James B. Duke House
Encyclopedia
The James B. Duke House located at the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 1 East 78th Street in New York City
. The house is one of the great extant mansions from "Millionaire's Row." James Buchanan Duke
was one of the founding partners of American Tobacco Company
and the owner of Duke Power.
's design of the house drew heavily upon the Hôtel Labottière (1773), Bordeaux
, by the Bordeaux architect Etienne Laclotte
, architect of numerous hôtels particulières
in Bordeaux. The similar treatment of the central bay with its recessed entrance and window on the piano nobile
, and the channeled rustication
are particularly salient features shared by both urban town houses..
Construction was completed in 1912, and the three members of the Duke family—James B., his wife Nanaline, and their daughter Doris
—lived there with their staff part of the year. In 1952, Nanaline and Doris donated the building to New York University
's Institute of Fine Arts
. Robert Venturi
renovated the building for academic use in 1958. The main reception rooms on the ground floor retain many of the original furnishings and decorations, while the Institute's library and faculty offices have colonized the eight bedrooms of the second floor and the servants' quarters on the third floor.
A Landmarks of New York plaque was erected in 1959 by the New York Community Trust. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977.
The engagement party scene in the film Arthur was filmed here in 1980/81. In March 2007, the pilot
for the ABC
drama Dirty Sexy Money
was filmed here.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The house is one of the great extant mansions from "Millionaire's Row." James Buchanan Duke
James Buchanan Duke
James Buchanan Duke was a U.S. tobacco and electric power industrialist best known for his involvement with Duke University.-Personal life:...
was one of the founding partners of American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
and the owner of Duke Power.
History
Architect Horace TrumbauerHorace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
's design of the house drew heavily upon the Hôtel Labottière (1773), Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, by the Bordeaux architect Etienne Laclotte
Étienne Laclotte
The French architect Étienne Laclotte designed numerous hôtels particulières in Bordeaux.-Selected commissions:*Hôtel de Lalande, constructed about 1780 in a sober neoclassical idiom;...
, architect of numerous hôtels particulières
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Bordeaux. The similar treatment of the central bay with its recessed entrance and window on the piano nobile
Piano nobile
The piano nobile is the principal floor of a large house, usually built in one of the styles of classical renaissance architecture...
, and the channeled rustication
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
are particularly salient features shared by both urban town houses..
Construction was completed in 1912, and the three members of the Duke family—James B., his wife Nanaline, and their daughter Doris
Doris Duke
Doris Duke was an American heiress, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist.-Family and early life:...
—lived there with their staff part of the year. In 1952, Nanaline and Doris donated the building to New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Institute of Fine Arts
New York University Institute of Fine Arts
The Institute of Fine Arts is one of the 14 divisions of New York University . It offers a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy, the Advanced Certificate in Conservation of Works of Art, and the Certificate in Curatorial Studies...
. Robert Venturi
Robert Venturi
Robert Charles Venturi, Jr. is an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major figures in the architecture of the twentieth century...
renovated the building for academic use in 1958. The main reception rooms on the ground floor retain many of the original furnishings and decorations, while the Institute's library and faculty offices have colonized the eight bedrooms of the second floor and the servants' quarters on the third floor.
A Landmarks of New York plaque was erected in 1959 by the New York Community Trust. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977.
The engagement party scene in the film Arthur was filmed here in 1980/81. In March 2007, the pilot
Pilot (Dirty Sexy Money)
"Pilot" is the first episode of the ABC television series, Dirty Sexy Money. The episode was written by Craig Wright and was directed by Peter Horton...
for the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama Dirty Sexy Money
Dirty Sexy Money
Dirty Sexy Money is an American prime time drama series created by Craig Wright, which ran on the ABC from September 26, 2007 to August 8, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Berlanti Television and Gross Entertainment...
was filmed here.
See also
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets