Two Temple Place

In 1895, William Waldorf Astor, one of the wealthiest men of his time (in fact, he “humbly” called himself the Wealthiest Man in the World… and he wasn’t too far off), commissioned the creation of Two Temple Place, a neo-Gothic mansion that overlooks the River Thames. Allegedly, he told his architect that he wanted something grand and extraordinary. So, extraordinarily grand it was: gold leaf, mahogany panels, and whimsical carvings of literary characters like Shakespeare’s Prospero and Caliban filled its halls.

But Astor wasn’t just showing off—he was safeguarding…