ORIGINAL OWNER: John M. Bowers, a socially prominent, prosperous New York City lawyer, was at the center of the corporate law cases of his day. There was hardly an important case where Bowers was not sought for his advice. As Bowers, who was also a legal advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, gained fame and fortune, he commissioned Hoppin & Koen to build his Manhattan home in 1909. ARCHITECTS: Frances L.V. Hoppin and Terrence A. Koen were among the most talented architects at the turn of the twentieth century, designing monumental public buildings, town houses and country estates from Newport to Oyster Bay to Palm Beach. Alumni of the McKim, Mead and White office, Hoppin & Koen struck out on their own with a very prestigious clientele, including Edith Wharton, among others. THE MANSION: The original architects' 1909 floor plans are available for review. The opulent 28 foot wide, six-story neo-Georgian mansion built for John M. Bowers has a rusticated limestone and warm rose brick facade. INTERIOR: The interior still possesses the original grand staircase, 12 fireplaces, elegant rooms also with original details intact and an elevator. Between 1929 and 1945, the building was owned by the Council of Foreign Relations. Architects Delano & Aldrich made interior renovations in 1930 for the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, which took title in 1945. NEIGHBORHOOD AND STREET: The stately Bowers home is situated in a row of mansions on a lovely block between Madison and Park Avenues. Before construction on the John M. Bowers mansion began, Charles Platt had already erected for Sara Delano Roosevelt and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt a double 35 foot wide townhouse to the east of the Bowers property. Adjacent to the west, a new 28 foot wide home was under construction for Benson B. Sloan from plans by famed architects Trowbridge & Livingston. The works of other prominent architects in this block include Mott B. Schm
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