Left – the main house. Right – the carriage house. Click here for for further details

Nick Churton of Halstead Property’s London office visits a fabulous Manhattan, West Village town house – with its own carriage house – that has not changed much over the years – while all around it has.

 Broker: Halstead Property

 Agent: Wendy Gleason

You can often recognise architects’ own houses. There are little telltale signs – like the way light is used, books, placement of objet d’art and style of furniture. They are as much a giveaway today as an architect’s bow tie was yesterday.

This house in Manhattan’s West Village screams architect. But it screams so much more as well. It screams history. This is an imposing Federal-style three-bay town house with brick facade and its original carriage house. There can’t be that many complete examples like it left in this part of the world.

Beside the wide stone steps that lead grandly to the front door there is another door. This leads to an alley under the house where horses were brought to and from the carriage house and stable at the rear. Back in 1834 when the house was built there was a mews for carriages and horses at the back of the property. This has been built over now but the house, its annexe and inner courtyard remain, giving witness to a time when Andrew Jackson was president and there were anti-abolitionist riots in New York City.

In some ways not a great deal has changed in the house. The layout remains much as it has always been. Just the worn stair treads mark the passage of time. What has changed is the area. Today the West Village is one of the most vibrant and fashionable places in which to live in New York.

This is a property packed with enormous possibilities. The carriage house provides great extended family, guest or staff living. The courtyard is beautiful but a landscape enthusiast could have a field day back there. The family who currently own the property – and have done so for four generations – have clearly enjoyed every moment in it. I think you would too.