The National Arts Club

The National Arts Club occupies the former mansion of Samuel Tilden, the twenty-fifth governor of New York. In the eighteen seventies, Tilden hired Calvert Vaux, a principal designer of Central Park, to perform a massive renovation that fused two separate brownstones into this singular, ornate structure. The resulting facade features sandstone and heavy Victorian ornamentation that distinguishes it from the simpler, iron-grilled townhouses nearby. Tilden’s influence ensured the interior became a showcase of the Aesthetic Movement, featuring elaborate woodwork, stained glass panels by John LaFarge, and a unique glass dome designed by Boston glazier Donald MacDonald.