{"nrhp_refnum":"78001882","name":"Sinclair, Harry F., House","other_names":["Augustus Van Horn Stuyvesant,Jr.,House","Ukranian Institute of"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2 E. 79th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Manhattan","state":"NY","lat":40.77672487900006,"lon":-73.96354442903,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-06-02","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1978-06-02","areas_of_significance":["Industry","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 3 1/2-story limestone and brick mansion at 2 East 79th Street, at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, designed in 1899 by Charles P. H. Gilbert for Isaac D. Fletcher and built by Henry Murdock. Later owned by Harry F. Sinclair and Augustus Van Horne Stuyvesant, Jr.","why_significant":"The house is tied to oil magnate Harry F. Sinclair, who lived here from 1918 to 1930 at the height of his economic power and during the Teapot Dome scandal. Sinclair built the largest independent oil company of his day, sponsored refining research, and became a central figure in the scandal. This is the best-preserved building associated with him, since his office and his Great Neck mansion no longer survive.","narrative":"Occupying the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 79th Street in Manhattan, this 27-room mansion was designed by Charles P. H. Gilbert in 1899 for coal and tar executive Isaac D. Fletcher and built by Henry Murdock for $200,000. Limestone ashlar covers the ornate facades, and a steep slate mansard roof carries copper and terra cotta decoration. Inside are carved woodwork, decorated ceilings and marble mantels. Oil entrepreneur Harry F. Sinclair bought the house in 1918 and lived here until 1930, a period that included the Teapot Dome scandal. During those years his Sinclair Oil Corporation became the largest independent oil company in the country and funded refining research. Augustus Van Horne Stuyvesant, Jr. bought the house in 1930, and the Ukrainian Institute of America acquired it in 1955. Exterior changes since Sinclair's time are absent, and it is the residence most closely associated with him.","period_of_significance":"1916-30","architect_builder":"Charles C. P. Gilbert (architect); Henry Murdock (builder)","architectural_style":"Eclectic French Renaissance","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the Ukrainian Institute of America, which uses it as a museum and cultural center. Generally in good condition, though the roof and plumbing need serious repair.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.055543-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/78001882_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78001882/9df70d56a0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78001882/9df70d56a0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Gryffindor","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_F_Sinclair_House_9730.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Gryffindor</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_F_Sinclair_House_9730.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75315936","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_F._Sinclair_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5668753"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/manhattan/sinclair-harry-f-house-78001882/"}