[3][4] The house was designed by architect William Henry Miller, the first graduate of Cornell University’s School of Architecture, who modeled the exterior on 16th-century Flemish buildings, and the interior using a mixture of Gothic, Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Colonial elements.

[9] In 1942, the house was purchased by the Zionist Organization of America, which pushed the U.S. government, Congress, and the American public to recognize Israel in 1948.

Among the furnishings were collections of dolls; swans; World War I medals, decorations and uniforms; stuffed wild animals; a pedestal displaying under glass, Toutorsky claimed, Napoleon’s hat; a balalaika; a polar bear carpet; Persian carpets and tapestries; heavy antique furniture; and 21 pianos,[13] including a Bechstein concert grand on which Franz Liszt had played.

[10] University officials sought $1.5 million for the house,[9] but ultimately sold it December 1990 for $808,000[10] and used the proceeds to endow a piano studio and a scholarship fund named for Toutorsky.

These included ”Broadway Cares” benefits for AIDS/HIV research and treatment that featured live performances by cast members of ”Angels in America” and other shows visiting the Kennedy Center.

He sought to run it as a 16-room bed-and-breakfast inn and event venue, but nearby residents objected, and the city ultimately granted him a license to offer just six rooms for rent.

[14] In February 2011, Gonzalez sold the house for $5.75 million to the Republic of the Congo, which announced plans to move its embassy to the property.

[15] In subsequent hearings before the Foreign Mission Board of Zoning Adjustment, which rules on applications to locate embassies, Congolese government officials asked to add a driveway to the front yard.