The so-called Brook House is the family home owned by Agnes van Rhijn. It is a brownstone building on East 61st Street corner 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York. Across from it is the Russell House.
Prior to the series, both Arnold and Oscar van Rhijn lived in the house. As of the beginning of the series, it serves as the principal residence of the extended Brook family: Agnes, Ada, and Marian Brook. While never referred to as the Brook House, it gets its name from its current residents.
History[]
Van Rhijn House[]
Mr. and Mrs. van Rhijn had the house built in 1850. Arnold bought the lot before the area was trending having foreseen that the city would develop further north. Over time its property value has increased. Oscar is assumed to have grown up in this house.
Brook House of Mrs. Van Rhijn[]
After Arnold's death in 1872, Agnes inherits the house and has her younger sister Ada move in.
In 1882, Agnes and Ada's elder brother passes away and leaves Marian Brook, the sisters' niece, orphaned and destitute. The youngest Brook moves into the house the same year.
In 1883, Ada marries Luke Forte and moves out of the Brook House to live with her husband at the rectory of the Episcopal Church of Saint Thomas. Due to a diagnosis of cancer, Ada and Luke are forced to move into the house, with the latter only briefly staying as he succumbs to his illness in the house.
Brook House of Mrs. Forte[]
After Oscar is swindled out of almost all of the Van Rhijn money, the family is forced to consider selling the brownstone house until Ada discovers she has inherited a great deal of money from her late husband. She volunteers to support the household with this fortune and effectively becomes the new mistress of the household. Although, Agnes is quick to point out that she still owns the house itself.
Residents[]
Current Residents[]
- Agnes van Rhijn, née Brook
- Ada Forte, née Brook
- Marian Brook
- Pumpkin
Former Residents[]
- Arnold van Rhijn †
- Oscar van Rhijn
- Luke Forte †
Staff[]
Current Staff[]
- Alfred Bannister – Butler
- Peggy Scott – Personal Secretary to Agnes*
- Mrs. Bauer – Housekeeper and Cook
- Miss Armstrong – Lady's Maid to Agnes
- John "Jack" Trotter – Footman
- Bridget – Maid
*Peggy continues to work for the house but has moved out and back to her parents' home Brooklyn.
Layout[]
The house has four floors with its main entrance facing East 61st Street. The servant's entrance is below the staircase that leads to the main entrance. It is relatively large comfortably holding over a dozen people, but appears smaller in contrast to the towering Russell House across the street.
On the ground floor is a parlor divided into two sections and the dining room. Upstairs, there are at least four bedrooms: Agnes's, Ada's, Marian's, and an additional one referred to as the Blue Room. There are at least two servants' bedrooms in the basement floor together with the kitchen and servants' dining room. And, at least another three servants bedrooms' is on the top floor.
Agnes's bedroom is filmed at Chateau-Sur-Mer in Newport.[1]
