Late on the night of June 25, 1906, architect Stanford White passed suddenly and violently out of life and into legend. He was 52 years old.

Stanford White

Stanford White shone in his personal and professional life. He was well-known for his work, his generosity, and his charm. He lived in a decadent home, filled with oil paintings and rich decor. He had powerful connections who could help him overcome any scrape he got into.

These connections were essential to the darker side of “Stanny” because he was a predator who set his sights on adolescent girls. He would “ruin them” then move to the next victim. Today, he could not enjoy celebrity and continue his intrigues, undetected. But maybe he wouldn’t have cared – everyone who knew of White’s unsavory activities only admired him more.

Evelyn Nesbit

White’s most famous conquest was a chorus girl named Evelyn Nesbit. Their relationship began when Nesbit was 16 and White was 47. Eventually Stanford bored of Evelyn and moved on, but the seeds had been sewn for a bitter harvest.

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