The Red Cloud chief., 1881-06-23
Palatial Residences for New York Mill.
iOnaireS.

The three brown stone edifices that
Mr.. William III. Vanderbilt is erecting
in Fifth avenue, between Fifty-first and
F~ifty-secOnd streets, will cost more than
$1,000, 600. The structure on the Fifty
first street corner is for the railroad
kings W residence, and will be more
elaborate and costly than the others.
which are Cor his daughters, Mrs. Elliott
r. Shepard aud Mrs. William ID. Sloane.
The three houses make a wall of brown
stone owe 70J feet in length and 81
feet in height. In style they are de.
scribed rs being pure Greek Renaissance.
They are connected by q corridor 26
feet 10 inches by 81 feet, and the first
story can be 81 thrown open as to make
n building of the three in the event of
a large reception. But above the first
story the houses arc isolated. The
brown ton walls, which are backed
up with brick. are not mere brown
stone fronts; they are the same nj,
around. The roofs are tiled, and the
three houses arc as nearly fireproof as
can be where ornaments of wood are to
be introduced. The wood in MIR. Van
dcrbilt's own house is to be chosen
from the choice woods of all the world,
and to be fashioned by the most skill
full carvers both of Europe and Ameri-
ca. Three cabinetmakers have con-
tracts in connection with the railroad
mOnarch's house. One of the contract
ing parties is q house in Paris.
The details of Mr.. Vanderbilt's house
are not all known even to the archi-
tect, MIR. John Il. Shook, for the owner
has for months past been buying what
ever suited his fancy, to be introduced
at his pleasure. For example, on his
latest visit to Paris he bought some
costly ceilings, that are to be put in
place by French artists who will cross
the Atlantic with them. His front
doors are 10 be the costliest in the
Western Hemisphere, being the famous
Ghibetti gates. which he bought re-
Gently in Paris, paying 10000 for
them.
Mr.. Vanderbilt's house will be more
costly than any other in America, ex-
cept, perhaps, those of the bonanza
kings in San Francisco; and if to its
known cost is added one-third of the
$500, 600 he paid for the land on which
he is erecting the three palaces. and to
that sum is added the cost of what he
may put into his house. probably the
bonanza kings palaces will take second
rank. Mr.. Vanderbilt may vet add to
the cost $500, 600, which he is said { o
be willing to pay for the orphan asy-
lum's grounds opposite. where he
would like to make a private park.
,Exteriorly the three buildings have
one front, the connecting corridor
seeming TO be only a lower story, in
front of which there will be q handsome
fountain and a place for a large vase of
tropical plants. The superficial area of
Mr.. Vanderbilt's home is $50 square
feet. The basement, which was blasted
out of solid rock, is 9 feet 6 inches in
height; the first story 16 feet 6 inches.
the second story Is feet, the third IL
and the fourth story s feet In the
first story there are TO be q drawing
room 24. 10 by 81 in the clear, q recep-
ton room and a library. each 17.3 BY
28.4 4. a parlor on the northwest corner |
of Fifty-first street and Fifth avenue !
ia by %, q hall in the center % BY
1875, q picture gallery 80 by 4S and two
or 33 feet nigh.
In the Office of Mr.. r NJ. Hunt, the
architect, is . large plaster Paris model
of the sumptuous home he is erecting
for Mr.. William K. Vanderbilt at Fifty
second street and Fifth avenue. The
architect cannot yet publish the details
OF the structure, as Mr.. Vanderbilt is
making new suggestions daily. In style
it represents the transition from French
Gothic to Renaissance. The unique
of oriel and bay windows
supportinga circular tower terminating
in a cone on the ~Fifty-second street
will make it . noticeable object
in rectangular Fifth avenue. 1t is ap-
preached by a fight Of marble steps
that support 3 pavilion 20 feet in width.
The main entrance is 9 feet wide. The
center window in the second story.
opening on a balcony that extends along
the entire front, is 8 feet in width, aad