A luxurious New York time capsule townhouse from the Gilded Age has gone up for sale for $33 million having been left virtually untouched since it was built for a wealthy banker and his socialite wife more than 100 years ago.
Situated in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, the townhouse gives prospective owners the chance to travel back in time; the home has been kept almost entirely in its original form and has retained most of its early features since it was built between 1901 and 1903 by the heir of a prominent banking family.
The large home is one of the largest single-family homes in all of New York City, having originally been built for banking heir, sportsman, equestrian, and automobilist James F. D. Lanier, who lived there with his wife, Harriet.
It is located on 35th street between Park and Lexington Avenue, and the building is 33-feet wide, 66-feet tall, and has 11,638-square-feet of space.
Step inside a luxurious New York time capsule townhouse from the Gilded Age, which has recently gone on sale for $33 million and has been virtually untouched since it was build more than 100 years ago
Situated in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, the townhouse gives prospective owners the chance to travel back in time
The home has been kept in almost its original form and has retained most of its early features since it was built between 1901 and 1903
The large family home is one of the largest single-family homes in all of New York City
It is located on 35th street between Park and Lexington Avenue, and the building is 33-feet wide, 66-feet tall, and has 11,638-square-feet of space
Arranged over eight floors, the mansion has nine-bedrooms and seven-bathrooms
It also comes with a reception hall, many living spaces, multiple at-home bars, an entertainment room, and numerous fireplaces
Elsewhere in the home is three powder rooms, and a fitness center with a sunken hot tub, sauna, massage room, and cold plunge pool
There is also a cellar, a library, a two-story butler’s pantry
The spacious dining room can sit up to 16 people and comes complete with an enormous chandelier
The man behind the mansion: How financier James F. D. Lanier became one of the most prominent – and wealthy – members of New York’s social scene
The brick and limestone mansion was originally built for prominent banker, sportsman, equestrian, and automobilist James F. D. Lanier (left), who lived there with his wife, Harriet (right)
The brick and limestone mansion was originally built for prominent banker, sportsman, equestrian, and automobilist James F. D. Lanier, who lived there with his wife, Harriet – according to the listing.
His grandfather, James Franklin Doughty Lanier, pioneered one of the oldest private banks in New York, which financed Thomas Edison’s development of the lightbulb.
His dad, on the other hand – Charles Lanier – was also a banker and a railroad executive, and was a close friend of J.P. Morgan.
Lanier hired architect duo Francis Laurens Vinton Hoppin and Terence A. Koen to construct the Murray Hill house, who had studied in Paris and used many French styles and techniques when building it.
He originally paid $31,000 for two brownstones, which were built in 1854 and sat side by side, before he demolished them and built the lavish home on the property.
Although he was born in New York City, Lanier grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Princeton University in 1880.
He and his wife were included in Ward McAllister’s ‘Four Hundred’ list – which was a group of New York socialites led by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor during the Gilded Age. The list was published by the New York Times in 1892.
The idea for the list reportedly came about after McAllister said there were ‘only 400 people in fashionable New York Society,’ adding that it was just the right amount of people to come to a party.
He told the New York Tribune: ‘If you go outside that number, you strike people who are either not at ease in a ballroom or else make other people not at ease.’
Lanier was one of the first automobile drivers in America, and was strongly interested in racing. He was also one of the founders of the polo club The Meadow Brook Hunt Club.
Besides this mansion, he also had an estate built in Long Island – which was completed in 1891 – but rented it out to financer Clarence Mackay rather than living there. Mackay was known for being on the board of the Postal Telegraph and Cable Corporation, and was president of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company. Lanier eventually sold the home for $100,000.
He and his wife, Harriet, had two kids together – two sons named Charles (born in 1886) and Reginald (born in 1888). He died on May 16, 1928, at age 69.
Arranged over eight floors, the nine-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion also comes with a reception hall, three powder rooms, many living spaces, multiple at-home bars, an entertainment room, numerous fireplaces, a cellar, a library, a two-story butler’s pantry, and a fitness center with a sunken hot tub, sauna, massage room, and cold plunge pool.
The spacious dining room can sit up to 16 people, while the vintage kitchen contains two islands, a gas range, multiple Bosch ovens and dishwashers, three fridges, a walk-in pantry, and its own breakfast nook.
The tranquil courtyard is an amazing place to relax, or you can also opt for the rooftop if you want to catch some rays – which gives stunning views of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings.
A mahogany staircase and an oak elevator both reach all floors, as well as a service staircase which can take you down to the basement.
The home also has a high tech security system, built-in speakers (which can connect to your phone over Bluetooth), a brand new HVAC, an intercom system, a laundry room, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar.
The vintage kitchen contains two islands, a gas range, multiple Bosch ovens and dishwashers, three fridges, and a walk-in pantry
It also has it owns breakfast nook, which opens up to the private courtyard
The tranquil courtyard is an amazing place to relax, or you can also opt for the rooftop if you want to catch some rays – which gives stunning views of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings
A mahogany staircase and an oak elevator both reach all floors, as well as a service staircase which can take you down to the basement
The home also has a high tech security system, built-in speakers (which can connect to your phone over Bluetooth), a brand new HVAC, and an intercom system
Elsewhere is a laundry room and a temperature-controlled wine cellar
A staff wing has its own office, three more bedrooms, and two more bathrooms
The master bedroom’s walk-in closet has more than enough room to store your clothes and shoes
One of the house’s seven full bathrooms shows ample counter space, antique light fixtures, and a rainfall showerhead
Intricate wood carvings line the walls, while extravagant chandeliers hang from the 14-foot ceilings. Marble archways are prominent around the house, which is decorated with old paintings, statues, and other art pieces
This rare slice of history has only been owned by two different families since it was built more than a century ago
The original owners were included in Ward McAllister’s ‘Four Hundred’ list – which was a group of New York socialites led by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor during the Gilded Age. The list was published by the New York Times in 1892
The owner’s grandfather, James Franklin Doughty Lanier, pioneered one of the oldest private banks in New York, which financed Thomas Edison’s development of the lightbulb
Lanier hired architect duo Francis Laurens Vinton Hoppin and Terence A. Koen to construct the house, who had studied in Paris and used many French styles and techniques when building it
Intricate wood carvings line the walls, while extravagant chandeliers hang from the 14-foot ceilings. Marble archways are prominent around the house, which is decorated with old paintings, statues, and other art pieces.
A staff wing has its own office, three more bedrooms, and two more bathrooms.
Lanier’s grandfather, James Franklin Doughty Lanier, pioneered one of the oldest private banks in New York, which financed Thomas Edison’s development of the lightbulb
This rare slice of history has only been owned by two different families since it was built more than a century ago.
The brick and limestone mansion was originally built for prominent banker, sportsman, equestrian, and automobilist James F. D. Lanier, who lived there with his wife, Harriet – according to the listing.
His grandfather, James Franklin Doughty Lanier, pioneered one of the oldest private banks in New York, which financed Thomas Edison’s development of the lightbulb.
His dad, on the other hand – Charles Lanier – was also a banker and a railroad executive, and was a close friend of J.P. Morgan.
Lanier hired architect duo Francis Laurens Vinton Hoppin and Terence A. Koen to construct the house, who had studied in Paris and used many French styles and techniques when building it.
He originally paid $31,000 for two brownstones, which were built in 1854 and sat side by side, before he demolished them and built the lavish home on the property.
Although he was born in New York City, Lanier grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Princeton University in 1880.
He and his wife were included in Ward McAllister’s ‘Four Hundred’ list – which was a group of New York socialites led by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor during the Gilded Age. The list was published by the New York Times in 1892.
The idea for the list reportedly came about after McAllister said there were ‘only 400 people in fashionable New York Society,’ adding that it was just the right amount of people to come to a party.
A look into the prominent Lanier family and their many contributions
The house was owned by one of New York City’s top socialites – James F. D. Lanier, whose family was prominent during the 19th and 20th centuries.
His grandfather, James Franklin Doughty Lanier, pioneered one of the oldest private banks in New York, which financed Thomas Edison’s development of the lightbulb.
His grandfather hailed from Madison, Indiana, and besides banking, he was also interested in pork packing, the railroads, and real estate.
After studying law at Transylvania University, his career began during the 1820s when he was hired as an assistant clerk for the Indiana Legislature and later Clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives.
He then became the president of Bank of Indiana in 1833. He was also involved in the construction of the state’s first major rail line – which connected Madison and Indianapolis.
After it was completed in 1847, James became a major stockholder in the line, which earned him a big profit.
He opened his own bank with partner Richard Winslow, called Winslow, Lanier & Co., in 1851. It was said that his bank loaned the Indiana government more than one million dollars during the American Civil War to help the state avoid bankruptcy.
He was married twice and had 11 kids in total, one of whom was Charles Lanier. Charles was also a banker and a railroad executive, and was a close friend of J.P. Morgan.
Charles eventually became head of Winslow, Lanier & Co. after his dad passed away in 1881. He was also on the boards of many railroads including the Southern Railway, the Pittsburgh, and Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, among others.
Charles – who died in 1898 – married a woman named Sarah in 1837, and together, they welcomed four children over the years – including James F. D. Lanier, who went on to build the Murray Hill townhouse.
James’ nephew, Charles Lawrance, helped contribute to the invention of air-cooled aircraft engines, inventing one of the first that could continuously operate for 300 hours – others only lasted around 50 hours at the time – and normalizing long-distance flights.
He originally paid $31,000 for two brownstones, which were built in 1854 and sat side by side, before he demolished them and built the lavish home on the property. The house is pictured in 1905 right after it was complete (left) and in 2022 (right)
In 1979, the house became an official landmark of New York City, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982
Now, it is owned by Bassam Alghanim – a California-based billionaire who inherited his father’s company Alghanim Industries
Bassam bought the house for $4.2 million in 1984, MansionDr.com reported
The mansion was built during the Gilded Age and has pretty much stayed the same since then. Different houses in Murray Hill are pictured during the Gilded Age
The property is listed by Edward F. Joseph at Christie’s International Real Estate for $33,000,000
He told the New York Tribune: ‘If you go outside that number, you strike people who are either not at ease in a ballroom or else make other people not at ease.’
Lanier was one of the first automobile drivers in America, and was strongly interested in racing. He was also one of the founders of the polo club The Meadow Brook Hunt Club.
He and his wife, Harriet, had two kids together – two sons named Charles (born in 1886) and Reginald (born in 1888). He died on May 16, 1928, at age 69.
In 1979, the house became an official landmark of New York City, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Now, it is owned by Bassam Alghanim – a California-based billionaire who inherited his father’s company Alghanim Industries.
He bought the house for $4.2 million in 1984, MansionDr.com reported.
The property is listed by Edward F. Joseph at Christie’s International Real Estate for $33,000,000.
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