Ferndale Road | Wayzata, Minnesota

Lake Access. One Relationship at a Time.

Where the canopy curves and the shoreline whispers, Ferndale Road winds through one of Lake Minnetonka’s most storied enclaves. Tucked between the eastern edge of Wayzata Bay and the wooded hillsides above, Ferndale has always been more than an address. It’s an invitation into legacy — a shoreline where land, history, and privacy quietly align.

From the first sugar maples tapped by New Englanders in 1853 to the sweeping estates built by Wayzata’s founding families, Ferndale has long drawn those who understood that true luxury is as much about discretion as it is design. Garrison, Gray, Harrington — the names that defined early Wayzata also chose this peninsula for its elevation, exposure, and remove. A century and a half later, that instinct still holds.

Rooted in Heritage

The name Ferndale was first applied to the Pillsbury estate on the former Harrington farm — a name that, even then, evoked lushness, seclusion, and refinement. This was Wayzata’s Gilded Age. Northrup. Peavey. Crosby. These were not vacationers — they were visionaries building generational homes with the intention to stay.

One of the earliest structures, the Harrington Inn, opened as the lake’s first summer hotel. The surrounding land evolved into private estates — each with its own rhythm, its own view, and in many cases, its own dock.

Architectural Provenance

Ferndale Road West is a walking study in American architecture. The 1894 Northrup House, designed by William Channing Whitney, once stood as “the White House of Minnesota.” The Peavey family’s Highcroft estate brought Georgian Revival elegance to the lakeshore — complete with a working dairy farm and formal gardens, long before subdivision lines ever arrived.

Today, those legacies endure — whether in preserved historic homes or modern interpretations framed in glass and steel. Drive slowly here. Every bend reveals another chapter in the residential canon of Lake Minnetonka.

A Lifestyle That Moves at Its Own Pace

From Lookout Point to Brown’s Bay, Ferndale offers water in nearly every direction. Century-old gateposts still mark the old entrance to Harrington Farms. Kayaks slip past Spirit Island. Vintage roadsters idle along maple-lined drives. This is a place where the outside world feels held at bay — and mornings are measured by birdsong and light.

Ferndale isn’t on the way to anything. It is the destination.

Access, Inventory, and Intention

Lot lines are generous. Privacy is preserved. Water quality is exceptional. Homes here rarely reach the open market — and when they do, they speak quietly.

This is a corridor where timing, trust, and representation matter. Legacy homes are often passed within families. New builds face long lead times and careful standards. Privacy is the standard.

Schools and Connection

Though hidden in the trees, Ferndale is minutes from downtown Wayzata, the Luce Line Trail, the Wayzata Depot, and the award-winning Wayzata Public Schools and a plethora of private schools. You’re connected when you want to be. Removed when you don’t.

Your Invitation Starts Here

For buyers: If you’re seeking access to Ferndale, I don’t show everything to everyone — but I open the right doors at the right time. You’re not just buying a home. You’re joining something timeless.

For sellers: Your home deserves more than a listing. It deserves a legacy. Let’s tell its story the right way — with care, credibility, and the quiet reach of relationship-first representation.

The Gustafson offer Wayzata’s most trusted resource for legacy property, discreet listings, and waterfront advocacy.

Lake Access. One Relationship at a Time.