Private Island Sells For $26.5 Million In Darien

DARIEN, CT — Hay Island, an 18-acre private island in Darien, recently sold for $26.5 million, according to Zillow.

The island represented the last bit of property owned by the Ziegler family.

William Ziegler, one of the founders of the Royal Baking Powder Company, also owned Ziegler Farm and Great Island in the 1900s.

Ziegler Farm sold in 2023 for $57.5 million, and in 2023, the Steinkraus branch of the family sold Great Island to the town of Darien for $85 million.

Zillow notes a sale date for Hay Island of Nov. 14; it was not immediately clear who the buyer was.

The transaction represents the third-highest residential sale in Connecticut in 2025 as recorded by Zillow, behind 214 Clapboard Ridge Road in Greenwich ($43.5 million on Aug. 25) and 110 Clapboard Ridge Road ($28 million).

Hay Island features unobstructed views of Long Island Sound as well as an 8,684-square-foot New England colonial home, the listing from Sotheby's International Realty - Greenwich brokerage noted.

Protected by a rocky shoreline and shaded by mature trees, the island also includes a dock, two-bedroom guest house, spa, and a pool house with a kitchenette and full bathroom, the listing said.

The three-story home was built in 2010, the listing said. It has six-bedrooms, seven-bathrooms along with "exquisite" millwork, high-end finishes and six fireplaces.

Outside, there is an infinity-edge pool that overlooks one of two sandy beaches, with the Greens Ledge Lighthouse in the distance.

The property was originally listed for sale in March for $35 million. Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty – Greenwich Brokerage was the listing agent.

Photos of Hay Island can be found here.