Real Estate

Montrose Morris-Designed Park Slope Mansion With Gilded-Age Details Asks $18,500 a Month

The Neo-Italian Renaissance mansion has original light fixtures, restored vintage style bathrooms, lavish woodwork and central air.

by Stephen Zacks

01/09/2020 0

Here’s some real estate eye candy to brighten wintry days: a Neo-Italian Renaissance mansion designed by noted 19th century architect Montrose Morris, whose extravagant buildings enrich many Brooklyn neighborhoods.

The limestone on a corner lot at 18 Prospect Park West was built for lumberman Sylvester Ross in 1898. It appeared a few years later on the society pages of “Brooklyn Life” with a new owner, William G. Gillmore — possibly a misspelling of William G. Gilmore, who chaired a sugar refinery of the period.

The house’s 3.5 stories of luxurious Victorian living have recently been updated with central air, a new kitchen and restored bathrooms.

A front parlor, living room with center hall stair, formal dining room and kitchen share the parlor level. The front parlor is swagged up with an opulent wooden mantel with onyx surround, original chevron floors, an elaborate ceiling with plaster details, lavish woodwork and French pocket doors.

The chevron floors continue into the living room-slash-stair-hall, which also has coffered ceilings, endless wainscoting, sconces that appeared in the 1907 article, and a mantel with a red surround and elaborate hood. The staircase is bedecked with lions, columns and a screen.

The grandeur continues into the dining room, which has wainscoting topped by a plate rail and painted floral mural, an elaborate columned and mirrored mantel with stone surround, and built-in china cabinets. There are also more original light fixtures, a coffered ceiling, and parquet with an elaborate border.

The contemporary kitchen’s green walls and modern stainless steel range hood can be glimpsed through a door and passthrough. The shiny black counters appear to be granite and the Shaker style cabinets might be maple.

Two and a half more stories of bedrooms and bathrooms above, not to mention a laundry room, have similar features. Impressive stained glass windows abound, as do parquet floors.

A library on the master-bedroom floor has its original ornate built-in bookcases with leaded glass fronts. On the final floor, the hallway is topped by an exquisite stained glass skylight, surrounded by decorative plaster on a coved ceiling. The bedrooms on this level have sloping ceilings and dormer windows.

The bathrooms are among the house’s most impressive rooms, and appear to be in immaculate condition with period-appropriate tubs, sinks, nickel-plated pips, and tile, including marble tile and light fixtures from Waterworks, according to the listing.

The below-grade garden level is refinished with rec rooms, according to the floor plan.

Save this listing on Brownstoner Real Estate to get price, availability and open house updates as they happen >>

Located in the Park Slope Historic District, 18 Prospect Park West has a mansard roof, large arched windows and rusticated limestone on the first floor, and neo-Classical decorative details such as pediments and columns. Its neighbor next door at No. 19 has similar finishes and was also designed by Montrose Morris.

Listed by Leslie F. Wolfowitz and Lisa K. Lippman at Brown Harris Stevens, the rental is asking $18,500 per month. Worth it?

[Listing: 18 Prospect Park West | Broker: NAME HERE] GMAP