Some New York City homes haven’t been on the market in decades, but this house in Brooklyn Heights far outstrips them: 69 Orange Street is on the market for the first time in nearly 100 years. Nearly 200 years after it was originally constructed in 1829, it has been listed for $9,950,000.
69 Orange Street was originally owned by Sarah Gracie, a daughter of a prominent Brooklyn family whose matriarch, Martha Middagh, reportedly renamed Brooklyn Heights’ “fruit streets” because she thought the streets named after aristocratic families like hers were too pompous. (P.S. A nearby street was later renamed Middagh Street.) Sarah married a scion of the Gracie family (whose former East River estate now serves as the official residence of the mayor of New York City) who believed he was heir to the British throne. She tried to have him declared insane so she could assume control of the family’s finances, but had to settle for a legal separation.
69 Orange Street was originally owned by Sarah Gracie, a daughter of a prominent Brooklyn family whose matriarch, Martha Middagh, reportedly renamed Brooklyn Heights’ “fruit streets” because she thought the streets named after aristocratic families like hers were too pompous. (P.S. A nearby street was later renamed Middagh Street.) Sarah married a scion of the Gracie family (whose former East River estate now serves as the official residence of the mayor of New York City) who believed he was heir to the British throne. She tried to have him declared insane so she could assume control of the family’s finances, but had to settle for a legal separation.
After Sarah moved to a house on State Street, at which time she became one of the founding members of Brooklyn Heights' Grace Church, 69 Orange Street was owned by Henry L. Pratt, then-deacon of the neighboring Plymouth Church. His house was rumored to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, and Plymouth Church was a well-known one: Preacher Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent abolitionist, and his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, was the author of anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Brooklyn Heights was declared New York’s first historic district 100 years after the Civil War, but there is much to enjoy in the present day. 69 Orange Street is located two blocks from the Fruit Street Sitting Area, between Cadman Plaza Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, and a short distance from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. A number of popular restaurants have sprung up on Henry Street, almost right out the front door, and DUMBO dining and shopping are less than half a mile away. Transportation options include the Clark Street 2/3 and the High Street-Brooklyn Bridge A/C.
↓ The house was built in the Federal clapboard style, but features Victorian add-ons like a mansard roof with gingerbread details.
↓ Original details like handrails, woodworking, molding, and historical milk paint have been beautifully preserved.
↓ Five of the six fireplaces are fully functional.
↓ Just off the kitchen, a large formal dining room allows for effortless yet impressive entertaining.
↓ All levels are connected by a gracious staircase.
↓ In addition to four full bedrooms, the house has two bonus rooms that can accommodate a home office, nursery, or gym.
↓ A rear terrace offers easy access to a large backyard with bluestone patio.
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