Mrs. William B. Astor House

The principal entrance to the house was through a domed vestibule, from which led a hall lined with busts of Mrs Astor’s ancestors. This room, in turn, gave access to the marble great hall, from where rose a large cantilevered staircase. From the great hall, guests could enter the Adam style reception room, where they were received, on formal occasions, by their hostess standing beneath her own portrait by Carolus-Duran. At the end of the great hall was the entrance, flanked by two large vases and gold satin curtains, to the ballroom.

From the Great Hall, also led the Drawing Room, the walls of which were adorned with gilt-framed mirrors. The Drawing Room floor was laid with oriental carpets, large game rugs, and several others woven from feathers.

Also, off the Great Hall was the dining room, the black marble walls of which were hung with tapestries depicting hunting scenes. The room’s black-and-white marble-tiled floor was covered with polar-bear rugs, all centered on the marble stoned chimney piece, the mantle of which displayed vases. The Dining Room was lit by a large crystal chandelier hung with satin draperies.

From the dining room, was the breakfast room, which contained Mrs Astor’s tea-cup collection. This room also contained a small table covered with a red-and-white tablecloth and a small oriental vase filled with flowers.

The ballroom was the largest room of the house, spanning the entire rear of the house and rising four stories to the roof. The ballroom doubled as the art gallery; the satin-paneled walls were hung with Mrs. Astor's famed art collection, while the parquet floors were covered with four massive red oriental rugs and 16 long narrow red Persian rugs. Also dotted around the floor were colorful peacock feathered woven rugs.

From the ceiling were suspended four large crystal chandeliers, each with several pearl strings linking from one to the other. At one end of the ballroom was a huge marble chimneypiece rising to the ceiling; this was decorated with two sculptures of male caryatids supporting a painted panel of a gala at the palace of Versailles. At the opposing end of the Ballroom, at second floor level, was a Minstrels' gallery, where a wall of Chinese screens blocked the musicians' view of the ballroom. In front of the balcony was Mrs. Astor's statue of Venus; around this were potted plants and a small marble waterfall. Before the fireplace stood Louis XVI style candelabra. Between the candelabra was a raised dais covered in fur blankets, on top of which was a red satin divan, upon which Caroline would sit. In between the divan were two small tables, on top of which were two marble horse heads. At the centre of the ballroom was placed a round, red velvet ottoman constructed around a large marble urn; matching this, arranged around the room were Canapés and chairs.

On the second floor was Mrs Astor’s bedroom, domed boudoir, dressing room, bathroom and closets. This floor also contained a guest suite and the linen closet.

The remaining floors contained the many guest and servants’ rooms.