808 Sunset Avenue Active Save Request In-Person Tour Request Virtual Tour
Evansville,IN 47713
Key Details
Property Type Single Family Home
Sub Type Site-Built Home
Listing Status Active
Purchase Type For Sale
Square Footage 4,620 sqft
Price per Sqft $194
Subdivision Sunset Place
MLS Listing ID 202532635
Style Two Story
Bedrooms 6
Full Baths 5
Year Built 1912
Annual Tax Amount $2,884
Tax Year 2025
Lot Size 0.380 Acres
Property Sub-Type Site-Built Home
Property Description
Commanding a distinguished presence on historic Sunset Avenue, Semper Fulgens is a masterwork of early 20th-century residential architecture - its elegance born of F. Manson Gilbert's fusion of English Tudor gravitas and Italianate refinement. Commissioned in 1912 by developer and hotelier William Sonntag, the residence was the inaugural jewel of Sunset's envisioned Gold Coast. Its enduring clay tile roof, leaded glass emblazoned with the Sonntag crest Semper Fulgens, and carved stone balustrades testify to an era when craftsmanship was a higher order. Approached through manicured grounds, the home welcomes both park-facing receptions and intimate gatherings in its European villa gardens. Inside, stately proportions and cultivated detail abound. The walnut-paneled den, relocated and preserved from the original dining room, reflects the artistry of the Karges family - renowned furniture makers whose stewardship imbued the estate with Old World opulence and thoughtful innovation. Brunschwig & Fils wallcoverings envelop formal rooms that balance grandeur with intimacy. The main level offers a gracious primary suite as a private sanctuary, complemented by an adjacent guest suite. Formal living and dining rooms, anchored by intricate moldings and period fixtures, invite both ceremonial entertaining and quiet reflection, while a sympathetically renovated kitchen unites modern culinary function with the home's historic narrative. Upstairs, reimagined by the Karges family, the residence reveals its adaptability and grace. Designed to function as a stately double, it offers complete independence while maintaining architectural harmony with the main floor. The great room mirrors its counterpart below, opening to a luminous sunroom positioned above the snug, while a private suite once housed the family's valet, Vittorio. A secondary kitchen underscores the space's versatility, suitable for intergenerational living, a guest retreat, or refined entertaining, alongside three additional bedrooms. Beyond the principal residence, the restored carriage house - originally three horse stalls and a groom's quarters - offers an architectural echo of the estate's pre-automobile past. Renovated by the current owners, it awaits reimagining as a guest retreat, artist's atelier, or private office. In every respect, Semper Fulgens remains true to its name - Always Shining - offering its next custodian not merely a place to reside, but a work of art to inhabit.
Location
State IN
County Vanderburgh County
Area Vanderburgh County
Rooms
Family Room 14 x 14
Dining Room 14 x 14
Kitchen Main, 15 x 10
Interior
Heating Forced Air
Cooling Central Air
Flooring Hardwood Floors,Carpet
Fireplaces Number 2
Fireplaces Type Family Rm
Laundry Lower, 10 x 10
Exterior
Fence Farm,Privacy
Amenities Available 1st Bdrm En Suite,Attic Pull Down Stairs,Attic Storage,Built-In Bookcase,Ceiling-9+,Closet(s) Walk-in,Eat-In Kitchen,Landscaped,Natural Woodwork,Near Walking Trail,Open Floor Plan,Patio Open,Main Level Bedroom Suite,Great Room,Custom Cabinetry
Roof Type Tile
Building
Lot Description Cul-De-Sac,Level,Water View
Story 2
Foundation Full Basement
Sewer City
Water City
Structure Type Stucco
New Construction No
Schools
Elementary Schools West Terrace
Middle Schools Perry Heights
High Schools Francis Joseph Reitz
School District Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp.
Others
Virtual Tour https://www.propertypanorama.com/instaview/irmls/202532635