The house was built in 1845 by William Samuel Johnson, a Whig politician, and then had the address 86 Irving Place.[1][2] Johnson sold the property to Horace Brooks, who added a fifth story and constructed a stable on the unused southern part of the property.[2] The census of 1880 shows a number of different people living at the address, suggesting that it had been converted into apartments by that time.[3]
In 1887, this modest property was expanded and altered by noted architect Stanford White[4] at the cost of $130,000[2] into a mansion with an interior marble staircase and a ballroom on the top floor where Mamie Fish gave elaborate parties for New York society.[5] The building was also re-numbered 19 Gramercy Park, an address which had not existed prior to that time.[2]
The Fish family left for their new 78th Street home in 1898, and the building was broken up into small apartments;[5] actor John Barrymore was a resident while he was in New York working on Broadway.[6] Occupants at other times included playwright Edward Sheldon and William C. Bullitt, the diplomat, journalist and novelist.[7] In 1909, a six-story apartment building was constructed on the southern part of the lot.[3]
The building was rescued from decay in 1931 by noted publicistBenjamin Sonnenberg when he and his wife rented the first two floors, gradually expanding and taking over other apartments. In 1945, Sonnenberg bought the entire building from Fish's son, Stuyvesant Fish Jr., for $85,000, and combined it with the apartment building to the south to create a massive residence which noted architecture critic Brendan Gill called "the greatest private house remaining in private hands in New York."[3] The mansion was extensively furnished with Sonnenberg's collection of English and Irish furniture, drawings by Old Masters and sculptures.[2][5] Like the Fishes, Sonnenberg gave notable parties which brought old-money New York together with show business luminaries.[5] The building was listed as a contributing property to the Gramercy Park Historic District in 1966.[1]
Sonnenberg died in 1978, and the house was auctioned to Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff, the owner of Evyan Perfumes, although Dr. Henry Jarecki also bid on it. Von Langendorff sold it to fashion designer Richard Tyler and his wife, Lisa Trafficante, in 1995 for $3.5 million.[2][5] After sprucing up the property, it was put on the market in January 2000 and sold to Jarecki in December 2000 for $16.5 million.[2] Jarecki, a psychologist and entrepreneur was reported to plan to use the mansion as both a home and the headquarters for his family foundation.[2]
Rooms
The mansion in its current incarnation has 37 rooms, 18,000 square feet (1,700 m2) of space, a separate caretaker's apartment, numerous bedrooms, bathrooms, guest suites, and sitting rooms, a drawing room, a library, two kitchens, a wine cellar and the ballroom on the top floor, which had been renovated by Tyler.[2]
In popular culture
19 Gramercy Park plays a central role in the 1970 illustrated novel Time and Again by American author Jack Finney. The main character, an advertising artist, travels back in time from 1970s New York City to January 1882, and rents a room at 19 Gramercy Park, which is a boarding house in the novel. It is described as "a plain three-story brownstone with white-painted window frames and a short flight of scrubbed stone steps with a black wrought-iron railing."
In Iron Fist, Joy Meachum is shown to live at 19 Gramercy Park, and it is also revealed that Danny Rand grew up here as a child.
^ abcdefghiSchoeneman, Deborah and Netburn, Deborah. "After Pining for It, Investor Jarecki Gets 19 Gramercy Park" 2010-05-19 at the Wayback MachineThe New York Observer (December 24, 2000)
^ abcGray, Christopher "Streetscapes/19 Gramercy Park South; An 1880s House That Asks, 'What's In a Name?'" The New York Times (February 20, 2000)
^For the possibility that Sidney V. Stratton was the architect and not White, see Gray, Christopher "Streetscapes/19 Gramercy Park South; An 1880s House That Asks, 'What's In a Name?'" The New York Times (February 20, 2000)
^Federal Writers' Project (1939). New York City Guide. New York: Random House. ISBN978-1-60354-055-1. (Reprinted by Scholarly Press, 1976; often referred to as WPA Guide to New York City.), p.196
External links
Media related to 19 Gramercy Park South - 86 Irving Place at Wikimedia Commons
January 06, 2023
gramercy, park, south, also, known, irving, place, stuyvesant, fish, house, four, story, house, located, corner, gramercy, park, south, east, 20th, street, irving, place, gramercy, park, neighborhood, manhattan, york, city, northern, portion, gramercy, park, 2. 19 Gramercy Park South also known as 86 Irving Place or the Stuyvesant Fish House is a four story row house located at the corner of Gramercy Park South East 20th Street and Irving Place in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan New York City Northern portion of 19 Gramercy Park 2010 Contents 1 History 2 Rooms 3 In popular culture 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditThe house was built in 1845 by William Samuel Johnson a Whig politician and then had the address 86 Irving Place 1 2 Johnson sold the property to Horace Brooks who added a fifth story and constructed a stable on the unused southern part of the property 2 The census of 1880 shows a number of different people living at the address suggesting that it had been converted into apartments by that time 3 In 1887 this modest property was expanded and altered by noted architect Stanford White 4 at the cost of 130 000 2 into a mansion with an interior marble staircase and a ballroom on the top floor where Mamie Fish gave elaborate parties for New York society 5 The building was also re numbered 19 Gramercy Park an address which had not existed prior to that time 2 The Fish family left for their new 78th Street home in 1898 and the building was broken up into small apartments 5 actor John Barrymore was a resident while he was in New York working on Broadway 6 Occupants at other times included playwright Edward Sheldon and William C Bullitt the diplomat journalist and novelist 7 In 1909 a six story apartment building was constructed on the southern part of the lot 3 The building was rescued from decay in 1931 by noted publicist Benjamin Sonnenberg when he and his wife rented the first two floors gradually expanding and taking over other apartments In 1945 Sonnenberg bought the entire building from Fish s son Stuyvesant Fish Jr for 85 000 and combined it with the apartment building to the south to create a massive residence which noted architecture critic Brendan Gill called the greatest private house remaining in private hands in New York 3 The mansion was extensively furnished with Sonnenberg s collection of English and Irish furniture drawings by Old Masters and sculptures 2 5 Like the Fishes Sonnenberg gave notable parties which brought old money New York together with show business luminaries 5 The building was listed as a contributing property to the Gramercy Park Historic District in 1966 1 Sonnenberg died in 1978 and the house was auctioned to Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff the owner of Evyan Perfumes although Dr Henry Jarecki also bid on it Von Langendorff sold it to fashion designer Richard Tyler and his wife Lisa Trafficante in 1995 for 3 5 million 2 5 After sprucing up the property it was put on the market in January 2000 and sold to Jarecki in December 2000 for 16 5 million 2 Jarecki a psychologist and entrepreneur was reported to plan to use the mansion as both a home and the headquarters for his family foundation 2 Rooms EditThe mansion in its current incarnation has 37 rooms 18 000 square feet 1 700 m2 of space a separate caretaker s apartment numerous bedrooms bathrooms guest suites and sitting rooms a drawing room a library two kitchens a wine cellar and the ballroom on the top floor which had been renovated by Tyler 2 In popular culture Edit19 Gramercy Park plays a central role in the 1970 illustrated novel Time and Again by American author Jack Finney The main character an advertising artist travels back in time from 1970s New York City to January 1882 and rents a room at 19 Gramercy Park which is a boarding house in the novel It is described as a plain three story brownstone with white painted window frames and a short flight of scrubbed stone steps with a black wrought iron railing In Iron Fist Joy Meachum is shown to live at 19 Gramercy Park and it is also revealed that Danny Rand grew up here as a child References Edit a b Gramercy Park Historic District Archived 2012 10 19 at the Wayback Machine at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission a b c d e f g h i Schoeneman Deborah and Netburn Deborah After Pining for It Investor Jarecki Gets 19 Gramercy Park Archived 2010 05 19 at the Wayback Machine The New York Observer December 24 2000 a b c Gray Christopher Streetscapes 19 Gramercy Park South An 1880s House That Asks What s In a Name The New York Times February 20 2000 For the possibility that Sidney V Stratton was the architect and not White see Gray Christopher Streetscapes 19 Gramercy Park South An 1880s House That Asks What s In a Name The New York Times February 20 2000 a b c d e Mendelsohn Joyce 1998 Touring the Flatiron Walks in Four Historic Neighborhoods New York New York Landmarks Conservancy ISBN 0 964 7061 2 1 OCLC 40227695 pp 48 49 White Norval amp Willensky Elliot 2000 AIA Guide to New York City 4th ed New York Three Rivers Press ISBN 978 0 8129 3107 5 Federal Writers Project 1939 New York City Guide New York Random House ISBN 978 1 60354 055 1 Reprinted by Scholarly Press 1976 often referred to as WPA Guide to New York City p 196External links Edit Media related to 19 Gramercy Park South 86 Irving Place at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 19 Gramercy Park South amp oldid 1094148068, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
