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TheWillard D. Straight House is amansion at 1130Fifth Avenue, at 94th Street, in theCarnegie Hill section of theUpper East Side ofManhattan inNew York City, United States. The mansion was designed byDelano & Aldrich in the neo-Georgian style and was completed in 1915 as the New York City residence ofWillard Dickerman Straight. The mansion is aNew York City designated landmark.
The house was designed by the firm ofDelano & Aldrich in theneo-Georgian style and was completed in 1915. The ground floor of the house is organized around a circular hallway in the 18th-century style topped by a dome, with a patterned black and white marble floor.[1] The Straight family also owned a complementary building at 162 East 92nd Street, also designed by Delano & Aldrich, that was used as a garage. The second and third floors of this building contained apartments for staff.[2] Straight died during theinfluenza epidemic of 1918 and his widowDorothy Whitney Straight continued to live in the house for several years with her children. She remarried and moved to England but continued to own the house until 1927.[1]
The house was sold toJudge Elbert H. Gary, Chairman of the Board of Directors of theUnited States Steel Corporation (who had recently sold his home at 956 Fifth Avenue which was demolished to make way for a new apartment building),[3] who died in the house the same year.[4] The next owner wasHarrison Williams, a utilities investor, and his wifeMona.[1]
In 1952, the house was sold to theAudubon Society for use as their headquarters, which they called the Audubon House.[5] The Society left in 1971, In 1974, the building was sold to theInternational Center of Photography for use as a new museum devoted exclusively to photography with photo‐journalistCornell Capa as executive director.[6] The mansion is aNew York City designated landmark.[7]
In 2000, ICP sold the building for $17.5 million to hedge fund founderBruce Kovner for use as a personal residence.[8][9] The noise and debris associated with Kovner's years-long conversion of the building back to a residence reportedly caused his neighbors dismay.[10]
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40°47′11.8″N73°57′22.9″W / 40.786611°N 73.956361°W /40.786611; -73.956361
