James B. Duke House, Historic mansion in Upper East Side, New York.
The James B. Duke House stands as a limestone neoclassical mansion designed by architect Horace Trumbauer, featuring French château-inspired architecture with elaborate carved reliefs, ionic columns, and a grand double-story portico that exemplifies early 20th-century luxury residential design.
Built between 1909 and 1912 for tobacco magnate James Buchanan Duke, this mansion was part of the elite developments along Fifth Avenue's 'Millionaire's Row' and served as the Duke family residence until it was donated to New York University in 1958.
Since 1959, the mansion has housed New York University's Institute of Fine Arts, transforming from a private luxury residence into an academic institution while maintaining its architectural integrity and contributing to Manhattan's educational and cultural landscape.
Located at 1 East 78th Street on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue, the mansion is easily accessible via nearby subway lines and serves as a designated New York City Landmark within the Metropolitan Museum Historic District.
The mansion's interior features the Marica Vilcek Great Hall and rooms that were converted from servant quarters into laboratories, showcasing the successful adaptive reuse of a Gilded Age residence for modern academic purposes.
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