House of the Day

PLG Rowhouse With Fretwork, Built-ins, Stained Glass Asks $2.995 Million

The single-family row house’s many impressive details include wainscoting, Lincrusta, fretwork, and built-ins.

prospect lefferts gardens - parlor with pier mirror, wood work, ceiling medallion

Photo via Compass

by Susan De Vries

03/05/2025 1

While this single-family row house likely needs some bathroom and kitchen updates, it has a wealth of details, including wainscoting, mantels, and a pass-through. In the Prospect Lefferts Gardens Historic District, the bow-front dwelling at 56 Rutland Road is on one of the neighborhood’s picturesque tree-lined streets and a short walk from Prospect Park.

The row house is in the original Lefferts Manor enclave and included in a still-in-effect covenant stipulating single-family dwellings. No. 56 dates to 1898 and was designed by Albert E. White, according to the designation report. It was likely designed for builder William Seals Jr. who also constructed the adjoining houses. Like the others, No. 56 is of pale Roman brick with a stone basement.

There have been some tweaks to the floor plan, but the house still has kitchen and dining room on the garden level, parlors above, and two floors of bedroom space. The top floor has a kitchen inserted between the two bedrooms and a 1960 I-card shows a tenant in place but, as noted, the house can’t be used as a two-family dwelling.

Impressive details start in the entry, with wainscoting, Lincrusta, fretwork, and a stair with a built-in bench. The front parlor has a pier mirror, while the middle and rear parlors both have columned mantels with original tile and inserts.

Downstairs, the street-facing dining room still has wainscoting and a built-in sideboard. Instead of a butler’s pantry, one of the doors next to the sideboard leads to an office space. The kitchen isn’t shown in the listing photos and presumably needs some updates. The floor plan does indicate it has a dishwasher, pantry, and access to a rear mudroom and full bathroom.

On the second floor, the front and rear bedrooms are still joined by a pass-through. It looks like the sinks are gone, but the original built-ins and medicine cabinets are still in place. Both bedrooms have mantels as do the two bedrooms on the floor above.

Only one of the three full bathrooms in the house is shown, but it has a cheery yellow stained glass window. It looks like multiple later remodels took a color cue from the window, with yellow tile, fixtures, and wallpaper.

The listing suggests bringing along an architect or contractor, indicating updates might be in order. The house was in the same family since the 1970s before selling to an LLC this year for $1.95 million.

Tali Berzak and Eliane Bugod of Compass have the listing, and the house is priced at $2.995 million. What do you think?

[Listing: 56 Rutland Road | Broker: Compass] GMAP