New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-30
WHITNEY HOUSE SOLD?
Furnishings and Paintings also Go
to J. III. Smith at High Price.

The house at the north corner OF sixty-eighth-
st. and Fifth-ave which was owned and occu-
pied by William c. Whitney. reported yes
terday to have been sold to James Henry Smith.
II was said that the house sold furnished,
and that the sale also included almost all the
paintings collected by Mr.. Whitney. This is one
OF the choicest residential parcels IN this city,
and the furnishings alone said to have cost
Mr.. Whitney S3.500OO0
According to the report. the property since Mr.
Whitney's death has been held at S25O0OO0.
and the price paid by Mr.. Smith was more than
100000 The broker who was alleged to have
made the sale declined last night to say any
thing for publication about the report. At the
home Of J. Henry Smith a servant said that Mr..
Smith would not talk the subject Harry
Payne whitney said to be out OF town last
night.
II the sum which Mr.. Smith is reported to
have paid for the house is correct. II Is the
highest price. according to several realty ex-
perts. ever paid for a private dwelling house IN
this city. 1t is understood that Mr.. Smith viii
get the house just as 1t was when Mr.. Whitney
was alive, with the exception Of painting By
Van Dyck. which Harry Payne Whitney In
tends to place IN his house.
The Whitney house is four stories high. and
has frontage OF So feet In Fifth-ave. and OF
200 feet IN ty-eighth-st. II was built by
Robert l.. Stuart. os the firm Of r. L & A
Stuart While It was being built Mr.. Stuart
died. and his widow sold the property to An1zi
l. Barber. In 1895. for 1852 500. In 1897 Mr..
Whitney bought the property from Mr.. Barber
for s65O.OOO. The house was entirely remodelled
by Mr. Whitney from plans drawn BY McKiu,
Mead & White.
BEARING OF THE WILL.
A reading Of the win of William @. Whitney
i hat Cr14%n
! is not likely TO get possession OF the property
| until two years have passed. One OF the pro-
/ visions of the will IS that the executor shall
| maintain the house as a horns for Mr.. Whitneys
| daughter. Dorothy. and his stepchildren- AIDE
/ laide and BERTHE Randolph. for a term OF two
| years from the time Of his death. and that the
| house then shall becone part OF the residuary
estate. Mr.. Smith bought some months ago
/ large plot at the northeast corner OF F1fty-sec-
| ond-st. and Fifth-ave.. on which to build
/ house for his own occupancy.
| The interior of the house IS made up largely
| Of fragments. works OF art. antique carvings in
| wood and stone. handiwork IN metal. gathered
| by Mr. Whitney and his agents. Many portions
| Of ,old palaces Sienese Istrian. CarTaress and
| Levautine marbles are found there
Passing through an entrance hung win cap 20
| orately wrought iron and bronze gates from the
DOria Palace in Italy, one comes TO an OLD stons
| gateway, once part OF a house In EIorence.
a
with decorations from an ancient Grecian pal
| ace Here are a mantelpiece Of italian marble
| from a F1orentine palace and huge DIack OAK
| table from an Italian monastery, narole
/ screen from the DOrt Palace and carved sar-
| cOphagi from ancient Rome.
MIR. Whitney's office at the left or this room
and the Maria Theresa reception room beyond II
are furnished with equal luxury and comfort.
The latter apartment contains several original
portraits Of Maria Theresa and her children
THE HALL AND MUSIC ROOM
A massive stairway rises from here to the
hall. a room SO by IS feet with floor OF
Renaissance design. made Of large pieces OF
marble brought from Greece. Africa and Italy.
The walls are OF Istrian marble and the ceiling
of FIorentine carved wood. several nunored
An Istrtan marble doorway, colonnade OF
I.evantine marble and stained glass WINDOWS
from the palace OF ViscOunt SauZe, In the south
OF France. also used
A corridor leads from here to the music room
This room is 60 feet long and 80 feet hisht and
was originally in the castle OF Phebus dAbert,
Baron of Tours. Of the time OF Louis Nv II
was moved 10 Paris in the reign OF Louis Phil
ippe and thence TO this country by Mr.. Whit
new 1t is composed Of richly carved panels OF
oak Among the paintings and inlaid work In
this room are pieces by Sir Joshua Reynolds,
BonchL Francisco OrIandini and others.
In various parts Of the house are GObeHn and
other tapestries. There are among other paint
ings Millet's THE SOwer," HOppner's Dancing
Grip and Knitting Girl. portrait by GaetanO.
size equestrian portrait OF Charles /, which
bears the following inscription: This picture,
painted by Van Dyke was given by Charles
to John Lord Byron. governor to the Duke Of
York. 1913"
CAN r~sr-rr