HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” set in 1880s Manhattan, was filmed at a number of historic mansions. But most are in Newport, R.I., or Troy, N.Y.—virtually no filming took place in Manhattan.
Why? Because NYC's Gilded Age mansions have almost completely vanished. wsj.com/articles/what-…
Starting around 1880, New Yorkers built massive, elaborate houses. On Fifth Avenue, Riverside Drive and elsewhere stood free-standing homes modeled after palaces, some with 100+ rooms. Yet within a few decades, virtually all of them had been demolished. on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
"These amazing mansions that were built along Fifth Avenue—many of them have been destroyed,” said Helen Zoe Veit, an associate history professor at @michiganstateu who is a historical consultant for #GildedAgeHBO. on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
William K. Vanderbilt and his wife, Alva Vanderbilt—the inspiration for Bertha Russell on #GildedAgeHBO—lived in a white limestone château occupying nearly a full block at Fifth Avenue & 52nd Street. “It just blows your mind that this was on Fifth Avenue." on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
With big fortunes being made along with industrialization, wealthy families vied to show off their riches by spending millions—tens or sometimes hundreds of millions in today’s dollars—constructing homes. “It was all about the show—I’m wealthier than you.” on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
Things changed dramatically by the 1920s. Federal income taxes made these mansions financially unsustainable, plus it was harder to find servants to maintain them. During the building boom, many were razed for commercial use or multistory apartment houses. on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
A few Gilded Age-era mansions—such as the Frick Collection and the Cooper Hewitt design museum—remain intact on the Upper East Side. Midtown, however, saw scores of grand homes destroyed. “These were very special buildings that should have been preserved." on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
For a closer look at the vanished mansions of Gilded Age New York, and some of the rare structures that remain, check out @CandaceETaylor's story for @WSJRealEstate: on.wsj.com/3N7k2FE
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