Eleanor Roosevelt’s Former New York Home Comes Back To Market For $13.5 Million

The home where former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt spent the latter years of her life has returned to market for $13.5 million. The 5-story townhouse was where Mrs. Roosevelt entertained the likes of President John F. Kennedy and Soviet statesman Nikita Khrushchev and where she penned her famous “My Day” newspaper column. She and her close friends the Gurewitschs co-bought the home in 1959, with Roosevelt living on the lower floors and her friends living above, according to the Wall Street Journal who announced the sale when the home went on the market last September. Even though it has been renovated several times, most recently by designer Maria Masi, it still has the regal style befitting its construction date estimated to be around 1873. Roosevelt lived here from 1953 to 1958 and the deed with her name as one of the owners will be included in the sale of the home.

Located in the Lenox Hill of Manhattan, not far from Central Park, this is one of the pricier listings for the neighborhood. Only a handful of homes have sold for at or above this asking price in the past year or two, though of the homes currently for sale about forty of them are asking more than the $13.5 million list price of this townhouse. Most homes for sale in those city blocks are much smaller and come in under $5 million asking prices.

This 5,200 square foot home has a number of one-of-a-kind features. See the hand-painted wallpaper of a woodland setting in this receiving room, with curved staircase that perfectly matches the proportions of the coffered ceiling.

The kitchen has farmhouse style cabinetry with subway tile backsplashes and a small serving island.

The tinted leaded glass is original to the home and shows up in several of the rooms, such as the kitchen in the above photo and this lounge with a fireplace.

All four of the bedrooms in the house have an attached bathroom and two of the bedrooms are designated as master suites. Here’s a look at a few of them.

They each have chandeliers and the vintage glass in the windows completes the regal aesthetic.

There are a total of six wood-burning fireplaces in the house, including one in this impressively-sized bathroom with clawfoot bathtub.

The walled yard provides is part of the additional 1,770 square feet of outdoor space and comes with the stone fountain and table. The roof deck has more room for entertaining and a built-in dog run. 

The home is listed with Stribling so head over to the listing page for more information.

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