Henry Clay Frick bought the site of the Lenox Library in 1906 and 1907. That building was a neo-Grec style library for the books and paintings of philanthropist James Lenox. Frick commissioned Thomas Hastings to design a private residence, which was built in the Beaux-Arts style between 1912 and 1914.
The house is an L-shaped limestone mansion with three wings. The first floor originally contained the family's communal rooms, the second floor contained the family's bedrooms and private rooms, and the third floor originally contained the servants' quarters. Frick lived in the building until his death in 1919, but his wife Adelaide and daughter Helen continued to live there until 1931.
Following a renovation, the house opened to the public as the Frick Collection in 1935. The building was slightly enlarged in 1977 and again in 2011. From 2020 to 2025, the house was closed for an extensive renovation to expand the museum.
Today, the limestone facade remains on Fifth Avenue, between 70th and 71st streets. Visitors can view the house, which contains the Frick Collection museum and the Frick Art Reference Library.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Kyle McLonely
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