The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-23
ClARk'S PALACE
NOW COMPLETED
1t Has l2l Rooms, 81 Baths
and Four Picture Gal
leries as a Chaser.
TAKES 5000 PER DAY
1t Is a Peculiar Looking Pile
and the Architects Are
" Roasting 1t.

Fifth avenue residence OF ex-senator
William A. Clark of Montana, has
been completed after eight years OF
work. and will be occupied early in
the new year II is said to be the
costliest residence ever built IN Am
erica, and perhaps the costliest pri-
vate house In the world. The taxes
assessed on II by New York City
amount to more than 5000 a day.
The mansion contains 121 rooms.
thirty-one baths and four picture gal
leries. No building In the world. &C.
cording to experts who have inspected
the interior carries as much bronze
% has been worked into this mansion.
Although the best architects and
decorators In this country were en-
ployed, Senator Clark himself de-
signed much of the interior. as well
~ the exterior of tho mansion.
Tho building contains one OF the
largest pipe organs in tho world.
which WAS Installed at a cost OF $780,.
900. There are So. 100000 worth OF
pictures and 100000 worth OF rugs
lto style Criticised.
During the years tho Clark mansion
has been growing towards completion
Il has been the subject OF many criti-
cisms ms being the last word" In os-
tentation. The slower" that looms up
above tho side facade has been the
especial butt OF attacks. "A more IA.
tuous and meaningless feature than
this steeple." writes an architect.
"would be impossible to find even In
the wildcat vakaries of our domestic
architecture. II In entirely without
architectural relation to anything else
in the building. It Is devoid of ap-
parent use as OF meaning or beauty.
No human creature can decently pre-
tend to admire anything about It,"
Tho same architectural critic CON-
pares the stone cutting with the forti-
fled PALACES Of Venice. "The ferocity
OF the stone cutting il in fact so un-
mitigated that the basement seems to
have had az It's prototype rather q
log house than any extant construc-
tion OF masonry.
"A certified check to the amount Of
all this stone carving. hung on the out
er wall, would serve every artistic pur-
pose attained by the carving ITSELF.
Fine View from "stsepis."
The much criticised cupola. or stee-
pie. consists OF white granite tower.
decorated with bronze. and surmount-
cd by an open loggia which rises 1853
feet above the street and two hum
bred feet above sea level. From the
cupola wide expanse OF Central park
10 seen to the west. with the Hudson
and the Palisades beyond, while to the
youth there In q fine view Of all lower
New Lork and the bay.
Beneath the lower portion OF the
tower Is placed the conservatory,
which projects over ,Seventy-seventh
street in circular bay. while beneath
It IL the porte cochere.
On the ground floor are the recep-
tion room. private office. billiard room
and smoking room Of Senator Clark.
On the principal floor. the first floor
above the ground floor. 10 the grand
salon. North OF the main staircase Is
tho music room. On each side Of the
nusic room IL o picture gallery.
The rooms ON the main floor are
Nnished In painted. carved and gilded
woodwork. The dining room IL dec
GRATED with Normandy stone and Eng
Nsh oak. The hall OF the main stair.
ease 10 built OF cream white Mary.
land marble.
How Ne Got Material.
In order to build this house Senator
Clark purchased six great industrial
plants. Including . granite quarry at
North Jay. Me-: marble working. wood
working and plaster working plants at
0avenswoon. L. l.: q stone finishing
plant 1t Bangor. Me-, and the Henry
8onnard bronge foundry in New York.
Senator Clark was forced into buy.
Ing up these plants when he found
that the various corporations and
firms working for him were charging
him much more than he was willing to
pay or subjectaing him to great delays.
There are about one million pounds OF
bronze In the building.
Transported Chateau Ceiling.
In France Senator Clark came across
Q chateau which had wonderful cell
ing and deliberately carved wood. lie
bought the chateau and transported
the ceiling to New York, where It Ia
used In one OF the saloons.
The basement, or as many person.
would vulgarly term II. the cellar. oi
Senator ClArk's house IL perhaps Ii
most amazing feature. II Is infinite
" more luxurious than any other eel
car ever created. Instead OF beine
finished with rough stone and &c
forth. like other cellars. II Is filled
with marble and bronze and hardwood
decorations. A modest estimate Of it,
cost would Be $1,000.
Lots ~ Things In Cellar.
The architects plan shows that this
cellar contains, among other things. q
swimming pool. Turkish bath. hot
room. = cooling room. . dressing room
brine tank. receiving room. steam
room, ammonia condenser. distillins
apparatus. brine pump. service eleva
tor. passenger elevator. wineroom. tur,
bine room. reservoir tank and almost
endless tanks, storage rooms. heatin,
chambers and fresh air inlets. II need
hardly Be added that the kitchen ID
not In the cellar.
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