An Upper East Side neo-Georgian townhouse designed by the Astors’ and Roosevelts’ architect 125 years ago is back on the market for $45.5 million, bringing with it a fascinating New York history.
The home was commissioned in 1904 by Dr. Frederick S. Lee, a doctor at Columbia Universty who was president of the New York Botanical Garden from 1923 to 1927, according to a former listing. The architect, Charles A. Platt, was also a landscape designer and painter.
By 1944, Time magazine founder and publisher Henry Luce gifted the 35-foot-wide property at 125 E. 65th St. to the China Institute, and it was known as “China House” for the next 70 years. In 2014, the property hit the market for $32 million, where it lingered for seven years until it sold for $16.8 million in 2021 to the current owner, according to property records.
The residence stands mighty on a leafy block. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
A peek inside the chef’s kitchen. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
An entertaining space right off the kitchen. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
A gut renovation ensued.
Last year, the residence also served as the 2024 Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York.
The listing brokers are Ryan Serhant and Melissa Post of Serhant. While the second season of Netflix’s “Owning New York” — revealing what goes on behind the scenes of Ryan Serhant’s successful brokerage firm — is currently creating buzz, this listing is not part of the show.
At 14,346 square feet, the dwelling comes with six bedrooms, seven baths, four powder rooms, five fireplaces and 3,500 square feet of outdoor space. That includes a landscaped, irrigated roof deck and a 35-foot wide garden.
Beamed ceilings add a lovely touch to this formal entertainment room. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
A detail shot of the fireplace. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
The dining room. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
Elsewhere, there’s a wine tasting room. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
The bedrooms offer their own serene retreats. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
A massive dressing room. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
The residence additionally offers lots of outdoor areas. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
A covered space for al-fresco dining. Eytan Stern Weber from Evan Joseph Images
There are now new floors, windows and an excavated lowe- level “wellness” floor with a steam room, a sauna and spa showers, plus a cold plunge.
It all opens to a foyer on the parlor level with a den and an eat-in chef’s kitchen overlooking the garden.
A third floor has a formal dining room that seats 16 people with a fireplace, as well as a butler’s pantry and a side staircase. There’s also a 30-foot-wide living room with 11-foot-high beamed ceilings, herringbone oak floors, a wet bar, a fireplace and three French doors.
A main bedroom suite takes up the entire fourth floor and includes a fireplace, two dressing rooms, two spa-like baths, a sitting room and a wet bar.
Another bedroom level features four ensuite bedrooms plus a playroom. Downstairs, the garden floor includes a staff/guest bedroom as well as a media/game room, a wine cellar and tasting room, a gym and access to the landscaped garden.