“The finest Beaux Art townhouse in the city.”
Such was the description of the Manhattan residence built for James A. Burden, grandson of steel baron Henry Burden and Florence Adele Vanderbilt Sloane, great-granddaughter of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, once the richest man in the world.
The Burden Mansion
The mansion, located at 7 East 91st Street was commissioned in 1901 by William Sloane upon the marriage of his daughter Adele. It was designed by Warren and Westmore, the architects who drew up the design for Grand Central Station and was a wedding present to the newlywed Burdens for their June, 1902 nuptials.
Burden-Sloane Wedding
Click here to see the 1902 wedding announcement.
The four-story Italian Renaissance mansion is constructed of French limestone. A decorative cast-iron balcony traverses the third floor and the roof is topped with a classic balustrade. The mansion’s interior, which is designed in French style, is equally as lavish. An impressive detail is the grand spiral staircase constructed of Hautville marble at the entrance of the building. The ballroom is surrounded by 12 foot mirrors inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and the entire interior is intricately decorated with details such as gold leaf accents on the walls, and marble parquetry floors. Adele entertained lavishly in her home no doubt making use of the estimated seven hundred thousand dollars-worth of wedding presents that she and James Burden received.
The mansion is located at New York’s Carnegie Hill, so named for the first major residence in the neighborhood constructed by industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1901. Carnegie’s residence now houses the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the area still retains much of the ambiance that it boasted at the turn of the last century.
While many Gilded Age residences have since been torn down, the Burden Mansion was purchased by the Convent of the Sacred Heart in 1940 and was preserved as a lower school. The building was designated a historic site in 1974.
Those who wish to entertain in style can rent the mansion for selected events such as weddings, starting at $1800 US dollars.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact The Burden Mansion
Phone: (212) 722-4745 ext. 112
Email: info@burdenkahnmansion.org
Photo Credits
Photos Courtesy Of New York Social Diary
Wedding announcement from 1902 NY Times
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