New York City, New York story
A Wedding Present in Stone
At 1 East 78th Street stands a mansion that looks like it was plucked straight from the French countryside. Completed in 1912, the James B. Duke House was actually a wedding prese…
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At 1 East 78th Street stands a mansion that looks like it was plucked straight from the French countryside. Completed in 1912, the James B. Duke House was actually a wedding present for Nannie Holt, the second wife of James Buchanan Duke.
Designed by Horace Trumbauer, the home was heavily inspired by the Château Labottière in Bordeaux, built in the style of a French hôtel particulier. With its limestone façade and slate-and-copper roof, it became one of the crown jewels of Fifth Avenue's Millionaire’s Row. Today, the luxury of the Gilded Age serves a different purpose; since 1959, this architectural gem has housed NYU's Institute of Fine Arts, turning a private sanctuary into a center for artistic study.
Updated June 2026