A Gilded Age Mansion in N.Y.C. That Was the Scene of a 1915 Murder Just Listed for $68 Million

It was not even two years ago that the estate of late Armenian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Aso O. Tavitian, a quiet but prolific collector of old master paintings and other classical European artworks, sold his magnificent Gilded Age mansion just off Fifth Avenue on New York City’s East 79th Street for $56 million in an all-cash deal to a mysterious buyer whose identity is shielded behind a foreign LLC. Freshly overhauled, it’s now back up for grabs with Serena Boardman at Sotheby’s International Realty at $68 million.

The Beaux Arts townhouse, designed in the late 1890s by high society architect C.P.H. Gilbert, had quite an illustrious beginning. Opulent and “magnificently furnished” with a collection of animal mounts, it was first owned by James E. Nichols, who died in 1914, and his wife, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Nichols, who was strangled to death on the home’s third floor in 1915. The culprit, as it turns out, was Lizzie’s former butler. That’s right, the butler did it!

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Extensively restored over the years by leading architects and designers such as Peter Pennoyer and John McCall, the flamboyant grande dame recently underwent comprehensive updates that include the installation of modern systems for security, climate control, audio/visual, and lighting, plus a new kitchen and various other cosmetic enhancements.

Its location along an alleyway allows for windows on three sides of the building, a rarity in Manhattan townhouses, and its 22 rooms are distributed across 15,000 square feet over six floors. In all there are six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, plus four more powder rooms.

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Five beautifully proportioned rooms for entertaining are situated on the ground and first floors, including a 600-square-foot reception room that spills onto a landscaped terrace and equally capacious formal living and dining rooms, each with a period fireplace and bowed bay window. More relaxed family spaces can be found on the third floor, including a wood-paneled library, an informal dining room, and an eat-in kitchen with six huge windows and gleaming white marble counters on pale mint green cabinets.

The homeowner’s retreat sprawls over the entire fourth floor with a fireside bedroom, two bathrooms, and two dozen closets distributed across three custom-fitted dressing rooms. There are three more bedrooms with private baths on the fifth floor, plus a wrap-around balcony, and, on the sixth floor, a den/children’s playroom with built-in bunk beds, plus a one-bedroom/one-bath apartment complete with a sitting room and kitchen.

The modern updates are seamlessly integrated with exquisitely restored or recreated architectural details throughout: 13-plus-foot ceilings embellished with carved plaster moldings; solid mahogany doors and window frames; rare English brown oak paneling; parquet de Versailles and herringbone white oak floors; and a selection of marbles used for paneling and flooring.

Other notable features include a dedicated security room just inside the front door, a climate-controlled wine cellar, a rooftop terrace, a gym, and a knock-your-socks-off circular skylight over the staircase. Making circulation a snap for residents and staff alike, a passenger elevator stops on every floor, including the rooftop, while a service elevator connects the stainless steel catering kitchen in the basement to the ground-floor reception rooms, a butler’s pantry alongside the formal dining room on the second floor, and, finally, a second butler’s pantry between the kitchen and the informal dining room on the third floor.

Click here for more photos of the Manhattan townhouse.