Stuy Heights Neo-Grec Brownstone Decorated With Fretwork, Mantels, Pier Mirror Asks $1,729,500

Record reveal this Neo-Grec/Queen Anne brownstone in Stuy Heights has belonged to the same family since at least 1966, which the broker’s video confirms in a spirited slide show with additional photos set to the tune of “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).” We cannot confirm or deny that, but 697 Putnam Avenue possesses well-preserved decorative details, including wood fireplace mantels with extra-special tile and an entry hall and staircase festooned with woodwork and wainscoting. Some dings may need polishing from wear and tear over the years.

The brownstone is a four-story, three-family townhouse, evidently part of a row of five, decorated with incised window and door trim, glazed doors, original cast iron railing and fence, and a bracketed cornice. It’s not in the nearby Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, but the exterior is similar to other circa 1891 homes the report characterizes as “retardaire” Neo Grec, arriving just as the Romanesque Revival began to be popularized.

Inside are copious Queen Anne details spread over 3,600 square feet. The elaborate foyer includes a mirror and bench. The three parlors and dining room have fanciful molding, medallions and floors with inlaid borders. The parlors are divided by an ornate fretwork screen with columns and pocket doors.

The original dining room on the garden level has a built-in cabinet, wainscoting and fireplace with colorful original tile. It is partly open to the adjacent passthrough and closet, which has been clad in late 20th century wood paneling and louvered closets, and is in use as a dining area. The kitchen looks serviceable but has not been updated recently.

Save this listing on Brownstoner Real Estate to get price, availability and open house updates as they happen >>

Upstairs are two additional units, presumably each occupying a floor, with two bedrooms each and “substantial closet space for tenants with high storage needs,” the listing says. The house has three bathrooms. In front is a beautiful small landscaped garden with lights.

679 Putnam Avenue was built circa 1891 based on historic maps and an ad for the new house that pushes it as “decorated” and “cheap.”

The broker is Johnny R. Lee of the Corley Realty Group, and it’s being offered for $1,729,500, or $480 per square foot, if the numbers are accurate. It’s being shown in an open house on Sunday, October 27 from 2 to 3:30 pm. Worth taking a look?

[Listing: 679 Putnam Avenue | Broker: Corley Realty Group] GMAP

Related Stories

• Find Your Dream Home in Brooklyn and Beyond With the New Brownstoner Real Estate
• Elaborate Limestone With Lavish Modern Updates in Stuy Heights Asks $3.195 Million
• Lavish Renaissance Revival Showpiece With Built-ins in Stuy Heights Asks $2.699 Million

Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.