Glorious Brooklyn Heights house that inspired Truman Capote returns for $7.5M

A stately Brooklyn Heights home that was an object of observation, and some writing, by former neighbor Truman Capote is back on the market with a hefty pricechop. The glorious grey-shingled center hall colonial at 13 Pineapple Street first appeared on the market in January 2017 seeking $10.5 million; it returned today with Douglas Elliman asking $7.5 million.

An abridged history of the digs: The 50-foot-wide Federal-era mansion is believed to date to around 1830, though Capote described it thusly in his essay “A House on the Heights”:

I’m not much acquainted with the proper history of the Heights. However, I believe (but please don’t trust me), that the oldest house, the house still extant and functioning, belongs to our back-yard neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Broughton. A silvery gray, single-wood Colonial shielded by trees robustly leafed, it was built in 1790, the home of a sea captain.

The same family has owned the property for the last 30ish years, but are now selling it in order to downsize. If ever a home was so obviously stewarded, it’s this one; The 4,000-square-foot house between Willow Street and Columbia Heights maintains its Federal-era charm with stately architectural details, including several original fireplaces, and other delightful specifics like nautical-inspired porthole windows and a planted patio above the property’s single-car garage.

The south-facing standalone house comes with seven bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, and also boasts more modern amenities like air conditioning (not such a thing in the 1800s) and an updated eat-in kitchen.

Capote himself lived (and wrote In Cold Blood) around the corner at 70 Willow Street. When the house last sold in 2012, it set a borough record for most expensive sale at $12.5 million. The property was purchased by video game mogul Dan Houser, who created Grand Theft Auto, and has been undergoing extensive renovations that will bring the property a pool.

• Listing: 13 Pineapple Street [Elliman]