Upper East Side townhouse that inspired ‘Harriet the Spy’ back on the market for $5.975M

By CityRealty Staff | From Great Listings Wednesday, November 3, 2021

All images of 558 East 87th Street via Compass and Corcoran Group

Early last month, the delightful Queen Anne-style townhouse at the corner of East 87th Street and East End Avenue returned to the market for $5.975M, a notable increase from its last sale price of $4.495M fetched in 2016. According to city records, the current owner is Jonathan Piel, a science journalist who was the editor of Scientific American between 1984 and 1994. Under his wing, the townhouse has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation that supposedly exceeds its former glory.

The four-bedroom, four-bath Upper East Side home carries an air of whimsy brought on by its gridded windows, flower boxes, and charming roofline with dormers. The property has proved worthy of inspiring storybooks as is said to be the fictional residence of Harriet M. Welsch of Harriet the Spy. The classic 1964 children's novel was written by Louise Fitzhugh, who lived nearby on East 85th Street. The setting is across from the bucolic grounds of Carl Schurz Park and within the tiny and incredibly quaint Henderson Place Historic District.

↓ The house lies at the corner of The Henderson Place Historic District, an oasis of 32 architecturally interesting houses conceived in 1881-82 by developer John C. Henderson, and architects Lamb & Ric h - extraordinaires in the Queen Anne style. While built to high standards the homes were intended for families of moderate means (Manhattan moderate). Fanciful features include arched entryways, terra cotta plaques, and paneled windows.

Of the 32 original houses, 24 remain including this corner cottage at 156 East End Avenue/558 East 87th Street. Worthy of children's storybook settings but thankfully lives on as a holdout of charming Manhattan living, as it were a century ago.

558 East 87th Street, #TH | $5,975,000

Yorkville | Townhouse | 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

From the listing: "This gorgeous and notable 1880s house has just undergone a full gut restoration down to the studs. It is fully loaded and brand new. Every mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system has been newly installed, every construction innovation has been employed and all digital devices incorporated. This much-coveted house is just coming to market fully redone and exceeds its former glory."

↓ The house is entered from tranquil and tree-lined East 87th Street where one is greeted with a freshly-planted walkway and a characterful Bevolo gas lantern.

↓ Founded in New Orleans in 1945, Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights is the oldest manufacturer still in operation of handmade, hand-riveted copper lanterns in the United States.

↓ Despite its eclectic outward appearance, the home is rather symmetrical with circulation spaces at its heart. The foyer opens directly to a central hall with a skylit staircase at the rear.

↓ The living room is filled with soft northern and eastern light. There is a wood-burning fireplace and a set of windows overlooking Carl Schurz Park.

↓ A dining room with a set of bay windows and a full butler's pantry completes the main floor. A restored dumbwaiter accesses the kitchen below.

↓ One flight down is a charming eat-in kitchen with an adjacent flex room.

↓ Also off the kitchen is this fantastical powder room.

↓ The kitchen has direct access to a small albeit beautifully-planted patio. The space also serves as a secondary entrance to the home.

↓ The rooms upstairs have lovely corner windows and window seats overlooking the park and leafy side-street.

↓ The home is said to abound with light and peacefulness. On the second level facing the park, is an 18' x 12-'6" library with a working fireplace.

↓ On the opposite end of the floor is a stately secondary bedroom with a walk-in closet and adjacent bathroom.

↓ The third floor hosts the primary suite which includes an 18' x 13' bedroom, home office, and en-suite bath. A 'dressing room' can be used as a walk-in closet or a fourth bedroom.

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558 East 87th Street, #TH | $5,975,000

↓ The house is entered from tranquil and tree-lined East 87th Street where one is greeted with a freshly-planted walkway and a characterful Bevolo gas lantern.

↓ Founded in New Orleans in 1945, Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights is the oldest manufacturer still in operation of handmade, hand-riveted copper lanterns in the United States.

↓ Despite its eclectic outward appearance, the home is rather symmetrical with circulation spaces at its heart. The foyer opens directly to a central hall with a skylit staircase at the rear.

↓ The living room is filled with soft northern and eastern light. There is a wood-burning fireplace and a set of windows overlooking Carl Schurz Park.

↓ A dining room with a set of bay windows and a full butler's pantry completes the main floor. A restored dumbwaiter accesses the kitchen below.

↓ One flight down is a charming eat-in kitchen with an adjacent flex room.

↓ Also off the kitchen is this fantastical powder room.

↓ The kitchen has direct access to a small albeit beautifully-planted patio. The space also serves as a secondary entrance to the home.

↓ The rooms upstairs have lovely corner windows and window seats overlooking the park and leafy side-street.

↓ The home is said to abound with light and peacefulness. On the second level facing the park, is an 18' x 12-'6" library with a working fireplace.

↓ On the opposite end of the floor is a stately secondary bedroom with a walk-in closet and adjacent bathroom.

↓ The third floor hosts the primary suite which includes an 18' x 13' bedroom, home office, and en-suite bath. A 'dressing room' can be used as a walk-in closet or a fourth bedroom.

This is your member's center

In this article:

558 East 87th Street, #TH | $5,975,000

↓ The house is entered from tranquil and tree-lined East 87th Street where one is greeted with a freshly-planted walkway and a characterful Bevolo gas lantern.

↓ Founded in New Orleans in 1945, Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights is the oldest manufacturer still in operation of handmade, hand-riveted copper lanterns in the United States.

↓ Despite its eclectic outward appearance, the home is rather symmetrical with circulation spaces at its heart. The foyer opens directly to a central hall with a skylit staircase at the rear.

↓ The living room is filled with soft northern and eastern light. There is a wood-burning fireplace and a set of windows overlooking Carl Schurz Park.

↓ A dining room with a set of bay windows and a full butler's pantry completes the main floor. A restored dumbwaiter accesses the kitchen below.

↓ One flight down is a charming eat-in kitchen with an adjacent flex room.

↓ Also off the kitchen is this fantastical powder room.

↓ The kitchen has direct access to a small albeit beautifully-planted patio. The space also serves as a secondary entrance to the home.

↓ The rooms upstairs have lovely corner windows and window seats overlooking the park and leafy side-street.

↓ The home is said to abound with light and peacefulness. On the second level facing the park, is an 18' x 12-'6" library with a working fireplace.

↓ On the opposite end of the floor is a stately secondary bedroom with a walk-in closet and adjacent bathroom.

↓ The third floor hosts the primary suite which includes an 18' x 13' bedroom, home office, and en-suite bath. A 'dressing room' can be used as a walk-in closet or a fourth bedroom.

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