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After years of fluctuating asking prices and nearly twelve months on the market, one of the Upper East Side’s grandest mansions — and the largest private home in Manhattan — has finally found a buyer.
Public records show that the Woolworth Mansion, a 20,000-square-foot limestone residence located at 4 East 80th Street, entered contract on October 27. The final sale price and buyer’s name have not yet been disclosed, the New York Post reports.
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Designed in 1915 by architect C.P.H. Gilbert for Helena Woolworth, daughter of retail magnate Frank Woolworth, the home has long stood as a symbol of Gilded Age opulence. Spanning 35 feet in width, the property features nine bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, and three kitchens. Historic details — from intricate stained glass and mosaic tilework to a formal dining room large enough for banquets — mingle with modern amenities like a gym, sauna, and glass-enclosed solarium.The mansion’s market journey has been as elaborate as its architecture. It first drew headlines in 2011 with a staggering $90 million asking price, briefly holding the title of New York’s most expensive townhouse. When it resurfaced for sale in November 2024, the price had dropped to $59 million, later settling at $49.95 million — roughly $2,500 per square foot.
Its ownership history is equally storied. The home was purchased in 1995 by fitness entrepreneur Lucille Roberts and her husband, real estate investor Bob Roberts, who paid $6 million to the Young Men’s Philanthropic League. The couple undertook a lengthy restoration before Lucille’s passing in 2003. Their son, Kevin Roberts, told The Wall Street Journal he lived there with his father until 2016.
In 2021, the mansion was briefly offered as a rental for $80,000 a month, with a summer lease option at $125,000. Its return to the sales market last year coincided with a renewed appetite for prewar trophy homes on the Upper East Side — a segment that has recently seen a resurgence of record-breaking activity.
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