Hot tin roof not included: Tennessee Williams’ old pad hits market

Talk about provenance. A duplex in a townhouse built by a U.S. president that was once home to the playwright Tennessee Williams is on the market for $1.85 million.

The 1,750-square-foot co-op is located at 151 East 37th Street, where Williams lived just before “The Glass Menagerie” made its Broadway debut, the New York Post reported.

The four-story, six-unit building was built in 1860 by President Martin Van Buren, the eighth commander-in-chief. In 1940, Williams – who also wrote “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” — sent a postcard to his father, C.C. Williams, describing a “lovely new” apartment he’d rented with two roommates. The roomy pad featured three big rooms, a piano, furnishings and views of the New York City skyline and river for just $18.50 month. “Everything is going nicely,” he wrote.

The $1.84 million listing is being marketed by the Corcoran Group’s Paul Gavriani and Vincent Falcone. The unit has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, three fireplaces, a skylight and the same skyline views. [NYP] – E.B. Solomont