Photo courtesy of LandVest

A huge estate in New Haven is being marketed for institutional uses or development amid concern from historic preservationists.

The 26.56-acre property, known as Raynham, sits at 709 Townsend Ave. in the city’s East Shore neighborhood, a 15-minute drive from the city’s downtown. A large strip of wetlands runs through the center of the property, which divides it into a landscaped, street-facing portion and a wooded hillside.

Joanna Dresser, a Boston-based agent with luxury brokerage LandVest, has the listing. The asking price is

The 3-story main home was built in 1804 as a classic New England farmhouse and extensively remodeled in 1858 into a Victorian Gothic mansion. The home’s interior appears extensively preserved, with antique millwork, molding, carvings and wallpaper throughout. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other buildings on the site include a barn, carriage house, and gardener’s cottage.

The New Haven Independent reports local historic preservationists and neighborhood activists are “shocked” and “disappointed” to see the house is being sold without a deed restriction or other curbs that could keep the property largely as-is, suggesting any large-scale development on the site may run into stiff opposition.