the merchant prince of america built the most expensive home in manhattan
hi everyone ken here welcome to this house today we are exploring the stewart mansion make sure to
hit that subscribe button so you never miss an exciting episode of this house alexander terney
stewart was born in ireland in 1803. much of his time was spent at his grandfather john turney's
house which boasted a large collection of art and statues that would fascinate alexander to
no end having a taste for the finer irish things he wanted to capitalize on his passion he moved
to new york city where he traded irish linens and lace in no time at all demand grew so large
for his high quality textiles that he opened a brick-and-mortar store he is credited for opening
the first store in new york that used price tags in lieu of bartering or blanket pricing
it is also thought that he was the first person in new york to advertise sales and promotional
discounts in retail he successfully pioneered this retail sales strategy and by 1848 he had
opened 12 stores around the world with his success came the nickname the merchant prince of america
and the house he would build to celebrate the success would indeed be fit for a prince in 1864
he set out to build his dream house he tore down the mansion of samuel p townsend at 5th avenue
and 34th street and spent 2 million dollars with a modern-day equivalent of about 37 million dollars
building his marble palace it was designed in the bozar style with plaster sepalo coins each level
the facade being divided by a stone freeze the fourth floor was concealed by a mansard roof at
the time it was believed to be the most expensive home to have ever been built in the united states
traveling up the stairs towards the front door there would have been a one-story drop off to
either side almost appearing as an empty moat as the space between the sidewalk and the basement
walls was dug out to allow full height windows on every exterior wall of the servant's quarters
making your way through the front door you would arrive in the entrance hall
with large old growth fluted wood columns with intricately carved corinthian capitals
set below a coffered ceiling with exquisite relief work set in each layer of molding marble
statues sat high on their pedestals above the marble floors with irish carpets directing your
approach towards the floating marble staircase sweeping about the entrance to the reception room
passing through curtains hung between marble door frames you would arrive in the reception
room painted wood paneling stretching from floor to ceiling with portraits decorating the walls
the intricately decorated ceiling mirrored the composition of the carpeted floor
the music room decorated similarly was located on the second floor now with the addition of
marble plasters flanking the windows to either side of the marble fireplace set below a gilted
mirror fine irish furniture and antiques were set about the room each chair upholstered with
different fabric the art gallery stretching 50 by 30 feet was overflowing with paintings and statues
the fresco running around the top of the room was decorated with statuary protruding from the murals
the library also with marble architectural elements had old growth walnut wood panels
clouding the walls with a hand stenciled ceiling framed in by the ornate freeze but the grandest
room of them all was the drawing room stretching the entire width of the house and guilted to the
highest standard of gilded age glamour with chandeliers suspended from masterfully crafted
plaster medallions protruding from ceiling murals surrounded by gilted molding and supported by the
marble blasters between which were either windows or mirrors set in even intervals alexandra would
enjoy his palace until his passing in 1876 and his widow cornelia would enjoy it until her passing in
1886. afterwards it would be the home of various clubs in new york city until about 1901 when
it was inevitably torn down to make way for the knickerbocker trust company building which would
face the bankers panic in 1907. the building would undergo several renovations until it became this a
rather mundane building to see what new york city looked like around the turn of the century make
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