Landmarked Park Slope Mansion, Home to Society for Ethical Culture, Sells for $13.5 Million

The striking William Tubby-designed manse at the corner of Prospect Park West and 2nd Street has sold for $13.5 million in an off-market deal to an undisclosed buyer, according to The Real Deal. The sale has yet to hit public records.

Notably, the deal closed for considerably less ($17 million) than the $30.5 million the property at 53 Prospect Park West listed for back in 2021, when we wrote about the listing.

The impressive property is a Brooklyn landmark whose prominent corner location, park-like setting, and neo-Jacobean exterior contribute to its important street presence. As well, it’s one of an increasingly rare number of Brooklyn spots with architectural interest, a well-preserved interior, and semi-public function as a community center that seemed to have escaped the ubiquitous real estate pressures of recent years.

While the building’s exterior with its stepped gable is protected by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, the possibility of a sale raised questions about the future of its surrounding grounds and historic interior.

Some months ago, when the property was no longer on the market, we heard a rumor that Poly Prep, the school next door at 50 Prospect Park West, was vying to buy the mansion. The two properties together may have open space to construct an addition and connect the two buildings. In 2009, Poly Prep built a modern addition to its landmarked Montrose Morris-designed Hulbert Mansion (actually two attached townhouses).

As for 53 Prospect Park West, the once single-family home was built in 1901 for wealthy scouring-powder manufacturer William H. Childs and his wife, Nellie S. Childs. In 1907, the dwelling’s original noted 19th century architect, Tubby, returned to add a sun room and, underneath it, a billiards room.

The brick and limestone house stayed in the family until the mid-20th century. In 1948, it was acquired by the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. (At one time, the organization also owned the Hulbert Mansion next door.)

In November, the humanist congregation moved to new ADA-accessible digs in a new 4th Avenue condo building at 6 Garfield Place.

The Real Deal was the first to report the sale, which has yet to hit public records.

[Photos by Susan De Vries unless otherwise noted]

Related Stories

• The Neo-Jacobean Prospect Park West Manse That Cleaning Powder Built
• Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture Puts William Tubby-Designed Manse Up for Sale for $30 Million
• The Gleaming Montrose Morris Chateau on Prospect Park West

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