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A Gilded Age NYC Mansion Lists for $50 Million

Photo credit: Courtesy Douglas Elliman
Photo credit: Courtesy Douglas Elliman

From House Beautiful


Photo credit: Courtesy Douglas Elliman
Photo credit: Courtesy Douglas Elliman

If you’ve ever wanted to live like a character in an Edith Wharton novel, now is your chance. One of Manhattan’s last Gilded Age mansions is back on the market for a cool $50 million, following a restoration after a fire that broke out in the fall of 2018. The property first hit the market in 2017 for the same price. The restoration work was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and it stays true to the original state of the former residence.

The 20,000 square foot mansion counts the five successor states of the now nonexistent Yugoslavia as its owners—Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia. Currently, the building is used as an office for the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the United Nations.

Photo credit: Gamut Photos Inc.
Photo credit: Gamut Photos Inc.

Robert Livingston Beeckman, a stockbroker and former Governor of Rhode Island, was the original owner of the landmark mansion, which was built in 1905. In 1912, Beeckman sold the mansion to George Grant Mason for $725,000, which was the most expensive price paid for a residential property in Manhattan during this time. Emily Thorn Vanderbilt, the granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, was also among the list of prior owners. She is responsible for the angel frescoes seen on the ceilings, as well as the gold cherubs on the moldings of the ceiling, all of which aligns perfectly with the Style Louis XV decor seen throughout.

"Most of the furniture is not original," says listing agent Tristan Harper, of Douglas Elliman. "Before the building was purchased in 1946, the estate of then-owner Emily Thorn Vanderbilt auctioned off most of the furniture and furnishings." But, the mansion still has its fair share of Gilded-Age touches: "Two important 18th-century tapestries remain as well as hand-painted ceilings in some rooms and custom antique boiserie and gold leaf paneling," Harper says.

Photo credit: Courtesy Douglas Elliman
Photo credit: Courtesy Douglas Elliman

The property, which is located between East 66th and East 67th Streets, was declared a historical landmark in 1966. In addition to its impressive location, the mansion boasts a stunning view of Central Park and interiors that were inspired by the Palace of Versailles (casual). The mansion, which is of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, consists of six floors and features 17 fireplaces.

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