View source for William H. Moore House

{{Short description|Commercial building in Manhattan, New York}}
{{Distinguish|William Moore Jr. House}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name                     = William H. Moore House
| nrhp_type                = 
| image                    = William-moore-house.jpg
| alt                      = The facade as seen in 2008
| caption                  = (2008)
| location                 = 4 East 54th Street, [[Manhattan]], New York
| coordinates              = {{coord|40.7606|-73.9749|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| district_map             = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|frame-height=250|zoom=14|type=point|marker=|title=William H. Moore House}}
| built                    = 1898–1900
| architect                = [[McKim, Mead & White]]
| architecture             = Renaissance
| added                    = March 16, 1972
| area                     = less than one acre
| refnum                   = 72000878<ref name="nris"/>
| designated_other2_name   = New York City Landmark
| designated_other2_date   = January 11, 1967
| designated_other2_abbr   = NYCL
| designated_other2_link   = New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
| designated_other2_number = 0273
| designated_other2_color  = #ffe978
}}

The '''William H. Moore House''', also known as the '''Stokes-Moore Mansion''' and '''4 East 54th Street''', is a commercial building in the [[Midtown Manhattan]] neighborhood of [[New York City]]. It is along [[54th Street (Manhattan)|54th Street]]'s southern sidewalk between [[Madison Avenue]] and [[Fifth Avenue]]. The building was designed by [[McKim, Mead & White]] and constructed between 1898 and 1900 as a private residence.

The house is a six-story, rectangular stone building in the [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] style. It has an [[English basement]] on the first floor, which is clad with rusticated blocks of the stone. There is a [[baluster|balustrade]] and overhanging [[cornice]] above the fifth floor. A sixth floor, recessed from the street, was added in the 1990s.

The house was commissioned by developer [[William Earle Dodge Stokes]] and purchased by financier [[William Henry Moore (judge)|William Henry Moore]] before its completion. Although William H. Moore died in the mansion in 1923, his wife Ada resided in the house until her death in 1955. Afterward, the house contained offices for organizations and companies such as the [[America-Israel Cultural Foundation]] and the [[Banco di Napoli]], as well as a store for fashion company [[Kiton]]. The [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] designated 4 East 54th Street as an official landmark in 1967, and it was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on March 16, 1972.

==Site==
The William H. Moore House is at 4 East 54th Street in the [[Midtown Manhattan]] neighborhood of [[New York City]]. It is on the south side of [[54th Street (Manhattan)|54th Street]] between [[Madison Avenue]] to the east and [[Fifth Avenue]] to the west. The [[land lot]] covers {{convert|3,615|ft2}} with a [[frontage]] of {{convert|36|ft}} on 54th Street and a depth of {{Convert|100.42|ft}}. Nearby sites include the residences at [[University Club of New York]] and [[The Peninsula New York]] to the northwest; [[689 Fifth Avenue|Aeolian Building]] and the [[St. Regis New York]] hotel to the north; [[19 East 54th Street]] to the east; [[Saint Thomas Church (Manhattan)|Saint Thomas Church]] and [[666 Fifth Avenue]] to the southwest; and [[Paley Park]] one block south.<ref name="ZoLa">{{Cite web|title=4 East 54 Street, 10022|url=https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/l/lot/1/1289/67#18.05/40.760594/-73.974247|url-status=live|access-date=March 20, 2020|publisher=[[New York City Department of City Planning]]|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515224739/https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/l/lot/1/1289/67#18.05/40.760594/-73.974247}}</ref>

Fifth Avenue between [[42nd Street (Manhattan)|42nd Street]] and [[Central Park South]] (59th Street) was relatively undeveloped through the late 19th century.<ref name="NYCL-2327">{{cite web|date=June 23, 2009|title=John Peirce Residence|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2327.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610192640/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2327.pdf|archive-date=June 10, 2021|access-date=April 28, 2021|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|page=2|url-status=live}}</ref> The surrounding area was once part of the common lands of the city of New York.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stokes |first=Isaac Newton Phelps |year=1915 |title=The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909 |url=https://archive.org/details/iconographyofman06stok |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415060518/http://archive.org:80/details/iconographyofman06stok |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |volume=6 |publisher=Robert H. Dodd |page=67 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> The [[Commissioners' Plan of 1811]] established Manhattan's [[grid plan|street grid]] with lots measuring {{convert|100|ft}} deep and {{convert|25|ft}} wide.<ref>{{cite enc-nyc2|page=558}}</ref> Upscale residences were constructed around Fifth Avenue following the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="NYCL-2327" /><ref>{{cite NY1880|page=578}}</ref> The block of East 54th Street from Fifth to Madison Avenues was only sporadically developed until the late 1870s, and it had brownstone residences by 1886.<ref name="NYPL Digital Collections">{{cite book | title=Atlas of the city of New York: embracing all territory within its corporate limits from official records, private plans & actual surveys | publisher=E. Robinson & R.H. Pidgeon | date=1885 | at=plate 21 | via=NYPL Digital Collections | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-098a-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99/book?parent=26a3f8e0-c5fa-012f-98b6-58d385a7bc34#page/21/mode/2up | access-date=2021-06-11 | archive-date=June 11, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611192951/https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-098a-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99/book?parent=26a3f8e0-c5fa-012f-98b6-58d385a7bc34#page/21/mode/2up | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NYCL p. 4"/> Residents of the block included socialite Minnie E. Young at 19 East 54th and merchant [[John R. Platt]] at 7 East 54th. On the next block west were the residences of [[John D. Rockefeller]] at 4 West 54th, [[John D. Rockefeller Jr.]] at 10 West 54th, and [[Philip Lehman]] at [[7 West 54th Street|7 West 54th]].<ref name="NYCL p. 4">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2016|ps=.|p=4}}</ref>

==Architecture==
4 East 54th Street is designed in the [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Italian Renaissance Revival]] style by [[McKim, Mead & White]].<ref>{{cite aia5|page=333}}</ref><ref name="NYCL-0273">{{cite web|date=January 11, 1967|title=America-Israel Cultural Foundation|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0273.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513172753/http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0273.pdf|archive-date=May 13, 2021|access-date=April 28, 2021|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NY1900">{{cite NY1900|page=350}}</ref> The building is clad with stone and is structurally supported by masonry-bearing walls. It is five stories tall, with the ground story treated as an English basement.<ref name="NPS p. 2">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1972|ps=.|p=2}}</ref> The original facade is divided horizontally into three sections: the ground-floor [[English basement]], the three center stories, and the fifth-story attic.<ref name="NPS p. 4">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1972|ps=.|p=4}}</ref> [[Russell Sturgis]], writing for ''[[Architectural Record]]'' in 1900, described 4 East 54th Street as "tranquil, simple, and not ineffective", but he thought that the balcony outside the second floor should have been placed at a greater height.<ref name="AR-1900-07">{{cite magazine|last=Sturgis|first=Russell|date=Jul 1900|title=The Art Gallery of the New York Streets|url=https://usmodernist.org/AR/AR-1900-1901-07-06.pdf|journal=Architectural Record|volume=10|pages=103, 105|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-date=July 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719065922/https://usmodernist.org/AR/AR-1900-1901-07-06.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Facade ===
The facade is made of white limestone.<ref name="NPS p. 2" /><ref name="AR-1900-07" /><ref name="TL p. 128">{{harvnb|Tauranac|1985|ps=.|page=128}}</ref> The main facade on 54th Street is five stories tall with three [[Bay (architecture)|bays]] of vertical openings. The first story is faced with [[Rustication (architecture)|rusticated]] stone blocks, and it contains flat-arched display windows on the left and right bays, topped by keystones with [[volute]]s. The main entrance is through the center bay and has a carved [[cartouche]] above it.<ref name="NYCL-0273" /><ref name="NPS p. 2" /> A balcony runs across the bottom of the second story.<ref name="NYCL-0273" /><ref name="NY1900" /><ref name="NPS p. 2" /> The keystones on the left and right windows, as well as four additional [[console bracket]]s, support the balcony.<ref name="NPS p. 4" />

The second through fifth stories facing 54th Street each contain three rectangular windows, which are surrounded by increasingly simple moldings on higher floors. These stories are mostly clad with flat stone, but the extreme ends of the facade contain rusticated [[quoin]]s. Above the second story are individual [[cornice]]s supported by brackets. The center window on the third story has a rectangular balcony, with a railing made of carved ironwork, and it is topped by a rounded pediment. The fourth and fifth floors are separated by a horizontal [[band course]] with [[dentil]]s. Above the fifth floor, there is an entablature with dentils and scallop details. There is also a large cornice supported by console brackets.<ref name="NYCL-0273" /><ref name="NPS p. 2" /> Above the cornice is a [[balustrade]], behind which is the flat roof.<ref name="NPS p. 2" />

[[File:E 54 St Apr 2021 23.jpg|thumb|alt=Top of the eastern facade, which consists of a penthouse above a blank wall|Top of the eastern facade as seen from a distance]]

The sixth floor, added in the 1990s, was built atop that roof and is not visible from street level.<ref name="nyt20011209">{{Cite news|last=Holusha|first=John|date=December 9, 2001|title=Commercial Property/Midtown Manhattan; Town Houses Used by Foreign Banks Are for Sale|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/09/realestate/commercial-property-midtown-manhattan-town-houses-used-foreign-banks-are-for.html|access-date=May 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002628/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/09/realestate/commercial-property-midtown-manhattan-town-houses-used-foreign-banks-are-for.html|url-status=live}}</ref> When the house was completed, there had been windows on three sides.<ref name="rer19000120" /> The western wall had windows since, at the time of the house's construction, the building did not abut anything to the west.<ref name="TL p. 128" />

=== Interior ===
The house has {{Convert|23000|ft2}} of space,<ref name="nyt20011209" /> or {{convert|25971|ft2}} according to city records.<ref name="ZoLa"/> The interior was outfitted with 21 fireplaces; marble floors, stairs, and pillars; mahogany, oak, and cypress decorative elements; [[wrought iron]] fretwork; and [[stained glass]] windows. Some of the fireplaces were subsequently removed, and the original lift inside the house was replaced with an elevator.<ref name="nyt19660123">{{Cite news|last=Friedman|first=Charles|date=January 23, 1966|title=A Mansion by Stanford White Is a U.S.-Israel Culture Center|language=en-US|page=260|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1966/01/23/87354857.pdf|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

4 East 54th Street is one of several "American basement plan" residences on 54th Street, where the entrance is placed at ground level, rather than on a [[Stoop (architecture)|stoop]] slightly above ground as in other rowhouses.<ref name="TL p. 128" /><ref name="NYCL p. 5">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2016|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> This type of design enabled the ground-floor reception area to have a central staircase, rather than on one side.<ref name="AR-1900-07" /><ref name="NYCL p. 5" /> The basement was arranged with a kitchen. The first floor had reception and dining rooms,<ref name="TL p. 128" /><ref name="nyt19760820">{{Cite news|last=Sterne|first=Michael|date=August 20, 1976|title=Exploring McKim's Manhattan|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/20/archives/new-jersey-weekly-exploring-mckims-manhattan.html|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002630/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/20/archives/new-jersey-weekly-exploring-mckims-manhattan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and it was clad in marble.<ref name="nyt20021117">{{Cite news|date=November 17, 2002|title=Postings: Kiton Buys Landmark 54th St. Mansion; Bespoke Tailor Supplants Bank|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/17/realestate/postings-kiton-buys-landmark-54th-st-mansion-bespoke-tailor-supplants-bank.html|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002626/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/17/realestate/postings-kiton-buys-landmark-54th-st-mansion-bespoke-tailor-supplants-bank.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The reception room was on the left side of the entrance, while an office was to the right. The hallway had marble [[column]]s, [[pilaster]]s, and walls and led to the kitchen.<ref name="TL p. 128" /> There was a marble fountain in the hallway when the house was used as a residence.<ref name="TL p. 130">{{harvnb|Tauranac|1985|ps=.|page=130}}</ref>

A broad staircase curves up to the second floor,<ref name="nyt19660123" /> which had drawing rooms and parlors.<ref name="nyt19760820" /> The second floor's main drawing room, at the front or north end of the house, occupied the entire width of the house. Another hallway and a conservatory separated the main drawing room from other spaces in the house. The conservatory had marble floors, while the other rooms had wooden floors in a [[herringbone pattern]].<ref name="TL p. 128" /> In the rear was a dining room containing wood-paneled walls and a fireplace with a [[mantelpiece]] of green marble.<ref name="nyt19660123" /> On the third and fourth floors were bedrooms for the family.<ref name="nyt19760820" /><ref name="TL p. 130" /> The third floor had a library at its front and two bedrooms (including a master bedroom) at its rear, decorated with marble shelves.<ref name="TL pp. 128–130">{{harvnb|Tauranac|1985|ps=.|pages=128–130}}</ref> The fourth floor was entirely dedicated to bedrooms,<ref name="TL pp. 128–130" /> and the fifth floor had bedrooms for the servants.<ref name="nyt19760820" />

==History==
[[William Earl Dodge Stokes]] was born in 1852 and helped develop many buildings on the [[Upper West Side]] in the late 19th century. His family headed a mining company called [[Phelps Dodge|Phelps, Dodge & Company]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gray|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Gray (architectural historian)|date=August 28, 2005|title=A West Side Developer's Other Side|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/realestate/a-west-side-developers-other-side.html|access-date=May 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002628/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/realestate/a-west-side-developers-other-side.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1895, Stokes married 19-year-old [[Rita de Acosta Lydig|Rita Hernandez de Alba Acosta]] after becoming enamored with Rita's picture in a window on Fifth Avenue.<ref name="nyt19940822">{{Cite news|last=Gray|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Gray (architectural historian)|date=August 22, 1993|title=Streetscapes: 4 East 54th Street; A Debit, or Added Interest?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/22/realestate/streetscapes-4-east-54th-street-a-debit-or-added-interest.html|access-date=May 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513122326/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/22/realestate/streetscapes-4-east-54th-street-a-debit-or-added-interest.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="TL p. 128" /> The wedding was held at 47 West 48th Street, the Midtown mansion where Rita Acosta's parents [[Ricardo de Acosta|Ricardo]] and Micaela lived.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 4, 1895|title=Wedding of Miss Acosta; Married to W.E.D. Stokes by Archbishop Corrigan|language=en-US|page=9|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1895/01/04/102441822.pdf|access-date=May 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=January 3, 1895|title=Mr. and Mrs. W.E.D. Stokes Who Were Married This Afternoon|pages=1|work=The Evening World|via=newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77652508/mr-and-mrs-wed-stokes-who-were/|access-date=May 13, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002628/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77652508/mr-and-mrs-wed-stokes-who-were/|url-status=live}}</ref> Initially, the couple lived on the Upper West Side.<ref name="nyt19940822" /> By the late 1890s, many smaller mansions were being developed on side streets near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.<ref name="TL p. 128" />

=== Residence ===
In June 1898, Caroline S. Reed sold two rowhouses at 4 and 6 East 54th Street for about $140,000.<ref name="rer18980611">{{cite magazine|date=June 11, 1898|title=Dwellings|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_021&page=ldpd_7031148_021_00001063&no=3|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=61|pages=1029, 1032|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=1578|access-date=May 15, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514200417/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_021&page=ldpd_7031148_021_00001063&no=3|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt18980607">{{Cite news|date=June 7, 1898|title=In the Real Estate Field|pages=10|work=The New York Times|via=newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693608/in-the-real-estate-field/|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514195550/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693608/in-the-real-estate-field/|url-status=live}}</ref> The buyer's name was initially not publicized,<ref name="nyt18980607" /> but William Stokes hired McKim, Mead & White to design a five-story brick-and-stone residence on the site shortly after the sale.<ref name="rer18980611" /><ref name="TL p. 128" /> The original plans for the house were announced that June, when the house was projected to cost $100,000.<ref name="rer18980611" /> The next month, William Stokes decided to instead erect a limestone-clad house.<ref name="TL p. 128" /> William Stokes had specifically planned the house for his wife: a short article in ''The Sun'', published in October 1898, stated that William and Rita Stokes "expect to move into their new house at 4 East Fifty-fourth Street on {{Nowrap|Jan. 16}}".<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 16, 1898|title=What Society Is Doing|pages=5|work=The Sun|via=newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693190/what-society-is-doing/|access-date=May 14, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514195548/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693190/what-society-is-doing/|url-status=live}}</ref> The marriage was short; by mid-1899 Rita Stokes had filed for divorce,<ref>{{cite web|last=Gaines|first=Steven|date=May 6, 2005|title=The Ups and Downs of The Ansonia, The Building that Made the Upper West Side|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/realestate/features/1871/|access-date=May 14, 2021|website=New York Magazine|archive-date=October 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004070913/http://nymag.com/nymetro/realestate/features/1871/|url-status=live}}</ref> with the proceedings finalized by the finalized the following April.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 28, 1900|title=Stokes Divorce Decree Presented in Supreme Court by Mrs. Stokes's Counsel|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1900/04/28/102589807.pdf|access-date=October 26, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The house had not been completed when, in December 1899, William Stokes sold it to financier [[William Henry Moore (judge)|William Henry Moore]],<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 15, 1899|title=Private Sales|pages=11|work=The Sun|via=newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693334/private-sales/|access-date=May 14, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514195550/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693334/private-sales/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=December 15, 1899|title=In the Real Estate Field|pages=12|work=The New York Times|via=newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693486/in-the-real-estate-field/|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514195548/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77693486/in-the-real-estate-field/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=December 16, 1899|title=Real Estate Market|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_024&page=ldpd_7031148_024_00001061&no=1|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=64|pages=927|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=1657|access-date=May 15, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514195551/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_024&page=ldpd_7031148_024_00001061&no=1|url-status=live}}</ref> who paid either $225,000<ref name="rer19000120">{{cite magazine|date=January 20, 1900|title=Conveyances|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_025&page=ldpd_7031148_025_00000165&no=3|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=65|pages=109|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=1662|access-date=May 15, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514234546/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_025&page=ldpd_7031148_025_00000165&no=3|url-status=live}}</ref> or $325,000.<ref name="TL p. 130" /> William and his wife Ada temporarily lived in the Holland House until the following March, when the house was completed.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 13, 1900|title=Wall Street Watches Him.: W. H. Moore, Great Trust Promoter, Moves to New York|page=6|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|id={{ProQuest|579533916}}}}</ref> In 1901, the Moores signed an agreement with [[Charles W. Harkness]] regarding an "encroachment" onto Harkness's adjacent property<ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 25, 1901|title=Conveyances|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_027&page=ldpd_7031148_027_00001148&no=2|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=67|pages=942|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=1732|access-date=May 15, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514234549/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_027&page=ldpd_7031148_027_00001148&no=2|url-status=live}}</ref> at 2 East 54th Street (685 Fifth Avenue).<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 2, 1916|title=C. W. Harkness. Of Standard Oil, Dies|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/05/02/100207162.pdf|page=13|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As of the [[1910 United States census]], the residents included not only the Moores but also nine servants, eight of whom were immigrants from Scotland, Sweden, Finland, and Ireland.<ref name="nyt19940822" /> William's grandson [[Paul Moore Jr.]], a [[bishop]] of the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]], recalled that the house was filled with "Persian rugs, Victorian furniture, etc."<ref name="TL p. 130" />

William H. Moore died at the house on January 11, 1923.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 12, 1923|title=W. H. Moore, Financier and Sportsman, Dies|pages=5|work=The Standard Union|via=newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77653135/w-h-moore-financier-and-sportsman/|access-date=May 13, 2021|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002627/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77653135/w-h-moore-financier-and-sportsman/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=January 12, 1923|title=W.H. Moore, Lawyer and Horseman, Dies|language=en-US|page=15|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1923/01/12/105841233.pdf|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> His estate was divided equally between Ada, who continued to live at the house, and the couple's two sons, who lived elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 18, 1923|title=Moore Estate to Family; Widow and Their Two Sons Share Equally.|language=en-US|page=15|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1923/01/18/105986861.pdf|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> After William Moore's death, Ada used the house for several events, such as a pre-[[Lent]] lecture,<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 3, 1930|title=Pre-lenten Lectures.: First of Two Literary Talks to Be Given at Mrs. W.H. Moore's Home|language=en-US|page=25|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/03/03/96062751.pdf|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> a tea for the [[Society of Woman Geographers]],<ref>{{cite news|date=February 3, 1934|title=Women Geographers Mrs. Moore's Guests: Slalvina Hoffman To Be Hon' ored at Tea Today|page=9|work=New York Herald Tribune|id={{ProQuest|1240095131}}}}</ref> and a reception for [[Metropolitan Opera]] singers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 8, 1936|title=Party to Be Given by Mrs. W.H. Moore; Reception Tomorrow for Opera Singers Who Will Appear in 'Parsifal' for Charity.|language=en-US|page=5|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1936/03/08/103201864.pdf|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As the neighborhood became more commercial in nature, the [[Stork Club]] restaurant opened directly behind the house. Paul Moore Jr. recalled that his grandmother's butler called the Stork Club's owner [[Sherman Billingsley]] regularly to complain about the noise from the restaurant.<ref name="TL p. 130" />  Ada Moore died at the house on January 30, 1955.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 31, 1955 |title=Mrs. William Moore, Patron of Arts, 96 |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1955/01/31/92844717.pdf |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 14, 2021 |work=The New York Times |page=19 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== Late 20th century ===
[[File:E 54 St Apr 2021 20.jpg|thumb|alt=Detail of the upper part of the facade|Upper facade details]]
Harry and Sydney W. Waxman, builders from the company Waxman Brothers, purchased the house in May 1960 from Ed Benenson. The buyers were planning to convert the building to a headquarters of the Waxman Foundation, a charity, for $1 million. The renovations included air-conditioning and a new elevator.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 6, 1960|title=Waxmans Buy Mansion As New Headquarters|language=en-US|page=50|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/05/06/99493451.pdf|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Waxman Brothers had moved into the house by July 1960, when the company formed a new mortgage firm, the Jefferson Funding Corporation, with offices in the building.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 2, 1960|title=Real Estate Notes|page=27|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|id={{ProQuest|115206882}}}}</ref>

The [[America-Israel Cultural Foundation]] (AICF), a group founded by violinist [[Isaac Stern]], acquired the house in 1966 and converted the building into its headquarters. An arts-and-crafts center and an Israeli-art gallery were placed on the ground floor. The second floor had a reception foyer, a lecture/film room, and a board room.<ref name="nyt19660123" /> The AICF headquarters opened in February 1966.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Spiegel|first=Irving|date=February 9, 1966|title=Israel Arts Unit Opens New Home; Cultural Foundation Unveils Offices in Ex-mansion|language=en-US|page=35|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1966/02/09/121572014.pdf|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] (LPC) designated the house as a landmark on January 11, 1967.<ref name="NYCL-2327" /> Under AICF ownership, the house was known as the America-Israel Culture House. It hosted events such as an exhibit of artifacts from the "Land of the Bible",<ref>{{Cite news|last=Knox|first=Sanka|date=May 21, 1968|title=Show to Depict Land of the Bible; Antiquities Display Pays Tribute to Israel at 20|language=en-US|page=41|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/05/21/77089074.pdf|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> a reception for [[Batsheva Dance Company]] performers,<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 1, 1970|title=Batsheva Dancers' Debut to Aid America‐Israel Cultural Fund|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/01/archives/batsheva-dancers-debut-to-aid-americaisrael-cultural-fund.html|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515154622/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/01/archives/batsheva-dancers-debut-to-aid-americaisrael-cultural-fund.html|url-status=live}}</ref> a series of photographs about the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shepard|first=Richard F.|date=November 23, 1977|title=Photos: The Losers, 29 Years Later|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/23/archives/photos-the-losers-29-years-later.html|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515154622/https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/23/archives/photos-the-losers-29-years-later.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a display of modern and ancient jewelry.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ommerman|first=Betty|date=December 15, 1971|title=The Wearing of the Old|page=14A|work=Newsday|id={{ProQuest|917410730}}}}</ref> 4 East 54th Street was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on March 16, 1972.<ref name="nris">{{cite web|date=February 6, 1979|title=Federal Register: 44 Fed. Reg. 7107 (Feb. 6, 1979)|url=http://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/fedreg/fr044/fr044026/fr044026.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230122005/http://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/fedreg/fr044/fr044026/fr044026.pdf|archive-date=December 30, 2016|access-date=March 8, 2020|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|page=7539<!--(PDF p. 339)-->}}</ref>

Joseph P. Famolare purchased the house in 1978<ref>{{cite web|date=November 3, 1978|title=Deed; Grantor: America-Israel Cultural Foundation Inc.; Grantee: Famolare Inc.|url=https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentImageView?doc_id=FT_1130008597713|url-status=live|access-date=March 24, 2021|publisher=New York City Department of Finance; Office of the City Register|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515163415/https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentImageView?doc_id=FT_1130008597713}}</ref> for use as the headquarters for his company [[Famolare]] Shoes. Famolare had initially intended to demolish the interior to make way for "white walls and sleek-looking insides".<ref name="nyt19791007">{{Cite news|first=Joseph|last=Durso|date=October 7, 1979|title=Tax Law Lends Preservation a Hand|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/07/archives/tax-law-lends-preservation-a-hand-the-incentives.html|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515154624/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/07/archives/tax-law-lends-preservation-a-hand-the-incentives.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Famolare discussed the renovation with his tax lawyer, who said he may be eligible for a tax credit if he preserved the interior, leading him to replace his architects. The mahogany and stained glass interiors were thus retained, becoming Famolare Shoes' sales offices and showrooms.<ref name="nyt19791007" /> Among the company's customers was Isaac Stern.<ref>{{cite news|last=Grant|first=Linda|date=October 22, 1980|title=The Famous Get a Boot Out of Famolare Inc.: Famolare: Famous Are Fans|page=f1|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|162965376}}}}</ref> Famolare sold the house to Four East Fifty-fourth Street Associates in 1984,<ref>{{cite web|date=August 10, 1984|title=Deed; Grantor: Joseph P. Famolare Jr.; Grantee: Four East Fifty-fourth Street Associates|url=https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentImageView?doc_id=FT_1730000070773|url-status=live|access-date=March 24, 2021|publisher=New York City Department of Finance; Office of the City Register|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515163415/https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentImageView?doc_id=FT_1730000070773}}</ref> and the house was transferred the next year to the [[government of Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite web|date=May 3, 1985|title=Deed; Grantor: Four East Fifty-fourth Street Associates; Grantee: The Government of the Republic of Indonesia|url=https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentImageView?doc_id=FT_1520000095452|url-status=live|access-date=March 24, 2021|publisher=New York City Department of Finance; Office of the City Register|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515163415/https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentImageView?doc_id=FT_1520000095452}}</ref> By 1986, the house was known as the Indonesian Pavilion. That year, the government of Indonesia opened a furniture store called Sarinah on the lowest three floors; this was the Indonesian government's first store outside Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Louie|first=Elaine|date=October 23, 1986|title=Home Beat: Indonesian Furniture At a New Boutique|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/23/garden/home-beat-indonesian-furniture-at-a-new-boutique.html|access-date=May 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515154621/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/23/garden/home-beat-indonesian-furniture-at-a-new-boutique.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Italian bank [[Banco di Napoli]] purchased the building for $12.8 million from the Indonesian government in May 1993.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 16, 1993|title=Postings: Italianate Town House; Banco di Napoli Buys Landmark|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/16/realestate/postings-italianate-town-house-banco-di-napoli-buys-landmark.html|access-date=May 14, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002627/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/16/realestate/postings-italianate-town-house-banco-di-napoli-buys-landmark.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The bank renovated the building and added the sixth floor for $7 million.<ref name="nyt20011209" /> The renovation was planned by [[SCR Design]], which had proposed constructing two floors. Because the house was a city landmark, the LPC had to determine whether the additional floors were allowed to be developed, even though the proposed exterior design was similar to the original five floors. The LPC also had to approve a proposed fire stair in the side yard. [[Christopher Gray (architectural historian)|Christopher Gray]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said the addition "completely negates any suggestion that the building is any longer a mansion but it is in no way offensive".<ref name="nyt19940822" />

=== 21st century ===
After Banco di Napoli was acquired in [[Sanpaolo IMI|Sanpaolo IMI Bank]] in 2000, it placed the building for sale in 2001 for $28.5 million.<ref name="nyt20011209" /> In late 2002, Italian fashion company [[Kiton]] bought the house for $25 million. The company's chairman, Antonio de Matteis, said that company officials had admired the house, visible from their office at the Aeolian Building across the street, for several years.<ref name="nyt20021117" /> The company planned to use the first floor for men's clothing and the front of the second floor for women's clothing. At the same time, the rear of the second floor was to be used for custom-fitted menswear. The upper stories would be used for wholesaling, but Banco di Napoli had installed partition walls there, which Kiton planned to remove.<ref name="nyt20021117" /> {{As of|2021}}, the building was still owned by Kiton.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-14|title=4 East 54th Street|url-access=limited|url=https://therealdeal.com/new-research/topics/property/4-east-54th-street/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-15|website=TRD Research|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515170252/https://therealdeal.com/new-research/topics/property/4-east-54th-street/}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets]]

==References==
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite report|date=November 22, 2016|title=Minnie E. Young House|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2577.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|ref={{harvid|Landmarks Preservation Commission|2016}}}}
* {{Sfn whitelist|CITEREFTauranac1985}}{{Cite Elegant New York}}
* {{cite report|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/72000878.pdf|title=William H. Moore House|date=March 16, 1972|publisher=[[National Register of Historic Places]], [[National Park Service]]|ref={{harvid|National Park Service|1972}}}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|William H. Moore House}}
* {{cite web | url = https://cris.parks.ny.gov/ | title = Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)| publisher = [[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]]| format = Searchable database| access-date = December 1, 2015}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web | url =https://cris.parks.ny.gov/Uploads/ViewDoc.aspx?mode=A&id=28202&q=false | title = National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: William H. Moore House | access-date = December 1, 2015 | author = Stephen S. Lash| format = PDF| date=July 1971}} ''See also:'' {{cite web|url=https://cris.parks.ny.gov/Uploads/ViewDoc.aspx?mode=A&id=28203&q=false |title=Accompanying photos}}

{{Midtown North, Manhattan}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York}}
{{portal bar|Architecture|NRHP|New York City}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, William H., House}}
[[Category:1900 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1900]]
[[Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan]]
[[Category:McKim, Mead & White buildings]]
[[Category:Midtown Manhattan]]
[[Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Renaissance Revival architecture in New York City]]
[[Category:Gilded Age mansions]]