Imagine being an explorer before the times of GPS and modern maps. As you ventured into the
exotic unknown, what kind of treasures would you bring home with you? Hi everyone, ken here,
welcome to "ThisHouse"!! Today we are uncovering the Manhattan Mansion of explorer John Kane.
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In 1850, John Kane was born into an incredibly wealthy and influential family in Newport,
Rhode Island. On his mother’s side, where all of his inheritance came from,
Kane was the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor and his aunt was the leader of New
York’s High Society, the Mrs. Astor, who headed what was known as the 400,
being a reference to the 400 people in New York suitable for her ballroom.
Even with familial connections and more money than he could spend in a lifetime, Kane and his
wife Annie Schermerhorn, who was also related to Mrs. Astor, were not included in the 400.
Nevertheless, they made a name for themselves when they moved to New York City. Kane had no need
for a job nor an income, but kept himself busy sitting on the boards of museums and exploring
the world through various hunting and yachting clubs which took him on exotic adventures,
such as an archaeological outing in Egypt with JP Morgan. Kane collected art and artifacts on
his trips and was known for entertaining large parties with his stories of adventure abroad.
This made him rather popular in the alternative, new money high society.
Even though Kane and Annie never had children, they were still invited to the biggest events
in the new money world, including the Vanderbilt’s Masquerade Ball at their 5th avenue Petit Chateau.
With all the influential families now building massive palaces in Manhattan,
Kane and Annie decided to secure their legacy in the city’s architectural landscape.
They hired prominent gilded age architects, McKim,
Mead, and White to design for them a stately, but simple, limestone palace.
Construction of the Italian Renaissance Revival style mansion started in 1904 and was finished
after 5 long years of meticulous craftsmanship as every detail of the house was perfected.
When it was completed, the limestone palace stood proudly at the corner of 49th and 5th avenue.
Walking inside from the street level, you would arrive in the entrance hall where
each door surround gracefully transformed into archways creating a complex groin vault above.
Directly facing the front door, a roaring fire welcomed guests on a cold winter’s day.
To either side were reception rooms, one for gentlemen which was decorated in dark colors.
The ladies reception room stood in stark contrast, with light floral
decorations and overstuffed furniture. We can now return to the entrance hall and
proceed up a half flight of stairs to make our way down the long corridor, flanked by stained
glass windows set in marble window surrounds. Looking straight ahead, a statue blocks the way,
forcing us to turn to take the stairs to the second level. The stairs are centered on a rounded
stained glass window below a rounded ceiling, casting dramatic shadows, silhouetting the statue.
Arriving at the stair landing, we can now navigate the public rooms of the house,
decorated with souvenirs from Kane’s overseas travels.
First we will see the drawing room with mismatched furnishings,
each boasting their own textile patterns and finishes cluttered between artworks. This room
was finished out with floor to ceiling wood paneling below a complex coffered ceiling.
Making our way through the double doors, we will enter the dining room,
carrying this same decorative theme, creating a cohesive visual experience.
Next we will enter the music room, more classically styled with a white
ceiling to reflect light from the crystal chandelier onto the couple’s family portraits.
From here, we can peak into the butlers pantry which opens up to the kitchen down below.
This is where the couple’s live in staff would have prepared their every meal.
Being the unconventional couple that they were, Kane and Annie shared a bedroom, which was rare
for wealthy couples at the time, however, they did not share a mattress. Instead, their two
beds were spaced less than a foot apart below the canopy of a free standing four poster bedframe.
Off the bedroom was their sitting room,
continuing with the same wallpaper framed by pilasters above carpeted floors.
They enjoyed their palace for just four years, until Kane passed away from a bout of pneumonia.
Annie lived on the house, even surviving a fire in 1921 which destroyed nearly half of it.
In her later years, without having any proper heirs,
she attempted to give away her fortune to various charities and arts foundations,
but when she passed away in 1926, she still had about 4,000,000 dollars, the modern day
equivalent of nearly 70 million dollars to her name which was divided up and donated on
her behalf to medical programs and universities, with a quarter of it going to Columbia University.
Their house in Manhattan, as well as their summer cottage in Bar Harbor, Maine, were left to nieces
and nephews who sold them off. As Manhattan continued to grow, Kane’s Limestone Palace
was torn down and replaced with a high rise. Thankfully, we can look back in time through
photos, before the age of skyscrapers, to see what life was like during Manhattan’s Gilded Age.
If you could go back in time and tour this house, which room do you think would be your
favorite? Let me know down below in the comments section. And while you’re there,
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