New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-13
TWO PRINCELY MANSIONS.
ONE IN FIFTH-AvE. AND ONE IN NEW
PORT.
THE BEAUTIES OF Mr.. VANDERBfLTs
COSTTy HOMES

COSTLY HOMES
| The house at Fifth-ave. and Fifty-seventh'
st. in which Mr. Vanderbilt died. 10
superb mansion. The main floor. adapted espe-
cially for entertainment, with its noble stone
| hail. It's great ballroom and its series Of large
| connecting rooms. discloses an arrangement
INTELLECTUALLY beautiful and harmonious. The
elaborate carvings decorations and furnishings
were made and selected by experts in the
various branches of architecture and decoration
with view to artistic effect and elegance, and
the result is a vast floor OF magnificent stateli-
| ness.
The building extends from Fifty-seventh-st TO
! Fifty-eghth-st, in Fifth-ave. and has 'front.'
age of I'D feet in each Of the side streets. There
| is no entrance in Fifth-ave.. on which side the
| fence, eight feet in height. which ncloses the
| house is unbroken, but lofty iron gates at the
I Fifty-eghth-st side lead to the north entrance.
while an artistic portal leads TO the main hall
| from the Fifty seventies. side.
| The exterior is Of pressed brick and light Bed
| ford stone. highly carved and ornamented the
roof is of red tile, and the building is as nearly
| freproof as such mansion can be. The plans
| for the enlarged structure were prepared by
|
J to David II. King. jr. who employed at VARIOUS
| times 600 the work, which was begun
about March 1, 1892, and not completed until
, February 1894
The porte-cochere is imposing in its style Of ar
| chitecture. In the centre of the arch hangs a
large electric lantern and this is fanked on
either side by groups of smaller electric lights,
! held by grotesque bronze figures. The entrance
| on the Fifty-eighth-st side is so much lower
than on the Fifty-seventh-st. end that one steps
| from his carriage under the porte-cochere one
story lower than the main floor of the house, and
enters through vestbule of Caen stone, and
| into large hall which is 3S by % feet.
! On one side Of this hall is dressing and toilet
| room for men, on the other similar apartment
| for women. These rooms furnished with
view to the comfort and convenience of guests.
and are large and spacious, the womens
being "a by 81 feet and the mems little smaller.
On this floor there is also room for musicians
| and for servants in waiting on guests
ON THE MAIN FLOOR.
From this hall staircase Of Caen stone leads 10
the main floor of the house and directly TO hall
| % by 81 feet, situated at the Fifth-ave corner
| on the Fifty eighth-st. SIDE having three large
| windows in Fifth-ave. This hall. with its groups
| of highly polished marble columns serves as the
guests enter the various other apartments on this
floor. Next to the corridor on the Fifth-ave side
is the large salon. decorated in the style of Louis
| XIV from which three large double windows look
into Fifth-ave. The salon is H. feet long and 81
feet broad. and adjoins smaller salon. finished
In the Louis XVI style. The dimensions of this
| smaller salon are 20 by 81 feet
! The last room the Fifth-ave side and TAX
| Ing In the Fify-seventh-st. corner is the spacious
| and richly furnished library. 80 feet long
and % feet wide. with broad bay win
| dow the Fifty-seventh-st. side. This room
is finished in mahogany. These rooms are all
situated along the Fifth-ave. side of the struct-
ure, and from them one can enter the grand ball
room. which occupies space - by 30 feet in the
centre Of the house. and which is 10 feet high.
In keeping with the salons and library. which
extend along the Fifth-ave. side from Fifty sew
enth to Fiftyeighth-st., are the smoking-ro
| dining room. Mr.. vanderbilt's office and the
| breakfast room on the west side OF the structure.
The smoking is at the Fifty eighth-s st. end OF
the west side Of the house. has high veulted
| ceiling and is fitted in purely Oriental style.
| A glass dome serves as a ceiling through which
the light comes directly, there is no room
| above it, This is about % feet square,
| having also a large bay window looking on the
Fifty -eighth-st. garden.
|
The dining-room. As feet long and % feet
broad is next the smoking-room on the west
| side of the house, and is accessible from the
main hall and the ballroom. well as from the
smoking-room This is really picture
gallery. lighted with a skylight. and In It are
| hung some Of the most valuable of the Wander
| bilt pictures.
| To the left Of the Ffty-seventh-st. entrance
! Is a large room - by 81 feet, with highly carved
| oak panels a copy of one of the most notable
Of the rooms in the Chateau de Blos. which was
| fitted for Mr.. Vanderblts office, and to the left
! of this and accessible from the main hall. Is the
! breakfast room. with bay window TO Fifty
seventh-st This room. like the library, is fitted
| with mahogany
| The second and third floors Of the house are
| divided into suites for the use of the family, and
! here as elsewhere in and about the structure.
| the latest inventions for comfort and conven-
| fence have been utilized.
| The heating and ventating arrangements are
| perfect: the building is equipped with large
| electric plant, and electricity ~ used not only
/ for lighting but power for the dumb-waiters
| and the two elevators.
| Accommodations for the large retinue Of SER