Description
THE GILDED AGE
The era of great house building in New York lasted approximately 50 years, beginning with the opening of the Vanderbilt House in 1882 and theoretically ending in the first years after the Great Depression. The inherent concepts behind these buildings, however, extended far longer. This was due to the fact that practically all the major architects of New York attended the L'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where they learned how to reproduce the various architectural styles of Europe.
A MASTERPIECE FROM THE GILDED AGE
This extraordinary 30' wide mansion contains a total of 8 levels - 6 above grade, and 2 levels below grade - with interiors spanning over 16,000 square feet and four well positioned outdoor spaces comprising an additional 2,000 exterior square feet. It was designed with a rare two elevators, 30 rooms, 9 wood-burning fireplaces each with an
exquisite original mantelpiece, 19 bedrooms, 8 full baths and 2 half baths. Benefiting from the concepts of The Gilded Age, it also embodied new modern elements. The
facade is virtually unaltered since its completion in 1932, and has been in the same ownership for over half a century.
THE LIVINGSTON LEGACY
In 1686, Robert Livingston the Elder received a 160,000-acre tract of land, under King George I, that in 1715 became Livingston Manor in what is present day Columbia County in New York state.
Descended directly from Robert Livingston on his mother's side, John Livingston Redmond, who built this mansion, graduated from Harvard in 1911 with a degree in architecture, yet he devoted his life to charitable causes.
BEST BLOCK FOR LIGHT
For his New York residence, John Livingston Redmond chose the north side of E. 70th St. between Park and Lexington Avenues because he recognized the great benefit created by two owners in 1859, who dominated development on the block and stipulated that all future construction on the north side would be set back a full 10', "forever free, and unoccupied."
This additional space results in light pouring into the mansions on the north side of the street.
NO OTHER BLOCK ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE HAS THIS UNIQUE FEATURE
As early as 1939, Fortune Magazine called it "probably New York City's most beautiful residential block", a reputation that has persisted to the present day.
Extraordinary architects congregated on this block so that Paul Goldberger in his book, NEW YORK: The City Observed, described it as "having a perfect balance between individuality and overall order."
This exquisite streetscape also gave the block unusual value-many feel comparable to the blocks from Fifth to Madison.
BUILDING THE MANSION
Jonathan Livingston Redmond engaged Frederick Rhinelander King, also a graduate of Lecole des Beaux-Arts, who worked carefully to adapt what he learned there to an American sensibility.
If the Romans perfected the arch, this architect brought the arch indoors and employed it as a major theme. Arches help create dramatic, light filled spaces that evoke classical grandeur while gracefully connecting rooms.
THE MANSION
On the Entry level, the entry is 12'6" moving through an arch to a gallery of 13'10" with rooms north and south, each with ceiling heights of 13'10" and a massive staircase ascending to the parlor level. The north room is the original formal dining room, with an oval shape that contains 3 windows of 11'6". The south formal sitting room has windows of 8'2" and ceiling heights of 12'6".
On the Parlor level, the ceilings reach 14'6" with arches entering each room. The living room has 3 tall windows at 13' in height and a ceiling of 14'6". The library also has 14'6" ceilings and 2 French door windows that open to a terrace over 27' long and more than 8' wide, a unique feature on the entertaining level of a mansion.
The Third floor, or primary bedroom more rooms and 3 bathrooms.
The Fourth floor has 4 family bedrooms, three with wood burning fireplaces, and 3 bathrooms, and a living room.
The Fifth floor has 5 children's bedrooms with a split full bathroom and a potential large terrace of approximately 20'x30'.
The Sixth floor has 5 staff rooms with a split full bathroom.
The windowed Garden level has a separate entrance to east 70th street, an informal dining room, a 22'10"x15'10" chef's kitchen with a pantry, and a door to the 28'x10' garden.
The Basement contains mechanicals and storage with a window at the north end.
The Roof level is open and unencumbered facilitating the creation of a private terrace.
A RARE ACHIEVEMENT
"A building's details, materials, and social spaces should reflect their time, but they should also transcend it."
- Robert A. M. Stern
Sculpted in travertine, soaked in sunlight, with arches that seem to reach ever upward, nothing compares to this mansion descending from the Gilded Age yet overlaced with modern concepts of comfort and beauty.
Listing courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC
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