Woolworth mansion well worth a look

The Life: A mansion built by a former general store clerk off New York's Fifth Avenue is on the market for $90 million.

A mansion on 80th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York built for Helena McCann is on sale for $90 million. Brown Harris Stevens

Frank Woolworth first spotted the potential in selling cheap items in bulk while he was working as a general store clerk.

He went on to make a fortune through his Woolworth retail chain and built his own tower in New York 1910 - the world's highest at the time - and three townhouses, also located in the Big Apple, for his three daughters.

One of those mansions, located at 80th and Fifth Avenue, is on the market for US$90 million (Dh330.5m).

Completed in 1916 and built for Helena McCann, the imposing limestone clad mansion features a central foyer that opens to a grand entry hall. The drawing room spans 35 feet and includes a huge fireplace and three floor-to-ceiling windows. Ceilings in the 18,000 square foot property are more than 14 ft high and the dining room can seat more than 50 people.

"While the other great mansions that have come on the market in New York have been shells requiring total renovation this is the only mansion to be formally available that has been fully renovated in a traditional pre-war style," Christie's International Real Estate's website says of the property.

However, it is fair to say the multicoloured carpets, bold clashing furnishings and generally ostentatious style may not be to everyone's taste.

The home features three kitchens, a panelled library, 10 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a suite of offices throughout its seven floors. The master suite on the fourth floor could comfortably accommodate some apartments and encompasses a "grand bedroom", two sitting rooms, two full bathrooms and dressing areas. The fifth floor features two large bedrooms with bathrooms, and a gym. Above the sixth floor there is an additional level, which is presently built-out for a private office with a bathroom and powder room.

The seventh floor features a two-bedroom staff suite with two bathrooms, a kitchen and access to an elevator which serves all levels.

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