Gloria Vanderbilt’s Childhood Home Hits the Market for $50 Million

The Upper East Side townhouse where Gloria Vanderbilt lived when she was a baby is on the market for $50 million. Known as the Vanderbilt Mansion, the landmark, which is located at 39 East 72nd Street,  was home to Vanderbilt from the time she was born, in 1924, until her father’s death a year later.

Upon the death of Reginald Vanderbilt, who was heir to a railroad fortune, Vanderbilt and her half sister became heiresses, each getting a half share in a $5 million trust fund (the equivalent of $73 million in 2019). She subsequently moved to Paris to live with her mother. In the 1930s, she was the subject of a spectacular custody battle between her mother and her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, each of whom sought control of Vanderbilt and her share of the trust fund. In the ensuing whirlwind of media attention that followed her, Vanderbilt was dubbed the “poor little rich girl.”

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The Gilded Age townhouse build in 1891 by Robert Lynd was restored in 2018. Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Elliman

Vanderbilt, who was an author, artist, fashion designer, and socialite, died in June at the age of 95. Her death was reported by her son Anderson Cooper, the CNN anchor.

This Gilded Age home was built in 1891 by Robert B. Lynd and altered by William Strom in 1905. In 2018, the 18,400-square-foot townhouse was reimagined by CetraRuddy Architects and divided into three distinct units. It features 12 bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, and three powder rooms, according to a listing on Douglas Elliman. It also comes with 1,500 square feet of outdoor space, according to the listing.

Known as the Vanderbilt Mansion, the 39 East 72nd Street residence was home to Vanderbilt as a baby.

The residences feature 12-foot ceilings, three gas fireplaces, and kitchens with limestone floors, Calacatta marble slab counters and high-end appliances by Gaggenau, Viking Tuscany, and Miele. Bathrooms feature Calacatta or Blue de Savoie marble floors and vanities with Toto toilets and Victoria and Albert freestanding tubs. There are also elevators with each residence as well as a central one for the building.