James Bailey House
Encyclopedia
The James Bailey House is a large freestanding house which resembles a castle, and which sits at 10 St Nicholas Place (the intersection of St. Nicholas Place and 150th Street) in Hamilton Heights
, Harlem, Manhattan, New York City
, New York
. The house was built 1886 to 1888 to the designs by architect Samuel Burrage Reed
for James Bailey
, most famous for his role as business manager of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. As of 2010, the house is known as the M. Marshall Blake Funeral Home. The house is located within the boundary of the Hamilton Heights / Sugar Hill Historic District
.
Among the house's numerous design features are numerous stained glass windows, designed by a cousin of Louis Comfort Tiffany
. The interior is richly paneled in hand-carved timber. The AIA Guide to New York City. (2010) described the building, built 1886-1888 as a "rock-faced granite, stylishly Dutch-gabled and corner-towered. Once it was a major mansion owned by circus entrepreneur Bailey, who joined with showman Phineas T. Barnum in 1881 to form the Barnum & Bailey Circus."
In 1951, the house was purchased by a black woman, Marguerite Blake, who ran a mortuary from it until her retirement. In late 2008, she brought the house to market, seeking to sell it for $10 million. As of May 2009, it was being listed for $6.5 million. On August 31, 2009 it was reported that the house sold for $1.4 million, which was only around $170 per square foot.
Hamilton Heights, Manhattan
Hamilton Heights is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It lies between Manhattanville to the south and Washington Heights to the north. It contains the neighborhood of Sugar Hill....
, Harlem, Manhattan, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The house was built 1886 to 1888 to the designs by architect Samuel Burrage Reed
Samuel Burrage Reed
Samuel Burrage Reed, AIA, was an American architect of Corona, New York and Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey active in mid-to-late and early twentieth-century America, particularly in New York State, New York City, and Connecticut. Born in Meriden, Connecticut, he was first trained as a carpenter before...
for James Bailey
James Anthony Bailey
James Anthony Bailey was the creator of the modern circus.-Biography:He was born James Anthony McGuiness in Detroit, Michigan. Orphaned at the age of eight, McGuinness was working as a bellhop in Pontiac, Michigan when he was discovered by Fred Harrison Bailey as a teenager...
, most famous for his role as business manager of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. As of 2010, the house is known as the M. Marshall Blake Funeral Home. The house is located within the boundary of the Hamilton Heights / Sugar Hill Historic District
Sugar Hill Historic District (New York, New York)
Sugar Hill Historic District is a historic district in the Washington Heights and/or Harlem Heights area of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by W. 155th St., 145th St., Bradhurst Ave. and Convent Ave....
.
Among the house's numerous design features are numerous stained glass windows, designed by a cousin of Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
. The interior is richly paneled in hand-carved timber. The AIA Guide to New York City. (2010) described the building, built 1886-1888 as a "rock-faced granite, stylishly Dutch-gabled and corner-towered. Once it was a major mansion owned by circus entrepreneur Bailey, who joined with showman Phineas T. Barnum in 1881 to form the Barnum & Bailey Circus."
In 1951, the house was purchased by a black woman, Marguerite Blake, who ran a mortuary from it until her retirement. In late 2008, she brought the house to market, seeking to sell it for $10 million. As of May 2009, it was being listed for $6.5 million. On August 31, 2009 it was reported that the house sold for $1.4 million, which was only around $170 per square foot.