In New York City's West Village, an original 197-year-old wood frame house for sale

An almost 200-year-old house has been put up for sale in New York City. Located smack bang in the middle of the city’s hip and historic West Village, the three-floor home features four bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms.

The house was built in 1822 by its original owner William Hyde and, according to its listing, is “the oldest remaining wood frame house in Greenwich Village”. It’s also one of the few wooden houses in the area not covered in bricks, making it instantly iconic.

Despite its distinctly urban location, the whole property looks like something out of a Regency novel. Rustic wooden roof beams give way to brick floors, while the upper levels feature their original polished floorboards.

This bucolic exterior belies the modern technology at its heart – central air keeps the place cool, and an elevator links the first to third floors.

The ground-floor kitchen plays host to a giant hearth, walk-in pantry, and more than enough room for a comfortable dinner party in the adjacent dining area.

On the second floor is the master bedroom, its personal five-piece his-and-hers bathroom, and a large dedicated sitting space that also has a wood fireplace. The top floor houses two large bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes, and bathrooms.

In the basement you can read a book in the spacious library, or while away the hours in the rec room. There’s also a mechanical room, and a laundry.

Underneath all of that is another historical oddity, described by the listing as “a tunnel that once acted as a direct passage to Chumley’s, the famous prohibition-era speakeasy”. It is not clear if this tunnel is currently accessible to residents.

But that’s not all – included in the price is a two-storey, standalone unit just across the backyard. This property features a living room, dining room, and kitchen downstairs, as well as an office and bedroom upstairs.

It also has its own gas fireplace which, if you haven’t been paying attention, comes to a grand total of three fireplaces. The listing describes the unit as “perfect for guests, relatives, running a business, or as a rental unit”.

So how much does a gorgeous, historic, perfectly located home in one of the most expensive cities in the world go for? Just a cool $17 million and some change. The property is listed by American real estate company Corcoran.