A Neoclassical Limestone Mansion on the Upper East Side Listed for $20M

This property is listed for $20,000, 000 by David E. Kornmeier and Maren Faiella of Brown Harris Stevens. Also available for rent for $85,000 / month

The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home was fully rebuilt in 2011, and features many palatial details throughout: intricate ceiling and wall moldings, walnut hardwood flooring, and an Archimedean spiral staircase - named after the 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician Archimedes. You can follow its cast iron filigree banister to a circular skylight that illuminates the centre of the home.

The Upper East Side mansion has an impressive Indiana limestone facade spanning six stories. In the rebuild, the property was intelligently designed to include a high-speed Federal elevator, radiant floor heating throughout, a snowmelt system in the front and rear gardens, and noise cancellation systems in place between each floor of the home.

54 East 81st Street has 8,375 square feet of lavish living space and an additional 2,040 square feet of exterior amenities with the South garden, a Juliette balcony, and a full-furnished rooftop deck with hot tub. It’s located on a tree-lined street just steps from Central Park, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The property was built in 1915 and belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Turner Dana, a prominent colonial family and descendants of Brigadier General John Morin Scott, a prominent figure in the American Revolution. A general under George Washington, Scott was at the Battle of Brooklyn on August 27, 1776, he argued passionately against surrendering Manhattan to the British— although “possibly due to his large landholdings there, including what is now Times Square and New York City's Theater District”. Ultimately, the British forces would defeat the Patriots in the Battle of Brooklyn and Scott would go on to become New York’s first Secretary of State in 1777.  

Back in 2017, the limestone mansion was at the centre of Manhattan real estate news (quite literally) with a Manhattan Mega-mansion proposal reported on @therealdeal. It was a triple-property sale valued at $53.4M that would sandwich 54 East 81st Street between 50 East 81st Street and 52 East 81st Street to create a 25,000 square foot residence in the centre of Manhattan. 

All photos belong to the listing agency.