- Mrs. William B. Astor House
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House of Mrs. Astor on Fifth Avenue
The portrait of Mrs. Astor which used to hang in the houseThe Mrs. William B. Astor House was a large mansion located on 840 Fifth Avenue, in the Upper East Side of New York City, New York, USA.
It was originally constructed for the wife of real estate heir William Backhouse Astor, Jr., Caroline Astor. Back then, wives and widows often used their husband's name with a "Mrs." added on. Society did not expect a woman to use her first name or to support her own living expenses. Those were often left to the husband back then because nearly all jobs were done by men instead of women in contrast to the female-dominate labor force of today's America. Construction started in 1893, the mansion would turn out to be the largest of its kind on Fifth Avenue.
The mansion was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, who used the French Renaissance style similar to a chateau. The gallery served as the ballroom at the same time, where Mrs. Astor would entertain the top "400" of New York's society. A prominent feature was her portrait by Carolus-Duran, where she would stand in front of, decked in her jewels to receive her guests.
The mansion was demolished after her death. Today the temple of the Congregation Emanu-El of New York is located on its spot.
Further reading
- Kathrens, Michael C. (2005). Great Houses of New York, 1880-1930. New York: Acanthus Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-926494-34-3.
External links
Media related to Mrs. William B. Astor House at Wikimedia CommonsCoordinates: 40°46′05″N 73°58′13″W / 40.768078°N 73.970218°W
Categories:- Upper East Side
- Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)
- Buildings and structures in Manhattan
- Houses completed in 1893
- New York City building and structure stubs
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