Upper Class
Millionaire's Row
In Manhattan, throughout the Gilded Age, new mansions were continuously popping up. Millionaires such as Vanderbilt and Carnegie had began building their over sized homes on Fifth Avenue, also known as "Millionaire's Row". Astor's Mansion in 1854 began the trend, and soon after, more and more people purchased land along the street. Everyone was trying to out do each other with luxury and size, and there seemed to be no limits. They tried their hardest to keep up with the latest trends of house décor, similar to how our society does today. Along with mansions, impressive hotels were built along Fifth Avenue. Even today, Fifth Avenue is geared toward the rich. There are still mansions and sky scrapers, but now, it has switched more toward high quality and expensive shopping. Since the Gilded Age, Fifth Avenue has been a symbol of prosperity, luxury, and respectability.
In Manhattan, throughout the Gilded Age, new mansions were continuously popping up. Millionaires such as Vanderbilt and Carnegie had began building their over sized homes on Fifth Avenue, also known as "Millionaire's Row". Astor's Mansion in 1854 began the trend, and soon after, more and more people purchased land along the street. Everyone was trying to out do each other with luxury and size, and there seemed to be no limits. They tried their hardest to keep up with the latest trends of house décor, similar to how our society does today. Along with mansions, impressive hotels were built along Fifth Avenue. Even today, Fifth Avenue is geared toward the rich. There are still mansions and sky scrapers, but now, it has switched more toward high quality and expensive shopping. Since the Gilded Age, Fifth Avenue has been a symbol of prosperity, luxury, and respectability.
For further information on Fifth Avenue, C-Span has a great video on the luxury of the Gilded Age. Click me!
Connection to Architecture
Throughout the Gilded Age, the upper class was always looking to bring something new to their mansions, and society in general. This resulted in great innovations in building designs that are still seen today. For example, great architect of the time Richard Morris Hunt designed the first ever apartment building for the common man in America. It was one of the first that was built with quality in mind, and not to just make a quick profit. This was a catalyst for urban apartment living, as more and more people moved into the city and needed a quality, yet reasonably priced place to live. Also, sky scrapers were getting taller each year. Along with Hunt, builders such as George Post and R.H Robertson were leading the chase for the sky. Post built the 1875 Western Union Building, which used cast-iron columns. A few years later, in 1899, Robertson topped him by building the colossal 321 foot-high, 28 floor Park Row Building. He was able to build this because he was one of the first to use the material that is often used today, steel. This charge to be the highest inspired many to follow along, therefore building the great New York skyline we have today. To see specific sky scraper of the era and how quickly they were built, click me!
Throughout the Gilded Age, the upper class was always looking to bring something new to their mansions, and society in general. This resulted in great innovations in building designs that are still seen today. For example, great architect of the time Richard Morris Hunt designed the first ever apartment building for the common man in America. It was one of the first that was built with quality in mind, and not to just make a quick profit. This was a catalyst for urban apartment living, as more and more people moved into the city and needed a quality, yet reasonably priced place to live. Also, sky scrapers were getting taller each year. Along with Hunt, builders such as George Post and R.H Robertson were leading the chase for the sky. Post built the 1875 Western Union Building, which used cast-iron columns. A few years later, in 1899, Robertson topped him by building the colossal 321 foot-high, 28 floor Park Row Building. He was able to build this because he was one of the first to use the material that is often used today, steel. This charge to be the highest inspired many to follow along, therefore building the great New York skyline we have today. To see specific sky scraper of the era and how quickly they were built, click me!
Department Stores
Department stores quickly began gaining popularity during the Gilded Age. People wanted high quality goods closer to home. Many noticed this, and quickly started opening huge stores that had previously never been seen. The greatest showcase of fashion and design in New York was the A.T Stewart Dry Goods Store. It was six stories tall and averaged 15 thousand shoppers daily. Competition arose a few years later by small store owner Rowland H. Macy. He opened up a smaller store, R.H Macy and Co (later renamed just "Macy's"), that sold mostly clothing to start out. However, year after year, Macy began expanding his store and expanding his variety of goods sold. He also introduced annual clearance sales and seasonal displays in their street front windows, both of which are very commonly done in department stores today. Fierce competition broke out over low prices, as Macy came out with the slogan "We will not be undersold!". Although tough on the businesses, this competition made it possible for great deals for shoppers, even allowing the middle class to join in.
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