The National Arts Club, founded in 1898 and originally located on 34th Street, was conceived as a gathering place for artists as well as art lovers and patrons. National Arts Club members included such luminaries as Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the foremost American sculptor of the late 19th century; Daniel Chester French, best known for his design…
Category: Gramercy
Tilden Mansion: Victorian facade and political scandal
Though Samuel Tilden failed to become an American president, he succeeded in creating a masterpiece of a home. While working as an attorney in 1863, Samuel J. Tilden purchased a home in Gramercy—the most fashionable area in town at the time. When he became governor of New York in 1874, he bought a mansion at…
Block Beautiful—Mediterranean in Manhattan
The perfect rhythm of adjacent brownstones forming one solid street facade define the character of 19th-century New York. These streets posses the romantic quality of the old New York and attract us with their stately yet reserved uniform presence. By the end of 19th century, however, their uniformity was loosing its charm and to some…
The Illustrious Residents of Gramercy Park
The neighborhood of Gramercy is defined by a most unique feature: a private park. But it has attracted such an impressive number of notable personalities that the list of Gramercy Park residents may very well rival its “private park” reputation. #3&4 – James Harper (resident from 1847 to 1869) James Harper was the mayor of New York…
City Beautiful Blog 