Why Was Blumenthal's Manhattan Mansion Built Around a 500 Year Old Castle?

Join Ken as he takes us on an exclusive tour inside Manhattan's hidden gem - the Blumenthal Mansion. With its roots tracing back to a 16th-century Spanish castle, this architectural marvel boasts original courtyards, intricate Renaissance details, and a secret passageway that's straight out of a history book.
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Location: Manhattan, NY
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Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
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[@anteeker]

How sad. To build a beautiful house knowing that it will torn down shortly after you`re gone.

[@garryferrington811]

The point is that people know you're rich. After you're gone, it doesn't matter.

[@stevieg6418]

@@garryferrington811 That is not the point.

[@fugu4163]

@@garryferrington811 Thats US logic right there.

[@paco7992]

The whole episode, I was thinking, "Please don't be torn down, please don't be torn down, no color pictures, please don't be torn down!" Then, in the end, the best parts are in a world-class museum! Quite a ride today! Thank you. Top of your game.

[@SMtWalkerS]

I LOVE the wife's lush suite of rooms. Imagine a bathtub carved from one giant chunk of marble and especially fitted to you! The Spanish patio is also amazing and how smart Blumenthal was to provide for it's rebuild in the museum. One intelligent far-sighted fellow. Also, glad he got to enjoy his beautiful home for many decades.

[@johnlgasper2348]

Wonder how much water was used to warm that behemoth !!😊

[@jennymauger]

I also enjoyed the wife’s lavish suite

[@mileshigh1321]

Probably one of the nicest Manhattan Mansions I have seen yet! The interior details where stunning! I am so glad the 500 yr old Courtyard was saved! Hopefully a lot of the other details where also!

[@wildfireintexas]

I think I like the pool and Mrs. Blumenthal’s bathroom. But the house was lovely. It’s so unfortunate that modern museum curators simply cannot maintain the esthetic of something as breathtaking as the patio.

[@sandrashevel2137]

This mansion is beautiful. I love the way it was decorated,the architecture and windows are gorgeous

[@LordVikingLive]

This was a very smart man.

[@The_Smith]

the secret passage to the Library ;) So happy that he thought far enough ahead to make sure the patio at least was saved.

[@joantrainor6584]

It is a good day when any piece of history is saved.

[@claireburkus8497]

Mrs Blumenthal’s rooms were beautiful! The castle artifacts were thoughtfully preserved but the rest of the mansion was heavy and dark in decorations design!!

[@stretch9952]

IMHO One of the most architecturally sophisticated houses of the period in the US that you have shown to date. I can imagine the sequential experience of walking upward and through these floors was quite rewarding. The Italianate details are some what more subdued in order to let the more elaborate and smaller scaled details of the Spanish courtyard shine. The exterior elevations are gorgeous in their restraint and respect for Italian palazzo architectural vocabulary. Yeah, I guess you could say I liked this place.

[@autumnfeldpausch5539]

The choice to tear down something so useful and with it it’s beauty and strength is completely mental. You see it everywhere and it’s been done for ages.

[@clairwaucaush7225]

Every room in that house was special! That is one house that should NOT have been torn down. Wow. People don't think, or look ahead. Something like this will never be built again. Well, at least a small portion of it is still around. That is, if they don't tear down the museum too!

[@BennyM_]

The excess of the Gilded Age continues to astonish me. When I think I can’t see anything else from this time period more awesome than I’ve already seen, I’m proven wrong again!

[@justcurious3514]

The wife's suite is my favorite part. Love the sitting room and 2nd level... But the whole building is GORGEOUS. Thanks for sharing!

[@jetsons101]

Funny how Manhattan had so many beautiful mansions but were almost all gone in such a short period of time. I liked the pool.

[@aliceincraftland3388]

I loved thr two-story Mrs. Blumenthal's bedroom with sweeping staircase.

[@superdougie10]

My favorite was the entire house. Talk about lavish, nothing really like this in the states. I really love the size and scale of the rooms and ceilings, this made everything more luxurious in my opinion, more grand.

[@randyboglisch137]

Beautiful house. Loved it all. Thanks for sharing and your research

[@kimhall5863]

This was one of the most satisfying mansions I’ve watched on your channel‼️ Who would’ve guessed from the exterior how beautiful it was inside❗️The public dining room was my favorite with that amazing tapestry❤️

[@sheilakirby5616]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE SECRET PASSAGES IN THESE GRADE OLD MANSIONS AND BUILDINGS

[@edcomedian357]

I've seen it. Its a wonderful surprise at the Museum

[@dcole9589]

This is impressive

[@vivaldi1948]

Absolutely stunning!

[@jimc4731]

I liked every part of this house! This house was one that surely should have been saved in it’s entirety 🎉 JIM ❤

[@jennymauger]

Thanks guys for your extensive research piecing together acquisitions, their interim lives & subsequent fate … 🙏🏼

[@mikenixon2401]

Ken, I just realized how often I listen your reports to help be relax. Good job. Another good report as well. I wonder, could you feature more western mansions? The Chatillon-DeMenil and Lemp mansions in St. Louis, Bremond Block District in Austin, Texas, Seaquist Mansion in Mason, Texas, Rosson House in Arizona, Richtofen Castle outside Denver just to name a few. Not all of us can completely identify with the then and now of eastern mansions although they are interesting.

[@karenroot450]

Wow such opulence and I am glad he he’d the foresight to make sure some was saved. Ahh to have so much damn money. Thanks Ken I sure wish these pics had been in color!

[@garygloska7396]

Fascinating interiors and what a great salvage patio was .so sorry he didn't set aside enough money for the whole house to be reconstructed

[@cmecre8629]

the mural around the pool was beautiful

[@kathleenadams3770]

I lovvvvve the library

[@mitchellmackay8997]

A forward thinking Robber Baron. Who would have thunk it. Very interesting video as always.

[@CuriousEarthMan]

Great Ken, thank you! I like the fireplace and groin vaults in the library, among other beautiful features of the house!

[@andreaberryhill6654]

Oh that marble tub!!! Exquisite

[@kathleenpenny9388]

Her 2story dream bedroom!

[@LSTEdD1]

I go to the Met often and the courtyard is one of my favorite spots! Great video!

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

The exterior, while grand, was a bit on the plain side. The interior though... wow! Stunning, one of my favorite interiors you have shown on the channel.

[@stevieg6418]

So tasteful. Such a shame it wasn't all saved as a museum.

[@kendranewton9071]

Amazing!

[@stephenjohnson5589]

7 years is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place

[@mr.x8259]

Smart to leave money to preserve part of it.

[@TheDarkDresser]

I like the private quarters, including the family dining room. The daybed is gorgeous, and Mrs. Blumenthal's suite is just my style. Too bad that this beautiful house was demolished.

[@sheilakirby5616]

ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING ***

[@GlennMandeville154]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why these gorgeous homes were torn down. I guess it all boils down to money. Sadly... Thanks, Ken for bringing the inside and the outside of these fantastic places for us all to see.🎉

[@brunodesrosiers266]

I am pretty floored by this one, I must tell you. I’ll go check that patio at the Met, the next time I am in New York. Too bad they didn’t find a way to preserve the whole thing, somewhere else.

[@lisalibeer7824]

The whole mansion was gorgeous! Wonder what happened to that bathtub

[@jameswohlsen6754]

Magnificent combination of the old with new architectural design. Cannot imagine what the “Castle” must have cost to integrate and construct. While very eye catching this is not as gaudy as many of the Gilded Age homes built by the elite. Nice that he was wise enough to set aside the money to at least save a part of his mansion from the wrecking ball.

[@robertwrede7843]

There wlill never😢be build anything sich in the future. It saddens me that these properties personality will never be seen again.

[@ceasarandrepont1243]

Folks, I have seen that 500 year old patio many, many times at the museum here in New York City.

[@michaelbatts7149]

Once again Elite Society meets again! Ken, what goodies do you have for us today?

[@megfuchs9425]

I love the curved stairs in the wife's bedroom!

[@Thecharmedonee]

A marvel

[@josephsf2452]

Even though I love New York City, it has the darkest history in regards to preservation . How the City of NY could allow a 500 yr old castle transported here from Europe to be demolished. This is unforgiveable ‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

[@b0borden437]

I'm wondering if George was Richard Blumenthal's grandfather? He is the senator from NY?

[@IntrepidMilo]

Second person to like this video!

[@BlaineShire]

OH too far from Studio 54!

[@dalehill3170]

A tapestry that belonged to Charlemagne? highly unlikely...

[@johnvonundzu2170]

Yes - about 700 years too new.I think it's called something like scenes from the life of Charlemagne. Like so much else, it was left to the Met.

[@sheilakirby5616]

WHAT A LOSS ***

[@josephpearson2230]

Too many ecclesiastical antiques. Too many Madonnas, church furnishings and shrines. Also, pick a lane! the clash of Italian/Spanish Renaissance and Louis XV/XVI styles was jarring.

[@robertwrede7843]

Spel is🎉stupid. Im tired of fighting with computers

[@danielulz1640]

It is not a computer, but a real live person researching, compiling, editing and narrating these videos.