The History
From 1899 to 1902, Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise Whitfield built their remarkable 64-room brick and stone Georgian-revival house, now known as the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Situated on 1.
The History
From 1899 to 1902, Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise Whitfield built their remarkable 64-room brick and stone Georgian-revival house, now known as the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Situated on 1.2 acres between 90th and 91st Streets at Fifth Avenue, the house “was groundbreaking: in its location, far from what was then fashionable New York; as a catalyst for development, giving rise to the neighborhood known as Carnegie Hill” (“Carnegie Mansion, Architecture and Interiors”, Cooper Hewitt Museum). Well-to-do professionals quickly followed suit, and looked northward for desirable living situations in an area made newly chic by the Carnegies.
Built by Gilbert Brown and designed by Buchman & Fox in the French Beaux-Arts style, 1261 Madison Avenue was one of the first luxury apartment buildings in Carnegie Hill: construction began in 1900 and was completed a year later. Seven-stories tall with only 14 apartments, the building was marketed to the well-heeled by providing a telephone in every apartment, two elevators (one for tenants and the other for deliveries and servants), steel safes, two bathrooms, two servants’ rooms, and two refrigerators. 1261 Madison Avenue was designated a city landmark in 1974; with its tiled mansard roof, rusticated two-story limestone base and grand entranceway, it remains one of the most beautiful and distinctive structures in the area.
The Apartment
Apartment 4N was recently renovated in a style and of a quality that is rarely seen. Measuring approximately 2,150 square feet, one enters this spectacular three or four bedroom apartment via a windowed entry vestibule adjacent to the living room—from which the striking 45-foot expanse of public rooms is immediately visible. Boasting ten-foot ceilings, a movable glass wall with brass detailing delineates the library (or fourth bedroom) from the dining and living spaces. Additional features of the space include custom floor-to-ceiling shelving in the library, a built-in bar area with a wine refrigerator in the living room, and an adjacent series of ample closets situated alongside an artfully designed powder room.
A suite of secondary bedrooms are equipped with generous built-in closets and share a fully-renovated bathroom. The master bedroom suite faces north and west overlooking townhouse gardens with a handsome five-piece master bath, including wood-surround and marble finishes, as well as radiant heat floors. The custom Corian eat-in kitchen incorporates a built-in desk and Miele and Subzero appliances: a freezer and refrigerator, separate ice maker, beverage drawer, speed oven/microwave, dishwasher and a stove with commercial venting. Solid oak herringbone floors populate all of the public spaces, while thoughtful brass detailing and hardware abound. All of the systems in this apartment have been thoroughly upgraded including plumbing, electrical, sound, cable (Fios) as well as air conditioning (central) and heat-a washer/dryer was also installed.
1261 Madison Avenue is a pet-friendly non-doorman building with a fastidious live-in Superintendent. The building has both a laundry room and a bike room; Apartment 4N will be transferred with an additional storage room.