The Bailey house – Harlem Travel Guide – Sutro Media
It’s the greatest……..mansion on the block
The Bailey House, built for one of the greatest showmen of all times, James Bailey, half of the famous Barum & Bailey Circus, sits in the Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill section of West Harlem. Bailey, born James McGinnis in Detroit in 1847, orphaned by age 9, found work in a circus by the age of 14 and took the surname of a manager who helped him. By 1880, Bailey, now the owner of the circus, joined forces with his competition, Phineas T. Barnum, and created the greatest show on Earth.
Between 1886 and 1888, Samuel B. Reed, an architect, built a breathtaking turreted medieval-style house of gray Indiana limestone on the corner at 150th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue – The Bailey House. The building consisted of Flemish-inspired gables, a large tower and crocketed corner towerlettes reminiscent of a medieval castle with sixty-six windows made of 
mass-produced Henry F. Belcher mosaic glass, which have the appearance of Tiffany stained glass, but were made using a technique of arranging individual bits of colored glass on a gummed sheet of asbestos and holding them together with an alloy of molten mercury poured between the pieces. The interior and design of the building, designed by Joseph Burr Tiffany, a cousin of Louis Comfort Tiffany, was way ahead of its time. They used various types of woods in each room – hazel in the parlor, quartered oak in the main hall, black walnut in the office and sycamore in the library. Bailey died in 1891 and the his family sold the house in 1904. From 1910’s through 1950’s the house was occupied by Franz Koempel, a Bavarian-born doctor, and his family. The Blake family purchased the house in 1951, and opened a funeral parlor. In 1973, it was designated a New York City landmark.
To continue the tour of landmark buildings stop by the Nicholas C and Agnes Benziger House. The house, a designated landmark was built in 1891. It’s one of the last free standing mansions in Manhattan. Take advantage of the Open House Series presented by the Dance Theater of Harlem where affordably priced performances by DTH students are performed throughout the year. Special guest artists also take part in the series from time to time.
Transportation: Bus—M3. Subway—A, B, C, D to 145th St.
Enjoy the show
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What’s inside
- Nightlife and entertainment from jazz, Latin salsa, opera to classical music;
- Theatre, dance, spoken word and more;
- Restaurants featuring soul food to French cuisine and everything in between;
- Unique ethnic retail shops;
- Museums that celebrate various cultures;
- Fine art galleries;
- Majestic churches and gospel music;
- Amazing landmarks;
- Parks and free recreational activities;
- Guest accommodations;
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- Authentic tours of Harlem;
- Annual events and festivals;
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Literally a guide in my pocket 
Posted by Max on 13th Jan 2012
I can only subscribe to what other people already have told about the guide. It’s just great that I can read a place description, actually give a call its manager, find it on a map and even hook up on its Twitter channel to keep my eye on it. Very smart!
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