Spencer House was commissioned in 1756 by John Spencer, who later became the first Earl Spencer. The house was designed by John Vardy, who studied under William Kent, and was later worked on by James "Athenian" Stuart. This neoclassical mansion became a stage for London's high society, playing host to an assortment of esteemed personalities.
Barney Barnato, the self-made millionaire, and the Marlborough family were among those who left their mark on the house, actually welcoming their firstborn child inside its grand halls. The Spencer family vacated Spencer House for the final time during the early 1920s. The mansion remains in the ownership of the Earls Spencer, and in 1985, RIT Capital Partners secured a 96-year lease with an annual rent of £85,000.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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