The 'last true 5th Avenue mansion' built in 1899 overlooking Central Park goes ... trends now
One of the 'last true Fifth Avenue mansions,' which overlooks Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum, has hit the market for $80million.
Built in the Gilded Age in 1899, 1009 Fifth Avenue was built as a 'spec house' by property brothers William and Thomas Hall, who built four mansions - 1006 to 1009 - on the famous street, knowing the era's wealthiest were desperate to live on the Avenue. Out of the four properties the Hall brothers built, 1009 remains the only one still standing.
After its completion in 1901, the home was quickly snapped up by Benjamin N. Duke, a chairman of the American Tobacco Company, and which the home is named after today. The family owned the property until 2006, when they sold it to Tamir Sapir, a real estate mogul, for $40million.
The current property owner, billionaire Carlos Slim, bought the property in 2010 for $44million and has now relisted it more than a decade later for $80million. If it sells for its asking price, it will be the most expensive townhouse ever sold in New York City. The most expensive townhouse ever sold was also located in the Upper East Side on 64th Street and Fifth Avenue and went for $79.5million in 2017.
'[It] is the rarest opportunity to acquire a piece of history and make a bold statement in your portfolio,' Compass real estate agent Jorge Lopez wrote on the listing. 'It stands tall in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the city, and is one of the last remnants of the luxurious mansions along Fifth Avenue facing Central Park that remain in private hands.
'A true architectural masterpiece, it has been designated a New York City Landmark.'
One of the last, privately-owned Gilded Age mansion - 1009 Fifth Avenue - has hit the market for $80million
Located on Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, the seven-story home (pictured in 1921 and 2023) was built in 1988 and completed in 1901. It originally began as a 'spec house,' as property brothers William and Thomas Hall due the wealthiest were desperate to live on the famous street
The home has an Italian Renaissance and Beaux-Arts-style with high ceilings and plenty of natural light
The home has an open concept and a couch situated in the bay window at the front of the property
The Hall brothers used the firm Welch, Smith & Pivot to build the 20,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance-style home in 1899. The limestone and red brick mansion - which has 27 feet across Fifth Avenue and 100 feet along East 82nd Street - boasts eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms across seven floors with breathtaking views of Central Park and the city's skyline from the multiple terraces and rooftop.
It's situated directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and 'just a short walk away' from some of the city's most 'cultural attractions and entertainment' and 'world-class shopping and dining.'
'This is a rare and valuable asset that will stand the test of time, not just for its architectural and historical significance, but also for its prime location and endless potential,' Lopez wrote.
The Beaux-Arts-style home is interconnected through a grand staircase, much like many old townhouses.
The entrance to the building - located on East 82nd Street - has an overhang with glass paneling that leads up to the curved portion of the home. The black gated doors are flanked by two statues - one man and one woman - giving it a regal and royal feel as you enter the home.
The Hall brothers were right, as Benjamin N. Duke (right) quickly snapped up the property following its completion in 1901. The family would own the home until 2006, when they sold it for $40million
In antique photos of the home from when the Duke family lived it in, shows a upholstered wooden chairs and a bookcase in one of the rooms
The grand staircase at one point was carpeted and had a black railing. The railing still remains, but the stairs are now a dark wood
One of the sitting rooms in the home was elaborately decorated with large, heavy drapes and plenty of seating
