Cornelius vanderbilt ii house on fifth avenue

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Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s Mansion at 742-748 Fifth Avenue (between 57th and 58th Streets).

Cornelius vanderbilt ii house on fifth avenue

Cornelius vanderbilt ii house on fifth avenue

Cornelius vanderbilt ii house on fifth avenue nyc

Cornelius vanderbilt ii house on fifth avenue in boston

Vanderbilt mansion nyc today

Vanderbilt mansion new york photos

Photo via Library of Congress.

Welcome to our Then & Now column, exploring the ever-changing landscape of New York City.

The rise and fall of the Vanderbilt family, which still pervades American historical lore, can be viewed through the lens of Cornelius Vanderbilt II”s Fifth Avenue mansion.

The original mansion was constructed in 1882 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in what was a highly respectable residential neighborhood. Although it seems ostentatious today, at the time it was considered restrained by Vanderbilt standards.

In 1893, Vanderbilt expanded the original mansion to establish what was reportedly the largest single family house in New York City.

Photo from Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Coll