Vanderbilt’s irreproachable taste was seen to perfection in her costume.” The New York World went as far to say that it was an “event never equalled in the social annals of the metropolis.” At a $250,000 cost, this social coup solidified the Vanderbilt family in New York society. Indeed, Frick set out to emulate the art collection of Vanderbilt and even moved into 640 5th Avenue in 1905 with a 10 year lease, while George Vanderbilt was preoccupied with building the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. Hi Kelly, thanks for the kind words. Upon William Henry Vanderbilt's death, he left his side of the Vanderbilt triple palace in New York City, which he had built for him and his daughters, to his youngest son George Vanderbilt. Henry Clay Frick was so taken in by the construction of 640 5th Avenue that he is quoted to have said, “That is all I shall ever want” on a drive past the Triple Palaces with his friend Andrew Mellon. A most excellent article Michelle. He sensed that Alva wasn’t interested in another home. Later, via a loophole, the property and artwork was able to be sold by Vanderbilt’s grandson to the Astors, who in turn sold the holdings in the 1940s. Townhouse (1882), part of the Triple Palace at 2 West 52nd Street, provided to them by her father and shared with her sister Emily Thorn Vanderbilt and their families. Upon William Henry Vanderbilt's death, he left his side of the Vanderbilt triple palace in New York City, which he had built for him and his daughters, to his youngest son George Vanderbilt. The site is currently occupied by an office building known as 666 Fifth Avenue. A second floor gallery topped the fireplace ensemble. I can’t wait to read Part II. The grand hall was faced in Caen stone, as was much of the interior. In a draft of her memoirs, Alva, then Mrs. Belmont, merely noted the demolition in passing. By Michelle Young Oops. Listing photos and staging images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens Actress, author, philanthropist, and all-around icon Dame Joan Collins has ... Mayor Bill de Blasio visits a vaccination site at Hillcrest High School, Queens. But a grand house enough wasn’t enough, and she battled back with a ball of her own in which she invited more than the usual 400. Upon George Vanderbilt's death it was to pass to George's eldest son, if he had a son. The opposite end of the room featured a musicians gallery. The homes, designed by Hunt & Hunt also in 1905, were known as the “Marble Twins.” The AIA Guide to New York City describes both the Plant and Vanderbilt homes as “free interpretation[s] of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century palazzi.” The Vanderbilt mansion at 645 was demolished but 647 remains, now the Versace store. Following extensive interior renovations in the French Rococo style, the first “Mrs. It’s a blast. William Henry's half of the … He grew up in the mansion and I remember his stating there where mansions or high set mansions from 14 st. all the way up to 110 st. Plaza. The Last Vanderbilt Stronghold, 640 Fifth Avenue, The Home of Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Upon William Henry Vanderbilt's death, he left his side of the Vanderbilt triple palace in New York City, which he had built for him and his daughters, to his youngest son George Vanderbilt. W.K. When this photo was taken in 1908, the Gilded Age mansions of the Vanderbilt family were still standing, including the Triple Palace on the far left and William K. Vanderbilt’s Petit Chateau just beyond it. Madison Square was next, but it would take a combination of real-estate clairvoyance and social standing to firmly establish Fifth Avenue as the center of society. Number 640, seen on the left, was Billy's half (containing 58-rooms) and two-thirds of the overall budget was lavished here. The Cornelius Vanderbilt II Mansion on 57th Street and 5th Avenue, now demolished. It was Gothic in style, with seven foot high wainscoting, topped with Caen stone walls. The mansion, affectionately referred to as the Petit Chateau, was part of Alva Vanderbilt’s tenacious attempt to break into the 400 society, in a time when new money was still looked down upon. Morton F. Plant House and George W. Vanderbilt House, 4 E. 52nd Street, 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue. The house was completely renovated in 1914 by Grace Vanderbilt at a cost of $500,000. Please try again later. The Vanderbilt ‘Triple Palace’, Fifth Avenue, New York. By Michelle Young 640 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York. Great New York history lesson, Please continue! Yes. I suggest if at all possible get a hold of Corneliuse Vanderbilts book “Farewell to Fifth Ave” and read it. Cornelius II was William Henry (“Billy”)’s eldest child; along with Margaret, Willie K, Emily, Florence, Frederick, and Eliza, they were all the older siblings of George W. Vanderbilt, who built Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. In 1905, Architect C.P.H Gilbert built this American Renaissance mansion at the corner of 52nd Street and 5th Avenue for Morgan Freeman Plant, son of the railroad tycoon Henry B. From one writer to another (and a North Carolina native obsessed with The Biltmore Estate, and former Manhattanite) this was a highly entertaining and engrossing story. The vestibule opened onto a 60-foot (18 m) long grand hall, which could be used to access all of the primary first floor rooms. In Fifth Avenue’s evolution from mansions to luxury retail, two factors sustained its elegance, according to the AIA Guide to New York City: “The Fifth Avenue Association (whose members had fought billboards, bootblacks, parking lots, projecting signs–even funeral parlors), and the absence of els or subways. The Last Vanderbilt Stronghold, 640 Fifth Avenue, The Home of Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. This room helped launch the taste in New York for French 18th century-style interiors. Here, it shows not just the Vanderbilt mansions on the left side, but also some of the important buildings to the right. Once upon a time even the traffic lights were special: bronze standards with neo-Grec Mercury atop, subsidized by the Fifth Avenue Association concerned with style.”, RELATED: A Guide to the Gilded Age Mansions of 5th Avenue’s Millionaire Row – Part II. The Petit Chateau was sold and demolished in the late 1920s, and the right side of the Triple Palace, where Margaret and Emily had lived, appears to have been demolished around the same time. One end of the room contained a massive double fireplace with marble caryatids supporting an oak over-mantel by Karl Bitter. George Vanderbilt's Mansion Was Part Of A Triple Palace, The Other Side Was Divided In Half And Shared By His Two Elder Sisters, Margaret And Emily George commissioned the architects of Hunt & Hunt, sons of famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, to design the homes. Maybe someone will see this but how much would this house have cost in 1883. 1879-1882 William Henry Vanderbilt, I [1821-1885] Margaret Vanderbilt [Mrs. Elliott Fitch] Shepard [1845-1925] Emily Vanderbilt [Mrs. William Douglas] Sloane [1852-1946] 3 Townhouses ["The Triple Palace"] 640 & 642 5th Avenue and 2 West 52nd Street, New York, NY John Butler Snook, Architect. Next to the parlor was the Louis Quinze-style 33-by-38-foot (10 m × 12 m) salon, designed and built in Paris by Jules Allard. Terrific informative article with wonderful photos of residential single family scaled buildings that now appear as only ghosts to all be relaced by faceless monoliths. Not content with just one grand mansion on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, they built ten. As its name suggests, Middle Road was situated in the middle of a large land parcel that was sold by the council in 1785 to raise municipal funds for new newly established nation. [4], It was sold to real-estate developer Benjamin Winter, Sr. in 1926, demolished in 1927,[5][6] and replaced by a twelve-story commercial building. One of their extravagant homes, on West 58th street, had a staggering 154 rooms – the largest family home New York has ever seen. Now the area was a much desired neighborhood referred to as Vanderbilt Row (or, depending on … In Architecture, Features, History, Manhattan. Diagonally across from the Morton F. Plant House was the William K. Vanderbilt Mansion, which William’s wife, Alva Vanderbilt, commissioned from Richard Morris Hunt in a French-Renaissance and Gothic style in 1878. This email address is already subscribed, thank you! [4][3] The structure, a reflection of Alva's love of all things French, was one of the earliest chateau style mansions in New York City and served as inspiration for many later designs throughout the country by Hunt and others. The masonry firm of Ellin and Kitson executed the extensive exterior and interior stone carving, reportedly employing more than 40 artisans. Anyway thank you again. The ballroom, sumptuously appointed with floor to ceiling artwork and a massive chandelier, was built in a new wing which replaced the stables. And he wanted to be just a journalist/ newspaper man. Please tell me you did it. Beyond the salon was the 20-by-27-foot (6.1 m × 8.2 m) breakfast room and an adjoining butler's pantry. 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