1901 Gilded Age Mansion on Manhattan’s Upper West Side Asks $30M
On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a 25-foot-wide Beaux-Arts townhouse built in 1901 has been listed for $29.75 million with Douglas Elliman’s Lydia Sussek. Spanning 11,500 square feet across seven levels, the limestone mansion includes seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and the rare amenity of outdoor space on every floor.
Designed by Janes & Leo, the Beaux-Arts firm behind many of Manhattan’s grand turn-of-the-century residences, the mansion was one of a pair of near-identical houses built for developer Joseph A. Farley just off Riverside Drive; its counterpart at 351 West 86th Street has since been demolished, underscoring the rarity of this surviving example.
Its limestone façade with a bowed front, wrought-iron balconies, and sets of French doors reflects the opulence of the era, while inside, soaring ceilings, paneled walls, and a sweeping spiral staircase anchor the seven-level layout.
In the 1940s, Russian prince Sergei Belosselsky-Belozersky acquired the mansion and turned it into the House of Free Russia, a nonprofit that supported émigrés for the next 50 years. During that time, the property became a cultural landmark on the Upper West Side, remembered as both a community hub and one of the neighborhood’s most distinctive private houses.
By the late 1990s, however, the building had fallen into disrepair. When financier Randall Rackson purchased it in 1999, the mansion was little more than a shell, open to the elements. Rackson led a full restoration, rebuilding the interiors with paneled walls, decorative ceilings, and a grand spiral staircase, while introducing modern amenities including a library, cinema, gym, wine cellar, and a commercial-grade elevator.
The third-floor kitchen opens to a planted terrace with a fountain and space for al fresco dining, while the full-floor primary suite includes a private terrace, dressing room, and den. Additional terraces, balconies, and a rooftop garden bring outdoor access to nearly every level. The house has also served as a backdrop for Vogue, Town & Country, and Esquire, and appeared in television series including Law & Order, The Good Wife, and Madame Secretary.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
