Hello, Irving Place! Playwright Thornton Wilder’s home is for sale for $1.65M

Playwright Thornton Wilder — who explored themes of social and economic inequality in Gilded Age New York in “The Matchmaker,” which inspired the blockbuster musical “Hello, Dolly!” — remains ever relevant.

(The show, which debuted with Carol Channing in the titular role of Dolly Gallagher Levi and nabbed 10 Tonys in 1964, was later adapted to a film starring Barbra Streisand before earning another four Tonys for its Bette Midler-helmed 2017 Broadway revival.)

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Now, Wilder’s former residence — just steps from Gramercy Park — has hit the market for $1.65 million, Gimme has learned.

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Wilder moved into the striking home shortly after he wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Our Town.”

Wilder described the place to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in a 1939 letter: “My new apartment is at Irving Place. I’ve lived five days in my New York home and am already flooded with a new overwhelming feeling about New York.”

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The two-bedroom, two-bath, sunlit abode features high, beamed ceilings, arches, casement windows, original built-in bookcases, hardwood floors and three exposures — all in a charming prewar building decked out with gargoyles.

A foyer leads to a large corner living room and a dining area with an arched ceiling near a windowed kitchen.

The main bedroom comes with an office, an en-suite bath and plenty of storage. A second bedroom with an en-suite bath on the opposite end of the apartment boasts views of the building’s gargoyles.

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Past residents from the building’s early days include Gypsy Rose Lee, the burlesque star, actress, author and playwright.

The 16-story building dates to 1930. It converted to co-ops in 1983. Amenities include a live-in super, a doorman, a laundry room and bike storage. 

The listing broker is Brian K. Lewis of Compass.