It’s no secret I love old homes in the Annex and this one is truly a diamond in the rough.

This five-bedroom home was built in 1896 and designed by architect Frederick H. Herbert, who was also behind the Dineen Building and Arena Gardens.

The house has been preserved for 50 years by the current owners and still has most of the period details from the ceiling medallions to the stained glass windows this house is a canvas waiting for someone to restore it.

The home is very spacious with around 7,000 square feet of living space.

When you walk in the front door it’s like stepping into a university building. With the soaring ceilings, the cherry wood wainscoting and the cathedral-like stained glass windows.

The living room, dining room, foyer and family room are bright and airy and they all have the original fireplaces.

The kitchen, by contrast, is tragic. It will need to be completely ripped out but at least it’s big, so you have plenty of room to play around with.  

The various rooms throughout the house are well proportioned and are bright.

The master bedroom has a beautiful bay window and comes with a huge walk-in closet / dressing room. Unfortunately there’s no en suite bathroom.

Speaking of bathrooms, one has a claw foot tub... but that’s probably the only salvageable piece.  

However, despite the majesty of the house itself, the property doesn’t come with a lot of green space. The house pretty much takes up the entire lot but I guess on the bright side you don’t have a lot of yard work to do.

Specs

• Address: 145 Madison Avenue
• Price: $4,499,000
• Lot Size: 60 x 121 feet
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 6
• Walk Score: 93
• Transit Score: 98
• Listing agent: Sue Mills
• Listing ID: C4213767

Good For

Someone who loves a good restoration project. This heritage home needs a lot of TLC but in the right hands this house will be jaw dropping.

Move On If

You don’t want a fixer-upper. Renovations are expensive, tedious and can take forever, so if you want a move-in ready home this place is definitely not it.