The Lonely George and Annie Smith Mansion - 1033 Fifth Avenue

 

In 1870, Harriet Track erected four elegant homes on Fifth Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets in 1870.  Designed by Stephen D. Hatch, the American basement plan homes were four stories tall with an attic.  Among them was No. 1033.  Faced in brownstone, its French Second Empire design was the latest in domestic fashion.  

A portion of No. 1033 can be glimpsed at the side of 1034 Fifth Avenue, which had just been given a new front in 1912.  No. 1033 would follow suit within months of this photo.  photograph by Wurts Brothers from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

Jacob Campbell purchased 1033 Fifth Avenue as an investment.  He leased it to Edward Payson Hatch and his wife, the former Elizabeth C. Height.  Born in Norwich, Vermont on July 11, 1832, Hatch started his retail career at the age of 15 earning $4 a month.  By the time he and his family moved into 1033 Fifth Avenue, he had been highly successful.  The New York Herald noted, "After making a fortune in the sewing machine business Mr. Hatch retired from business."

Then, in 1879, he got a call from John Taylor Lord.  The New York Herald later explained, "the firm of Lord & Taylor became involved in financial difficulties and he was asked to take charge of affairs."

Elizabeth Height Hatch was born in New Jersey, where her ancestors first settled in 1721.  She and Edward had one son, Edward Jr., and six daughters.  Their country homes were in  Arlington, New Jersey and Burlington, Vermont.

On April 28, 1889, The New York Sun debunked a common assumption, saying, "There is no Taylor in Lord & Taylor."  The newspaper explained, "The firm is composed of Samuel Lord, Jr., who lives in Orange, and Edward P. Hatch, who lives at 1,033 Fifth avenue."

Samuel Lord Jr. died in 1896.  John Taylor Lord was now Hatch's partner in the firm.  Upon his death in January 1903, Edward Hatch became the sole head of Lord & Taylor.  That same year, Hatch finally purchased 1033 Fifth Avenue.

At the time, the Hatches' butler was 25-year-old William Johnson.  On August 3, 1903, the 25-year-old took a few days off.  His subsequent behavior--going into three pawnshops on Sixth Avenue--made Detective Rochester suspicious.  Rochester went into one of them and "learned that he had pawned several pieces of silk," according to The New York Times.  The detective detained Johnson and "he found a dozen pawn tickets sewed on the negro's underwear representing silverware, jewelry, suits of clothes, and silk to the value of several hundred dollars."  He also had letters addressed to Edward P. Hatch Sr. and private papers.

Hatch was notified and he and his daughter, Cornelia, appeared in court the following day.  Johnson confessed to stealing $40 worth of silk and "several hundred dollars' worth of silverware."

Elizabeth Height Hatch died on February 2, 1906 "after a lingering illness," as reported by The Christian Advocate.  In reporting her death, the newspaper mentioned that she and Edward were "largely instrumental" in establishing the church in Arlington, New Jersey.

Red Rocks, the Hatch country place in Burlington, Vermont, was described by the New-York Tribune in 1909 as "a splendid estate on the shore of Lake Champlain.  The article said Hatch "spent large sums in laying out driveways through the woods, providing lookouts over the lake, building permanent stone highways and installing public drinking fountains," said the newspaper, adding, "He loved his estate and loved to see the people in general visit and admire the work of his hands."

Hatch had seen intense grief by the time of that article.  Only two children, Edward and Cornelia, were still alive.  In September 1909, he was at Red Rocks.  The New York Herald said, "He had been in poor health for weeks, but was able to be out and chat with his friends on Sunday afternoon."  That evening he "had a sinking spell and failed rapidly."  He died of a heart attack the following morning, September 21.

The Hatch estate sold 1033 Fifth Avenue in March 1910 to Charles Sooysmith for $150,000 (about $5.24 million in 2026 terms).   Plans were filed for a replacement house, but for some reason, Sooysmith changed his mind.  Two years later, he resold it George C. and Annie S. Smith.  The Sun reported on March 31, 1912, "It is the intention of the purchaser to practically rebuild the house."

The Smiths commissioned the architectural firm of Hoppin & Koen to bring the outdated mansion into the 20th century.  The brownstone facade was removed to be replaced with limestone.  Hoppin & Koen's dignified Beaux Arts design was reservedly decorated with elegant, French Classic Louis XV motifs, like the panels of double-swags and ribbons below the second-floor windows, and the swags and wreaths below the third-floor openings.  Two segmentally arched dormers peered over the stone balustrade that fronted the mansard.

Born in 1858, George Campbell Smith was a partner Stead & Smith, the publishing firm co-founded by his father.  He married Anne Kammerer Schmertz on January 18, 1888.  The couple had three children, Dorothy Frances, George Jr., and Annie J.  The family's country home, Blythewood, was in East Norwich, Long Island.

Annie's engagement to Leon H. Abbett was announced in September 1919.  It sparked entertainments, like the Smiths' dinner and dance at the Metropolitan Club for the couple on November 14.

Annie J. Smith's engagement photograph.  The New-York Tribune, December 25, 1919 (copyright expired)

At the time of that dinner party, the Smiths had already sold the mansion.  The sale was announced in the New York Herald on October 4, 1919.  The Real Estate Record & Builders' Guide reported the sale price at $210,000, or just under $4 million today.

The buyers were Milo Merrick Belding and his wife, the former Annie L. Kirk.  Milo was born in New York City on April 14, 1865, "the day of Lincoln's assassination," as noted by The New York Times.  His deep American roots were reflected in his membership in the Founders and Patriots of America and the Sons of the Revolution.

Milo Merrick Belding (original source unknown)

In 1884, he took a job as a clerk in his father's firm, Belding Bros. & Co., "the largest manufacturers and distributers of silk thread in the United States," according to The New York Times in 1931.  Upon his father's death in 1912, Milo Belding became president.  He was, as well, president of the American Union Life Insurance Company.

Belding commissioned a sea-worthy yacht, the Cocoon, in 1923.  The vessel needed only "finishing touches" in November 1924 and those were to be done in Florida.  Milo invited two guests--his secretary, W. H. Stillhammer, and Dr. George M. Smith--to accompany him on the cruise.  The vessel had a crew of four.  

Around dusk on November 22, "the yacht was heading in toward Government Cut after having made a test trip down the bay, around Cape Florida and into the Atlantic," reported The New York Times.  Belding and his guests heard a loud noise that they initially thought was a door slamming or glass breaking.  Another came two minutes later and this time "they plainly identified it as a gunshot."

The Cocoon was under fire from the Coast Guard, which, despite its being fully lighted, was mistaken for a rum runner.  The yacht was boarded and searched.  "When no liquor was found the Cocoon was permitted to steam to her berth, and the officer expressed his regrets," reported The New York Times.

Understandably, Milo Belding was not ready to accept the apology.  He told reporters that "the affair would be reported to Washington."

That year, the abutting houses to the south were demolished and replaced with an apartment building designed by J. E. R. Carpenter.

The Smith mansion now snuggled up to a behemoth. photograph by Wurts Brothers from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

The following year, the property to the north of 1033 Fifth Avenue was filled with another J. E. R. Carpenter-designed apartment building.  The Smith mansion was now sandwiched between two soaring structures.

Image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

Around October 1, 1931, Milo Belding contracted what was described as a "mild cold."  Two weeks later, it developed into bronchitis that "fatally affected his heart," as reported by The New York Times on October 14.  His funeral was held in the mansion two days later.

Belding's massive estate was reflected in an article in The New York Times on January 9, 1934, which began, "The Association for the Aid of Crippled Children will get more than $10,000,000 of the wealth of the late Milo M. Belding.  That figure would translate to $240 million today.

Annie Kirk Belding died in the mansion on September 4, 1944.  In reporting her death, The New York Times remarked that she had been a director of the Association for the Aid of Cripple Children since 1925 and that she helped establish the Milo M. Belding Fund for the aid of crippled children."

Singer Morton Downey purchased 1033 Fifth Avenue.  Born in 1901, he was known as The Irish Nightingale.  He and his wife, actress Barbara Bennett (sister of actresses Constance and Joan Bennett), were divorced in 1941.  They had five children, including Morton Downey Jr., who would go on to become a talk show host and actor.

On October 1, 1945, The New York Times reported that Downey had sold "the five-story house with elevator" to the Herbert J. Freezer Company.  It became home to Herbert J. Freezer and his wife, Michael Stone Freezer.  The couple had a son, Winthrop.  Their residency would be relatively short.  The Freezers separated in 1950 and the mansion was sold to actress Eva Gabor.

According to Sam Staggs in his Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors Behind the Legend, "Eva daydreamed of a gilded life in her spacious multi-story, with herself as chatelaine and vassals at her side."  On November 29, 1950, The New York Times announced that she "intends to alter and occupy the property as her town house."

Eva invited her mother, Jolie, to inspect the mansion.  According to Staggs, Eva recalled, "She told me I am not her smartest daughter, since it was evident to anyone with eyes that ten apartments could be made in the building."  The dutiful daughter followed her advice.  Within a year, there were six apartments in the former residence, including a triplex.

The Government of Iran purchased 1033 Fifth Avenue in 1960 as the residence of Iran's United Nations mission chief.  It remained so until the Iranian Revolution in 1978-79 that overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy.

On December 23, 1990, The New York Times reported, "Acquired by Iran in the mid-60s' [sic] and furnished with Persian rugs, antique mirrors and crystal chandeliers, the town house at 1033 Fifth Avenue...has declined in the last decade or so."  The article explained that the Iranian Government intended to spend $250,000 in renovating the building.  Architect George Schwartz was commissioned to "modernize" the building and reconvert it into a single residence.  The work included new electrical, heating and air conditioning systems, and the updating of the kitchen and bathrooms.

The mansion--vised between two 1920s apartment buildings--is home to the Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations today.

photographs by the author