James B. Duke House facts for kids
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James B. Duke House
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James B. Duke House
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 Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 E. 78th St., New York, New York |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1909–1912 |
| Architect | Horace Trumbauer |
| Architectural style | French Classical/Louis XV |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000956 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 10, 1977 |
The James B. Duke House is a large, beautiful mansion in New York City. You can find it on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, right on Fifth Avenue. This house is one of the amazing old mansions from an area once called "Millionaire's Row". It was built for a very rich man named James Buchanan Duke. He helped start the American Tobacco Company and owned Duke Power. Since 1952, the building has been home to the New York University Institute of Fine Arts.
History of the Duke House
The famous architect Horace Trumbauer designed the James B. Duke House. He got many ideas from an old French castle called Château Labottière, built in 1773. Trumbauer copied many parts of the French design, like the columns and fancy decorations.
James B. Duke bought the land for the house in August 1909. The building was finished in 1912. James B. Duke, his wife Nanaline, and their daughter Doris Duke lived there for part of the year. They also had many staff members living with them.
In January 1958, Nanaline and Doris Duke gave the building to New York University. It became the home of the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. An architect named Robert Venturi updated the building for school use. The main rooms on the first floor still look much like they did when the Duke family lived there. The Institute's library and offices are now in the bedrooms and servants' rooms on the upper floors.
In 1959, a special plaque was put on the house by the New York Community Trust. The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission officially named the house a landmark on September 15, 1970. They called it "one of the adornments of Fifth Avenue." This means it was a very beautiful building that added to the street's charm. The house was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Famous Film Location
The James B. Duke House has been used in several movies. It's a popular spot for filming because of its grand and historic look.
- In 1981, a scene for the movie Arthur was filmed there. This was the engagement party scene.
- In 2017, parts of the movie The Greatest Showman were filmed inside the house.
- In 2018, scenes for the film The Goldfinch were also filmed there.
Images for kids
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Entrance portico detail
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Detail of the portico
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Seen from the east
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Under renovation in 2012
See also
In Spanish: James B. Duke House para niños
