legends Greater Astoria Historial Society 35-20 Broadway, 4th Floor | L.I.C., NY 11106 718.278.0700 | www.astorialic.org Gallery Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 2-5 PM Saturdays 12-5 PM Exhibits ~ Lectures ~ Documentaries ~ Books Walking Tours ~ Historical Research Unique & Creative Content For more information visit us on the web at www.astorialic.org This image adapted from an invitation to the Long Island City Athletics 33rd Annual Masque Ball, 1909. 38 JANUARY 2014 I LIC COURIER I www.queenscourier.com 38 The Steinway Mansion There are many ways to measure the worth of a house. Perhaps it is the backdrop for a remarkable life, or as a place that witnessed outstanding events. If we are fortunate, it is both a building of beauty as well as a place of community pride. The Steinway Mansion is all these things. Its records are long gone. Henry Z. Steinway recalled, as a very young boy, watching his father build a bonfi re disposing “reams of papers” from the house. But this did not stop the New York City Landmark Commission from designating the Steinway Mansion as one of the fi rst New York City landmarks in 1967, or the 1983 listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion was built in the late 1850s. Pattern books, catalogues of style elements and sample patterns, enabled architects and clients to create unique confections. The Steinway Mansion is a product of this process. The National Register report states: “The freedom expressed in the plan can be seen in the imaginative combination of classical and medieval elements. Decorative details judiciously combine the styles of different periods and are unusual in that all are fabricated entirely of cast iron.” The Landmark Commission report agrees stating that the mansion and its 27 rooms are “an imaginative combination of classical and medieval elements and delicious – and successful – combination of styles from different periods.” The Steinway Mansion is constructed of rough-faced granite blocks, now weathered to a beautiful dark gray. The central section of the house is a two-story, T-shaped block with a gable roof covered with slate. The western section is surmounted by a handsome four-story tower, topped by a balustrade and an octagonal cupola. The central hall is a full two stories in height. A monumental staircase is located to the rear of the hall, next to double doors which open into a formal dining room with a curved bay window. Double parlors occupy the east wing of the house, and the library and kitchen occupy the west wing. Corinthian pilasters and decorative plaster ornament the entire interior. The woodwork is pine, some fi nished with a dark stain, and a considerable portion features original graining. LEGENDS OF LIC BY GREATER ASTORIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY LEGENDS OF LIC The designation report states: “On the basis of careful consideration of the history, the architecture and other features of this building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission fi nds that the Steinway House has a special character, special historical and aesthetic interest and value as part of the development, heritage and cultural characteristics of New York City.” In their letter to the Halberian family announcing its decision, the Commission wrote, “We appreciate your sympathetic understanding with the goals New Yorkers have set for the Commission, and we appreciate very much your testimony at our public hearing. Your outstanding building makes a signifi cant contribution to the attractiveness of New York and the City is proud to honor it.” It was on a mantle at the mansion, proudly displayed for all to see, when Michael Halberian, the last owner, died.
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