Misplaced Pages

#58941

41-515: Lancaster House (originally known as York House and then Stafford House ) is a mansion on The Mall in the St James's district in the West End of London . Adjacent to The Green Park , it is next to Clarence House and St James's Palace , as much of the site was once part of the palace grounds. Initially planned for Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany , it was ultimately completed by

82-855: A "mansion house" (e.g., by the Revd. James Blair, Commissary in Virginia for the Bishop of London, 1689–1745, a term related to the word "manse" commonly used in the Church of Scotland and in Non-Conformist churches. H.G. Herklots, The Church of England and the American Episcopal Church). As the 16th century progressed and the Renaissance style slowly spread across Europe, the last vestiges of castle architecture and life changed;

123-438: A combination of politics and advances in weaponry negated the need for the aristocracy to live in fortified castles. As a result, many were transformed into mansions without defences or demolished and rebuilt in a more modern, undefended style. Due to intermarriage and primogeniture inheritance amongst the aristocracy, it became common for one noble to often own several country houses . These would be visited rotationally throughout

164-583: A countryside estate in the U.S. was demolished in 1980, along with its extensive gardens, to make way for suburban developments. In Paris, London or Rome , many large mansions and palazzi built or remodeled during the era still survive. Grand Federal style mansions designed by Samuel McIntire inhabit an area that, in 2012, is the largest collection of 17th- and 18th-century structures in the United States of America. This district in Salem, Massachusetts ,

205-503: A function hall (named for Alexander Hamilton) and a church for the town's merchant class. McIntire also designed the former Salem Court House and Registry of Deeds. After 1793, Samuel McIntire worked exclusively in the architectural style developed by Robert Adam in Great Britain and brought to America by the great Boston architect, Charles Bulfinch. The delicate Adam style , which emphasized decorative elements and ornamentation,

246-474: A mansion block refers to a block of flats or apartments designed for the appearance of grandeur. In many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong and Japan, the word mansion also refers to a block of apartments. In modern Japan, a "manshon" ( Japanese : マンション ), stemming from the English word "mansion", is used to refer to a multi-unit apartment complex or condominium . In Europe, from the 15th century onwards,

287-704: A number of homes for Derby and members of his extended family. McIntire also worked occasionally on Derby's vessels, and would fix a wagon or build a birdhouse if his patron desired. Hamilton Hall is a National Historic Landmark at 9 Chestnut Street in Salem, Massachusetts . Hamilton Hall was built in 1805 by Samuel McIntire and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. "King" Derby's stamp of approval opened many other doors for McIntire, who went on to design and build mansions for John Gardner, Jerethmiel Peirce, Simon Forrester, and other wealthy Salem shipowners. He also built on Chestnut Street

328-693: A republic, inside the Commonwealth. In 1979 it was the scene of the Lancaster House Agreement , which led to the independence of Rhodesia , now Zimbabwe , from the United Kingdom . The house was the venue for the 10th G7 summit in 1984 and the 17th G7 summit in 1991. A new 35-foot-long table was built for the Long Gallery, where the main negotiating sessions were planned in 1991. Prime Minister Theresa May gave

369-639: A speech at Lancaster House in January 2017 outlining Britain's intended future relationship with the European Union following the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum which resulted in a vote to leave. The speech is commonly referred to in the media, and in political discourse, as the "Lancaster House speech". Winston Churchill commented that towards the end of the 19th century, "glittering parties at Lansdowne House , Devonshire House or Stafford House (Lancaster House) comprised all

410-630: A stand in for Buckingham Palace . Construction of the house commenced in 1825 for the Duke of York and Albany , the second son of King George III , and it was initially known as York House. Sir Robert Smirke was originally hired to design the house, until under the influence of the Duke's mistress the Duchess of Rutland, he was replaced by Benjamin Dean Wyatt who mainly designed the exterior. The house

451-520: Is a copy of Wollaton Hall . Other mansions were built in the new and innovative styles of the new era such as the arts and crafts style: The Breakers is a pastiche of an Italian Renaissance palazzo ; Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire is a mixture of various French châteaux . One of the most enduring and most frequently copied styles for a mansion is the Palladian – particularly so in

SECTION 10

#1732772709059

492-549: Is an example of American Renaissance revivalism. During the 19th century, along with other streets in major cities, Fifth Avenue in New York City had many mansions. Many of these were designed by the leading architects of the day, often in European Gothic Revival style , and were built by families who were making their fortunes. However, nearly all of these have now been demolished. Whitemarsh Hall ,

533-487: Is called the McIntire Historic District with the center being Chestnut Street. McIntire's training came from his father and from books. He and his brothers, Joseph and Angler, began their careers as housewrights and carpenters while in their teens but, early on, Samuel's work caught the eye of Salem's pre-eminent merchant, Elias Hasket Derby. Over the next quarter century, McIntire built or remodelled

574-585: Is considered a lucky number in China. The cellar includes wines from Château Lafite , Cheval Blanc , Cos d’Estournel , Mouton Rothschild and Le Pin . It had previously held over seventeen different types of Champagne including a magnum of Champagne Krug 1964 and still holds such valuable spirits as an 1878 Grand Fins Bois Cognac and 1931 Quinta do Noval Port . English and Welsh wines are estimated to make up 44% of all those served in 2016, including Nyetimber ’s demi-sec. The Foreign Office have stated that

615-835: Is managed day-to-day by the Government Butler and is overseen by the head of Government Hospitality coming under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Office . It was originally stocked on the advice of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine, a quango that was abolished in 2010. Before its abolition, the committee met two or three times a year in the cellar, around a table carved from an elm tree that blew down in St James's Park in around 1830. The role of

656-622: The Ancien Régime . Until World War I it was not unusual for a moderately sized mansion in England such as Cliveden to have an indoor staff of 20 and an outside staff of the same size, and in ducal mansions such as Chatsworth House the numbers could be far higher. In the great houses of Italy, the number of retainers was often even greater than in England; whole families plus extended relations would often inhabit warrens of rooms in basements and attics. Most European mansions were also

697-546: The Duke of Sutherland , then Marquess of Stafford, as an aristocratic townhouse in the early 19th century, and known for its lavish interiors. Gifted to the government in the early 20th century, it houses the government's wine cellars and was home to the London Museum until World War II. Now used for diplomatic receptions and related functions by the Foreign Office , it is a historic Grade I listed building , and its interiors are sometimes used in films or television as

738-457: The Earl of Shaftesbury , anti-slavery author Harriet Beecher Stowe and Italian revolutionary leader Giuseppe Garibaldi . Chopin gave a recital there in 1848 in the presence of Queen Victoria . Queen Victoria is said to have remarked to the 2nd Duchess of Sutherland on arriving at Stafford House, "I have come from my House to your Palace." With its ornate decoration and the dramatic sweep of

779-497: The London Museum . The allied government's European Advisory Commission on the political and social future of Europe after the Second World War met here throughout 1944 and into 1945. In January 1947 a special envoy meeting on affairs concerning occupied Austria was hosted here. The year 1956, the house saw the signing of the agreement of independence for Malaya . In 1961, South Africa affirmed its intention to become

820-540: The Mediterranean old world, whereas where estates were founded in the sparsely populated remote areas like the Pampa of Argentina or Uruguay, where iron pillars, doors, windows, and furniture had to be brought from Europe by ship and afterwards ox cart, buildings were smaller, but normally still aspiring to evoke a stately impression, often featuring, like their earlier Italian counterparts, a morador . In Venezuela,

861-691: The historical drama film The Young Victoria (2009), the historical drama film The King's Speech (2010), and the 2013 Christmas special for Downton Abbey , when Rose is presented to the King and Queen during the London Season . Lancaster House reprised its role as Buckingham Palace for the Netflix series The Crown . The interior was used to represent the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg for

SECTION 20

#1732772709059

902-591: The 18th century. However, the Gothic style was probably the most popular choice of design in the 19th century. The most bizarre example of this was probably Fonthill Abbey which actually set out to imitate the mansions which had truly evolved from medieval Gothic abbeys following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. Mansions built during and after the 19th century were not supported by

943-533: The 1981 film Reds . It also appears as the house of Lady Bracknell in the comedy of manners film The Importance of Being Earnest (2002), and as the site of a masquerade ball in the Merchant-Ivory film The Golden Bowl (2000). Mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house . The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word mansio "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from

984-439: The Government Butler, access to the cellar is strictly limited to Permanent Secretaries and Ministers . The wine is served according to a complex system. Ministers are asked to give their preferences when they take office. Food being served at the banquet or function is usually factored in. National sensitivities and customs are also considered – for example when there is a Chinese delegation vintages from 1988 are used, as '8'

1025-466: The central points of these great houses became redundant as owners wished to live separately from their servants, and no longer ate with them in a Great hall. All evidence and odours of cooking and staff were banished from the principal parts of the house into distant wings, while the owners began to live in airy rooms, above the ground floor, with privacy from their servants, who were now confined, unless required, to their specifically delegated areas—often

1066-401: The committee was to taste the wines, make recommendations for new purchases to keep the cellar stocked, and to sell a portion on the open market to fund the restocking process. They also graded the wines and offered serving suggestions. Since 2010 the cellar has been stocked according to recommendations from a specialist committee of Masters of Wine , chaired by a former diplomat. Aside from

1107-549: The elements which made a gay and splendid social circle in close relation to the business of Parliament, the hierarchies of the Army and Navy, and the policy of the State". Lancaster House has been extensively used as a filming location. It has stood in for Buckingham Palace at least six times in film and television: for the comedy film King Ralph (1991), the mystery adventure film National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007),

1148-457: The first floor or piano nobile , family living rooms on the ground floor and family bedrooms on the second floor. There was also a basement containing service rooms and wine cellar. The interior, featured an imperial staircase which was designed by Sir Charles Barry , as well Louis XIV Style rooms which were lavishly decorated. The Sutherlands’ liberal politics and love of the arts attracted many distinguished guests, including factory reformer

1189-829: The great staircase, the Grand Hall is a magnificent introduction to one of the finest town houses in London. In 1877 the House became the eponymous home of the Stafford House Committee for the Relief of Sick and Wounded Turkish Soldiers, formed by the 3rd Duke to aid Ottoman refugees and wounded during the Russo-Turkish War . The house went out of royal favour after the 3rd Duchess died, in 1888 and her husband married his mistress within months. In 1912

1230-452: The ground and uppermost attic floors. This was a period of great social change, as the educated prided themselves on enlightenment. The uses of these edifices paralleled that of the Roman villas . It was vital for powerful people and families to keep in social contact with each other as they were the primary moulders of society. The rounds of visits and entertainments were an essential part of

1271-575: The hub of vast estates . The 19th century saw the continuation of the building of mansions in the United States and Europe. These mansions were often smaller than those built by the old European aristocracy. The new builders of mansions at the time explored new styles other than the Gothic tastes in architecture which were used often. They experimented with 19th-century versions of older Renaissance and Tudoresque styles; The Breakers in Rhode Island

Lancaster House - Misplaced Pages Continue

1312-655: The large estates of their predecessors. These new mansions were often built as the week-end retreats of businessmen who commuted to their offices by the new railways, which enabled them to leave the city more easily. In Latin America, the grand rural estate , the Hacienda , Estancia, in Portuguese speaking Brazil Fazenda or Estância, with the mansion as its stately center, is a characteristic feature. Mansions tended to follow European architectural styles . Whereas until

1353-608: The lease was purchased by the Lancastrian industrialist and philanthropist Sir William Lever, 1st Baronet (later 1st Viscount Leverhulme) who renamed it in honour of his native county of Lancashire and presented it to the nation in the following year. Since 1922 the building has housed the Government Wine Cellar , and, from 1924 until shortly after the Second World War , the house was the home of

1394-483: The oldest inhabited mansions around the world usually began their existence as fortified houses in the Middle Ages . As social conditions slowly changed and stabilised fortifications were able to be reduced, and over the centuries gave way to comfort. It became fashionable and possible for homes to be beautiful rather than grim and forbidding allowing for the development of the modern mansion. In British English,

1435-419: The second half of the 19th century, Portugal and Spain as the colonial (or former colonial) powers were the eminent models for architecture and upper-class lifestyle, towards the end of the 19th century they were sometimes replaced by then more dominant powers like France or England. In comparably developed, densely populated countries like Mexico, feudal estates and their mansions were as grand and stately as in

1476-463: The societal process, as described in the novels of Jane Austen . State business was often discussed and determined in informal settings. Times of revolution reversed this value. During July/August 1789, a significant number of French country mansions ( chateaux ) were destroyed by the rural population as part of the Great Fear —a symbolic rejection of the feudal rights and restraints in effect under

1517-457: The traditional Spanish mansions with a garden in the center of the property are usually referred as " Quinta ". Some realtors in the US term mansions as houses that have a minimum of 8,000-square-foot (740 m ) of floor space. Others claim a viable minimum could instead be 5,000-square-foot (460 m ) of floor space, especially in a city environment. Government Wine Cellar The cellar

1558-423: The verb manere "to dwell". The English word manse originally defined a property large enough for the parish priest to maintain himself, but a mansion is no longer self-sustaining in this way (compare a Roman or medieval villa ). Manor comes from the same root—territorial holdings granted to a lord who would "remain" there. Following the fall of Rome, the practice of building unfortified villas ceased. Today,

1599-457: The year as their owner pursued the social and sporting circuit from country home to country home. Many owners of a country house would also own a town mansion in their country's capital city. These town mansions were referred to as 'houses' in London, ' hôtels particuliers ' in Paris, and 'palaces' in most European cities elsewhere. It might be noted that sometimes the house of a clergyman was called

1640-423: Was only a shell by the time of the death of the Duke in 1827. It is constructed from Bath stone , in a neo-classical style . The lease of the house was purchased by the 2nd Marquess of Stafford (later 1st Duke of Sutherland ) and was under his direction that it was completed in 1838. It was known as Stafford House for almost a century. The completed building was three floors in height, the State rooms being on

1681-588: Was preferred for McIntire, who was efficient in design and proportions and had skill as a woodcarver. Swags, rosettes, garlands, and his signature sheaths of wheat were carved in wood surfaces in McIntire homes built between 1793 and his death in 1811. In Europe, some 19th-century mansions were often built as replicas of older houses; the Château de Ferrières in France was inspired by Mentmore Towers , which in turn

Lancaster House - Misplaced Pages Continue

#58941