Mrs. William B. Astor House

The Mrs. William B. Astor House was a large mansion located on 840 Fifth Avenue, in the Upper East Side of New York City, New York, U.S., which stood roughly between 1893-1927.

It was originally constructed for Caroline Astor, the wife of real estate heir William Backhouse Astor, Jr.. Construction started in 1893, the mansion would turn out to be the largest of its kind on Fifth Avenue.

The mansion was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, who used the French Renaissance style similar to a château.

The house saw many parties and was a New York City attraction; the ballroom could hold 1,200 people, compared with 400 at her previous mansion at 350 Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.

It was sold to real estate developer Benjamin Winter Sr. and demolished after her death. Today the temple of the Congregation Emanu-El of New York is located on its spot.

Upon entering the house one enters a domed vestibule from which one can enter the mansion, when guests they normally were greeted by Caroline and her butler Mr. Hefty in the adam style reception room under Caroline's portrait by Carolus-Duran decked in her jewels to receive her guests.

The reception room was entered from the marble great hall ( from the vestibule one entered a hall lined with busts of her ancestors which led to the great hall ) where a huge handsome marble staircase led to the upstairs.

Off of the great hall one could enter the gold ceilinged drawing room, the walls of which were covered with gold framed mirrors and the floor of which was covered in expensive oriental rugs, tiger rugs, leopard rugs and several rugs woven out of feathers.

One could also enter the dining room, the black marble walls of which were covered with tapestries depicting hunting scenes and the black and white marble tiled floors covered with polar bear rugs all centered on the marble stoned fireplace the mantle of which was crowded with vases and the huge crystal chandelier draped with various satin drapes.

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