History and architecture
Henry Clay Frick commissioned Carrère & Hastings to design his Fifth Avenue home, built in 1913–14. The limestone mansion included a long picture gallery and a garden facing the avenue. Frick intended the house and art collection to become a public institution after the family's residence there ended.
John Russell Pope adapted and expanded the house for the museum, which opened in 1935. His work included new galleries, the enclosed Garden Court, and a separate library building on East 71st Street. The garden on East 70th Street is a later addition, designed by Russell Page in 1977 to be viewed from the street and museum.
What to look for
- The low limestone mansion set behind its Fifth Avenue garden.
- Russell Page's garden along East 70th Street.
- The enclosed Garden Court, when visiting the museum.
Sources and further reading
- The Frick Collection: History
- The Frick Collection: One East 70th Street Papers
- The Frick Collection: Building and Gardens
Reviewed September 5, 2026.