Historic Clark Mansion Hits Manhattan Market At $12.9 Million

Manhattan’s Upper West Side is a charming brownstone nirvana whose four and five-story row townhouses have attracted the likes of Jeff Daniels, Mark Ruffalo, Enrico Caruso, Arturo Toscanini, and even Columbia University over the years.

Now one of the neighborhood’s early jewels comes to market for $12.9 million. The historic Clark Mansion, once home to Cyrus Clark (“Father of the Upper West Side”), has been fully restored by Interior Marketing Group to its luxurious glory with modern-day contemporary interiors worthy of its original owner’s high standards. Wolf Jakubowski of Brown Harris Stevens has the listing.

Cyrus Clark, a wealthy late 1800s silk trader/real estate investor, was one of the earliest advocates for dignified Upper West Side improvement and development. He staunchly protected the sparsely populated district from railroad and warehouse expansion by the Hudson River waterfront, which would have totally altered the neighborhood’s community vibe.

Clark’s former stately sandstone mansion rests elegantly on Riverside Drive—an exquisite single-family architectural landmark amid the Upper West Side’s comedy quarter where great comedians like Amy Schumer, Tina Fey, Samantha Bee and John Oliver choose to dwell.

IMG transformed the 8,000-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion into a new classic—an updated, entertainment-friendly estate featuring bespoke art, exotic wood trims, soaring ceilings, dazzling chandeliers, and a modern elevator.

“Our goal was to create a more elevated, relatable style with broad appeal, to ensure the home didn’t rely too heavily on one genre or feel too taste-specific,” says Cheryl Eisen, founder and president of IMG, an award-winning interior design firm. “We elected to use mostly neutral tones because they don’t distract from the home’s unique selling points, and added contemporary furnishings, art, and light fixtures. Overall we really wanted to lighten and brighten the rooms, and to breathe modern life into the dated interiors.”

Yet the renovation still retains the home’s original character—ornamental front façade and door, grand oak central atrium stairway, parquet floors, wood-burning fireplaces (with carved mantels), original detailed moldings, large-scale mirrors, and ionic columns. IMG integrated modern luxury via customized pieces which pay homage to the mansion’s history.

“The Clark Mansion is a one-of-a-kind slice of the Upper West Side and it was important to work with a designer that could marry contemporary design with the mansion’s grand history,” says Jakubowski, who’s sold more than $1 billion in townhouses (300+ houses) since 1979.

Clark Mansion includes a penthouse floor (with terrace), two additional terraces, oversized rooms, seven fireplaces, a big backyard, outdoor hot tub, and a gorgeous rooftop deck with Hudson River views.

The mansion’s prior pricing, 22-foot width and distinctive architecture posed a unique renovation challenge. Virtually every room required custom fabrication, including the library’s custom-built coffee table and the dining room’s one-of-kind glass table which maximizes the large entertaining space.

“The biggest challenge of the restoration and design of the home was to update the decor and make it feel more modern, fresh, and bright in a way that complemented the existing historic architectural details,” says Eisen. “Using traditional furniture and art in this type of home runs the risk of looking dated, so we were selective in our design and opted to juxtapose transitional furnishings and modern art to accentuate the traditional architecture of the home.”

The Great Room’s custom drapes soar with high ceilings and curve to distinctive, light-inviting rotunda bay windows. A paneled wall of mirrors highlights the Great Room’s open layout and sheer size.

ArtLoft (IMG’s art department) integrated hand-painted artwork into the home to accent the design and furnishings. The estate’s artistic chandeliers dangle from ornamental ceiling medallions over expansive rooms.

The renovation breathes new life into Clark Mansion, which sat on the market for three years, originally priced at $19 million. Purchased in 2010, owners Moira and Leonard Zelin are downsizing after raising three boys in the home with fond memories of Super Bowl blowouts, school fundraisers, and countless holidays—especially annual Halloween parties, according to Jakubowski.

“Our favorite part of the home is the living room,” says Leonard Zelin. “The ceiling height is 15 feet. It’s baronial, yet cozy. We’ve had many wonderful evenings of entertaining in it.”

The Zelins’ prior renovation converted Clark Mansion’s duplex and triplex apartments into a proper single-family home. They restored the exterior, upgraded the two kitchens, renovated bathrooms, and installed a roof deck, hot tub and high-speed elevator. Now, with their sons off to work and college, the couple is downsizing.

“The decor they chose, while tasteful, was too taste specific, which can make it feel like someone else’s home to prospective buyers,” says Eisen. “Personal belongings and decor can make a property feel too lived in—it makes it feel less move-in ready for a new buyer.”

Challenge solved. One could assume the late Cyrus Clark would give Clark Mansion’s redesign two thumbs up. If not, the Zelins would probably feel his disappointment. No, the home isn’t haunted—unless you count the shadow of excellence Clark cast over the home (and the neighborhood). Thankfully, he left a distinguished legacy upon which to rebuild.

“Great design is about honoring the architecture of a space,” says Eisen. “This home has so much rich history and it was a pleasure to help accentuate its beauty…”

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.