Editing Mayfair (section)

==Properties==

===Churches===
[[File:Saint George Church, Hanover Square.jpg|thumb|upright|[[St George's, Hanover Square]]|alt=Photograph of the front of St George's Hanover Square]]
[[St George's, Hanover Square]], constructed between 1721 and 1724 by [[John James (architect)|John James]], was one of 50 churches built following the [[Commission for Building Fifty New Churches]] Act in 1711. [[Emma, Lady Hamilton]], in 1791, poet [[Percy Bysshe Shelley]] in 1814, and Prime Ministers [[Benjamin Disraeli]] and [[H. H. Asquith]] in 1839 and 1894 respectively were all married in the church. The porch houses two cast-iron dogs rescued from a shop in Conduit Street that was bombed during the Blitz.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=759}}

[[Grosvenor Chapel]] on [[South Audley Street]] was built by [[Benjamin Timbrell]] in 1730 for the Grosvenor Estate. It was used by American armed forces during the [[Second World War]]. The parents of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]], are buried in the churchyard.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=358}}

The [[Mayfair Chapel]] on Curzon Street was a popular place for illegal marriages, including over 700 in 1742. [[James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton]], married [[Elizabeth Gunning, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon|Elizabeth Gunning]] here in 1752. The [[Marriage Act 1753]] stopped the practice of unlicensed marriages. The chapel was demolished in 1899.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=228}}

===Hotels===
Having opened in 1837, [[Brown's Hotel]] is considered one of London's oldest hotels.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoletrilivas/2020/01/30/inside-browns-hotel-londons-oldest-hotel/ |title=Inside London's Oldest Hotel |first=Nicole |last=Trilivas |website=Forbes}}</ref> Straddling [[Albemarle Street|Albemarle]] and [[Dover Street|Dover]] streets, it is thought to have been a popular [[Afternoon tea|tea]] location for [[Queen Victoria]], and it was from the hotel that in 1876 [[Alexander Graham Bell]] made the first successful telephone call in Britain. Certain writers were known to stay there frequently; [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''[[The Jungle Book]]'' and [[Agatha Christie]]'s ''[[At Bertram's Hotel]]'' were each partly written during a visit to Brown's. [[Theodore Roosevelt]] enjoyed staying at the hotel and married his fiancée [[Edith Roosevelt]] with a reception there in 1886. Now part of [[Rocco Forte Hotels]], the Hotel maintains its popular tea room and has expanded to occupy 11 townhouses.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of the Brown's Hotel in London – Rocco Forte |url=https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/browns-hotel/story/ |website=www.roccofortehotels.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=September 2024}}

[[File:Claridges Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 1064579.jpg|thumb|left|[[Claridge's]]|alt=Corner view of the hotel Claridge's]]
[[Claridge's]] was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel on [[Brook Street, London|Brook Street]]. It was acquired by William Claridge in 1855, who gave it its current name. The hotel was bought by the Savoy Company in 1895 and rebuilt in red brick. It was extended again in 1931. Several European royal families in exile stayed at the hotel during the Second World War. [[Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia]], was born there on 17 July 1945; the Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] is said to have declared the suite he was born in to be Yugoslav territory.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=192}}

[[Flemings Mayfair]] on [[Half Moon Street, London|Half Moon Street]] was opened in 1851 by Robert Fleming, who worked for [[Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey]]. It is the second-oldest independent hotel in London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Step Inside London's Second-Oldest Hotel Flemings Mayfair |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridgetarsenault/2018/06/09/step-inside-londons-second-oldest-hotel-flemings-mayfair/#1a95ba01a3ec |work=Forbes |date=9 June 2018 |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref>

The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on the corner of Grosvenor Square and [[Duke Street, St James's|Duke Street]] was the first [[Marriott Hotels & Resorts|Marriott Hotel]] in Britain. It opened as the Europa Hotel in 1961 and was bought by Marriott in 1985. It was a popular place for visitors to the American Embassy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/londt-london-marriott-hotel-grosvenor-square/ |title=London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square |website=Marriott International |language=en-US |access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref>

The [[Grosvenor House Hotel]] on Park Lane is on the former site of [[Grosvenor House]], the home of [[Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Earl Grosvenor]] (who later became the 1st Marquess of Westminster). It was built by [[Arthur Octavius Edwards]] in the 1920s and has over 450 bedrooms, with 150 luxury flats in the south wing. It was the first London hotel to have a swimming pool.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=358–9}}

[[The Dorchester]] is named after [[Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester]]. The first building here was erected by Joseph Damer in 1751, and renamed Dorchester House following the Earl's succession in 1792. The property was purchased by [[Sir Robert McAlpine|Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons]] and [[Gordon Hotels|Gordon Hotels Ltd]] in 1928 to be converted into a hotel, which opened on 18 April 1931. It was General [[Dwight Eisenhower]]'s London headquarters in the Second World War. The [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] held his [[stag night]] at the hotel prior to his marriage to [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=244}}

[[The May Fair Hotel]] opened in 1927 on the site of Devonshire House in [[Stratton Street]]. It also accommodates the May Fair Theatre, which opened in 1963.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk/may-fair-theatre_131-en.html |title=The May Fair Theatre private screening room |website=www.themayfairhotel.co.uk |access-date=7 March 2019}}</ref>{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=536,679}}

[[The Ritz Hotel, London|The Ritz]] opened on Piccadilly on 24 May 1906. It was the first [[Modular building|steel-framed building]] to be constructed in London,{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=695}} and it is one of the most prestigious and best-known hotels in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coventry.ac.uk/culc/culc-primary-news/london-campus-signs-collaborative-agreement-with-the-ritz-london/ |title=London Campus signs collaborative agreement with The Ritz London |publisher=Coventry University |date=30 April 2014 |access-date=3 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216045106/http://www.coventry.ac.uk/culc/culc-primary-news/london-campus-signs-collaborative-agreement-with-the-ritz-london/ |archive-date=16 February 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Retail===
Mayfair has had a range of exclusive shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs since the 19th century. The district—especially the vicinity of Bond Street—is also the home of numerous commercial art galleries and international auction houses such as [[Bonhams]], [[Christie's]] and [[Sotheby's]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=537}}

[[File:Savile Row c. 1890.jpg|thumb|Savile Row {{circa|1890}} showing the entrance to "Poole" (now [[Henry Poole & Co]])]]

From the early 19th century, tailors, attracted by the affluent and influential residents, began to take up premises on [[Savile Row]] in south-eastern Mayfair, beginning in 1803. The earliest extant tailor to move to Savile Row was [[Henry Poole & Co]] in 1846. The street's reputation steadily grew throughout the late 19th and early-20th centuries, under the patronage of monarchs, moguls and movie stars, into the [[Savile Row tailoring|global home of men's tailoring]]; a reputation retained to the present day.<ref>{{cite web |date=3 May 2019 |title=Savile Row tailors: the GQ Guide |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/savile-row-tailors-london |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=British GQ |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Henry Poole Savile Row – The History at London's Savile Row |url=https://henrypoole.com/heritage-savile-row/our-story/ |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=Henry Poole Savile Row}}</ref>

[[Gunter's Tea Shop]] was established in 1757 at Nos.&nbsp;7–8 Berkeley Square by the Italian Domenico Negri. Robert Gunter took co-ownership of the shop in 1777, and full ownership in 1799. During the 19th century it became a fashionable place to buy cakes and ice cream, and was well known for its range of multi-tiered [[wedding cake]]s. The shop moved to Curzon Street in 1936 when the eastern side of Berkeley Square was demolished, until closing in 1956. The business as a whole survived until the late 1970s.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=365}}

Mount Street has been a popular shopping street since Mayfair was developed in the 18th century. It was largely rebuilt between 1880 and 1900 under the direction of the 1st Duke of Westminster, when the nearby workhouse was relocated to Pimlico. It now houses a number of shops dealing with luxury trades.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=563}}

[[File:Shepherd Market 1.jpg|thumb|left|Shepherd Market in 2011|alt=Black and white view of Shepherd Market, London, from an upper storey window]]

Shepherd Market has been called the "village centre" of Mayfair. The current buildings date from around 1860, and house food and antique shops, pubs and restaurants. The market had a reputation for high-class prostitution. In the 1980s, [[Jeffrey Archer]] was alleged to frequent the area and was accused of visiting [[Monica Coghlan]], a call girl in Shepherd Market, which eventually led to a libel trial and his imprisonment for [[perverting the course of justice]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=834}}

Alongside Burlington House is one of London's most luxurious shopping areas, the [[Burlington Arcade]]. It was designed by [[Samuel Ware]] for [[George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington]], in 1819. The arcade was designed with tall walls on either side to prevent passers-by throwing litter into the Earl's garden. Ownership of the arcade passed to the [[Baron Chesham|Chesham family]]. In 1911, another storey was added by [[Beresford Pite]], who also added the Chesham arms. The family sold the arcade to the [[Prudential Assurance Company]] for £333,000 (now £{{inflation|GBP|333000|1926|fmt=c|r=-3}}) in 1926. It was bombed during the Second World War and subsequently restored.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=115}}

[[File:Burlington Arcade, shops - clean.jpg|thumb|The [[Burlington Arcade]] opened in 1819.|alt=View of Burlington arcade, with shoppers]] [[Allens of Mayfair]], one of the best-known butchers in London, was founded in a shop on Mount Street in 1830. It held a [[Royal warrant of appointment]] to supply meat to the Queen, as well as supplying several high-profile restaurants. After accruing spiralling debts, it was sold to Rare Butchers of Distinction in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2939830/But-Allen-of-Mayfair-is-sold-to-rival-from-Lewisham-says-Supplier-to-Queens-kitchen-collapses.html |title=But Allen of Mayfair is sold to rival from Lewisham, says Supplier to Queen's kitchen collapses |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=29 May 2006 |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> The Mayfair premises closed in 2015, but the company retains an online presence.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.westendextra.com/butcherssign |title=Mount Street laments the loss of Allens, Mayfair's legendary butchers shop |work=West End Extra |date=6 November 2015 |access-date=30 March 2017 |archive-date=30 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330174724/http://archive.westendextra.com/butcherssign |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Scott's (restaurant)|Scott's]] restaurant moved from [[Coventry Street]] to Nos.&nbsp;20–22 Mount Street in 1967.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=828}} In 1975, the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) [[Scott's Oyster Bar bombing|bombed]] the restaurant twice, killing one and injuring 15 people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch75.htm |title=CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1975 |last=Melaugh |first=Dr Martin |website=cain.ulst.ac.uk |access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref>

South Audley Street is a major shopping street in Mayfair running from north to south from Grosvenor Square to Curzon Street.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol40/pt2/pp290-291 |title=South Audley Street: Introduction |work= |series=Survey of London |pages=290–291 |access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref> Originally a residential street, it was redeveloped between 1875 and 1900. Retailers include china and silverware specialists [[Thomas Goode (tableware)|Thomas Goode]] and gunsmiths [[James Purdey & Sons]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=851}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mayfair-london.co.uk/sth_audley_street.htm |title=Mayfair Sth Audley Street, London Sth Audley Street W1 Mayfair |website=Mayfair-london.co.uk |access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref>
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===Museums and galleries===
Numerous galleries have given Mayfair a reputation as an international art hub.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.luxurylondon.co.uk/article/meet-mayfair-s-bright-young-art-gallerists-dealers |title=Meet Mayfair's Bright Young Art Gallerists & Dealers |work=Luxury London |access-date=30 May 2013 |language=en-GB |archive-date=3 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103005147/http://www.luxurylondon.co.uk/article/meet-mayfair-s-bright-young-art-gallerists-dealers |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Royal Academy of Arts]], based in Burlington House, was founded in 1768 by [[George III]] and is the oldest fine arts society in the world. Its founding president was Sir [[Joshua Reynolds]]. The academy holds classes and exhibitions, and students have included [[John Constable]] and [[J. M. W. Turner]]. It moved from [[Somerset House]] to [[Trafalgar Square]] in 1837, sharing with the [[National Gallery]], before moving to Burlington House in 1868. The academy hosts an [[Royal Academy Summer Exhibition|annual Summer Exhibition]], showing over 1,000 contemporary works of art that can be submitted by anyone.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=705}}

The [[Fine Art Society]] gallery was established at No.&nbsp;148 New Bond Street in 1876.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/art/art-sales-can-the-fine-art-society-survive-in-mayfair/ |title=Art Sales: can The Fine Art Society survive in Mayfair? |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=7 June 2016 |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> Other galleries in Mayfair include the Maddox Gallery on [[Maddox Street]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Maddox Gallery |url=http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/125869-maddox-gallery#UbhvB6OLqZoCCoqB.97 |website=visitlondon.com |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> and the [[Halcyon Gallery]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Khan |first=Tabish |title=Take Our Tour Of Some Of London's Best Art Exhibitions |url=http://londonist.com/2016/10/a-free-guided-tour-of-some-of-london-s-best-art-exhibitions |work=Londonist |date=13 October 2016 |access-date=31 March 2017}}</ref>

[[File:London 003 Hendrix and Handel houses.jpg|thumb|220px|upright|Nos.&nbsp;23–25 Brook Street, Mayfair, home to [[Jimi Hendrix]] and [[George Frederic Handel]] respectively, albeit over 200 years apart|alt=Front view of two houses on Brook Street, Mayfair]]
The [[Handel House Museum]] at No.&nbsp;25 Brook Street opened in 2001. [[George Frideric Handel]] was the first resident from 1723 until his death in 1759. Most of his major works, including ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'', and ''[[Music for the Royal Fireworks]]'' were composed here. The museum held an exhibition of [[Jimi Hendrix]], who lived in an upper-floor flat in neighbouring No.&nbsp;23 Brook Street in 1968–69.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=380}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/may/16/jimi-hendrix-handel-museum-exhibition |title=Jimi Hendrix and Handel: Housemates separated by time |first=Maev |last=Kennedy |date=16 May 2010 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=31 March 2017}}</ref>

The [[Faraday Museum]] in [[Albemarle Street]] occupies a basement laboratory used by [[Michael Faraday]] for his experiments with electromagnetic rotation and motors at the [[Royal Institution]]. It opened in 1973 and exhibits include the first electric generator designed by Faraday, along with various notes and medals.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=286}}

===Business===
[[Cadbury]]'s head office was formerly at No.&nbsp;25 Berkeley Square in Mayfair. In 2007, [[Cadbury Schweppes]] announced that it was moving to [[Uxbridge]] in order to cut costs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2809823/Cadbury-swaps-Mayfair-for-Uxbridge.html |title=Cadbury swaps Mayfair for Uxbridge |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=1 June 2007 |access-date=27 March 2017 |first=Caroline |last=Muspratt}}</ref>

===Other===
Bourdon House, one of the oldest properties in Mayfair, was constructed by Thomas Barlow between 1723 and 1725 as part of the original development. An additional storey was added around 1864–65. In 1909, the 2nd Duke of Westminster ordered major refurbishments and the expansion of a three-storey wing. He moved out of Grosvenor House in 1916 into this, where he stayed until his death in 1953.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=84}}

Crewe House was built in the late 18th century on the site of a house on Curzon Street owned by [[Edward Shepherd]], a key builder and architect around Mayfair. It was bought by [[James Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe]] in 1818 and became known as Wharncliffe House. In 1899, it was purchased by [[Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe|Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl Crewe]], giving it its current name. The house is part of the [[Embassy of Saudi Arabia, London|Saudi Arabian Embassy]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=228}}

Mayfair has many [[blue plaque]]s on buildings for its prominent residents. Standing at the corner of Chesterfield Street and Charles Street, one can see plaques for William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (later [[William IV of the United Kingdom|King William IV]]), Prime Minister [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]], the writer [[W. Somerset Maugham|Somerset Maugham]] and Regency-era fashion icon [[Beau Brummell]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=287}}