David Rockefeller lived in the Upper East Side home with his wife for seven decades before it underwent four years of renovation; now, it’s back and better than ever.
Rockefeller is a name that many history buffs and society members are familiar with. The old American family has held one of the largest fortunes in the US for generations. They made their fortune through oil and banking. In 2020, Forbes estimated the family’s net worth to be around $8.4 billion.
READ ALSO: A Piece Of American History: Jackie Kennedy’s Childhood Home Lists For $55 Million
One of the most famous Rockefellers is the family’s long-time patriarch, David Rockefeller, Sr., a titan among investment bankers. The late philanthropist had a net worth of roughly $33 billion upon his death in 2017. He was 101 years old at the time of his passing, which made him the oldest billionaire in Forbes’ 2017 ranking of the world’s wealthiest.
Just recently, the Modlin Group listed the late billionaire’s New York townhouse for $57.5 million. This comes after four years of painstaking renovation under the guidance of architect Steven Harris and interior designer Miles Redd.
Large Home, Long History
The home dates back to 1924 and was built in the Colonial Revival style. Rockefeller lived in the townhouse with his wife Peggy for roughly 70 years. As such, the structure carries decades worth of history.
Doug Band—an advisor to former President Bill Clinton—and his wife Lily purchased the home for $20 million in 2018. They were the ones responsible for hiring Harris and Redd to assist in the home’s lengthy renovation process, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Modlin Group told Mansion Global that the couple put the home up for sale because they’ll be moving out of the area.
In a 2018 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Rockefeller’s daughter Eileen shared that she and her siblings stayed at the old townhouse while they were in school. She also discusses an early memory of pianist Arthur Rubinstein playing Chopin for her parents and guests in the home’s wood-paneled living room.
The eight-bedroom abode measures 12,500 square feet with an additional 3,500 square feet of exterior space. This includes front and rear gardens, as well as a spacious roof deck with Manhattan skyline views.
Grand Interiors
“Elegant sitting rooms are perfectly proportioned and open onto sweeping entertaining and private spaces. The expansive drawing room and adjoining dining room overlook the impeccably landscaped English garden. An additional kitchen sits off the drawing room and is serviced by a dumbwaiter that accesses the […] kitchen downstairs,” states the home’s listing.
The home’s 40-foot long living room features floor-to-ceiling windows, with ceiling heights of 13 feet and original knotted wood paneling. A fully-renovated garden level holds 10 ½ foot ceilings while the kitchen comes fully equipped with top-of-the-line appliances.
Among the home’s many bedrooms is a capacious primary suite with two dressing rooms. It also holds ensuites with a sauna, an oversized steam shower, and a luxurious soaking tub.
Just when things can’t seem to get any more opulent, the townhouse has a suspended-ceiling fitness room and a basketball court that spans more than 750 square feet with 17-foot ceilings.
Banner photo from the Modlin Group website.
