After being “restored to a level of museum polish that goes well beyond a house-tour gloss” (according to The New York Times) and setting the record in 1996 for the highest price on the Upper West Side, this one-of-a-kind, dazzling mansion is back on the market. Immaculately maintained, the six-bedroom, six and a half-bath townhouse has retained the gorgeous original details that infuse every corner, while augmenting them with opulence by Jonathan Rosen Interiors. From the moment you ascend the stoop and see the granite and terra-cotta facade, you can tell that this is a special house. Architects Hugh Lamb and Charles Alonzo Rich faced the garden and parlour floors in “peachy-pinky” rough-cut carved granite, and the top three floors in pale golden iron spot brick and terra cotta. Elaborate wrought iron ornamentation crowns the front door. In the terra cotta surrounds of the third floor windows, keystones shaped like armored knights can be seen. The splayed lintels of the fourth floor windows are complemented by scallop shells at either end of the sills. And the fifth floor continues the theme, with huge terra cotta shells filling the arches of the windows; smaller scallop shells flank the fifth floor facade and adorn the terra cotta cornice. Winged cherubs hold up the iron spot brick pillars that frame the cornice. In the entry way, you can see the beginning of the original woodwork that defines so much of this home. In fact, 95% of the woodwork in this building is original. A 400-pound original door, hidden in the wall at first glance, can be closed behind the wood and glass front door, or left flush against the wall for extra light. And that’s just the beginning. Parlour Floor: This parlour floor is like none other, with unsurpassed custom millwork everywhere. It’s spacious enough to host an event for over two hundred people. When you look up, you’ll see extra-wide mahogany crown molding (all of which was cut from a single tree) and twelve-foot-eight coffered mahogany ceilings; look down and see gracefully inlaid butternut hexagon parquet. The walls are upholstered in cheerful yellow and white fabric that nicely balances the six-foot-high linenfold paneling, and the curved pocket doors that surround the front parlour are truly unique. Russian-pleated white and gold drapes adorn the ceiling-height front windows, continuing the colors of the white molding with gold accents. An elegant gas fireplace decorates one wall of the front parlour, white with gold detail and a pink marble surround. A curved captain’s door leads downstairs to the garden level. Take note on this floor of the grand staircase, with its original oak stairs, banisters, and paneled wainscoting. The pillars at the base were originally designed to hold gas lanterns. You’ll also notice an elevator with wood and brass interior, which goes to all six floors and has brand-new mechanicals.
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