustic, comforting feel.

Additionally, the property has no homeowners association, meaning these costs don’t have to be factored into a buyer’s budget, despite the fact that, according to the listing, it is “ideally located near shopping, wonderful restaurants, the Hyannis Artist Cabins, tour boats and ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.”

“For a family living in Boston or Providence, or anywhere nearby, it’s just ideal,” Kennedy Townsend added.

Cape Cod has long been entwined with the Kennedys, especially after JFK used the family compound as his presidential campaign headquarters in the summer of 1960 – and even more so after his wife, Jackie Kennedy Onassisfled to the house after he was murdered in 1963 at the age of 46.

Hyannis Port is said to be where Jackie created the image of Kennedy’s presidency as “Camelot” in the aftermath of his death, drawing inspiration from the late politician’s favorite Broadway musical and telling the media in her first official interview after his death, “Let it be remembered that for a brief, shining moment, there was Camelot.”

The house had been the site of many happy vacations for JFK and Jackie – and it served as a much-needed retreat for other family members over the years, becoming the site of an annual Fourth of July reunion for many of their descendants.

Dozens of Kennedy family members join in each year, from RFK’s daughter Curry and her children with ex-husband Andreas Cuomo Unpleasant Mary Shriver‘s daughter Katherine Schwarzenegger and her actor husband, Chris Pratt— gather at the property to celebrate the holiday.