The mansion was constructed in 1886 for the coal baron Edward J. Berwind, whose company Berwind-White supplied most of the coal used by the US Navy at the time,[1] as well as most of the East Coast railroads and IRT subway trains in New York City.[2] The interiors of the house have been considered one of the grandest in New York City, comparable to the main reading room of the New York Public Library.[2]
The mansion was sold to the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences in 1945,[2] then became the headquarters for the American Heart Association until 1978 when it was reconverted to residential use with a new penthouse.[4] Other past tenants include Donna Summer, who lived on the main floor for a few years.[5]