Grosvenor House facts for kids
Grosvenor House was a very large house in London. It was the home of the Grosvenor family for over 100 years. This family is also known as the Dukes of Westminster.
The family first lived in London on Millbank. But they later developed their land in Mayfair. They then moved to Park Lane to build a grand house. This new house showed their wealth and importance in the 1800s. The house gave its name to Upper Grosvenor Street and Grosvenor Square.
During the First World War, the government took over the house. It was sold and torn down in the 1920s. The Grosvenor House Hotel was later built on the same spot.
History of Grosvenor House
The land where Grosvenor House stood first had a smaller house. It was called 'Gloucester House'. This was named after Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, who owned it. Its main entrance was on Upper Grosvenor Street.
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster, bought this house in 1805. He paid £20,000 for it. He then spent £17,000 to make the house bigger and more modern. In 1821, a large art gallery was added. It was about 50 feet (15 meters) long. Many of the Grosvenor family's valuable art pieces were kept here.
Another part was added in 1842. This was a 110-foot (34-meter) long entrance screen. It was built in a classical style with colonnades. At each end, there was a triumphal arch. Above these arches were sculptures of the Grosvenor family's coat of arms. Thomas Cundy, the architect, wanted to build an even larger mansion. It would have stretched 230 feet (70 meters) all the way to Park Street. But the 2nd Marquess thought this would be too expensive.
In 1870, Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster (then the 3rd Marquess) hired Henry Clutton. He added a covered entrance for carriages called a porte-cochère. He also had many of the main rooms redesigned. In 1889, Grosvenor House was one of the first buildings in London to get electricity.
Why Grosvenor House Was Demolished
The Grosvenor family owned the house until the First World War. During the war, the government took control of it. After the war, the family decided the house was too big and costly to keep. So, they sold it. The house was torn down in the 1920s. The Grosvenor House Hotel was then built on the same spot.
Amazing Art Collections
Grosvenor House was once home to one of the world's best private art collections. It had paintings by famous artists like Gainsborough and Velázquez. Many of these were sold between the two World Wars. But most of the art is still owned by the Grosvenor family. It is kept in their other homes, mainly Eaton Hall in Cheshire.
