Stanford White was born on November 9, 1853. One of the leading architects of his era and a partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, he designed many houses for the wealthy of the Gilded Age, as well as various public, institutional, and religious buildings. His design principles embodied the "American Renaissance".
In 1906, White was murdered in New York City on June 25, 1906 by millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw over White`s affair with Thaw`s wife, actress Evelyn Nesbit. Thaw`s trial for murder was described as "The Trial of the Century" at the time.