Several further expansions in the 20th century, designed by C. P. H. Gilbert, Bloch & Hesse, and William Lazinsk, are similar in style to the original building.

At the end of the 19th century, Isaac Rice and his wife Julia sought to erect a residence in a quiet part of New York City.

The Rices bought the site at Riverside Drive and 89th Street in 1900 and hired Herts and Tallant as the house's architects.

The yeshiva attempted to sell and demolish the mansion in the late 1970s, prompting a heated dispute with local preservationists.

[14][15] The plot immediately to the south was owned by the brewer George Ehret and the department store retailer Benjamin Altman in the late 19th century, neither of whom built their houses there.

[15] As part of an agreement that Altman made with William W. Hall in 1898, the Rice Mansion site was restricted to single-family residential use and had to be at least four stories high.

[20] The mansion was designed in a mix of the Colonial Revival, Italianate, and Georgian styles,[20] and it also incorporates Beaux-Arts architectural elements.

[27] The primary elevation of the mansion's facade faces west toward Riverside Drive and is divided vertically into three bays.

[21][26] On either side of the arched doorway, the second story forms a piano nobile flanked by Tuscan or Doric engaged columns.

[21] Between the arches of the porte-cochère is a carved bas relief panel depicting six children, who likely represent the Rices' sons and daughters.

The library's mantel is flanked by pilasters with ornate capitals, which support a shelf with carved rinceaux and a central medallion.

[27] The house's original staircase was made of wood; this was replaced in 1908 by an iron-and-marble stairway, designed by Gilbert in the Italianate style.

Each of the Rice children designed their bedrooms according to their own tastes; for example, Isaac Jr. and Julian decorated their respective rooms with machinery.

[31] At the end of the 19th century, Isaac and Julia sought to erect a residence in a quiet part of New York City, away from Broadway.

[37] Isaac Rice was reportedly persuaded to buy the neighboring plot to the north at 89th Street while watching a parade from the roof of Viele's house.

[28][39] The Real Estate Record and Guide predicted that the mansion would be "another handsome dwelling in an avenue which, during the year, has sprung into architectural and social fame".

[40] Herts and Tallant submitted blueprints for a four-to-five-story brick-and-stone mansion to the New York City Department of Buildings in August 1900.

[9][46] With the city government's permission, the Rice family built a perimeter fence, which protruded several feet onto the sidewalks of Riverside Drive and 89th Street.

[60][61] Julia also cited noise from the New York Central Railroad's West Side Line as a reason for her decision to move to the Ansonia.

[58] In April 1908, C. P. H. Gilbert submitted plans to the New York City Department of Buildings for the construction of a three-story extension, which was to cost $38,000 (equivalent to $1,289,000 in 2023).

[68] Meanwhile, the city's park commissioner initially refrained from demolishing the Rice Mansion's perimeter wall, as he was awaiting the outcome of another lawsuit involving the removal of sidewalk obstructions.

[b][78] In 1940, a New York Surrogate's Court judge authorized Ruby to spend $2,000 (equivalent to $43,000 in 2023)[b] to redecorate her daughter's bedroom inside the house.

[86][2] In 1979, Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim indicated that it wanted to sell the Rice Mansion because it was too small for the school and too expensive to maintain.

[19] The LPC's designation had to be approved by the New York City Board of Estimate, and Jewish groups and local residents continued to debate it acrimoniously.

[18] One New York Times article that the discussions were marked by "suggestions of anti-Semitism and allusions to connections with figures in nursing-home scandals".

[86] Opponents of the designation believed that a decision over the building's preservation was outside the LPC's purview,[26][89] while supporters did not want the house to be demolished.

[20][90] New York Times architectural critic Paul Goldberger said the residents' reasons for saving the mansion were inherently selfish in nature.

[94] The yeshiva began raising money for repairs to the Rice Mansion, including a $250,000 renovation of the roof, which was partly funded by a private grant.

The school had difficulty raising money for other repairs, including the construction of a second staircase to four rooms on the roof, so it requested assistance from the local preservation group Landmark West.

[95] In 1999, Yeshiva Ketana proposed converting the house's dust-filled yard into a playground, but local residents opposed the plan.