▁was ▁built ▁for ▁William ▁K iss am ▁V ander b ilt , ▁second ▁son ▁of ▁William ▁H . ▁V ander b ilt ▁and ▁Maria ▁Louis a ▁K iss am ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁ ▁Det erm ined ▁to ▁make ▁her ▁mark ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁society , ▁V ander b ilt ' s ▁wife ▁Al va ▁worked ▁with ▁the ▁architect , ▁Richard ▁Morris ▁H unt , ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁French ▁Renaissance - style ▁ch ate au . ▁ ▁Her ▁ren owned ▁fancy - d ress ▁ball , ▁held ▁here ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁and ▁attended ▁by ▁a ▁thousand ▁people , ▁captured ▁the ▁public ' s ▁attention . ▁ ▁The ▁structure , ▁a ▁reflection ▁of ▁Al va ' s ▁love ▁of ▁all ▁things ▁French , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁ch ate au ▁style ▁m ans ions ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁insp iration ▁for ▁many ▁later ▁designs ▁throughout ▁the ▁country ▁by ▁H unt ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁real - est ate ▁developer ▁Benjamin ▁Winter , ▁Sr . ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁demol ished , ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁commercial ▁building . ▁In ▁a ▁draft ▁of ▁her ▁mem oir s , ▁Al va , ▁then ▁Mrs . ▁Bel mont , ▁merely ▁noted ▁the ▁demol ition ▁in ▁passing . ▁ ▁The ▁site ▁is ▁currently ▁occupied ▁by ▁an ▁office ▁building ▁known ▁as ▁ 6 6 6 ▁Fif th ▁Avenue . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁Although ▁William ▁V ander