A Gilded Age brownstone with links to Theodore Roosevelt has landed on the market for $16 million, becoming the most-expensive residential listing in Brooklyn’s Park Slope area.
Built in the late 1800s, the 18‑room mansion at 842 Carroll Street stretches 32 feet across, making it the broadest single‑family townhouse currently available in Brooklyn, the listing team told Newsweek.
Designed by elite society architect C.P.H. Gilbert, the house dates back to 1887. Its original owner, industrialist George W. Kenyon, was a Harvard classmate of Roosevelt and a prominent figure in Brooklyn’s business community, Mackenzie Kyle, a real estate agent for the listing, told Newsweek.
There has been a steadily appreciating real estate market in Brooklyn. Recent data shows the median home price in Brooklyn exceeded $1 million for the first time in the third quarter of 2025. The average sale price rose 11.6 percent from the previous year to $1,388,463, the highest on record, according to a report by appraisal firm Miller Samuel for Douglas Elliman.
On a global scale, the residential remodeling market is forecast to reach $3.67 trillion by 2030, with the U.S. market alone growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.6 percent, according to a report by Grand View Research.
The growth is driven in part by aging housing stock, according to Grand View Research, which noted that many U.S. homes are more than 30 years old and require updates to maintain both functionality and appearance. Renovation projects, the report says, are often aimed at improving energy efficiency, increasing property value, and enhancing living conditions.
A Gilded Age Mansion With Deep Roots
Kenyon served as secretary of the C. Kenyon Company, a major manufacturer of rubber goods and tires that secured numerous government contracts, including producing military uniforms during World War I. The property remained in the Kenyon family into the 1920s, before eventually changing hands.
According to Kyle, the property is one of the last remaining C.P.H. Gilbert-designed homes still configured as a single-family residence. “It’s incredibly rare that the property has had only four owners since it was built,” Kyle said, adding that such continuity contributes to its preservation.
Preserving History and Craftsmanship
The current owners used original materials such as mahogany and oak throughout, maintaining continuity with the home’s 19th-century craftsmanship. Spanning more than 8,000 square feet, the mansion features 10 working fireplaces.
The Carroll Street residence has kept “the integrity and character of its original 1887 design,” Kyle the real estate agent said, while also incorporating updated infrastructure such as modern electrical and plumbing systems.
“Everything about this house feels deeply personal and unique,” Kyle added, pointing to both its preserved character and the family’s additions. One example is the custom sidewalk outside the home, which uses the same herringbone brick found on the façade.
Inside, the kitchen features a sky mural painted by Brooklyn artist Richard Cortez, who was a close friend of the family. The artwork includes a bird, added as a nod to a childhood story told by the owners to their son.
Do you have an architecture or real estate-related story to share? Let us know at [email protected], and your story could be featured by Newsweek.
Read the full article here
