The Fall of the House of Twain: A Lecture with Craig Fehrman

One hundred years ago this spring, Mark Twain died in his Connecticut home. But while most readers associate Twain with that state—or, more often, with his home state of Missouri—Twain was in many ways a New York man. In fact, he lived and worked in New York City throughout his life, and, for the first time, Craig Fehrman will reveal the story behind Twain’s Fifth Avenue home and the 1950s crusade to save it.

The so-called Twain House, designed in 1840 by James Renwick, Jr., was both a literary and an architectural landmark. Fehrman will describe the last-minute race to save the House, show a rich array of contemporary photographs, and share what he learned from interviewing perhaps the last living figure from this historical episode: 99-year-old British film director Ronald Neame. Come and learn about Twain’s New York past—and about yet another part of the Village’s preservation legacy.

Attendees are encouraged to enjoy an evening at the Salmagundi Art Club. The Club’s bar and restaurant, typically closed to the public, will be open to all attendees before and after the lecture.