Precious Moments owner sells 45-acre estate near St. Charles for $3 million

The owner of the porcelain figurine company Precious Moments recently sold his 45-acre estate near St. Charles for $3 million.

The lavish estate, located on Woodgate Road northwest of St. Charles, includes a 17,000-square-foot mansion, a pool with a waterfall, a 1-mile manicured walking path of stones, bridges and ponds, a meditation deck and a tennis court with a gazebo. Jon and Missy Butcher operate several companies, including Precious Moments.

He is the son of Precious Moments founder Sam Butcher. The buyers – who have not been identified in public records – paid $2.4 million for the 26 acres of grounds and another $600,000 for 19 acres of adjacent property.

“It was a very special place for them and it served a wonderful purpose for their lives for many years,” said the couple’s listing agent, Anne Kearns, of @properties. “But they’re on to other things now.”

They lived in the house recently, Kearns said.

“They were there 22 years,” she said. “They built it. It was their family home. They raised their children there. But they have multiple businesses, so it was also a business venture for them. The property did have an Airbnb zoning special use permit that they put on the property for their use.”

The sale took place on Sept. 3. The couple was initially trying to sell the mansion for $7.9 million in 2012. However, that price was only for the mansion and 26 acres of grounds and not the entire 45-acre property.

“The 19 acres acts as the driveway to the house, but it is 19 acres of buildable land,” Kearns said. “So I listed it separately in case there were separate buyers. You never know. One person ended up buying the whole thing.”

Kearns said that some people were interested in the entire property and some were only interested in the house.

“It was 50-50 in interest,” she said. “I’m glad that it all stayed together.”

Kearns said she did not know the buyer’s plans for the property.