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45.5 million Upper East Side townhouse, a 125‑year‑old neo‑Georgian masterpiece by Charles A. Platt, re‑enters the market. The 14,346‑sq‑ft home at 125 E. 65th St. was built in 1904 for Dr. Frederick S. Lee, Columbia University physician and former president of the New York Botanical Garden. In 1944, Henry Luce donated the 35‑ft‑wide property to the China Institute, where it operated as “China House” for 70 years. The house first listed in 2014 for $32 million, sat on the market for seven years before selling in 2021 for $16.8 million.

    The residence now boasts six bedrooms, seven full baths, four powder rooms, five fireplaces, and 3,500 sq‑ft of outdoor space—including a landscaped, irrigated roof deck and a 35‑ft garden. A recent gut renovation added new floors, windows, and a low‑level wellness suite with steam room, sauna, spa showers, and cold plunge. The foyer opens to a den and a chef’s kitchen that overlooks the garden. A third‑floor formal dining room seats 16, complete with a fireplace, butler’s pantry, and side staircase. The 30‑ft living room on the same level features 11‑ft beamed ceilings, herringbone oak floors, a wet bar, a fireplace, and three French doors.

    The entire fourth floor is a master suite, offering a fireplace, two dressing rooms, two spa‑style baths, a sitting room, and a wet bar. An additional bedroom level contains four ensuite rooms plus a playroom. The garden floor houses a staff/guest bedroom, a media/game room, a wine cellar and tasting room, a gym, and direct access to the landscaped garden.

    The property was recently the 2024 Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Listing agents Ryan Serhant and Melissa Post of Serhant handle the sale; the home is not featured in Netflix’s “Owning New York.”