Price of Smalley House Shrinks Just a Little

1816 Bolsover St., Houston, the former home of Richard Smalley

The family of nanotechnology pioneer Richard Smalley has knocked a little more than $50,000 off the price of the late Nobel Prize winner’s Southampton home.

The 21-year-old, six-bedroom house has been on the market for more than two months. Arnoldy says she has had some trouble selling the three-story home, which features a gourmet kitchen and third-story deck, because it has virtually no yard. The 5,433-square-foot house sits on a 6,312-square-foot lot.

What do you mean, no yard? What this home clearly needs is an owner who can take advantage of small spaces.

Included in the sale—sort of: a Buckyball-shaped skylight over the Family Room.

“Rice University wants the skylight, but we see it more as a marketing tool to sell the home,” says Susan Arnoldy, a Realtor at John Daugherty Realtors Inc. who has listed the property for sale. “The new owner can decide whether or not they want to give it to Rice for display.”

New asking price: $1,295,000.