John Spencer initially employed the Palladian
architect John Vardy, a pupil of William Kent.
Vardy was responsible for the external elevations
of Spencer House and the design of the ground floor
rooms including some of the furniture.
James 'Athenian' Stuart, then newly returned
from Greece, superseded Vardy as Lord Spencer's
architect in 1758. As a result, the House became
the first example in London of the application of
accurate Greek detail to interior decoration, making
it one of the pioneer examples of neo-classical
architecture.
Spencer House was conceived as a showcase of
classical design but it was also designed for
pleasure and a festive theme runs through the
decoration of all the many state rooms
which were used for receptions and family gatherings. The first Earl Spencer and his wife were prominent figures in London society, and during their lifetime Spencer House was often the setting for lavish entertainments. Their descendants, notably the fourth and sixth Earls, both of whom served as Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, continued this tradition.
Following the death of the first Earl Spencer in
1783 the House was partly remodelled by the architect
Henry Holland, who was soon to be engaged by the
Prince Regent on the construction of Carlton House.
Holland added the Greek Ionic columns in the
Dining Room, encased in
Siena scagliola, and the large mahogany doors in
the Staircase Hall,
the Ante Room, and the
Library. In the 1840s the
ground floor was decorated and the first floor
restored by the famous Victorian architect Philip
Hardwick. Thirty years later the Parisian designer,
Barbier, redecorated the ground floor rooms.
The Spencer family continued to live at the House
until 1895 when the building was let to a series
of tenants, including the Duke of Marlborough and
his wife, the former Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt.
Following the death of the fifth Earl Spencer in
1910 the family returned to the House and in 1926
the building was substantially restored. A year
later, however, the family moved away and the House
was let to the Ladies' Army and Navy Club, which
remained in occupation until 1943.
The contents of the House were removed to Althorp
and in 1942, at the height of the Blitz, valuable
original fixtures such as chimneypieces, doors
and chair rails were also removed. During the war
the House was occupied by the nation's nursing
services, and in 1948 a lease was signed with the
auctioneers Christies's, whose bomb-damaged premises
in King Street were being rebuilt. Christies were
succeeded by the British Oxygen Company in 1956,
when the House was converted into offices. In 1963
the Economist Intelligence Unit moved to Spencer
House; they remained in occupation until 1985 when
the lease was assigned to J.Rothschild Holdings and
thence to RIT Capital Partners plc.
Spencer House has now regained the full splendour of its late eighteenth-century appearance after a ten-year programme of restoration undertaken by RIT Capital Partners plc, under the Chairmanship of Lord Rothschild.
The final appearance of the rooms, complete with
carved architectural detail, chimneypieces and
copies of original furniture, is also a testament
to the support of the Spencer family who provided
access to Althorp to enable replication work of
outstanding quality to be achieved.
The House, partly used as offices, provides a
unique setting where entertainments can be held
in the historic setting of the
eight state rooms.
The accurate restoration is complimented by a
magnificent collection of paintings and furniture,
specially assembled for the House, including five
Benjamin West paintings graciously lent by Her
Majesty The Queen.
The House is open to the public for viewing on Sundays and private tours can be arranged (except January and August).
