The Rockefellers are one of the most powerful families in US history. They have been highly influential in the world of politics and business and have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charity. David Rockefeller was the last of six children of John D Rockefeller Jr and the grandson of the original John D Rockefeller. When he died in March this year at the age of 101 so began the challenge of collating and managing his massive portfolio of business assets and real estate hence his Manhattan mansion is now on the market at $32.5 million.
The life of David Rockefeller
Having lost his wife Peggy back in 1996 it must have been lonely in that large mansion which the couple shared since 1948. Let’s not forget this is a couple who gave a staggering $900 million to charity during their lifetime and still had more than enough to live an extremely comfortable life. The family has a history of donating real estate to charity although a number of properties have been put aside in years gone by for their children. Bizarrely, if their children wanted to buy any of the properties left in a will they would have to buy it off the estate at the market price. If the children decided not to take up the offer then, as we have seen with the Manhattan townhouse, it simply went on the open market.
The Rockefeller mansion
The property in question goes back to 1924 when it was built specifically for another influential businessman and real estate tycoon by the name of Adrian Iselin. There are four levels to this property each of which is 40 feet wide and the property in total boasts a staggering 9777 ft.² of living space. There is also an additional 2465 ft.² in the basement making this a very large house by any standard!
The entrance to the mansion is dominated by arched windows, ornamental cast-iron entry gates and there are window guards along the exterior wall. The reddish look to the exterior wall gives it a stately look which is probably what you would expect from the Rockefellers.
Bedrooms and bathrooms
When we tell you there are eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms in this property you might just begin to get an idea of the size. There is a formal dining area, living area, sitting room which has direct access to the garden. The mansion has its own library, eight fireplaces and something no celebrity property should ever be without, it’s very own wine vault. The top level there is dominated by an eye-catching skylight and is home to 6 staff rooms as well as the properties own elevator.
We can only imagine the stories this kind of property would be able to tell, the guests it has welcomed and the parties which have been thrown. It is currently on the market for $32.5 million and with its history, Georgian style redesign from the 1970s, array of bathrooms and bedrooms we very much doubt it will be on the market for too long. After all, who could argue with David Rockefeller and his family?