Sotheby’s/William Pitt, Julia B. Fee will host an open house 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at 3 Little Lane in White Plains for potential buyers of this 2,328-square-foot Colonial, which holds an unusual place in TV history.
It was the home of the late Ruth Manecke, the TV pioneer who served as lead zoologist for “Captain Kangaroo” (CBS, 1955-84), the longest-running children’s program of its day. (It would be eclipsed by PBS’ “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”) Manecke booked the show’s animal talent and ran one of the East Coast’s first animal talent agencies. She was also the longtime director of the White Plains Beautification Foundation, which recently memorialized her.
Manecke won two Emmy Awards for her work, which she remained devoted to until her 80s. Her home in White Plains’ “Little Farms” neighborhood reflects that devotion, with an office filled with photographs of the exotic animals she booked and the celebrities she encountered as well as her awards.
Built in 1965, the four-bedroom, two and a half-bathroom house sits on .028-acres of a quiet cul-de-sac and includes a backyard with a bi-level brick patio, a fountain and curated plantings that also attest to Manecke’s love of nature. The property is being sold for $974,900 by her daughter, Cathryn Long, who continues to run the animal talent agency.
For more, contact agent Sandy Rooney at 914-953-1534.
