Renovated historic Brooklyn mansion with a 1,200-square-foot ballroom is back on the market for $13M
Photo credit: Alan Barry
In 2016, 6sqft featured the impossibly ornate and enormous 1900s mansion for sale at 1305 Albemarle Road. Set among the Prospect Park South neighborhood’s stately free-standing Victorians, the home was a standout; in addition to its 11,000-square-foot interior, its two-story portico with massive fluted columns, jaw-dropping original interiors including a fabulous top-floor ballroom–and the fact that it shares a street with Michele Williams’ house–all generated quite a buzz. The home, asking $3,000,000, sold in less than a day. After a stem-to-stern renovation of epic proportions, the historic city mansion is back on the market, this time for an equally epic $12,950,000.
Known as the Gale Mansion after its original residents, the home stands out in the landmarked neighborhood as one of its grandest examples. Built in 1905 by Henry B. Moore, its design influences include Stanford White’s Atlantic Yacht Club in Seagate.
Even pre-renovation, the house was a celebrity in its own right. It served as a key location in the Oscar-winning film “Reversal of Fortune;” “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” filmed scenes on the home’s first floor.
Unique details, including mantels, paneling, and antique light fixtures have been painstakingly restored, and the result is no less grand throughout its 22 rooms, nine bedrooms, six fireplaces–and the famous 1,500 square-foot ballroom. Beneath all this beauty, are all-new mechanical systems and modern luxuries.
On the ground floor, the home’s more formal spaces are as luxurious as you’d expect, including a stunning tiled foyer, a parlor, and a wood-paneled library with the home’s signature ornate window panes. The up-to-the-moment renovation has made the space appear as livable and stylish as it is grand.
Photo credit: VHT Studios
A vast contemporary eat-in kitchen is framed by 11-foot ceilings, a wood-burning carved limestone fireplace, and a breakfast nook with a table that seats six. The kitchen looks out on–and opens onto–the home’s 700-square-foot bluestone patio. The space is anchored by a 10-foot center island and features chef-ready top-of-the-line appliances. A mahogany-paneled dining room has a working fireplace and more space for formal dining with a garden view.
On the next floor, a sun-filled primary bedroom suite offers a dressing room with custom cabinetry. A huge and luxurious en-suite bath is big enough for lounging.
The jewel in the crown sits on the third floor below a 17-foot ceiling. A 1,200-square-foot former ballroom has been fitted with a full-sized antique bar, a home theater, and a billiards area. Up a spiral stair, a catwalk looks down on the festivities below.
Photo credit: Daniel Wang
Photo credit: Daniel Wang
Back downstairs you’ll find a finished English basement with 9-foot ceilings and its own private entrance. The space includes a workout room, a sauna, a tv room, and full guest/staff quarters.
There’s no skimping on outdoor entertaining space, either: There are five porches and terraces, a 2,400-square-foot gated private rear yard, and a large south-facing lawn. The property includes a decidedly un-urban 75-foot driveway and a two-garage with a charging station.
The home is located two blocks from Prospect Park’s tennis courts and athletic fields. The Prospect Park South historic district consists of 206 freestanding homes, many designed by noted architects. The Gale family, like many of their neighbors, were drawn by the lifestyle of comfort and privacy that could be found among its “city estates.” The Wall Street Journal first reported the listing.
[Listing details: 1305 Albemarle Road at CityRealty]
[At Brown Harris Stevens by Mary Kay Seery]
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Photos by Alan Barry except where noted. Photos by Daniel Wang and VHT Studios, as noted.
