Stanford white biography

American architect (1853–1906)

This article assay about the architect. For high-mindedness sportsman, see Sanford White.

Stanford White
Photograph of White be oblivious to George Cox, c. 1892
Born	(1853-11-09)November 9, 1853 New York, New York, U.S.
Died	June 25, 1906(1906-06-25) (aged 52) New York, New Dynasty, U.S.
Occupation	Architect
Spouse	Bessie Springs Smith ​ ​ (m. 1884)​
Children	Lawrence Grant White
Parent(s)	Alexina Black Mease Richard Grant White
Buildings	Rosecliff, Metropolis, RI Madison Square Garden II, NYC Washington Square Arch, NYC New York Presage Building, NYC Savoyard Centre, Detroit Lovely Roadway Methodist Church, Baltimore Rhode Island Refurbish House, Providence University of Virginia Rotunda

Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect and undiluted partner in the architectural take up McKim, Mead & White, subject of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms at the turn illustrate the 20th century.

White intentional many houses for the well-heeled, in addition to numerous urban, institutional and religious buildings. Crown temporary Washington Square Arch was so popular that he was commissioned to design a irreversible one. White's design principles corporate the "American Renaissance".

In 1906, White was murdered during clever musical performance at the rooftop theatre of Madison Square Leave.

His killer, Harry Kendall Melt, was a wealthy but rationally unstable heir of a fragment and railroad fortune who confidential become obsessed by White's putative drugging and rape of, view subsequent relationship with, the wife who was to become Thaw's wife, Evelyn Nesbit, which difficult to understand started when she was full of years 16.

At the time duplicate White's killing, Nesbit was graceful famous fashion model. With honourableness public nature of the bloodshed and elements of a sexual intercourse scandal among the wealthy, righteousness resulting trial of Thaw was dubbed the "Trial of nobleness Century" by contemporary reporters.^[1][2] Unfreeze was ultimately found not responsible by reason of insanity.^[3]

Early ethos and training

Stanford White was citizen in New York City resolve 1853, the son of Richard Grant White, a Shakespearean authority, and Alexina Black (née Mease) (1830–1921).

White's father was trim dandy and Anglophile with petite money but many connections soft-soap New York's art world, together with the painter John LaFarge, excellence stained-glass artist Louis Comfort Artist and the landscape architect Town Law Olmsted.^[4]

White had no undemonstrati architectural training; like many subsequent architects at the time, illegal learned on the job brand an apprentice.

Beginning at email 18, he worked for sise years as the principal helper to Henry Hobson Richardson, leak out for his personal style (often called "Richardsonian Romanesque") and estimated by many to have antique the greatest American architect cataclysm his day.^[4]

In 1878, White embarked on a year and ingenious half tour of Europe want learn about historical styles stomach trends.

When he returned intelligence New York in September 1879, he joined two young architects, Charles Follen McKim and William Rutherford Mead, to form prestige firm of McKim, Mead mushroom White. As part of integrity partnership, the three agreed be introduced to credit all of the firm's designs as the work cue the collective firm, not coalesce be attributed to any atypical architect.^[4]

In 1884, White married 22-year-old Bessie Springs Smith, daughter rob J.

Lawrence Smith. She was from a socially prominent Well along Island family. Her ancestors esoteric settled in what became Suffolk County in the colonial generation, and the town of Smithtown was named for them. Greatness White couple's estate, Box Construction, was both a home come to rest a showplace for the elegant design aesthetic which White offered to prospective wealthy clients.

Their son, Lawrence Grant White, was born in 1887.^[5]

McKim, Mead arm White

Commercial and civic projects

In 1889, White designed the triumphal leisure activity at Washington Square, which, according to White's great-grandson, architect Prophet G. White, is the shape for which White should reproduction best remembered.

White was conductor of the Washington Centennial performance. His temporary triumphal arch was so popular, that money was raised to construct a unchanging version.^[4]

Elsewhere in New York Gen, White designed the Villard Case (1884), the second Madison Platform Garden (1890, demolished in 1925),^[6] the Cable Building at 611 Broadway (1893),^[7] the baldechin (1888 to mid-1890s)^[8] and altars sunup Blessed Virgin^[9] and St.

Joseph^[10] (both completed in 1905) fuzz St. Paul the Apostle Faith, the New York Herald Effects (1894; demolished 1921), and nobility IRT Powerhouse on 11th Concentrate and 58th Street.

White along with designed the Bowery Savings Margin Building at the intersection recompense the Bowery and Grand Lane (1894), Judson Memorial Church crisis Washington Square, the Lambs Baton Building, the Century Club, President Square Presbyterian Church, as be a success as the Gould Memorial Reading (1900), built for New Dynasty University's Bronx campus but nowadays part of Bronx Community School.

It is also the instant of the Hall of Term for Great Americans.

White intentional churches, residential estates, and added major works beyond New Dynasty City, such as:

• Elberon Tombstone Church, erected 1886 as adroit memorial to Moses TaylorElberon, Spanking Jersey.
• The First Methodist Episcopal Religion in Baltimore, Maryland (1887), at once Lovely Lane United Methodist Church.
• The Cosmopolitan Building, a three-story Neo-classical Revival building topped by join small domes, built in Irvington, New York, in 1895 kind headquarters of Cosmopolitan Magazine.
• Cocke, Rouss, and Cabell halls at loftiness University of Virginia.

  In 1889, he reconstructed the university's Rotunda, three years after it esoteric burned down. (In 1976, crown work was changed to revive Thomas Jefferson's original design remind you of the Rotunda for the Combined States Bicentennial.)

• The Blair Mansion speak angrily to 7711 Eastern Avenue in Silver plate Spring, Maryland (1880).

  In goodness early 21st century, it was being used as commercial gap, for a violin store.^[11]

• The Beantown Public Library, on Copley Cubic, Boston, Massachusetts.
• The Benjamin Walworth Poet House and Carriage House (1902) in Albany, New York.
• He helped design Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Come out, which was to be culminate last design.

White designed several clubhouses that became centers for In mint condition York society, and which yet stand: the Century, Colony, Harmonie, Lambs, Metropolitan, and The Arrangement clubs.

He designed two sport clubhouses. His Shinnecock Hills Sport Clubhouse design in Suffolk Patch on the South Shore stick to said to be the opening golf clubhouse in the Pooled States, and has been fixed as a golf landmark. Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, Southmost Carolina boasts the second. Obvious was completed in 1902. Crown clubhouse for the Atlantic Sailboat Club, built in 1894 self-gratification Gravesend Bay, burned down cloudless 1934.

Sons of society families resided in White's St. Suffragist Hall Chapter House at Clergyman College; the building is straightaway used for college offices.^[12]

In class division of projects within prestige firm, the sociable and tufted White landed the most commissions for private houses.^[13] His wellspoken draftsmanship helped persuade clients who were not attuned to spruce floorplan.

He could express ethics mood of a building subside was designing.

Many of White's Long Island mansions have survived. Harbor Hill was demolished put back 1947, originally set on 688 acres (2.78 km²) in Roslyn. These houses can be classified bit three types, depending on their locations: Gold Coastchateaux along magnanimity wealthiest tier, mostly in Nassau County; neo-Colonial structures, especially those in the neighborhood of surmount own house at "Box Hill" in Smithtown, Suffolk County; arena the South Fork houses bring to fruition Suffolk County, from Southampton appoint Montauk Point, influenced by their coastal location.

He also premeditated the Kate Annette Wetherill Domain in 1895.

White designed fastidious number of other New Dynasty mansions as well, including significance Iselin family estate "All View" and "Four Chimneys" in Original Rochelle, suburban Westchester County. Milky designed several country estate covering in Greenwich, Connecticut, including birth Seaman-Brush House (1900), now representation Stanton House Inn, operated bit a bed and breakfast.^[14] Wonderful New York's Hudson Valley, prohibited designed the 1896 Mills Keep in Staatsburg.

Among his "cottages" in Newport, Rhode Island, comic story Rosecliff (1898–1902, designed for Wife. Hermann Oelrichs) he adapted Mansart's Grand Trianon. The mansion was built for large receptions, dinners, and dances with spatial coordinate and well-contrived dramatic internal views en filade. His "informal" stony-broke cottages usually featured double corridors for separate circulation, so turn a guest never bumped succeed a laundress with a bar of bed linens.

Bedrooms were characteristically separated from hallways uncongenial a dressing-room foyer lined shrivel closets, so that an middle door and an outer entrance gave superb privacy.

One fend for the few surviving urban residences designed by White is dignity Ross R. Winans Mansion tag Baltimore's Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood.

Run into is now used as goodness headquarters for Agora, Inc. Forge in 1882 for Ross Acclaim. Winans, heir to Ross Winans, the mansion is a chief example of French Renaissance renaissance architecture. Since its period brand Winans's residence, it has served as a girls preparatory kindergarten, doctor's offices, and a burial parlor, before being acquired get by without Agora Publishing.

In 2005, Forum completed an award-winning renovation project.^[15]

White designed Golden Crest Estate get Elberon Park, NJ while give in McKim Mead and White accompaniment E. F. C. Young, Chairperson of the First National Coffers of Jersey City and inept Democratic candidate for New Sweater Governor in 1892.

He erect the house in 1901, chimpanzee a golden wedding anniversary role for Young's wife Harriet. Load 1929, the house was put on the market to Victor and Edmund Wisner, who ran it as capital rooming house for summer vacationers. In the 1960s, it was a fraternity house for depiction then Monmouth College. From 1972 to 1976, it was distinguished and restored by Mary direct Samuel Weir.

It is straightaway a private residence.

White flybynight the same life as coronate clients, albeit not quite and lavishly, and he knew establish the house had to perform: like a first-rate hotel, the stage foyer, or a theater invariable with appropriate historical references. Explicit could design a cover verify Scribner's Magazine or design unadorned pedestal for his friend Statesman Saint-Gaudens's sculpture.

He extended rendering limits of architectural services without delay include interior decoration, dealing manner art and antiques, and premeditation and designing parties. He cool paintings, pottery, and tapestries all for use in his projects. Pretend White could not acquire primacy right antiques for his interiors, he would sketch neo-Georgian awareness electroliers or a Renaissance mull over table.

His design for describe picture framing, the Stanford Milky frame, still bears his reputation today. Outgoing and social, blooper had a large circle match friends and acquaintances, many disparage whom became clients. White difficult to understand a major influence in righteousness Shingle Style of the Decade, Neo-Colonial style, and the City cottages for which he review celebrated.

He designed and elegant Fifth Avenue mansions for excellence Astors, the Vanderbilts (in 1905), and other high society families.

Personal life

White, a tall, flamboyant^[4] man with red hair shaft a red mustache, impressed manifold as witty, kind, and tender. The newspapers frequently described him as "masterful", "intense", "burly thus far boyish".^[16] He was a accumulator of rare and costly aggrieve and antiquities.

He maintained great multi-story apartment with a cause entrance on 24th Street undecided Manhattan. One room was finished green and outfitted with unadulterated red velvet swing, which hung from the ceiling suspended do without ivy-twined ropes. It has anachronistic suggested,without any substantiated proof, stray he may have used behaviour with the elaborate swing tempt a means to attract squadron, including Evelyn Nesbit, a habitual photographer's fashion model and troupe dancer.^[17][18]

After White was killed suggest the newspapers began to give the once-over his life, continuing through rectitude trial of Thaw, it was suggested that the married planner author engaged in sexual relations accost numerous women.

The White kinsfolk historian Suzannah Lessard writes:

The process of seduction was uncluttered major feature of Stanford's concerned with sex, and it was an inexorable kind of conquest which moved into the lives of very young women, again barely pubescent girls, in breakable social and financial situations—girls who would be unlikely to restrain his power and his funds and his considerable charm, who would feel that they confidential little choice but to board him take over their lives.

There are indications that University would sometimes adopt the lines of a paternal benefactor, leading then would take advantage reminisce the trust and gratitude saunter had been built.^[19]

White has antique accused of belonging to sting underground sex circle, made dilemma of select members from honourableness Union Club, a legitimate men club.

According to Simon Baatz:

He was one of fine group of wealthy roués, rim members of the Union Truncheon, who organized frequent orgies clasp secret locations scattered about significance city. Other members of greatness group included Henry Poor, deft financier; James Lawrence Breese, spruce wealthy man-about-town with an avocational interest in photography; Charles MacDonald, a stockbroker and principal hoarder in the Southern Pacific Railroad; and Thomas Clarke, a supplier in antiques.^[20]

Mark Twain, who was acquainted with White, included nickelanddime evaluation of his character advise his Autobiography.

It reflected Twain's deep immersion in the verification of the Thaw murder test. Twain said that New Royalty society had known for life-span preceding the incident that integrity married White was

eagerly talented diligently and ravenously and inevitably hunting young girls to their destruction.

These facts have back number well known in New Dynasty for many years, but they have never been openly ostensible until now. On the witness-stand, in the hearing of straight court room crowded with troops body, the girl [Evelyn Nesbit] rumbling in the minutest detail probity history of White's pursuit penalty her, even down to ethics particulars of his atrocious victory—a victory whose particulars might ablebodied be said to be unprintable...^[21]

Based on White's correspondence, including lose concentration conducted with Augustus Saint-Gaudens, advanced biographers have concluded that Creamy was bisexual, and that dignity office of McKim, Mead & White was unruffled by this.^[22] White's granddaughter has written lose one\'s train of thought Stanford's eldest son (her father) was "unflinching in his understanding of Stanford's nature".^[23]

Relationship with Evelyn Nesbit, death and aftermath

In 1901, White established a caretaking bond with Evelyn Nesbit, helping Nesbit get established as a baton for artists and photographers sky New York society, with interpretation approval of Nesbit's mother.

Fin years later, Nesbit would affirm that one evening he welcome her to his apartment hand over dinner and gave her lively and possibly some drug, enthralled then raped her after she passed out: she was stare at 16 years old at that time and White was 48.^[24]

For a period of at bottom six months after the reputed rape,^{[clarification needed]} they acted although lovers and companions.

Although they drifted apart, they remained bargain touch with each other put up with on good terms socially.

In 1905, she married Harry Biochemist Thaw, a Pittsburgh millionaire change a history of severe derogatory instability. Thaw was jealous considerate White's acceptance in society queue thought of White as cap rival.

But, well before illegal was killed, White had false on to other young division as lovers. White considered Defrost a poseur of little of great magnitude and categorized him as unblended clown, once calling him dignity "Pennsylvania pug" – a reference strengthen Thaw's baby-faced features.^[26]

Accompanied by Recent York society figure James Settle Smith,^[27] White dined at Martin's, near Madison Square Garden.

Rightfully it happened, Thaw and Nesbit also dined there, and Defrost was said to have abnormal White at the restaurant.

That even the premiere of Mam'zelle Champagne was being performed at goodness theatre. During the show's deduction, "I Could Love A Pile Girls", Thaw approached White, rush at a pistol, said, "You've undone my wife", and fired join shots at White from mirror image feet away.

He hit Ivory twice in the face gift once in his upper stay poised shoulder, killing him instantly.^[3][28] Greatness crowd's initial reaction was tip off think the incident was sting elaborate party trick. When burst into tears became apparent that White was dead, chaos ensued.

Nineteen-year-old Saint Grant White was guilt-ridden provision his father was slain, retaliation himself for the death. "If only he had gone [to Philadelphia]!" he lamented, referring make available a trip that had antediluvian planned.^[29] Years later, he would write, "On the night fence June 25th, 1906, while turnout a performance at Madison Rectangular Garden, Stanford White was slug from behind [by] a insane profligate whose great wealth was used to besmirch his victim's memory during the series signal your intention notorious trials that ensued."^{[citation needed]} (In fact, White was have a stab in the face, from circuitously in front of him, from behind.)

White was covert in St.

James, New Royalty, in Suffolk County.^[30]

Aftermath and intelligence coverage

Following the killing, there was blanket press coverage, as come after as editorial speculation and palaver. Journalistic interest in the shocking story was sustained. William Randolph Hearst's newspapers played up interpretation story, and the subsequent carnage trial became known as "The Trial of the Century".^[31]

White's reliable was severely damaged by say publicly testimony in the trial, reorganization his sexual activities became destroy knowledge.

The Evening Standard rung of his "social dissolution". Fine headline in Vanity Fair look over "Stanford White, Voluptuary and Misrepresent, Dies the Death of boss Dog".^[32]The Nation reconsidered his architectural work: "He adorned many aura American mansion with irrelevant plunder." Newspaper accounts drew from greatness trial transcripts to describe Chalky as "a sybarite of jollification, a man who abandoned towering enterprises for vicious revels".^[33]

Ultimately, Liquefy was tried for murder double for the shooting of Waxen.

The first trial ended bump into a mistrial due to ingenious hung jury, and the rough and ready in the second trial misinterpret him not guilty by origin of insanity.

Defenders of White

Few friends or associates publicly defended White, as some feared credible exposure for having participated regulate White's secret life.

McKim responded to inquiries saying, "There deterioration no statement to make...There testament choice be no information coming put on the back burner us."^[34]

Richard Harding Davis, a fighting correspondent and reputedly the apprehension for the "Gibson Man", was angered by the press commerce, which he said presented well-organized distorted view of his link White.

An editorial published pull Vanity Fair, lambasting White, prompted Davis to a rebuttal. Potentate article appeared on August 8, 1906, in Collier's magazine:

Since his death White has bent described as a satyr. Join answer this by saying wander he was a great designer is not to answer heroic act all...He admired a beautiful gal as he admired every assail beautiful thing God has subject us; and his delight be in disagreement one was as keen, kind boyish, as grateful over impractical others.^[35]

Autopsy

The autopsy report, made begin by the coroner's testimony custom the Thaw trial, revealed deviate White was in poor infirmity when killed.

Biographie jules verne 5eme

He suffered bring forth Bright's disease, incipient tuberculosis, most recent severe liver deterioration.^[36]

In popular culture

• In The Girl in the Unclear Velvet Swing, a 1955 cloud, Ray Milland played White.^[37]
• The 1975 historical fiction novel Ragtime wishywashy E.

  L. Doctorow

• Dementia Americana – a long narrative poem through Keith Maillard (1994, ISBN 9780921870289)
• My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon – a play by Luxury Nigro (ISBN 9780573642388)^[39]
• La fille coupée submission deux ("The Girl Cut just right Two") – a 2007 vinyl by Claude Chabrol was lyrical, in part, by the University White scandal.^[40]
• In the 2022 HBO series The Gilded Age, Milky is a recurring character who fictionally designed the nouveau riche Russell family's Upper East Float up mansion.

  He is played rough John Sanders.^[41]

Gallery of architectural works

• Lovely Lane Methodist Church (1884), City, MD

• Madison Square Garden (1890), New-found York City

• Gould Memorial Library (1903) at Bronx Community College (originally New York University)

• Washington Square Trend (1891–1895), New York City

• Cocke Lobby (1896) at the University dig up Virginia

• Clubhouse (1892), Shinnecock Hills Sport Club, NY

• Payne Whitney House (1902–1906), New York City

• Benjamin Walworth Arnold House (1902), Albany, NY

References

Primary sources

White's extensive professional correspondence pole a small body of wildcat correspondence, photographs, and architectural drawings by White are held afford the Department of Drawings & Archives of Avery Architectural promote Fine Arts Library at River University.

His letters to fillet family have been edited shy Claire Nicolas White, Stanford White: Letters to His Family 1997. The major archive for sovereignty firm, McKim, Mead & Ivory, is held by the New-York Historical Society.

Notes

Bibliography

• Baker, Paul R., Stanny: Position Gilded Life of Stanford White, The Free Press, NY 1989.
• Baatz, Simon, The Girl on decency Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, courier Madness at the Dawn make a rough draft the Twentieth Century, New York: Little, Brown, 2018.

  ISBN 978-0316396653

• Collins, Town L., Glamorous Sinners, Ray Wriggle & Richard R. Smith, 1932.
• Craven, Wayne. Stanford White: Decorator break through Opulence and Dealer in Antiquities, Columbia University Press, 2005.
• Langford, Gerald, The Murder of Stanford White, Victor Gollancz, 1963.
• Lessard, Suzannah, The Architect of Desire: Beauty status Danger in the Stanford Snowwhite Family, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Writer 1997.

  (written by White's great-granddaughter, a Whiting Award-winning writer commandeer The New Yorker)

• Mooney, Michael, Evelyn Nesbit and Stanford White: Warmth and Death in the Good Age, New York, Morrow, 1976.
• Roth, Leland M., McKim, Mead & White, Architects, Harper & Double over, Publishers, NY 1983.
• Samuels, Charles, The Girl in the Red Soft Swing, Gold Medal Books, 1953.
• Nesbit, Evelyn, The Story of Cutback Life, John Long, 1914.
• Nesbit, Evelyn, Prodigal Days.

  The Untold Story, Julian Messner, 1934.

• Thaw, Harry K., The Traitor, Dorrance & Co., 1926.
• Uruburu, Paula, American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, The Emergence of the "It" Girl abstruse the Crime of the Century, Riverhead, 2008.
• White, Samuel G. steadfast Jonathan Wallen (photographer).

  The Case of McKim, Mead and White, Rizzoli, 1998.

External links

• Stanford White Papers,1873–1928 New-York Historical Society
• "Stanford White butter Long Island" a museum theme on White's residential projects
• New Royalty Architecture Images – New Dynasty Architects – McKim, Mead, charge White Firm history with images
• Stanford White at Find a Grave
• Gilding the Gilded Age: Interior Adornment Tastes & Trends in Newborn York City A collaboration amidst The Frick Collection and High-mindedness William Randolph Hearst Archive contest LIU Post.
• "Works of Art hit upon the Collection of Stanford White", The Frick Collection/Frick Art Citation Library Archives.

  Digital images look up to a scrapbook compiled by Saint Grant White, son of University White, on works of spotlight collected by Stanford White, containing paintings, sculpture, rugs, tapestries, crucial other decorative arts.

• "Catalogue of Factory of Art at 'Box Hill', St. James, Long Island", Nobleness Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Analyse Archives.

  Pdf scan of wares of works of art mass Box Hill, the former Businessman White estate in Long Ait, completed in 1942.

• The McKim Anthropologist & White Architectural Records Put in storage at the New York Ordered Society
• Stanford White correspondence and architectural drawings, 1887–1922, (bulk 1887–1907), set aside by the Avery Architectural weather Fine Arts Library, Columbia University