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Vanderbilt Triple Palace
The Triple Palace, also known as the William H. Vanderbilt House, was an elaborate mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The urban mansion, completed in 1882 to designs by John B. Snook and Charles B. Atwood, was owned by members of the Vanderbilt family. It was composed of two portions: a single-family unit to the south and a two-family unit to the north. William Henry Vanderbilt owned and lived in the southern portion. Two of his daughters, Emily Thorn Vanderbilt and Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard, along with their respective families, occupied the two residences in the northern portion.
The mansion had a brownstone facade as well as a courtyard and portico separating the two sections. William Henry Vanderbilt's portion of the house had elaborate decor, with 58 rooms designed in a different style, as well as a central three-story art gallery with a large skylight. William Henry's section also included an elaborate dining room, library, parlor, and drawing room on the first floor, as well as bedrooms on the second floor for himself, his wife, and his youngest children. Emily's and Margaret's sections of the house were designed in a less lavish style.
William Henry Vanderbilt had commissioned the mansion in part to provide space for his paintings, as well as a residence for his two daughters. Upon its completion, the mansion was generally criticized. After William Henry's death in 1885, the house passed on to numerous members of his family. It became known as the home of Henry Clay Frick, who renovated and rented the house from 1905 to 1913, after which he built the Henry Clay Frick House. Cornelius Vanderbilt III hired Horace Trumbauer to design another renovation for the house in 1916. The northern section of the Vanderbilt house was demolished in 1927, while the southern section was destroyed in 1947; both sections were replaced by high-rise buildings.
The William H. Vanderbilt House occupied the entire east side of the block bounded by 51st Street to the south, 52nd Street to the north, Fifth Avenue to the east, and Sixth Avenue to the west. The house was described in popular press as two mansions and known as the "Triple Palace" or the "Vanderbilt Twins". However, the structure was a single mansion built at one time, with three residential units across two sections.
William Henry Vanderbilt hired John B. Snook and Charles B. Atwood to design and furnish the mansion, and he hired the Herter Brothers to decorate the space. Snook was the architect of record for the mansion, but there is evidence of both Atwood's and the Herter Brothers' involvement. The Herter Brothers disputed the claim that either Snook or Atwood were responsible for the overall design. When the Herter Brothers wrote American Architect and Building News to complain, the journal's editors pointed out that Atwood and Snook's names were listed on the building permit for the house.
The mansion occupied a site of 200 by 150 feet (61 by 46 m). The southern section at 640 Fifth Avenue was a single-family unit, occupied by William Henry Vanderbilt, his wife Maria Louisa Kissam, and their youngest son George. The southern section measured 115 feet (35 m) deep and either 80 feet (24 m) or 74 feet (23 m) wide. The northern section contained a pair of units occupied by the families of two of Vanderbilt's daughters. The unit at 642 Fifth Avenue was occupied by Emily Thorn Vanderbilt and her husband William Douglas Sloane, while that at 2 West 52nd Street was occupied by Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt and her husband Elliott Fitch Shepard. The northern section was slightly narrower than the southern one. Both sections were connected at the first story, but the upper stories were disconnected from each other. The doors separating the three residences could be opened to create a large event space.
A short balustrade and a planting strip separated the mansion from the Fifth Avenue sidewalk, though this was removed in 1911. Bronze lighting fixtures were mounted atop the pillars of the balustrade, and metal fencing was installed between the pillars. When the mansion was completed, it was surrounded on all sides by grass.
Between the two sections on Fifth Avenue was a courtyard leading to an entrance portico. A pavement stone in front of the portico measured 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg), with dimensions of 25.16 by 15 feet (7.67 by 4.57 m). The stone, supposedly the largest ever quarried in the United States, was transported to the construction site by barge since it could not fit on a train. Nearby were numerous similarly large stones, measuring on average 12 to 13 feet (3.7 to 4.0 m) wide and 15 feet (4.6 m) long. A New York Times reporter said the stones had been laid "on three parallel walls of solid rock". Right in front of the portico was a large bluestone entrance step measuring 24.16 by 3.5 feet (7.36 by 1.07 m) across. The portico served as the southern section's entrance, while the northern section was accessed from 52nd Street.
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Vanderbilt Triple Palace
The Triple Palace, also known as the William H. Vanderbilt House, was an elaborate mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The urban mansion, completed in 1882 to designs by John B. Snook and Charles B. Atwood, was owned by members of the Vanderbilt family. It was composed of two portions: a single-family unit to the south and a two-family unit to the north. William Henry Vanderbilt owned and lived in the southern portion. Two of his daughters, Emily Thorn Vanderbilt and Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard, along with their respective families, occupied the two residences in the northern portion.
The mansion had a brownstone facade as well as a courtyard and portico separating the two sections. William Henry Vanderbilt's portion of the house had elaborate decor, with 58 rooms designed in a different style, as well as a central three-story art gallery with a large skylight. William Henry's section also included an elaborate dining room, library, parlor, and drawing room on the first floor, as well as bedrooms on the second floor for himself, his wife, and his youngest children. Emily's and Margaret's sections of the house were designed in a less lavish style.
William Henry Vanderbilt had commissioned the mansion in part to provide space for his paintings, as well as a residence for his two daughters. Upon its completion, the mansion was generally criticized. After William Henry's death in 1885, the house passed on to numerous members of his family. It became known as the home of Henry Clay Frick, who renovated and rented the house from 1905 to 1913, after which he built the Henry Clay Frick House. Cornelius Vanderbilt III hired Horace Trumbauer to design another renovation for the house in 1916. The northern section of the Vanderbilt house was demolished in 1927, while the southern section was destroyed in 1947; both sections were replaced by high-rise buildings.
The William H. Vanderbilt House occupied the entire east side of the block bounded by 51st Street to the south, 52nd Street to the north, Fifth Avenue to the east, and Sixth Avenue to the west. The house was described in popular press as two mansions and known as the "Triple Palace" or the "Vanderbilt Twins". However, the structure was a single mansion built at one time, with three residential units across two sections.
William Henry Vanderbilt hired John B. Snook and Charles B. Atwood to design and furnish the mansion, and he hired the Herter Brothers to decorate the space. Snook was the architect of record for the mansion, but there is evidence of both Atwood's and the Herter Brothers' involvement. The Herter Brothers disputed the claim that either Snook or Atwood were responsible for the overall design. When the Herter Brothers wrote American Architect and Building News to complain, the journal's editors pointed out that Atwood and Snook's names were listed on the building permit for the house.
The mansion occupied a site of 200 by 150 feet (61 by 46 m). The southern section at 640 Fifth Avenue was a single-family unit, occupied by William Henry Vanderbilt, his wife Maria Louisa Kissam, and their youngest son George. The southern section measured 115 feet (35 m) deep and either 80 feet (24 m) or 74 feet (23 m) wide. The northern section contained a pair of units occupied by the families of two of Vanderbilt's daughters. The unit at 642 Fifth Avenue was occupied by Emily Thorn Vanderbilt and her husband William Douglas Sloane, while that at 2 West 52nd Street was occupied by Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt and her husband Elliott Fitch Shepard. The northern section was slightly narrower than the southern one. Both sections were connected at the first story, but the upper stories were disconnected from each other. The doors separating the three residences could be opened to create a large event space.
A short balustrade and a planting strip separated the mansion from the Fifth Avenue sidewalk, though this was removed in 1911. Bronze lighting fixtures were mounted atop the pillars of the balustrade, and metal fencing was installed between the pillars. When the mansion was completed, it was surrounded on all sides by grass.
Between the two sections on Fifth Avenue was a courtyard leading to an entrance portico. A pavement stone in front of the portico measured 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg), with dimensions of 25.16 by 15 feet (7.67 by 4.57 m). The stone, supposedly the largest ever quarried in the United States, was transported to the construction site by barge since it could not fit on a train. Nearby were numerous similarly large stones, measuring on average 12 to 13 feet (3.7 to 4.0 m) wide and 15 feet (4.6 m) long. A New York Times reporter said the stones had been laid "on three parallel walls of solid rock". Right in front of the portico was a large bluestone entrance step measuring 24.16 by 3.5 feet (7.36 by 1.07 m) across. The portico served as the southern section's entrance, while the northern section was accessed from 52nd Street.