The River Mansion
River Mansion | |
NYC Landmark District
| |
| File:The River Mansion, 337 Riverside Drive, New York City.jpg The River Mansion in September 2025 | |
| Location | 337 Riverside Drive, Manhattan, New York City |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°48′07″N 73°58′13″W / 40.8019°N 73.9704°W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Robert D. Kohn |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Part of | Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District (#73001258) |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | April 19, 1973 |
| Designated NYCL | April 19, 1973 |
The River Mansion is a Beaux-Arts townhouse located at 337 Riverside Drive at the southwest corner of 106th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side in New York City. Completed in 1902 to designs by architect Robert D. Kohn, it stands within the Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District, designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1973.[1][2]
History
The mansion was erected between 1899 and 1902 during the coordinated development of the block's high-style rowhouses along Riverside Drive and West 105th/106th Streets by the firm Stewart & Smith. Kohn designed both 337 Riverside Drive and the adjoining 322 West 106th Street. He also worked on Upper West Side landmarks including the Ethical Culture School building and Congregation Emanu-El of New York.[1]
The mansion's first owner was Shakespearean actress Julia Marlowe, who paid $68,000 for the home. In 1906, Marlowe sold the house to businessman Lothar Faber, owner of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. After Faber moved out, the home was sold to Scottish-born investor and businessman John Wallace McKinnon.[3] In the 1970s, the building was home to a music school run by actor, singer and gay-rights activist John Mace.[1][4]
By 1973, the River Mansion was included within the newly designated Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District, protecting an ensemble of 30 Beaux-Arts townhouses.[1] In 1978 Seagram heir and later-CEO of Warner Music Group Edgar Bronfman Jr. bought the house for $5.6 Million, returning it to its status as a single-family home.[5]
In 2023 it served as the site of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which opened the interiors to the public as part of a charity showcase.[6] Journalist Daniel J. Wakin chronicles the building and its neighbors—known colloquially as the “Seven Beauties” at 330–337 Riverside Drive—in his 2018 history of the block.[7] That same year the house was put on the market and listed for $24M. It was sold in 2024 for $9.95M.[5][8]
Architecture
The River Mansion is a five-story, 35-foot-wide (11 m) townhouse of red brick with limestone trim, designed in the Beaux-Arts style. The district designation report highlights its strong horizontal lines, cornices, wrought-iron balconies, and mansard elements as part of the larger composition along Riverside Drive.[1] Inside, the building has a grand foyer, parlor, library, wine room, wine cellar, media room, two kitchens with a service kitchen, dining room, an elevator, and 7 wood-burning fireplaces, along with a 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) roof deck with views of the Hudson River, and George Washington Bridge.[9][10][11]
Context and significance
Riverside Drive's mansion rows were conceived in the late 19th century to attract affluent residents west from Fifth Avenue, leveraging Riverside Park and Hudson River views. The LPC describes the district as “an unusually distinguished, turn-of-the-century residential area” whose Beaux-Arts houses exhibit a high degree of stylistic unity.[1]
Landmark status
- New York City Landmark District: Contributing property, Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District, designated April 19, 1973 (LPC LP-0323).[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District Designation Report (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. April 19, 1973.
- ↑ Simms, Demetrius (2024-05-09). "A Manhattan Mansion by Architect Robert D. Kohn Hits the Market for $13 Million". Robb Report. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ↑ Dean, Andrea (2023-05-19). "Historic NYC Mansion Lists for $24M: 'The Most Important Townhouse on the Market'". Observer. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ↑ Grimes, William (2017-05-26). "John Mace, 97, Voice Coach and Campaigner for Same-Sex Marriage, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mohler, Brendan (2025-01-13). "Famous Riverside Drive Mansion Sells for Less than Half of Original Asking Price". iLovetheUpperWestSide.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ↑ Studach, Mel (May 2023). "Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York 2023: See Every Room Inside the Historic Upper West Side Mansion". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ↑ Wakin, Daniel J. (2018). The Man with the Sawed-Off Leg and Other Tales of a New York City Block. Arcade Publishing. ISBN 9781628728453. Search this book on
- ↑ Mohler, Brendan (2025-01-13). "Famous Riverside Drive Mansion Sells for Less than Half of Original Asking Price". iLovetheUpperWestSide.com. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ↑ "The River Mansion on The Upper West Side, NYC". Francis York. 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ↑ Template:Cite AIA5
- ↑ Garvey, Marianne (October 9, 2024). "Rare Gilded Age New York Mansion With Starry History Finally Finds a Buyer—After $14 Million Price Cut". Realtor.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
External links
- LPC Designation Report, Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District (PDF)
- Riverside–West 105th Street Historic District overview at Historic Districts Council
References
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