— Ch. 1 · Origins And Site History —
Morgan Library & Museum.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In 1880, banker John Pierpont Morgan purchased a brownstone house at 219 Madison Avenue for $225,000. This property sat within the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, an area that had been largely undeveloped until after the American Civil War. The site originally held four separate residences built in 1852 or 1853 by members of the Phelps Stokes/Dodge merchant family. These homes were constructed with pink brownstone and featured Italianate architectural styles. Morgan acquired the house from John Jay Phelps, who lived there before him. He renovated the interior over two years while retaining the exterior design. Herter Brothers handled the extensive interior renovation work. By 1882, Morgan moved into his new residence. The surrounding neighborhood began to grow rapidly during this period. Morgan later expanded his holdings on the block, eventually acquiring two-thirds of the city block by 1907. His properties stretched across 36th Street and 37th Street frontages.
Architectural Evolution
Construction of the main library building began in April 1903 under architect Charles McKim of McKim, Mead & White. Workers laid the foundation by early 1903, and the structure was completed in 1906. Morgan insisted on using Tennessee marble instead of white marble after a neighbor warned it would look like a mausoleum. Dry masonry construction eliminated mortar joints between blocks, adding $50,000 to the total cost. Tinfoil sheeting measuring one-eighth inch thick was placed between blocks to prevent moisture buildup. The final design included a central section with wings at equal distances from the street. A bronze fence with hand-twisted bars surrounded the property. Edward Clark Potter sculpted two lionesses that flank the main entrance. The library cost $1.2 million to build. Benjamin Wistar Morris designed an annex completed in 1928. Renzo Piano created a new glass-and-steel entrance building finished in 2006. This addition expanded the museum's area by 40,000 square feet, much of which lies underground. The Piano annex includes Gilder Lehrman Hall, an auditorium seating 280 people located about 20 feet below street level.