Polish Consulate General, New York
Encyclopedia
The Consulate General of Poland in New York
is a consular mission of the Republic of Poland in the United States of America. It is a regional office of the Polish Embassy in Washington. The consulate is located at 233 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY.
Designed in 1905 by C. P. H. Gilbert, the Mansion which now stands proudly on the corner of 37th Street and Madison Avenue was originally built for mining millionaire Joseph Raphael De Lamar
. Born in Holland in 1843, De Lamar had left home in 1860 and earned his passage to America by working on a steampship for the duration of his voyage. Upon arriving her first went to Maine
and set up a salvage business; he did not make a success of this and soon headed west where he quickly amassed a great fortune, having become a small stakeholder in a mining venture.
In the early 1890s De Lamar moved to New York City
and first lived in a modest apartment building at 217 West 115th Street. He met and married Nellie Sands there in 1893 and their only child, Alice, was born in 1895, however, having made no social progress since his arrival in the city, the couple mutually divorced soon after.
In 1902, Mr. De Lamar employed Mr. Gilbert, the renowned mansion specialist, to build him a house in the heart of Murray Hill. This area had really seen its heyday in the 1860s and was by now in a rather steap decline. However, it was still considered a wealthy area and De Lamar considered it just right for his future residence.
The De Lamar Mansion
marked a stark departure from Gilbert's traditional style of lazy French Gothic architecture and was instead robustly Beaux-Arts, heavy with rusticated stonework, balconies and a colossal mansard roof.
The 1910 census taker found Mr. De Lamar in residence with his daughter Alice, by then 15, and nine servants, a typical ratio. De Lamar died just eight years later in 1918, his obituary in The Boston Daily Globe
described him as a “man of mystery” and an accomplished organist. He left an estate worth $29 million to his daughter, who continued living in the house for a short time before moving to a Park Avenue Apartment
. In the 1920s she sold the house to the American National Democratic Club and thus it was in the De Lamar house that Roosevelt's son famously reported that the controversy over his father's third term was a 'dead issue'.
Since the National Democratic Club's move to new Park Avenue premises in the late 1970s, the building has been the Consulate General of the Polish Republic who in 1973 bought the property for $900,000. Nowadays it has been thoroughly cleaned and renovated inside and retains all of its many period features. Since 2008 the consulate has also been regularly illuminated at night and has become a true Madison Avenue landmark.
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...
is a consular mission of the Republic of Poland in the United States of America. It is a regional office of the Polish Embassy in Washington. The consulate is located at 233 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY.
De Lamar House
Joseph Raphael De Lamar
Joseph Raphael De Lamar was born in Amsterdam, Holland, September 2, 1843. His father, a banker in Amsterdam, died when he was six years of age, and the lad in love of adventure went aboard a Dutch vessel that plied to the West Indies...
. Born in Holland in 1843, De Lamar had left home in 1860 and earned his passage to America by working on a steampship for the duration of his voyage. Upon arriving her first went to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and set up a salvage business; he did not make a success of this and soon headed west where he quickly amassed a great fortune, having become a small stakeholder in a mining venture.
In the early 1890s De Lamar moved to New York City
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...
and first lived in a modest apartment building at 217 West 115th Street. He met and married Nellie Sands there in 1893 and their only child, Alice, was born in 1895, however, having made no social progress since his arrival in the city, the couple mutually divorced soon after.
In 1902, Mr. De Lamar employed Mr. Gilbert, the renowned mansion specialist, to build him a house in the heart of Murray Hill. This area had really seen its heyday in the 1860s and was by now in a rather steap decline. However, it was still considered a wealthy area and De Lamar considered it just right for his future residence.
The De Lamar Mansion
Joseph Raphael De Lamar House
The Joseph Raphael De Lamar House is a mansion located on 233 Madison Avenue and the corner of 37th Street in New York City.- History :It was designed by C. P. H. Gilbert and built in 1902-05. It is a Beaux-Arts Second Empire mansion, the largest in Murray Hill, New York and one of the grandest in...
marked a stark departure from Gilbert's traditional style of lazy French Gothic architecture and was instead robustly Beaux-Arts, heavy with rusticated stonework, balconies and a colossal mansard roof.
The 1910 census taker found Mr. De Lamar in residence with his daughter Alice, by then 15, and nine servants, a typical ratio. De Lamar died just eight years later in 1918, his obituary in The Boston Daily Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
described him as a “man of mystery” and an accomplished organist. He left an estate worth $29 million to his daughter, who continued living in the house for a short time before moving to a Park Avenue Apartment
740 Park Avenue
740 Park Avenue is a luxury apartment building on Park Avenue in Manhattan, which has been the home to many wealthy and famous residents. The building also carries the address 71 East 71st Street.-History:...
. In the 1920s she sold the house to the American National Democratic Club and thus it was in the De Lamar house that Roosevelt's son famously reported that the controversy over his father's third term was a 'dead issue'.
Since the National Democratic Club's move to new Park Avenue premises in the late 1970s, the building has been the Consulate General of the Polish Republic who in 1973 bought the property for $900,000. Nowadays it has been thoroughly cleaned and renovated inside and retains all of its many period features. Since 2008 the consulate has also been regularly illuminated at night and has become a true Madison Avenue landmark.
See also
- Poland – United States relations
- List of diplomatic missions of Poland
- Foreign relations of PolandForeign relations of PolandThe Republic of Poland is a Central European country and member of the European Union and NATO, among others. In recent years, Poland has extended its responsibilities and position in European and Western affairs, supporting and establishing friendly foreign relations with both the West and with...
- Polish nationality lawPolish nationality lawPolish nationality law is based upon the principles of jus sanguinis. Children born to Polish parents usually acquire citizenship irrespective of place of birth. Persons born in Poland to foreign parents do not normally become Polish citizens....