In the West Village, rare 197-year-old wood-frame home seeks $12M

The house at 17 Grove Street is one of the neighborhood's few remaining wood-frame homes

One of the oldest and most fascinating properties in the West Village has come onto the market for $12 million. The house, at 17 Grove Street, is a rare wood-frame structure that dates back to 1822, and despite being close to 200 years old, it's surprisingly intact. (It's not the oldest house in the neighborhood, according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, but it comes close.)

The property was originally built by William Hyde, a sashmaker, and comprises two buildings: There's the main house at 17 Grove Street, which has three bedrooms over three stories (and a finished basement), as well as a smaller, two-story building at 17 Grove Street that likely served as Hyde's shop, according to the designation for the Greenwich Village Historic District, to which the buildings belong.

Both of the buildings have been altered—the house on Grove Street was originally just two stories, per GVSHP—but that hasn't diminished their vintage bona fides. There are plenty of charming details throughout, including beamed ceilings, brick flooring in the kitchen, and a wood-burning fireplace on the parlor level.

(The listing also claims that a secret underground tunnel once connected the house to Chumley's, the famed bar located down the block on Bedford Street.)

But there are also modern conveniences, including a laundry room, walk-in closets, updated kitchen appliances, central air, and an elevator.

The home also comes with the small, two-story back house at 100 Bedford Street, which has one bedroom, an office, a kitchen, and a living/dining room. It's separated from the main house at 17 Grove by a backyard, and was at one point rented out for close to $4,500/month.

The one-of-a-kind property at 17 Grove Street and 100 Bedford Street is listed for $12 million with Jane Beal of Corcoran.