The Donac at 402 West 20th St: A C.P.H. Gilbert design currently asking $10 million
- Completed in 1897, the neo-Colonial design features a distinct, concave corner
- Prominent architect C.P.H. Gilbert projected construction costs at $15,000
The five-unit, 6,545-square-foot property has had a ground-up renovation, according to the listing.
Have you ever passed by an interesting residential building in New York City and wanted to know more about its history? In this series, Brick Underground teams up with Tom Miller, creator of Daytonian in Manhattan, a blog about Manhattan buildings and other historic architecture. Each week, we will run an excerpt from the Daytonian’s archives with a link to the full article.
Angelica Barraclough Faber was one of 13 children. Her father, Don Alonzo Cushman, was a real estate developer and an upon his death in 1875, he left portions of his properties to his children in equal shares.
Angelica's husband, Gustavus William Faber, died in 1895. Like her father, she turned to real estate and in February 1897, bought out her siblings to acquire full ownership of a vacant lot at 402 West 20th St., just west of Ninth Avenue. She hired architect C.P.H. Gilbert to design a flat building on the site. (Gilbert would ultimately design more than 100 mansions in Manhattan and Brooklyn.) His plans projected the construction cost at $15,000, or about $585,000 in 2026 terms.
To the east of the plot sat 169 Ninth Ave., which Don Alonzo Cushman erected in 1845 and which hugged the 20th Street property line. To the west was the 1830 house at 404 West 20th St., which sat back to allow for its stoop. Gilbert cleverly transitioned the two by concaving the western corner of his building, creating an elegant architectural link.
Above the entrance to Gilbert's beige brick neo-Colonial design, a stone entablature announced the building's name, Donac, a nod to Angelica's father (Don A. C.).
Perhaps because the Donac faced the General Theological Seminary, several of the tenants were involved with the Episcopal church. Among the initial residents was Adelaide Oliver, who had lived across the street at 4 Chelsea Square with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Andrew Oliver. Adelaide could see the seminary and her former home from the window of her new apartment.
Today the fully renovated property has five residences. It went on the market last month for $10 million, represented by Raphael De Niro and James C. Flowers, brokers at Brown Harris Stevens. For more on its architectural pedigree and prominent past residents, check out the full article.
