The businessman Joseph Raphael De Lamar bought this plot in 1901 and hired C. P. H. Gilbert to build a mansion. By 1905, the project was finished. It was a five-story Beaux-Arts mansion featuring a steel superstructure, a mansard roof, and was originally equipped with five elevators and lifts.
De Lamar lived there with his daughter and a staff of servants until 1918. The American Bible Society wanted the property in 1921, but the deal collapsed because of a zoning dispute - apparently, even holy organizations have to follow the rules. In 1924, the National Democratic Club moved in and used the place as a headquarters for half a century.
Eventually, the Republic of Poland bought the property from the club to settle some debts. The building has served as the Consulate General of Poland since 1973. The interior was renovated in the 1990s and 2000s, but the original decorative features survived the renovation.
Today, you can see the rusticated stonework and the primary 37th Street facade with its projecting pavilions. A life-sized statue of the Polish officer Jan Karski stands outside the main entrance. It is a sturdy piece of New York real estate that successfully transitioned from a private home to the Consulate General of Poland.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Kyle McLonely
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