After leaving Washington, Jackie settled back into Manhattan life by purchasing a 14-room apartment at 1040 Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The limestone apartment building was designed in 1930 by Rosario Candela, who is known for building some of New York’s most iconic luxury buildings, according to a Vanity Fair video..
The now family of three moved into the penthouse apartment on the 15th floor. According to a blueprint of the apartment, Jackie’s new home had maid’s rooms, a library, three fireplaces, and a balcony overlooking the park. With her she brought furnishings and art she’d collected over time, some from the White House. She is said to have bought art she loved, rather than as an investment. Her home had a curated and collected feel to it, with endless books, skirted sofas, and a slew of table lamps for ambiance.
In 1968, Jackie married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, becoming Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, or as we now know her, Jackie O. Throughout the rest of her life, Jackie went on to continue her work as a scholar and philanthropist. In addition to restoring the White House back to its glory days, Jackie is also credited with saving Grand Central Terminal in New York City. According to a Bloomberg article, the landmark was nearly destroyed by a redevelopment project in 1975, until the former first lady stepped in and ultimately saved the Beaux Arts building. After writing a letter to the mayor and hosting a press conference in the Oyster Bar, her work paid off. In addition to saving the train station from destruction, we also have her to thank for clearing away decades of nicotine soot and restoring the terminal’s celestial ceiling we all know and love today.
She went back to work in 1975, but this time as a book editor for Viking Press and later Doubleday. According to Town and Country Magazine, “Jackie believed that the author was the star of the book, and she insisted on staying in the background.” Though Jackie was hardly ever in the background of any story, her refined demeanor and grace are something we can admire to this day.
Jackie lived at 1040 Fifth Ave until her death in 1994. She is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. There is currently an exhibit on first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. The exhibit includes cherished pieces of American history, including certain possessions of the first lady, such as her Emmy Award and the camera she used when working for the Washington Times-Herald.
