24 East 67th Street
New York, NY, USA

R. Fulton Cutting Mansion

Completed in 1899, for R. Fulton Cutting (1852-1934) and his second wife, Helen Suydam (1858-1919). Situated on the corner of 67th and Madison Avenue, this was the first residential commission of architect Ernest Flagg. Taking four years to complete, the hulking four-story limestone chateau contained reception rooms that took their cue from various architectural periods and in which could be found marble and parquet floors; plasterwork and coffered ceilings; murals; painted panels; silk-lined walls etc. It remained a private home up until 1922 and was demolished forty years later.

Fulton Cutting was known as the "First Citizen of New York" for his public-spirited reputation as a leading reformer for social change, and well he could afford to be. He and his brother, William Bayard Cutting, started the sugar beet industry in the States; he was a nephew of Robert L. Cutting, President of the New York Stock Exchange; and, a great-grandson of Walter Livingston of Teviotdale. Listed as members of Mrs Astor's hallowed '400,' the Cuttings not only played host to society here (a dinner for 76-guests in 1902 was considered 'small') but fundraisers and charity events were equally common.

The Cuttings divided their time between here and their country home, Cutting House in Tuxedo Park. They lived here up until 1922 when the ground floor was converted into upmarket retail space and the upper floors became fashionable apartments. It remained like this for another four decades until it was deemed outdated and was demolished in 1962 before being replaced by the nondescript office block that takes its place today.