James Bailey House

The James Bailey House is a large freestanding house which resembles a castle, and which sits at 10 St Nicholas Place (the intersection of St. Nicholas Place and 150th Street) in Harlem. The house was designed by architect Samuel Burrage Reed and built in 1888 for James Bailey, most famous for his role as business manager of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The house presents numerous stained glass windows, designed by a cousin of Louis Comfort Tiffany, and the interior of the house is panelled in hand-carved wood.

In 1951, the house was purchased by a black woman, Marguerite Blake, who ran a mortuary from it until her retirement. In late 2008, she brought the house to market, seeking to sell it for $10 million. As of May 2009, it was being listed for $6.5 million. . On August 31, 2009 it was reported that the house sold for $1.4 million, which was only around $170 per square foot.