Gracie Mansion

Gracie Mansion stands as a yellow, clapboard-sided survivor of a much older Manhattan. Built in 1799 for the Scottish merchant Archibald Gracie, it was designed as a rural country villa located five miles north of the city center. At the time, this area known as Horns Hook was reached primarily by boat, offering the wealthy merchant a scenic retreat overlooking the turbulent waters of the East River. It remains one of the oldest wooden structures left in the entire borough.