Interior Design of Gilsey House, New York City

Home from the Country — Going into Winter Quarters — Grand Corridor of the Gilsey House, Broadway, corner of Twenty-Ninth Street, New York City. Illustration published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, October 31, 1874. Wood engraving on paper signed by Schimpf & Bghs.

The building was constructed from 1869 to 1871 to be absolutely fire-proof. The first two stories of stairs were made of stones. In the 1870s, its fame and reputation had spread across the United States and parts of Europe. According to the New York's Great Industries by Edwards and Critten (1884), "Every convenience and all modern improvements are provided for the benefit of patrons, billiards and reading-rooms, luxurious parlors, elevators, electrical communications, etc., and everything that art and science can invent has been utilized, and visitors having once stopped here are sure to return when again visiting the city."