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A resplendent Victorian-era New York City home which was the site of a sensational murder-suicide in 1902, has hit the market for a staggering $29.5 million.
The six-story mansion is situated smack dab in the heart of Manhattan’s tony Upper East Side, just five minutes walking distance from the legendary trysting spot of President John F. Kennedy at The Carlyle Hotel.
Around the corner in the other direction, is the famed Mark Hotel where Meghan Markle celebrated her baby shower in a $75,000-per-night penthouse.
The latest resident was Cello, a luxury sound system company, that purchased the property for $5.5 million in 1997. The bottom floor is currently occupied by a high-end antique furniture dealer.
But behind the curious Spanish medieval brick façade and fortress-like ironwork is a dark and twisted history that includes one of New York City’s most shocking murders.
A historic New York City mansion, which was the site of a shocking murder-suicide involving two brothers in 1902 – has officially hit the market for a staggering $29.5 million. The eight bedroom, 14,500-square-foot townhouse stretches across six floors and features a custom wrought-iron staircase that was valued alone at $400,000 in 1987 (roughly $1 million in today’s money)
The home was completed in 1901 for the famed historian, Paul Leicester Ford, and his newlywed pregnant wife, Grace. It is located in the heart of posh Upper East Side on 53 East 77th Street. Over the years the residence has served as a private office for the publisher, Funk and Wagnall’s and later as the headquarters for Cello, a high-end equipment manufacturer, who last purchased it for $5.5 million in 1997
Ford’s time at the mansion was short lived, within one year of its completion, he was dead from a sensational murder-suicide plot perpetrated by his brother, Malcom on May 8, 1902
Sitting on a 34-foot-wide-lot, the Georgian-style mansion was designed by architect, Henry Rutgers Marshall; and later altered in 1927 to include some of New York’s most distinctive interiors which incorporated priceless artwork, ancient sculpture and a fireplace (pictured) that supposedly came from the Ca d’Oro in Venice
Later, the windows were decorated with ‘fortresslike’ ironwork and stained glass. The exterior was updated with a brick façade to give it a ‘Spanish medieval’ feel and the front door was replaced with a Gothic metal studded and timber egress from Europe (which is still part of the home today)
The eight bedroom, five bathroom home was built in 1901 for 35-year-old Paul Leicester Ford, a well respected academic from Brooklyn whose career blossomed into a best-selling novelist.
Sitting on a 34-foot-wide-lot, the Georgian-style mansion was designed by architect, Henry Rutgers Marshall; and later altered in 1927 to include some of New York’s most distinctive interiors which incorporated priceless artwork, ancient sculpture and a staircase that was valued at $400,000 in 1987 (roughly $1 million in today’s money).
Located on the corner of Madison Avenue and East 77th Street, the home was finished during a time when the city’s most elite families that hailed from railroad tycoons, industrialists, and bankers flocked uptown to the Gold Coast of Fifth Avenue that borders Central Park.
Ford was born into a socially prominent family in 1865 as the grandson of Noah Webster (publisher of the first Merriam-Webster dictionary) and a literary mother who was a lifelong friend of Emily Dickinson.
By age 11, Ford had published a genealogy of his grandfather; and in 1892, he released a 10-volume set of Thomas Jefferson’s writings, which is still regarded as a ‘monument of American historical scholarship.’
In the early 1890’s, Ford pivoted his career into publishing historical fiction, and ‘The Honorable Peter Stirling’ (1898) and ‘Janice Meredith’ (1899) became best sellers.
Despite being disabled from birth with a spinal injury that impaired him with a hunched back and dwarfism, Ford had married a well-to-do socialite named Grace Kidder in 1900 and was experiencing an upswing in his career that afforded him the lavish mansion he designed as a love nest for his growing family.
His brother, Worthington Ford served as best man, but another brother, Malcolm, was not in attendance.
Upon completion of the mansion, Ford installed his father’s gargantuan library which included over 100,000 books and 60,000 manuscripts into a 30-square-foot office at the rear of the second floor — it was a refuge that Ford would hardly get to enjoy, as he would be dead within a year.
After a short hushed argument around 11am on May 8, 1902, Paul’s wayward brother Malcom, murdered him in cold blood before turning the gun on himself.
Malcom Ford was a spendthrift who was disowned by his father for pursing a career as an amateur athlete – rather than fulfilling scholarly expectation.
Paul Ford was born into a socially prominent family, as the grandson of Noah Webster (publisher of the first Merriam-Webster dictionary) and a mother who was a lifelong friend of Emily Dickinson. He was murdered by his wayward brother Malcom Ford, after a hushed argument about money. The murder-suicide was the culmination of an 11-year family feud that began in 1891 when Malcom’s father died of tuberculosis and he was the only child left out his father’s $2 million fortune (roughly $65 million in today’s money)
At his time of death, Ford was experiencing an upswing in his career which afforded him the lavish mansion on East 77th Street that he designed as a love nest for his growing family. He married a well-to-do socialite named Grace Kidder in 1900. His daughter, Lesta, was born one month after he was shot and killed by his own brother in the home’s library
The death of a famous novelist as the result of a murder-suicide between two brothers became a sensation. By early evening, the murder had made front page news on the evening papers. As news spread across New York City, police had to push a crowd of curious onlookers that had formed on the street outside the home, looking to pay tribute to the beloved author. ‘In spite of the police, however, the street was crowded all through the evening and late into the night,’ reported the New York Times
Ford was one of seven siblings that hailed from a scholarly family in Brooklyn. His brother, Worthington, went on to become chief of manuscripts at the Library of Congress. By age 11, Ford had published a genealogy of his grandfather; and in 1892, he released a 10-volume set of Thomas Jefferson’s writings, which is still regarded as a ‘monument of American historical scholarship.’ By his time of his death, he had completed nine works
Despite strident protests by his family, Malcom followed his interest in sports to national success in track and field and other events.
Despite was disabled from birth with a spinal injury that impaired him with a hunched back and dwarfism; Ford had transformed his well-respected career in academia into a best-selling novelist with his books, ‘The Honorable Peter Stirling’ (1898) and ‘Janice Meredith’ (1899)
He was three times the American National Champion, a competition which is the equivalent of today’s decathlon; and was twice the winner of the National Championships in the long jump, 100 yard, and 200 yard dash. ‘The Triple’ as it was called, was not accomplished again until 1983 with Carl Lewis.
The murder-suicide was the culmination of an 11-year family feud that began in 1891 when Malcom’s father died of tuberculosis and he was the only child left out his father’s $2 million fortune (roughly $65 million in today’s money).
Malcom unsuccessfully attempted to sue his six siblings in 1894 for a share of the money, alleging they had promised to privately pool their money for a seventh share.
During the trial, Ford told the court, ‘I do not see why Malcom should get any of the estate, as my father had laid down his life to save Malcom. He gave a worthy to save an unworthy life.’
On the day of the murder, Malcom allegedly had breakfast with his seven-year-old son before heading uptown on foot to visit his brother. He allegedly told the elevator operator, that it was an unusually find morning and that ‘The better the day, the better the deed,’ before hauntingly repeating these words again to a servant who opened the door at 53 East 77th Street.
Malcom bounded up the stairs to his brother’s office, who was hard at work on a new manuscript. After a disagreement over money, Malcom shot his brother before turning the gun on himself.
His stenographer, who was in the room at the time, caught Ford as he staggered around the office before brought him to rest on a sofa near the desk.
Despite desperate attempts by a doctor to revive him, Paul’s last words were ‘I must die like a brave man.’ His 8-month pregnant wife, Grace, was upstairs the entire time.
Ford moved his young family uptown during a time when New York City’s most elite families that hailed from railroad fortunes, and banking tycoons flocked uptown to the Gold Coast of Fifth Avenue that borders Central Park. Above, revelers enjoyed Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain in 1904
Nearby to the Ford residence, on the corner of East 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, was the palatial mansion owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt
Carriage traffic moves along Fifth Avenue between with Mansions on one side and Central Park on the other, circa 1903
A responding officer said it was crime was a case of ‘mental aberration.’ Adding ‘I do not think a man not criminally inclined, would shoot his brother unless he was temporarily insane.’
By early evening, the murder had made front page news on the evening papers. As news spread across New York City, police had to push a crowd of curious onlookers that had formed on the street outside the home, looking to pay tribute to the beloved author.
‘In spite of the police, however, the street was crowded all through the evening and late into the night,’ reported the New York Times.
A funeral was held the next day and both of the brothers were buried in the same plot at Sleepy Hallow Graveyard.
Grace gave birth to their only daughter, Lesta, less than a month later on June 3.
After Paul’s death, the house was sold to the banker Joseph Kerrigan, and his wife Esther, who was a heiress to the Slater Mill fortune. Working alongside her cousin, the architect Paul Hunt (who was the son of prolific Boston painter, William Morris Hunt) — Esther spared no expense when it came to updating the property
The interior was a rambling matrix of rooms created to display their priceless art collection that included paintings and drawings by John Singer Sargent, Gainsborough, Redon, and Daumier. The pantry was decorated with 18th-century Persian painted paneling, and another room was designed around a bespoke series of illustrations by the famed Englishman, Aubrey Beardsley
The current library room is a far cry from the original, 30-foot space it occupied on the second floor, which was also the scene of the crime. Upon completion of the mansion, Ford installed his father’s gargantuan library which included over 100,000 books and 60,000 manuscripts — it was a refuge that Ford would hardly get to enjoy, as he would be dead within a year
In recent years, the home has been rezoned for commercial and used as a headquarters for a publishing house an offices for the high-end music company, Cello. The listing reads: ‘The building has great bones and proportions with windows on the north, south and west,’ and comes with a private backyard
She remarried in 1908 and eventually sold the house to the banker and diplomat Joseph Kerrigan, and his wife Esther, who was a heiress to the Slater Mill fortune. (The Slater Mill was the first American factory to successfully produce yard with water powered machines and is credited with the birth of the US textile industry).
By then, Esther, had divorced her first husband Sumner Welles, who was the Secretary of State under Franklin D. Roosevelt and was looking to make house with her new family.
Working alongside her cousin, the architect Paul Hunt (who was also the son of prolific Boston painter, William Morris Hunt) — Esther spared no expense when it came to updating the property
She added a new brick front exterior and overhanging roof to give the townhouse a Spanish medieval flair.
The windows were decorated with ‘fortresslike’ ironwork while the front door was replaced with a Gothic metal studded and timber egress from Europe (which is still part of the home today).
The interior was a rambling matrix of rooms created to display their priceless art collection that included paintings and drawings by John Singer Sargent, Gainsborough, Redon, and Daumier.
The bedroom floors were furnished with Renaissance antiques, rich tapestries, stained-glass windows.
The pantry was decorated with 18th-century Persian painted paneling, and another room was designed around a bespoke series of illustrations by the famed Englishman, Aubrey Beardsley.
A wide staircase made of stucco featured walls that were embedded with ancient artifacts, such as: a Latin stone inscription, a Roman boat model and architectural models.
The main staircase, according to the New York Times was and ‘extraordinary and sensuous run of curving wrought-iron herons’ by the sculptor Hunt Diederich, another cousin of Esther Kerrigan who did metalwork throughout the house.
In 1987, the value of the staircase alone was $400,000.
The Kerrigans rebuilt the infamous study where Paul Ford was murder into a music room that featured a hooded Venetian fireplace, that supposedly came from the Ca d’Oro (also known as the golden palace) that overlooks the Grand Canal in Venice.
Esther Kerrigan remodeled the house completely in 1926 during her second marriage to the banker and diplomat Joseph Kerrigan. She furnished the mansion with Renaissance antiques, rich tapestries, stained-glass windows. In a strange repeat of history, Kerrigan left her youngest son out of her will in 1951, which prompted a family feud and court case, much like the one that resulted in a murder-suicide five decades before
Kerrigan’s first marriage was to Sumner Welles, the Secretary of State under Franklin D. Roosevelt. She filed for a divorce in Paris citing ‘abandonment and refusal to live with his wife.’ Eventually, she left the mansion and $8million fortune to her two children from Welles
The dwelling was praised in the the magazine, ‘International Studio’ for its ‘rare union of cosmopolitan taste,’ and ‘scheme that is absolutely individual without at first seeming other than natural.’
Esther divorced Joseph Kerrigan in 1947, shortly before she died in 1951.
She left her her youngest son, Hunt, (who had been seriously wounded in Korea) out of her will in favor of her two older children from her first marriage to Sumner Welles.
Like Malcom before him, Hunt Kerrigan attempted to sue his siblings for $8 million but lost.
Over the years, the house went through several permutations, first as an office to the publisher, Funk and Wagnall’s. Later as the headquarters for Cello, a high-end equipment manufacturer, which also built out a recording studio and restaurant on the ground floor.
Currently, it serves as a showroom for an upscale showroom for antique furniture and is zoned for commercial use.
Some of the major rooms, including the Persian-paneled pantry, have been lost to the sands of time, but other original elements remained.
‘The building has great bones and proportions with windows on the north, south and west,’ the listing reads.