WOOLWORTH
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Take a tour of four iconic NYC structures that went from derelict to dazzling.
By MATTHEW PHENIX
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Twin Historic Homes
in Harlem Show
Restoration Done Right
WORDS: DREW LIMSKY
PHOTOS: AL SIEDMAN/VHT STUDIOS
Scott Stewart
Licensed Associate RE Broker
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Number 32, on the market for $7,450,000, was gorgeously restored by its owner, interior designer Brad Linard, whose clients have included Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux. Next door, Number 33—which, at 26.5 feet across, is two feet wider than its neighbor—asks $3,250,000. Linard owns this one as well, but he never got around to rehabbing it. “If you’ve ever seen old photography of Havana’s decayed mansions, that’s what 33 feels like,” says Corcoran real estate broker Scott Stewart, who represents both listings. “It has a lot of ornate detail like 32, but none of it has been restored.”
The houses, which rose in 1888, carry a significant pedigree. After building his own home at 123 and Mount Morris Park West, John Dwight, a pioneer in the manufacture of bicarbonate of soda, went on to build contiguous houses for his family with identical façades. His daughter Clara Dwight, and her husband, General Alexander Phoenix Ketchum (who had been a commander under Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War), moved into Number 32. When Linard bought the stately house, it was in the same neglected shape that Number 33 is in now. A three-year, $4 million rescue commenced. “All the mantles and fireplaces are original,” Stewart explains, “and when he bought the house, not only were the ceilings falling down and the walls peeling, but the fireplace mantles were all covered in brown paint.”
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Standout features include an elevator that goes from the sub-basement to the fifth floor, and a rooftop gym that opens to a lounging deck on one side and grilling deck on the other. Stewart is quick to note several financial advantages. First, the taxes on house are a little over $18,000 a year, whereas a typical townhouse on the Upper West Side carries taxes of $60,000 and up. Second, the rent on the 1,500-square-foot apartment on the ground floor (≈$3,800/mo.) can generate enough income to cover the maintenance and expenses of the entire house.
Number 32 is therefore move-in ready, to say the least. Meanwhile, Number 33, which was previously owned by Loretta Abbott, a founding member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, is seeking an owner who’s looking for a mighty project. Linard would be happy to act as designer and the adviser for the restoration. One thing is for sure: No other designer would have more relevant experience.
It isn’t every day that buyers have a chance to see before-and-after properties, but two historic Harlem rowhouses, 32 and 33 Mount Morris Park West, offer just that opportunity.
Today, the approximately 7,000-square-foot home dazzles with a postmodern industrial sensibility, a more modern floor plan, and bold materials. “It’s a triple parlor layout, and Linard took the entire rear parlor and converted it to a massive chef’s entertaining kitchen,” Stewart says. The designer similarly tossed out the original blueprint in other ways as well. He used entire front parlor to create the master bath; now, a cast iron tub floats in the center of the room, warmed by a fireplace. The vanities consist of marble slabs on lava stone, with steel-pipe bases. Though unexpected, Stewart says the design of the home, with its double-sized bedrooms and neutral palette, has a “soothing, privileged affect, refined and welcoming.”
A diamond in the rough, 33 is a showpiece of period details and old-world craftsmanship.
In the primary suite bath, basalt and volcanic stone vanities flank a working fireplace. The cast iron and ceramic tub is centered mid-room; a wet room shower lies beyond, basked in natural light through privacy windows.
32's kitchen features a fireplace and a lengthy center island fashioned from imported granite.
Cathy D Fuerth
Licensed Associate RE Broker
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