Rising with quiet authority along one of Chelsea’s most enchanting blocks, the Donac stands as a rare surviving expression of the neighborhood’s earliest visionaries: 402 West 20th Street.
The home was built in 1898 by celebrated mansion architect C. P. H. Gilbert, whose portfolio includes the Warburg Mansion (now the Jewish Museum), the Cartier Building, and the Upper East Side’s Woolworth Mansions.
This graceful 24-foot-wide Neo-Colonial landmark with its signature curved façade, a rare sculptural gesture in Manhattan townhouse design, traces back to an 1830s displaying a commitment to beauty and proportion.
Following a meticulous restoration, the 6,545-square-foot, five-story historic trophy reemerges in full splendor, its buff-brick masonry, hand-carved trim, bowed bay windows, and wrought-iron detailing honoring the 19th-century exterior.
Inside, preserved craftsmanship is seamlessly fused with elevated modern luxury, creating interiors that feel both timeless and newly revived.
The building comprises five luminous residences—three with working fireplaces—each defined by generous windows, restored millwork, leafy Chelsea views, and elegant floor-through layouts finished with hardwood floors, custom casings, arched niches, and refined moldings.
Crowning the building is a dramatic three-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex penthouse with sculptural volume and direct access to a sweeping roof deck with panoramic city views.
Below are two refined two-bedroom, one-bath floor-through residences, while the parlor level offers an additional two-bedroom, one-bath home with direct access to a serene private patio; a charming studio apartment in the cellar completes it.
State-of-the-art systems, updated lighting, fresh finishes, premium kitchens, and spa-like marble baths ensure contemporary comfort within an architecturally intact envelope.
Located across from the historic General Theological Seminary on a tree-lined block, the Donac offers a peaceful, European-style setting in the heart of Manhattan. With just five residences and flexible potential—whether as an investment, boutique conversion, live-plus-income property, or private home—it stands as a rare and lasting Chelsea asset ready for its next owner.
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