The Magnolia Palace is one of several books by Fiona Davis in which she focuses on historical New York City structures, people, and events. The novel is set in the Henry Clay Frick House, which contains the Frick Collection and the Frick Art Reference Library. The Frick House, built between 1912 and 1914, was designed by Thomas Hastings, an architect whose firm designed prominent buildings, such as the iconic New York Public Library.

When Henry Clay Frick commissioned the mansion, his plan was to live there with his family until his death, at which point it would become a museum featuring his extensive art collection. The family lived surrounded by the collection, which was displayed throughout their home. After Frick’s death in 1919, his family continued to live there until his wife Adelaide’s death in 1931. After her death, the house was modified, and the Frick Collection opened in 1935. The facility houses the Frick Art Reference Library, which is also mentioned in the novel and was founded in 1920 by Helen Clay Frick.

Because the novel is set in the Frick House, Davis takes pains to describe the interior, both in 1919 as a personal residence and in1966 as a museum.