Benjamin N. Duke House facts for kids
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Benjamin N. Duke House
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The mansion in 2010
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| Location | 1009 Fifth Avenue at East 82nd Street Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1899-1901 |
| Architect | Welch, Smith & Provot |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts French Renaissance (interior) |
| NRHP reference No. | 89002090 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 7, 1989 |
The Benjamin N. Duke House, also known as the Duke–Semans Mansion, is a famous old house in New York City. It is located at 1009 Fifth Avenue near East 82nd Street in the Upper East Side area of Manhattan. This beautiful mansion was built between 1899 and 1901. It was designed by the architecture firm Welch, Smith & Provot in a style called Beaux-Arts.
Contents
History of the Duke House
Building the Mansion
This grand house was not built for a specific person at first. Developers William W. Hall and Thomas M. Hall built it to sell. Soon after it was finished, a very important person bought it.
The Duke Family Owners
The first owner was Benjamin N. Duke. He was a very successful businessman. He made his money in tobacco, textiles, and energy. He was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave a lot of money to good causes. At that time, he was the chairman of the American Tobacco Company.
Benjamin's brother, James Duke, also a tobacco businessman, bought the house in 1907. He lived there until his own large mansion was ready in 1912. That mansion is now known as the James B. Duke House.
After James moved out, Benjamin's son, Angier Buchanan Duke, lived in the house. Later, in 1919, his sister Mary Lillian Duke moved in with her husband, A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.. Their daughter, Mary Semans, later took over the house. The Duke family owned this mansion for a very long time, until 2006.
New Owners and High Prices
In 2006, the Duke family sold the mansion for US$40 million. It was bought by Tamir Sapir, a real estate businessman from America.
Four years later, in 2010, Carlos Slim bought the house for US$44 million. At that time, he was known as the richest person in the world. Slim said he planned to use the house when he visited New York for business. In May 2015, he put the mansion up for sale again. He asked for US$80 million, which was almost twice what he paid for it.
A Historic Landmark
The Benjamin N. Duke House is one of the few grand mansions left on Fifth Avenue. Many similar houses that once faced Central Park are now gone. The house was restored in 1985 to keep it looking its best.
It was named a New York City Landmark in 1974. This means it is a special building that must be protected. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
What the Duke House Looks Like
Architectural Style
The firm of Welch, Smith & Provot designed the house between 1899 and 1901. It was built in the Beaux-Arts style. This style is known for being grand and fancy. The inside of the house has a French Renaissance style. Many of the decorations and furniture are in the Louis XV style, which is very elegant.
Size and Features
The house is very large, with eight stories. It measures about 20,000 square feet inside. It is 100 feet wide and 27 feet deep.
The bottom two floors, the basement and first floor, are covered in limestone. The upper floors are made of brick with heavy limestone decorations. Inside, there is a grand staircase that connects five of the floors. The house also has beautiful gold-leaf decorations and detailed carvings called friezes.
The roof has red tiles and copper details. It also features two towers. On the top floor, there is a private staircase that leads to a balcony on the roof. The builders were very smart. They put closets in the same spot on every floor. This made it easy to add an elevator later if someone wanted one.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Benjamin N. Duke para niños
