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If Stanford White were alive today he'd be building mansions for Donald Trump. And they would be the most lavish, extravagant houses money could buy.
One hundred years ago, White was the architect of choice for the cream of American society. He spent fortunes constructing picturesque summer "cottages" and city palazzos for his wealthy clients, which were then decorated to the hilt. In doing so, he captured the spirit of a luxuriant and materialistic age.
Many of the finest houses have survived. And now that the weather's turning warmer, it's the perfect time for a self-guided architectural walking tour. (Since the buildings are spread throughout the length of Manhattan, you might need to throw in a few subway or cab rides.) Seen together, they show why White's legacy to New York is so dramatic and pervasive.
"He was a very dynamic individual," said Dr. Paul R. Baker, author of a new biography called "Stanny: The Gilded Life of Stanford White" (The Free Press, $24.95). "He was highly energetic, very sociable, almost frenetic at times, with a larger-than-life appetite for work - and for play."
Indeed, White is often remembered for the scandalous way in which he died. A notorious womanizer, he was killed by Harry Thaw, a cocaine addict and the jealous husband of showgirl Evelyn Nesbit, with whom White had had a torrid love affair. The fact that the murder took place on the roof of the old Madison Square Garden (designed by White) only made it more titillating.
Though his personal life was marked by excess and self-indulgence, White's work reflected a tranquil and ordered vision. As a principal in the firm of McKim, Mead & White, he championed an architecture of order, proportion and balance. "His work is sumptuous, with considerable ornamentation," said Baker. "But while the buildings are luxuriant, they are restrained at the same time."
White borrowed heavily from the Italian Renaissance, using classical columns, decorative stonework and opulent materials to create a civilized architecture. Today, his buildings appear calming, especially in contrast to the steel and glass high-rises that crowd...