Historic, century-old, classically designed mansions are typically not what buyers expect to find in Brooklyn—a place of elegant towers and stately brownstones. But from the Flatbush neighborhood to the (almost) water-front hamlet of Gravesend, Brooklyn abounds with grand mansions that could certainly hold their own in Connecticut or Westchester County.
Some of the most impressive mansions are found in Prospect Park South, the posh-yet-under-the-radar enclave at the southern base of Brooklyn’s most beloved park. Now a true Prospect Park South gem has recently come to market, an imposing, 11,000-square-foot, 22-room estate known as the Gale Mansion. Originally built back in 1905, the nine-bedroom, eight-bathroom stunner seeks a new owner with $12,950,000 to spare.
The Victorian-era home has a history as grand and storied as its architecture. Designed by architect Henry B. Moore, the Gale Mansion takes many of its most notable aesthetic cues the historic Atlantic Yacht Club, which was designed by legendary (and infamous) architect Stanford White in Gravesend and attracted leading industrialists from the Belle-Epoque era. The owner was George E. Gale, whose father ran a thriving tannery business in Pennsylvania. Anchored by a 1,200-square-foot ballroom, the Gales clearly knew a thing or three about entertaining.
The property owes its most current incarnation to recent owner Stephen Tanenbaum, an architect specializing in high-end residential renovations who completely overhauled the property. “The house is an architectural masterpiece and the architect-owner ensured that it retains key design elements that link it to the heavy influences of Stanford White,” observed listing agent Mary Kay Seery of Brown Harris Stevens. “The home’s sheer scale speaks to its unique and architecturally historic significance.”
Indeed, the home is nothing if not significant. Along with that “Gilded Age”-styled ballroom, there’s a 75-foot driveway, 2,400-square-foot rear yard, five outdoor porches and terraces and stunning 700-square-foot patio inlaid with azure bluestones. There’s also a 400-square-foot loft up top with sun-drenched skylight access via a sexy spiral staircase.
Tanenbaum spent some three years—and roughly $3 million—on the mansion’s renovation, a head-to-tails effort that included “back-of-the-house” essentials such as upgrading the porches, plumbing, electric, heating and air conditioning systems. Tanenbaum even installed a next-generation storm drainage system to account for the more severe downpours now typical in this era of climate change. It’s all fronted by a duplex portico facade fronted by a pair of terraces and a swoon-worthy Juliet balcony.
“It was a complete and total renovation of everything,” Seery says. “Truly every inch was restored, every system replaced, every creature comfort and luxury was incorporated.”
According to Seery, the Tanenbaums—which include a wife and trio of kids—are selling “reluctantly,” moving on out of a desire to find, buy and eventually restore another one-of-a-kind property. “Architects are architects and as an architect, he hinges a bit for a new project,” says Seery of the owner. In fact, the Tanenbaums have done it before, purchasing another nearby historic home (the neighborhood is lovingly known as “Victorian Flatbush”) a decade ago which they improved and sold for $4.25 million, more than twice what they paid. Although the home is not formally being sold with furnishings, key pieces could be included as part of a final deal, Seery confirms.
Beyond the major structural and architectural updates, the architect restored and highlighted endless period details and flourishes. There are five fireplaces, including an ornate beauty in the primary bedroom, a dining room rich with mahogany panels, restored wooden windows, seemingly miles of crown molding and a grand two-story staircase. As for that Astor-esque ballroom, it’s now been converted into a groovy home theater—along with a billiards nook and antique bar.
“This home really has the feel of an estate right in the heart of Brooklyn,” Seery says. “You’re just two blocks from the ball fields and tennis courts of Prospect Park.
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