A $1.575M Tudor colonial in Cheelcroft was built in 1936, but it has crazy-modern features

Looking for a home with authentic Tudor architecture in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance of public transportation, schools and other amenities? The home at 40 Sutton Drive in Ho-Ho-Kus might just be for you.

Currently listed for $1.575 million, the circa-1936 Tudor colonial-style home was listed this month by Megan Fox and Max Stokes of the Fox & Stokes Team at Compass New Jersey. This five-bedroom, four-bathroom home is situated on a quarter-acre lot in the historic Cheelcroft section of Ho-Ho-Kus.

"The timelessness is what sets it apart. It's just so serene when you're in there," Stokes said. "We did an open house and it was just so relaxing being in there, between looking out at the English gardens in the backyard and the beautiful homes across the street."

The Cheelcroft section, which now spans more than 100 acres to the west of Route 17, dates back to the Great Depression. Harold W. Cheel — who attended Ridgewood High School and Yale University before serving in the United States Air Force during World War I — began a career in real estate in 1923. In 1926, he was the highest bidder at a public auction for six lots on the west side of Sheridan Avenue, north of Hollywood Avenue, in Ho-Ho-Kus. This is when the highly acclaimed Cheelcroft section was born.

By the early 1950s, Cheel went on to build 450 homes throughout Ho-Ho-Kus, including 215 in the Cheelcroft neighborhood. Each home was uniquely built based on its lot, and Cheel featured a variety of architectural styles, including Cape Cod, Dutch colonial, English Tudor, Georgian, ranch and modern traditional.

"The homes were built to be very functional, and they were thoughtful of things that, in the 1920s, they were just ahead of their time and included things that work perfectly for you right now," Stokes said. "There's no wasted space. Everything kind of makes sense, and having things like a home office included during the 1920s shows they thought of everything."

The homes designed by Cheel in the first 15 years of construction offered other modern features such as dry wells to collect storm runoff; homes built from 1935 to 1939 had air conditioning. These homes won awards for design, floor plans and landscaping, and were featured in several media outlets, including McCall's magazine in 1936 and House Beautiful magazine in 1939.

"He was actually heavily involved in getting a school here, too," said Christine Steidel, director of operations for the Fox & Stokes Team and an expert on the Cheelcroft neighborhood. "So, as families flocked to purchase the homes, he felt it was important for the kids to have a place of education here, so he advocated for that."

The home at 40 Sutton Drive still has several original features that were put in by Cheel, including wood detailing made from North American chestnut, a tree that is nearly extinct; front steel frame windows; slate roofs on the front and sides of the third floor; built-ins throughout the home; and design by Cheel's wife in the living room and dining room.

Other aspects of the home include a large fireplace in the living room, a home office, a fully finished basement, a combined bathroom and laundry room on the second floor, and a primary bedroom completed with an ensuite bathroom and a private balcony overlooking the home's landscaped backyard.

Stokes said the home previously had an attached garage, but the sellers — who have owned the home since 2001 — converted that space into additional living areas, including a second dining room off the kitchen and an additional bedroom on the second floor. Now the property has a detached garage with an oversized loft space.

"It was this kind of weird loop to get into the garage, so what they did was make the garage part of the home," he said. "Before, it was this small garage, but now the detached garage has high ceilings, can fit two cars and has a loft space."

The property is also centrally located within both Ho-Ho-Kus and Bergen County, Stokes said. The home is within walking distance of local elementary schools, transportation services and local businesses, and within close proximity to New York City and surrounding North Jersey towns.

"Tudors are not for everyone. Finding a buyer is like finding a needle in a haystack. You need someone that gets it and loves it," Stokes said. "You need a buyer that appreciates the storybook architecture and fine attention to detail. A home like this doesn't appeal to the masses."

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Cheelcroft section of Ho-Ho-Kus NJ has Tudor home listed for sale