For $27M, two historic Harlem townhouses with megamansion potential

Yes, you read that headline right: A residential property in Harlem is asking a record-setting $27 million. The townhouse is located at 32 and 33 Mount Morris Park West, on the western edge of Marcus Garvey Park near 123rd Street. Corcoran’s Siddiq Patterson has the listing.

That price for a townhouse in Harlem is “unheard of,” real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller told the Wall Street Journal, which first covered the listing. For comparison, the most expensive closed sale in the neighborhood—a penthouse at Circa, the Central Park-hugging condo building—went for $9.45 million.

What makes this townhouse special? For starters, it was created by combining two historic townhouses into one megamansion; the buildings date back to 1888, and were once part of a four-home estate owned by John Dwight, a pioneer in the baking soda business. The homes were part of the initial designation of the Mount Morris Park historic district in 1971, and one—no. 32—was renovated not long after the current owner, Brad Linard, bought the place in 2005.

In the meantime, though, we can gawk at what is, admittedly, a beautiful space: The renovation of no. 32 added many of the modern touches you’d expect—there’s a gym, brand new appliances, and a roof deck, among other amenities—while preserving the home’s historic elements. Original hardwood floors, marble fireplace mantles (there are 17 fireplaces across both properties), molding, and woodwork can be found throughout. (But there’s still “an ample amount of space leftover to add in a wine vault, spa, pool, cigar room, cinema room, basketball court, and more.”)

No. 33, meanwhile, has not been renovated, and is essentially a blank slate. It was previously owned by Loretta Abbott, an early member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, who lived there until her death in 2016. One thing the home does have is a rooftop observatory, which would need to be restored; a telescope, installed by Dwight, the original owner, remains.

Patterson, the broker, told the WSJ that the “bones and the history” of the homes justifies the price; we’ll see if any potential buyers agree with that.

• Listing: 32-33 Mount Morris Park West [Corcoran]
• Two Harlem Townhouses Ask One Record-Breaking $27 Million Price [WSJ]