Originally commissioned for an elegant English Manor, the decorative woodwork was brought to New York City in the early 1900s by prominent insurance director, Jeremiah Milbank
The historic millwork appearing in these photos was recently brought back to life by the talented finishers of OFS and the installers of Pursuit Construction.
Known as the Michelangelo of woodcarvers, Anglo-Dutch sculptor Grinling Gibbons was once commissioned by King William III to create a collection of woodcarvings that still adorn Kensington Palace today.
With his “royal” reputation, Gibbons was a favorite among the English aristocracy – hand carving aesthetic design for many of the country’s largest estates.
A Long Journey Across the Pond
These particular carvings were part of the Milbank House in Manhattan, which at the time was owned by Jeremiah Milbank, Director of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He had purchased the property in 1919 and the millwork was installed during an extensive renovation of the home.
The East 67th Street mansion on the Upper East Side was later purchased in the mid-1970s by the notorious founder of Penthouse magazine, Bob Guccione.
In 2006 Investment Banker J. Christopher Flowers took ownership of Milbank House.
And in 2008 the Milbank House was purchased by hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone and his wife and was remodeled from top to bottom.
Eventually these pieces were purchased by a CT-based company at the Norwalk CT Auction House.
Please reach out to OFS, Corp. directly for all of your finishing needs: Historic restoration, field touch-up & refinishing, as well as shop finishing of new millwork, cabinets, and furniture.
Photos of Classic Millwork in Newly Renovated Executive Office
