991 Fifth Avenue - New York

Continuing our look at the houses of Fifth Avenue, we have another early 20th century residence opposite Central Park.


Built by speculators John T. and James A. Farley between 1900 and 1901 on a 25' x100' lot, 991 Fifth Avenue was designed by James R. Turner and William G. Killian. This five story Beaux-Arts style house with American basement, features a rusticated limestone base, with the first three floors bowed out creating a stone-balustraded balcony on the fourth floor. This bowed feature allowed for additional light to flood the house not only from the west, but also the north and south. Ruddy-colored brick, with carved limestone detailing is used for the exterior of these three floors. The house is finished with a dramatic slate mansard roof with three elegant copper-clad dormers.


In May 1901, the house was purchased by Mrs. Edward King (Mary Augustus LeRoy), widow of Mr. Edward King, for $225,000. Mrs. King also maintained a house in Newport and was a member of the Colonial Dames of America.


Following the death of Mrs. King in May 1905, the house was sold to Mr. David Crawford Clark in April 1906.




In 1911, Clark commissioned architect and decorator Ogden Codman, Jr. to decorate and reconfigure the interiors, including the installation of a classically inspired entrance hall and stair hall. Today these changes are almost entirely intact, displaying the carved plasterwork and woodwork, marble fireplace mantles, stately columns, and leaded-glass windows.


The house features an elevator and rear servant's staircase. And the main stair is arranged to the side of the house and capped by a skylight to bring light into the house, while maintaining the sight line of the full expanse of 100 feet front to back. There is also a rear interior light well, surrounded by leaded glass, to bring additional light into that section of the house.


In 1918 the house was sold to Mr. William Ellis Corey, former president of the United States Steel Corporation.


After Corey's death in May 1934, the house was sold by his son, Mr. Alan L. Corey, to the American Irish Historical Society in November 1939 for $145,000.

By 2006, the house was in a state of utter disrepair, with the basement flooding regularly because of the sewers on Fifth Avenue, outdated electrical and plumbing systems, and the masonry requiring overall re-pointing and restoration. The Society engaged Joseph Pell Lombardi to upgrade and restore the house. During this work Lombardi consulted the original drawings of Codman to ensure the restoration was as close to possible with those 1911 plans. This involved conservation, repair, and cleaning of the exterior, finish analysis of the interior, reinstatement of finishes in the important public rooms, and a furniture inventory and identification of their origin and relationship to the building. This $5 million restoration was completed in 2008.

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