Carnegie Hill Historic Walking Tour, Manhattan's Upper East Side
Loading...
Get a QR Code for this tour
Description
Walk to historic mansions, museums, schools, and the apartment building of Jackie O in Carnegie Hill, east of Central Park.
1. James B. Duke Residence (Institute of Fine Arts, NYU)
Completed in 1912, the James B. Duke residence is one of a small number of remaining homes that once made up "Millionaire's Row." The home was constructed for tobacco and electric power magnate, James B. Duke. Duke's wife and daughter, Doris, lived in the home for a number of years following his death in 1925, but in 1958, the women donated the home to New York University's Institute of Fine Art. The mansion is a New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2. New York Society Library
Founded in 1754 as a subscription society, the New York Society Library is the oldest cultural institution in New York City. The library had four previous homes before moving to this building in 1937. The structure, also known as the John S. Rogers House, is a limestone-faced townhouse that was constructed in 1917 and listed in the National Register in 1983. The interior was remodeled in the mid-1930s to accommodate the need of the library, and in the process, 39 rooms were converted into into 24 rooms. The library houses a collection of 300,000 volumes on a variety of subjects and is operated as a non-profit. Non-members are welcome in the first-floor reading room and at some of the organization's events.
3. Harry Ford Sinclair Mansion (now the Ukrainian Institute of America)
While many of the 19th-century mansions of New York's storied Fifth Avenue were demolished over the years, the Harry Sinclair Mansion was preserved and now houses the Ukrainian Institute of America. The home was built in 1899 by Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert, an architect known for his opulent designs. Originally built for Isaac and Mary Fletcher, the property was sold to controversial oil magnate Harry Sinclair in 1918. The following decade, Sinclair went to prison for tampering with a jury during the government's efforts to investigate the actions of his company in leasing federal lands in the West. The event was known as the Teapot Dome Scandal and was one of the most newsworthy events of the early 20th century. The building is unique in that it remains largely unchanged from the time of its construction. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
4. The Jewish Museum of New York
Founded in 1904 with just 26 donated objects, the Jewish Museum of New York now contains almost 30,000 items including art, ceremonial objects, and media. The museum is one of the oldest museums dedicated to Jewish history in the world and the oldest in the United States. The mission of the Museum is to show how art mixes with Jewish culture. By devoting their efforts to this mission, the Jewish Museum helps expose the public to Jewish customs and history, while also helping define the Jewish identity.
5. Benjamin Duke Residence (Duke-Semans House)
The Duke Residence at 1009 Fifth Avenue was built in 1901 by developers William and Thomas Hall. Shortly after the mansion's completion, Benjamin Duke, son of tobacco magnate Washington Duke, purchased the property. At the time, the mansion was one of many palatial private homes along what came to be known as "Millionaire's Row." Today this one of the last remaining vestiges of Fifth Avenue's Gilded Age Era. The mansion, which remained in the Duke family until recent years, is a New York City Landmark. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
6. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's Apartment
After the death of President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy left the White House and moved to 1040 Fifth Avenue. By moving to Manhattan's Upper East Side, Jackie hoped that New Yorkers would give her privacy as she grieved her husband's death. In this luxurious apartment, Jackie learned to live a new normal as she raised her children and found love again. Jackie and her children left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but this apartment became their true home.
7. Neue Galerie
The Neue Galerie in New York is a museum that is dedicated to exploring early twentieth century German and Austrian art. Formed by two friends who had a penchant for art appreciation and the decorative arts, the Neue Galerie seeks to show how these two concepts intertwine through the art that the galleries display. Additionally, the museum is located in the historic William Star Miller House, which retains much of its original character. Since its founding in 2001, the Neue Galerie has continued to enchant visitors from all across the globe. The Galerie can be found on the Museum Mile in Manhattan, where it sits alongside other museums in the area.
8. Lewis G. Morris House
The dark red brick house on the southeast corner of E. 85th Street and Park Avenue is the Lewis G. Morris House. The 3-1/2 story house was built in 1913 to 1914 for wealthy financier Lewis Gouverneur Morris. Although the current entrance to the house is at the northeast corner of the house near the E. 85th Street sidewalk, the building has been given a Park Avenue address (#1015). The house was listed on the National Register in 1977 and is significant for its Neo-Federal architectural style and as the work of architect Ernest Flagg. Also known as the New World Foundation Building (the new owner in 1968), the building is now owned by a private foundation, the Avi Chai Foundation.
9. George F. Baker Jr. Houses
The George F. Baker Jr. Houses are a complex of brick buildings at 67, 69, and 75 East 93rd Street in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood of Manhattan's Upper East Side. All of the buildings in the complex, on the northwest of the intersection with Park Avenue, were designed by Delano & Aldrich. The three-story house at the intersection (#75) was built for Francis F. Palmer in 1918, and bought by George F. Baker Jr. in 1927, a year after Palmer's death. Baker built the rest of the complex, edging a courtyard. #75 has been owned by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia since 1958. The Classical American Homes Preservation Trust (CAHPT) bought #69 in 1997 and used the building as its headquarters until 2020. The Baker family sold #67 in 1988 and it was used as a private residence or an art gallery until it was acquired by the CAHPT in 2018. The complex was listed in the National Register in 1982 and as part of the Park Avenue Historic District. The buildings are New York City landmarks as well as part of the Carnegie Hill local historic district.
10. William Goadby Loew House (now the Spence School)
The palatial home at 56 E. 93rd Street was the residence of William Goadby Loew and his wife, Florence, who was known as "Queenie." Loew was a stockbroker and ran his own Wall Street firm, which was largely responsible for managing the wealth his wife inherited from her father. In 1930, in the midst of the Great Depression, the couple commissioned the home, which has been described as "the last palace to be built on the Upper East Side." The home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now home to the Spence School, a private girls' school.
