Built in 1870, Clayton was purchased by the Frick family in 1882 and, after some alterations by architect Andrew Peebles, Henry Clay Frick and his bride Adelaide Howard Childs moved into the 11-room home in 1883. Pittsburgh architect Frederick Osterling directed the 1891 - 92 transformation of the relatively modest house into a 22-room mansion, including a design process that produced an even more fanciful exterior rendering than the final version the Fricks chose. The family kept Clayton as their primary residence until moving to New York City in 1905, and in 1913 construction began on their New York residence, now open to the public as The Frick Collection. One original feature that remained largely unchanged was the covered carriage drive, or porte cochére. Adelaide Frick and her children Childs, born March 12, 1883, Martha, born August 9, 1885, and Helen, born September 3, 1888, were part of the household, and chef Spencer Ford worked at Clayton from about 1895 to 1916, planning family and entertainment meals with Mrs. Frick. Restoration of Clayton began in 1984, and with a budget of $6 million, work started in February 1989 and was completed in October that year.
