A
rare opportunity has arisen in the West Village, where two historic townhouses can be purchased for $15 million. The properties, located at 277 and 279 W. 12th St., have been connected on each floor to create a unique, 39-foot-wide megamansion.

    Built in 1829, the Federal-style homes were renovated in 2003 to combine the townhouses, floor by floor. The owners currently reside in one townhouse and half of the other, which also features three rental units. To take advantage of the "beautiful treetop views," they've placed their public spaces on the upper floors.

    The property boasts an impressive array of design details, including 10 working woodburning fireplaces, exposed brick, and a quirky mechanized dumbwaiter that sends groceries from the first floor to the kitchen on the top floor. The townhouses have been owned by the same family since the 1930s and occupy a tree-lined, cobblestoned street in a landmarked historic district.

    Combined, the red-brick townhouses would create a five-story, 6,200-square-foot mansion with large windows above the treetops. The outdoor space is divine, featuring a landscaped deck with a self-watering irrigation system and a temperature-controlled wine cellar. Additional features include a library, formal dining room, planted roof deck, and eight bedrooms.

    Past residents of the property include abstract Canadian-born American painter Ralston Crawford, who once called this historic home his own.