A more than century-old, 22-room mansion in Victorian Flatbush has hit the market for nearly $13 million — a more than $10 million upcharge from its previous sale.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the 11,400-square-foot home was purchased in 2017 by architect Stephen Tanenbaum for $2.75 million, who subsequently spent three years and $3 million sprucing things up.
Tanenbaum, who according to the report is the principal architect at high-end renovator Set Architecture, repaired the home’s porch, fireplaces and stormwater system while updating its plumbing, electricity, heating and air conditioning.
On the inside, floor plan changes including repurposing a ballroom with 17-foot ceilings as a billiards room, home theater and bar with a spiral staircase leading to a 400-square-foot loft with a skylight.
The primary bedroom, one of nine in the home, has one of six working fireplaces, 10-foot ceilings, a dressing room with new custom cabinetry, and an en-suite bathroom big enough to lounge in.
The finished basement, has 9-foot ceilings, a private entrance, a workout room, sauna, television room, and quarters for the house staff.
There’s also an eat-in chef’s kitchen with 11-foot ceilings, high-end appliances, a wood-burning carved limestone fireplace, a 10-foot center island, a library with a rolling ladder to access books, and breakfast table for six.
The oversized dining room features mahogany-paneling, and there’s also an upstairs game room.
The home sits on a 1/3-acre corner lot with a 75-foot driveway and a 2-car garage with a charging station. There are also five outdoor porches and terraces, and a gated backyard is with a 700-square-foot bluestone patio accessible from the kitchen’s four French doors.
According to the report, the home was built by architect Henry B. Moore for George E. Gale, whose father was a successful Pennsylvanian leather tanner.
The landmarked neighborhood in which the house sits, sometimes called Prospect Park South, was developed between 1898 and 1920 and consists of 206 custom-built homes-all, with many designed by noteworthy architects, including Chrysler Building designer William Van Alen, according to the listing.
The high asking price is well above the average for luxury homes in Brooklyn, which was roughly $3.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, up 3.9% from the same time in 2020, according to the report.
Listing agent Mary Kay Seery of Brown Harris Stevens told the Journal the area has become popular since the pandemic thanks to the spacious homes, outdoor space and parking areas.
[Wall Street Journal] — Vince DiMiceli