Manhattan Townhouse Where Abraham Lincoln’s Granddaughter Lived to List for $10.5 Million

The former Manhattan residence of Abraham Lincoln’s granddaughter is set to hit the market for $10.5 million. 

In 1906, Mary “Mamie” Lincoln Isham and her husband, Charles Isham, bought the East 38th Street townhouse, which was built in 1904 by architect Ralph S. Townsend, according to the Murray Hill Historic District. Mamie was the daughter of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham Lincoln’s to survive into adulthood.

Seven years later, Charles Isham commissioned the addition of an attic story, which housed servants’ quarters. He died in 1919, and Mamie Isham remained in the home until 1935, when she moved to Washington, D.C.

The connection to the Lincolns was one of the aspects that attracted James Jorasch, founder of the consulting company Science House and an inventor on more than 750 patents. Jorasch bought the Murray Hill townhouse, which is located between Lexington and Park avenues, for $5.145 million in 2012, property records show. 

“Lincoln is the only [U.S.] president with a patent,” Jorasch said. “He had a patent on helping to get boats that were stuck on the Mississippi off of the shoals where they got stuck, and for me, and for Science House, part of coming here was to create a space where innovation could flourish, so the fact that Lincoln was the only president with a patent was a bonus.” 

Jorasch runs Science House out of the townhouse’s lower levels while residing on the top two, as the building is zoned for both commercial and residential use. 

“It’s very difficult to find a legal place to [run a business] to do that because most townhouses are fully residential only,” said listing agent Loy Carlos of Nest Seekers International. “It makes it very valuable.” 

Carlos, who will bring the townhouse to market with his colleague Andy Kim, added that this kind of mixed-use setup particularly appeals to artists looking to have a gallery in a non-commercial setting. 

The 6,300-square-foot building has five floors plus a cellar. It’s currently set up with three bedrooms, though the mix of commercial and residential spaces allows for a flexible floor plan. Though the home is rather narrow at just 14 feet wide, its depth, which ranges from 70 to 90 feet, adds more volume than there appears to be from the street. 

“I almost equate it to one of those ‘Alice in Wonderland’ type of homes where you think you’re walking into a smaller house, but the moment you walk through the door it opens up into this very large, voluminous space,” Carlos said. 

Many original details remain intact throughout the building, from moldings to the grand staircase. 

“The staircase is really stunning … and it’s in such great shape considering it was built between 1902-04,” Carlos said. 

The home is also outfitted with an elevator, which maintains its original cab, though Jorasch updated the motor and its systems. He said some of the mechanics who worked on the repair told him it might have been among Manhattan’s first residential elevators. 

There’s also a rooftop terrace, which is lined by planters and extends higher than the surrounding townhouses, giving the space extra privacy.  

“It’s a very tall townhouse, so when you stand on the roof, you feel like there’s no building right next to you,” Jorasch said. “At night you can see the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, and it’s a great space for people to come together.”