Discover The Kensington Home With The World’s First Private Passenger Lift

What are the criteria for a dream home? Beyond a stunning façade, gorgeous interiors and expansive grounds, when we begin indulging in our wildest fantasies, features once deemed superfluous suddenly seem crucial to the ‘perfect property’. A heated pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and cold plunge transform into must-haves. A gym, cinema room, bar, games room, home office and studio space are necessities. And as for a lift… how else are you meant to get around your multi-storey mansion without breaking a sweat? 

Inside A Kensington Court Townhouse

Even by today’s standards an in-home lift, as opposed to an apartment block elevator, is a luxurious proposal. And for the Victorians it was practically space-age. That being said, the very first lifts actually date back to the ancient Greeks when legendary inventor Archimedes prototyped the machinery around 200 BC. Of course back then, either another human or animal had to do the heavy-lifting on the other side of the rope. From there, early lifts, pulleys and winches can be found dotted throughout history, from the elevators used to lift lions and gladiators into the Colosseum, to the so-called ‘flying chair’ Louis XV of France had built for his mistress at the Château de Versailles in 1743.

It wasn’t, however, until 1857 that lifts hit the mainstream when industrialist Elisha Otis installed the world’s first commercial passenger lift at the E.V. Haughwout & Company department store in New York City. The steam-powered lift featured a revolutionary safety brake system designed to prevent the platform from falling if the rope broke, making elevators safe for public use for the first time.

And it was only a few short years later in 1883 that this hydraulic-powered passenger lift at Kensington Court became one of the first in the world to be installed in a private home.

In the early 1880s, Kensington Court’s property developer Jonathan T Carr hired renowned Queen Anne revivalist architect J. J. Stevenson to build the project’s first 23 homes. And much like how every new luxury development today boasts the latest wellness tech to draw in residents, Carr knew the only way to guarantee a wealthy clientele was to reel them in with something shiny, bright and new. 

In order to turn his elevator vision into a reality, large subways were built beneath the streets so workers could install the up-to-date gas and water plumbing, plus the hydraulic mains which powered the lifts. Revolutionising how the homes were run, the introduction of the at-home lift removed the need for a secondary servants’ staircase and so created additional space across the home – though of course staff would have to be careful to only use the lift first thing in the morning or late at night when their employers were no longer moving between floors. In addition, the passenger lift allowed for the easy transport of luggage, food, coal, laundry and bedding throughout the house. And though updated for the 21st century, this Kensington home still boasts a four-person elevator to this day. 

However, this lift was not the home’s only entry into the history books. In 1886, the Kensington Court townhouses became some of the very first in Britain to receive a permanent, private domestic electricity supply. It was thanks to electrical pioneer (or ‘king of electricity’) Colonel R.E.B Crompton, who organised the electrical illumination of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, that the cutting-edge technology was implemented. A resident at No. 48 Kensington Court, he had a purpose-built generator station created to replace the old gas lighting. 

And the developments have only continued. Following a recent refurbishment, this Victorian home is now fully adapted for the present day with features such as air conditioning and a home gym.

Beyond the Queen Anne style façade – with its red brick, Dutch gabling, ornamental frieze and handsome ironwork – this historic property boasts a wealth of period details inside: think high ceilings, generous proportions, elaborate plasterwork and cornicing, floor-to-ceiling windows, original wall panelling, dark wood floorboards, an original marble Baroque-style fireplace embellished with carved mythical figurehead and scrolled foliage, and large bay windows (plus window seats) with views across Kensington Court.

Arranged over six floors, this six-bedroom home spans over 6,000 sqft of living space, plus additional storage. The home opens up on the raised ground floor via a grand reception which leads through to the spacious kitchen/breakfast room. Taking the showpiece staircase or lift up to the first floor, this level boasts a drawing room with balcony plus a salon-style reception space currently used as a music room, and a study/sitting room area. The second floor is devoted to the principal bedroom suite with a walk-in dressing room and en-suite, while the four further ensuite bedrooms are arranged across the third and fourth floors. Down below sits further accommodation in the form of a large ensuite bedroom with a dressing room, plus a home gym/studio/media room, while a sheltered private patio is located outside. 

On the market for $22.51m / £16.75m through Beauchamp Estates.