I have been virtually obsessed with this place and was looking forward to posting photos and the story behind one of the most amazing properties in the entire city. Here, we have a 200-year-old farmhouse on its own piece of land, with a yard and driveway, the six-room wood-frame house stuck against a neighboring brick building. Click here for more photos. The first time I encountered this tiny house at 121 Charles Street, I couldn’t believe it. An anomaly and a time warp in a bucolic setting. There is little information on this place, so I had to dig.
This house was originally on a rear lot at 71st and York Ave. The exact date of its origin is unknown. The house was occupied in the 1940s by Margaret Wise Brown, author of ”Goodnight Moon.” In 1960, it was occupied by Swedish-born Mr. and Mrs. Sven Bernhard, who, after extensive renovations, won ownership in 1966. However, the land was owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, who intended to demolish the house for the building of a new Mary Manning Walsh Home for the Aged. Wanting to keep the home, the Bernhards decided to move the entire house intact. With the help of architect William C. Shopsin, they located a vacant 3600-square foot lot on Charles Street.
On March 5, 1967, the entire house was moved five miles (at a cost of $6500) from its Upper East Side location down Second Avenue and across 14th Street to its new home in the West Village, with the Bernhards following by car. In 1988, Suri Bieler and her husband Eliot Brodsky began a restoration of the property with architect George Boyle. A room for their 7-year-old, Jack Brodsky, was added. You won’t find anything like this in Manhattan, trust me. I understand that it’s not for sale…
Quite a prize! No wonder it isn’t for sale.
funny place 🙂
Looks like a joke
The first time I saw the place, they had a swingset in the yard! Crazy.
Brian
Such a lovely place!
I know exactly what you mean about a time warp!
I, too, found a similar thing in Atlanta and was FASCINATED by it! Here is a link to this unusual house in the middle of skyscrapers.
So…I can relate totally to your reaction. Wouldn’t it be so nice to own that house (the one in Manhattan…or Atlanta for that matter)?!?
There are a number of other small free standing buildings, but all are in back lots or gardens behind larger buildings so they are not visible from the street. I know of a few where access is down a narrow alley, opening to the rear gardens.
Brian
Amazing sanctuary in the middle of such a crazy place.
By the way I LOVE your blog and I look forward to each window into your world.
Nicole
An amazing photo and your story was interesting too. I can guess the land it sits on is worth a small fortune.
Today is the third episode in One Day in the Life of a Robin. It is about the toilet issues — the poop sack. Tomorrow will be the end of the series with an unforgettable set of pictures. Hope you can see them.
Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo
There aren’t many places like this in Manhattan. This place could be in Cape Cod. It’s also amazing that it has a driveway.
There are the most amazing places tucked away in NYC. You really couldn’t believe it – from farmhouse to Chrysler building in one city!
How you dug and found the story also intrigues me. What did you do? Pulic records, or knocking on the door?
Thanks to all. Yes, this place could easily be in Cape Cod.
Sally – I use a number of sources. I have a good library and use online references of course. This takes time. I do speak to people who own businesses whenever possible. I do not knock on anyones door however – this would be ill received in NYC.
Brian
I live in two apartments in the West Village, one of which is a few doors down from this amazing house. I always see the owner working in the yard and clipping the vines,seeing this is always a momentary mental escape from the city. My other apartment faces Christopher Park which is in yesterdays post. That park is maintained by very loyal and avid gardeners and residents of my building, there is a real neighborhood spirit and pride in these small neighborhood enclaves. It’s also wonderful to watch the tourists “discover” these quiet jewels of the city.
This blog is truely great!
Ultra Cool! I lived in Manhattan and never saw this.
Mary, Detroit Photoblog
There is another house like this somewhere downtown and I forgot where it is and have been searching for it ever since…with no luck! Phantom house I suppose. : (
This house is featured in the New York Times Homes Section today.
My Brother and I lived next to this home when we were growing up.
We lived at 115 Charles St back in the late 60’s, Early 70’s.
We played around and near that house when we were kids although I remember it differntly..Structure wise it’s exact. But when we were children the house had Beautiful towering Sunflowers all over the yard mixed in with wildflowers..
There was a very large and menacing black Doberman dog that used to charge at You when You tried to peek through the wrought iron gate.. This place was like a fairytale to me.. Imagine a little child surrounding by concrete and cement and this little tiny slice of Heaven was just next door..
I LOVE Sunflowers because of this home.. I am so grateful and happy to see it has been preserved as an historic landmark..
I still have an old picture of the house with the Sunflowers towering over the stucco’d walls.. with our friends standing in front of the gate… Great memories ….
You got the owner's name wrong. It is not Sue. I'm not going to tell you what it is.
Anon – correction noted and change made. Thanks.
Thanks for giving the history of this adorable little house! I I just saw it for the first time today and found your blog in my google search to find more info on the "crazy little house on Charles St". Looking forward to reading more.
what an awesome find, worth the story don’t think I ‘ve seen anything past 100 yrs old so cool
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I was 9 years old when the house moved onto Charles Street. I lived on the next block at 103 Charles Street. We explored the house with my Brother and my Best Friend. It was really cool. I am so happy it is still there. So much of Greenwich Village has changed since our childhood.
My grandmother was very fond of this house because she remembers living next door to it when it was still located on York Ave. in the early 1900’s. She was born in 1900. She was 67 when the house was moved & I can remember her excitement reading in the Daily News about it’s move to Charles Street. My grandmother passed in 1976 & my daughter and I visited the location in 2003. Gave me a special feeling to see something that was a part of my grandmothers special memories. It is one of the most special places for me in a vast great city.
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It is currently being listed for $20 million by an agent for Owner Suri Bieler, as a site for development. The developer hopes to build condos. Very sad.
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This was my families home from the 19th century. The Archdiocese pressured my family into selling the property. Not having the resources to buy land and transport the house, they sold it for $1 to the tenants living in it at the time. They moved it to its current location.