64 West 87th Street
A private house with a public legacy.
Completed in 1895 as the easternmost of three individualized houses by Clarence True, No. 64 carries the low-stoop American-basement planning he helped make a signature of the West Side. Its limestone-and-ironwork facade, carved spandrels, projecting bay and stepped gable give the house an unmistakable presence within the Upper West Side and Central Park West Historic District.
Its early owner, Congressman and philanthropist Lucius N. Littauer—a Harvard contemporary and political adviser to Theodore Roosevelt—made this address part of a larger civic legacy. In 1929, speaking from the house, he described his new foundation as a means of advancing the cause of better understanding among all mankind. During his long residence, his landmark gift established Harvard’s Graduate School of Public Administration, now the Kennedy School.
Within, ornamental plasterwork, parquet floors, carved millwork and historic mantels meet the needs of a complete modern residence. Five bedrooms, five full and three half baths, formal entertaining rooms, a finished cellar, a south-facing garden and private terraces unfold across six elevator-served levels—more than 130 years of continuity, composed for life now.
A residence with architectural gravity.
Clarence True
An 1894–95 Jacobean Revival composition distinguished by limestone, carved spandrels and a stepped gable.
Preserved Detail
Ornamental plaster ceilings, parquetry, carved millwork and historic fireplaces give the rooms their architectural gravity.
Six Levels
An elevator links five bedrooms, five full and three half baths, formal entertaining floors and a finished cellar.
South Garden
The eat-in kitchen opens to a private south-facing garden, while terraces and a finished roof deck extend the house upward.
Here, private life and public purpose have shared the same address.— B&Co. Realty
Rooms held in measured light.
A private address with a public afterlife.
1895 — Clarence True completes No. 64, and Lucius N. Littauer acquires the house that April. 1929 — From this address, Littauer describes the purpose of his new philanthropic foundation. 1936 — During his long ownership, his $2 million gift establishes Harvard’s Graduate School of Public Administration, the institution now known as Harvard Kennedy School.
1990 — The house is encompassed by the newly designated Upper West Side and Central Park West Historic District, formally recognizing the architectural character of its streetscape. Today — More than 130 years after its completion, No. 64 remains a single-family residence, its limestone exterior and retained interior details held in considered dialogue with a contemporary, elevator-served plan.
Schedule a private tour of 64 West 87th Street.
Offered exclusively, off-market, by B&Co. Realty. To arrange a private showing or request additional materials, contact our office directly.