Museum-Quality Park Slope Townhouse 272 Berkeley Place

M u s e u m - Q u a l i t y P a r k S l o p e To w n h o u s e
272 Berkeley Place
Gorgeous Original Details and Guest Suites
Between Eighth Avenue and Plaza Street
M u s e u m - Q u a l i t y P a r k S l o p e To w n h o u s e
272 Berkeley Place
Gorgeous Original Details and Guest Suites
Between Eighth Avenue and Plaza Street
DESCRIPTION
Built in 1886, this historic Brooklyn mansion has been owned for forty-five years by Everett and
Evelyn Ortner, known as “The Couple Who Saved Park Slope” (NYT 4-25-04). They were
noted preservation activists and Evelyn was an interior designer specializing in period interiors.
This couple devoted their lives to brownstone preservation and brownstone living. They moved
into Park Slope when its brownstones were unfashionable and preservation was unpopular.
Through their efforts, the neighborhood has become one of the most desirable in Brooklyn and
painstaking brownstone preservation has become de rigueur in Brooklyn.
Practicing what they preach, they have preserved and restored their own townhouse so that much of
it is unchanged from its original state. Original mahogany woodwork and gleaming original
parquetry ornament almost every room. The entire parlour floor is museum quality, and preserves
souvenirs of the past such as original lincrusta wallcoverings, speaking tubes, and knickknack niches
above the mantelpiece. Original gas fixtures have been converted or saved, and the house is still
heated by its original heating system. They have preserved the historic inclinator for handicapped
accessibility. The inclinators in this house are possibly the oldest in the United States, dating from
the first ever produced in the 1920s.
L AY O U T
Garden Level:
Entering under the stoop you find the entrance hall. The wall coverings are original embossed
lincrusta in excellent condition. The front room is currently used as a sitting room and study. The
gas fireplace is trimmed in wood mantel carved in a leafy motif. Original mahogany doorframes
and window frames enrich the space. Parquet flooring and 2.5’ wainscot have also been preserved
in excellent condition. The original rear passages have been turned into a full bath tiled in black.
M u s e u m - Q u a l i t y P a r k S l o p e To w n h o u s e
272 Berkeley Place
Gorgeous Original Details and Guest Suites
Between Eighth Avenue and Plaza Street
Originally a kitchen, the rear room has been transformed into the master bedroom. Parquet
flooring and unique photographic wallpaper give this room character. A French door opens onto
the garden.
Parlour Level:
Entering up the stoop you reach the parlour level. This entire floor has been preserved exactly as it
was in 1886. The entrance hall preserves its original lincrusta wallcoverings and molded lion
decorations – it has never needed repainting. The entry mirror is original, and its mahogany frame
includes a bench and distinctive coat-hooks. Over the original staircase hangs intricate mahogany
latticework. On your right is the front parlour. The original parquet flooring is in excellent
condition. The walls and ceilings are embellished by garland moldings and the bow window is
trimmed in mahogany. An original mirror in a mahogany frame and a velvet sofa from the 1850s
complete this room. In the center is a bar with a fourteenth-century bas-relief Scene from the life
of Saint Francis of Assisi mounted above it. Through pocket doors trimmed with latticework you
reach the dining room. Delicately molded rosettes grace the ceiling corners. Greek key parquetry
and original woodwork with fan leaf carvings have been fully preserved. The original fireplace
features checkerboard glazed tile, curio cabinets, and four sculpture niches around the original
mirror. There is also an 8’ tall original mirror inset between the two rear picture windows. The
rear extension houses the kitchen, a wonderful use of space tiled in bright oranges and yellows.
Glass cabinets let light shine through the space.
Third Floor:
Original lincrusta, two-tone wainscoting, a dumbwaiter, and speaking tubes to the street level are all
found in this level’s landing. The front area is currently a one-bedroom rental. To the rear you find
the library. This Romantic-era study is perfectly preserved: the parquet, original woodwork,
original fireplace with a carved mahogany mantel, and even the original decorative heating grate
remain. The recessed bookshelf is well-lit and charming. From the full bath, through painted
French doors, you reach the solarium. Glass walls let in light, while a tilted ceiling and retractable
blinds make this the perfect place for reading or relaxing at any time of day.
Fourth Floor:
Up the lincrusta-trimmed original stairway you find the fourth floor. The front alcove studio
M u s e u m - Q u a l i t y P a r k S l o p e To w n h o u s e
272 Berkeley Place
Gorgeous Original Details and Guest Suites
Between Eighth Avenue and Plaza Street
apartment is temporarily occupied. Original parquet and a decorative fireplace with a white mantel
adorn the living area. Molded ceiling garlands and a gorgeous bow window have also been
preserved. On the right is an alcove bedroom with a window, and a kitchenette and bathroom are
adjoining. The rear of this level is a cheerful guest suite painted bright yellow and orange. The
original parquet and original gas fireplace have been preserved. An alcove bedroom and dressing
room are located nearby.
Cellar:
The cellar still houses the original boiler, which was converted from coal and continues to provide
heat as it has done for more than a century. A washer and dryer are housed on this level, and
several storage rooms with arch top doors are also found here.
References:
The New York Times – “The Couple Who Saved Park Slope” (4-25-04)
The New York Times – “Remembering the Couple Who Gave Brownstones New Life” (6-5-12)
The New York Times – Evelyn Ortner Obituary (9-22-06)
The New York Times – Everett Ortner Obituary (5-26-12)
For more information on
www.preservationvolunteers.org.
the
Ortners
and
their
achievements,
please
visit
M u s e u m - Q u a l i t y P a r k S l o p e To w n h o u s e
272 Berkeley Place
Gorgeous Original Details and Guest Suites
Between Eighth Avenue and Plaza Street
E S T I M AT E D E X P E N S E S
Real Estate Taxes (2013-14)
$17,627 est.
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M AT I O N
Year Built
Historic District
Zoning
FAR
Maximum Allowable FAR
Tax Class
Approximate Square Footage:
Price:
1886 est.
Yes
R8X
2.46
6.02
1
4,492 est.
$3,800,000
Buyers Call Jennifer Cooke, Buyer Specialist – (212) 769-2900, ext. 213
Brokers Call Joseph Leinsdorf, Showing Agent – (212) 769-2900, ext. 221
Negotiations Call Dexter Guerrieri, President – (212) 769-2900, ext. 211
0 2' 4'
V A N D E N B E R G, I N C
The Townhouse Experts™
212 769 2900
GARDEN FLOOR (8'2" HEIGHT)
8'
N
272 BERKELEY PLACE
PATIO / GRDEN
20'6" x 42'3"
CELLAR (7'2" HEIGHT)
PARLOR FLOOR (11'10" HEIGHT)
STORAGE
THIRD FLOOR (10'3" HEIGHT)
SUN ROOM
8'6" x 9'0"
DRESSING
8'0" x 8'8"
D/W
REF
KITCHEN
8'0" x 8'8"
FOURTH FLOOR (9'6"/9'0" HEIGHT)
D
W
LAUNDRY
BEDROOM
16'10" x 16'4"
STORAGE / UTILITIES
17'9" x 47'2"
REAR PARLOR
16'0" x 16'8"
DUMBWAITER
DUMBWAITER
DUMBWAITER
BEDROOM
12'1" x 16'6"
DN
DN
DUMBWAITER
BEDROOM
12'1" x 16'0"
DN
DN
REF
REF
UP
UP
LIBRARY
11'8" x 25'6"
H2O
ELEC
LIVING / DINING
18'9" x 19'3"
OFFICE
6'1" x 13'10"
GAS
FRONT PARLOR
11'9" x 32'5"
ENTRY
UP
ENTRY
UP
LIVING / DINING
12'0" x 17'10"
ENTRY
STORAGE
V A N D E N B E R G, I N C. T he T ownhouse E xperts™ • L I C E N SE D R E A L E STA TE B R O K E R
19 9 5 B R O A D W A Y , S U I T E 605 • N E W Y O R K , N E W Y O R K 10 0 2 3
P h o n e 2 12 76 9 2 9 0 0 • F a x 2 12 76 9 2 9 13 • W W W . T O W N H O U S E E X P E R T S . C O M
Al l i nf or mat i on is f rom s ou r c es d e e m e d r eliable a n d is s u b m i t t ed subj ec t to er r or s, c h a n g e s o f pr ice, rent al, pr i or sale, a n d w i t h d r a w a l w i t h ou t not ice.