Ex-home of Nielsen Ratings founder for sale for almost $7M

Nielsen built the six-bedroom, six-bath estate in 1937

Arthur Nielson and 720 Ardsley Road (Chicago Community Trust, Zilllow)
Arthur Nielson and 720 Ardsley Road (Chicago Community Trust, Zilllow)

The former home in Winnetka of Arthur Nielson, the creator of Nielsen Ratings is for sale for $6.9 million.

Nielsen built the six-bedroom, six-bath, 17,000 square-foot home in 1937. The Tudor-style home was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall, whose portfolio includes the Drake Hotel, the Edgewater Beach Hotel, the South Shore Country Club and the Blackstone Hotel and Theater.

720 Ardsley Road (Zilllow)

720 Ardsley Road (Zilllow)

The 1.5-acre property is on a private road, according to the listing. Owners David and Whitney Sinclair bought it in 2008, renovated it, and listed it twice last year for $6.9 million before the listing was removed. Sarah Lyons of Compass is handling the listing.

It includes a tennis court, a swimming pool, a sports court and a wine cellar. The renovation replaced a three-season porch with a library and office. Other amenities include a butler’s pantry, an art gallery, a home gym, a putting green and a four-car garage.

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The property was also featured in a 2014 issue of Traditional Home magazine.

720 Ardsley Road (Zilllow)

A former engineer, Nielsen was born in Chicago. He founded the A.C. Nielsen Company in 1923, where he further advanced the newly established field of market research for radio and television. In the 1950s, he created the Nielsen TV Ratings, which measured audience size and makeup of TV programs.

Winnetka has been home to some of the largest sales of 2022. Across Chicagoland, at least 28 homes have sold at either at or above $4 million so far in 2022. That pace is slightly ahead of 2021, when 101 homes sold in that range in the full year. Sales are expected to slow as mortgage rates rise and potential buyers opt to delay purchases.

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