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Home , 1000 Park Avenue, 720 Park Avenue, 730 Park Avenue, 903 Park Avenue, Colony Club, Emery Roth

A Guide to Historic City Neighborhoods

Park Avenue The Historic Districts Council is New York’s citywide advocate for historic buildings and neighborhoods. The Six to Celebrate program annually identifies six historic neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s advocacy and consultation over a yearlong period.

The six, chosen from applications submitted by community organizations, are selected on the basis of the architectural and historic merit of the area, the level of threat to the neighborhood, the strength and willingness of the local advocates, and the potential for HDC’s preservation support to be meaningful. HDC works with these neighborhood partners to set and reach preservation goals through strategic planning, advocacy, outreach, programs and publicity.

The core belief of the Historic Districts Council is that preservation and enhancement of New York City’s historic resources—its neighborhoods, buildings, parks and public spaces— are central to the continued success of the city. The Historic Districts Council works to ensure the preservation of these resources and uphold the New York City Landmarks Law and to further the preservation ethic. This mission is accomplished through ongoing programs of assistance to more than 500 community and neighborhood groups and through public- policy initiatives, publications, educational outreach and sponsorship of community events.

Support is provided in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by City Councilmembers Margaret Chin, Inez Dickens, Matthieu Eugene, Daniel Garodnick, Vincent Gentile, Corey Johnson, Ben Kallos, Stephen Levin, Mark Levine, and Rosie Mendez.

232 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003 tel 212-614-9107 fax 212-614-9127 e-mail [email protected] www.hdc.org 6tocelebrate.org

Copyright © 2015 by Historic Districts Council

Park Avenue, today a coveted address, was once neglected. In 1831, the New York and Railroad was granted use of what was then known as for its train tracks. Steam locomotives were introduced in 1837, and the avenue was widened from 100 to 140 feet. Just after the construction of the Grand Central Depot on (the first of three stations to be called Grand Central), legislation in 1872 mandated that train tracks be below ground, which led to construction of a railroad tunnel between 56th and 96th Streets. Known as the “Fourth Avenue Improvement,” this partially covered tunnel funneled pollutants and noise up to the street through vents in the center of Fourth Avenue. As a result, residential development stalled in the 1870s and 80s, even as the wealthy were building extravagant mansions on Fifth and Madison Avenues and associated carriage houses and stables east of Fourth Avenue. A transitional place, Fourth Avenue’s first buildings included an assortment of rowhouses, tenements and institutions. The latter category included the German Hospital (later Hospital) and the (site #7).

In 1887, the Board of Alderman voted to rename the blocks north of 42nd Street Park Avenue, but “Fourth Avenue” was widely used until the early 20th century. After a major rail accident in 1902, the New York State Legislature banned steam locomotives in Manhattan, requiring train lines to be electrified. This precipitated the construction of a new and drastically increased Park Avenue’s real estate value. The central vents were converted into landscaped malls. In 1928-29, to facilitate the widening of the avenue for vehicular traffic, the malls and sidewalks were narrowed and buildings’ areaways were removed. Regardless of their diminution in size, the malls (site #1) are still a highlight of Park Avenue.

Perhaps the most important contributor to Park Avenue’s special character is its apartment buildings, whose largely uniform heights form continuous street walls. After World War I, apartment living became fashionable for the wealthy, and Park Avenue experienced a building boom in the 1910s and 20s. Apartment buildings were designed to emulate the elegance of the townhouses they were replacing. In addition to spacious lobbies, uniformed doormen, elevators and large apartments (with as many as 18 rooms), the buildings were designed by respected architects in popular styles, including: Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival and . Among the notable architects were: George and Edward Blum, , J. E. R. Carpenter, George F. Pelham and . These buildings continued to be built on Park Avenue after World War II and up until the present, signaling its constant desirability over time. Park Avenue also boasts a number of graceful townhouses and religious institutions, as well as several new buildings completed in the early 2000s (site # 16).

Residential Park Avenue is largely protected by landmark designation. The Historic District, designated in 1981, includes the blocks between East 61st and 79th Streets. The Park Avenue Historic District, designated in 2014, includes the blocks between East 79th and 91st Streets. The Expanded Historic District, designated in 1993, includes the blocks between East 91st and halfway between 93rd and 94th Streets. The avenue also includes a number of individually designated landmarks.

1 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue 1

Park Avenue Malls

Park Avenue’s iconic malls were born in the mid-1870s, when the railroad vents were covered with shrubs and surrounded by simple iron fences. In 1894, residents formed the Park Avenue Association, which, by the 1920s, had the vents fully covered over. Private donations in 1929 and 1931 led to the planting of roughly 7,000 trees from 34th to 96th Streets. Another private donation in 1946 introduced flowering varieties. In 1969-70, the malls and fences were redesigned by Clara Coffey. The Park Avenue Malls Planting Project Committee formed in 1980 to establish and maintain a uniform planting plan. Today, planting, maintenance and the annual holiday tree lighting (since 1945), is funded and performed by the Carnegie Hill Neighbors and the Fund for Park Avenue.

Park Avenue has two of the city’s 2a early private clubhouses, both designed by Delano & Aldrich. The Colony Club, which still operates, was 564 Park Avenue the first women’s group in the city to erect a clubhouse, though this neo- (Delano & Aldrich, Georgian building is the club’s second 1914-16) – NYC HD home. Its first home at 129 Madison 2b Avenue is an Individual Landmark. The Union Club was established in Union Club of the 1836, making it the oldest private City of New York club in the city and the third oldest 701 Park Avenue in the country. This Renaissance Revival structure is its sixth home, (Delano & Aldrich, which includes card and backgammon 1930-31) – NYC HD rooms and squash courts.

Legend of designations National Historic Landmark: NHL National Register of Historic Places—District: NR-D National Register of Historic Places­—Property: NR-P New York City Historic District: NYC HD New York City Individual Landmark: NYC IL New York City Interior Landmark: NYC INL 2 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue 3a

Third Church of Christ Scientist 583 Park Avenue Two contiguously constructed churches stand on this (Delano & Aldrich, 1922-24) block. The Third Church of Christ Scientist is a lovely – NYC HD example of the neo-Georgian style, its red brick façades b graced with a grand columned portico and its central 3 dome crowned by a balustrade and cupola. In 2006, the Central Presbyterian pews were removed from the interior so the space could Church also be used for events. The construction of the Central 593 Park Avenue Presbyterian Church building was partly funded by the Rockefellers. Its Gothic Revival style is evidenced by (Henry C. Pelton and Allen & its rough granite cladding, a large pointed arch window Collens,1920-22) – NYC HD and intricately carved octagonal tower. Across the c street, note the stylized colonnade formed by a series of 3 pilasters at the base of 580 Park Avenue, which occupies 580 Park Avenue the entire blockfront. (J. E. R. Carpenter, 1923) – NYC HD

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600 Park Avenue (James Gamble Rogers, 1910-11) – NYC HD Across the street from one another are two grand 601 Park Avenue mansions. 600 Park Avenue was built for businessman (Walter Jonathan Bulkley and his wife Sarah Tod. After their Lund & Julius F. Gayler, deaths in 1939 and 1943, the Renaissance Revival 1919-20) mansion sat empty until 1946, when the Swedish – NYC HD Government purchased it as its Consul General’s residence. In 2009, the house became the residence of the Swedish Ambassador to the United Nations. 601 Park Avenue, a neo-Federal mansion with 100 feet of Park Avenue frontage, was built for sugar wholesaler Thomas A. Howell. A long, half-elliptical stair hall occupies the center of the house and all of its rooms face the avenue. Interestingly, this house was left on the market for almost two decades, unable to find a buyer from 1989 to 2008.

3 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue The Seventh Regiment was formed in 1806 from 5 four volunteer militia companies, and served in the War of 1812, the Civil War and both World Seventh Regiment Armory Wars, as well as aided in subduing numerous civilian 643 Park Avenue disorders. In 1880, after years of using various buildings, its own grand armory, designed in the (Charles W. Clinton, 1877-79) style of a fortified castle, opened to much fanfare. – NYC HD, NYC IL, NYC INL, Often referred to as the “silk stocking regiment,” NR-P its members were socially prominent. As such, the building features lavish interiors designed by noted artists and architects, including , , the Herter Brothers and Pottier & Stymus, among others. Much of the first and second floor interiors are protected by landmark designation. Because the drill hall was used for maneuvers, the 55,000-square-foot space required very high ceilings. Normally used for train sheds, enormous iron trusses span the enclosure to support the roof. It remains one of the largest unobstructed spaces in the city, and has been used for a variety of functions. From 1900 to 1963, the National Indoor Tennis Championships were held here, and since 1902, the Knickerbocker Greys, a junior cadet corps for school boys, has used the space for drills. In 2006, the Park Avenue Armory Conservancy took over the building with a mission to restore its historic spaces and transform it into a world-class venue for the performing and visual arts.

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680 Park Avenue (McKim, Mead & White, 1909-11) 684 Park Avenue (McKim, Mead & White, 1925-26) 686 Park Avenue (Delano & Aldrich, 1917-19) 690 Park Avenue (Walker & Gillette, 1916) – all: NYC ILs, NR-P

On the west side of Park between East 68th and 69th Streets is an architecturally cohesive group of neo-Federal townhouses, referred to as the Pyne-Davison Row. 680 Park Avenue was built for banker and philanthropist Percy Rivington Pyne. In 1960, Nikita Kruschchev gave a press conference on the balcony when he stayed there during a visit to the United Nations. 684 Park Avenue was built for Percy Pyne’s daughter, Mary, and son-in-law Oliver D. Filley. In December of 1964, before the city passed the Landmarks Law to enable the legal protection of historic buildings, plans were underway to demolish 680 and 684 Park Avenue. A last minute purchase by the Marquesa de Cuevas, the former Margaret Rockefeller Strong, granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller, saved the buildings, along with 49 East 68th Street. The Marquesa

4 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue donated 680 Park Avenue to the Center for Inter-American Relations (absorbed into the Americas Society in 1985), and sold 684 Park Avenue to the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, stipulating that changes could not be made to its exterior. The threat to these buildings was one of many that underscored the great need for a law to protect the city’s architectural heritage. 686 Park Avenue was built for William Sloane, president of the home furnishings store W. & J. Sloane. In 1958, it was purchased by the Republic of Italy for its Istituto Italiano di Cultura. 690 Park Avenue was built for banker Henry Pomeroy Davison and his wife Kate Trubee. In 1952, it became the residence of the Consul General of Italy.

Some of the earliest 7 single-family residences on Park Avenue, these 709 and 711 Park Avenue two Queen Anne style (Bassett Jones, 1882-85) rowhouses were once part – NYC HD of a row of ten along the entire blockfront. The most marked feature of the five-story, brick and brownstone houses are their grand arched pediments. The wave-like rhythm of these arches was a distinctive characteristic of this part of Park Avenue when all ten were still standing.

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720 Park Avenue (Rosario Candela, 1928-29) (Lafayette A. Goldstone, 1928-29) 770 Park Avenue (Rosario Candela, 1929-30) 778 Park Avenue (Rosario Candela, 1929-31) 784 Park Avenue (Emery Roth, 1928-29) – NYC HD

Along the west side of Park between 70th and 74th Streets is a series of contiguously constructed apartment buildings that feature varied massing and setbacks at their crowns, including elaborate towers and chimneys. 770 Park Avenue even features massive buttresses supporting its central rooftop tower. These five buildings were designed in the Renaissance Revival style, some with Jacobean Revival and neo- Georgian details. The view of this stretch of Park Avenue, either from the south or the north, is quite magnificent.

5 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue Seven blocks apart, 9a these two corner buildings are two of Park Avenue’s only 821 Park Avenue remaining tenements. (unknown architect, c. They share not only 1890) – NYC HD a building type, but a 9b Renaissance Revival architectural vocabulary, which includes rusticated bases, double-height pilasters topped by arched window surrounds 9b - 957 Park and projecting rooftop cornices. 821 Park Avenue had been Avenue (John Hauser, one of a row of seven called The Terrace. 957 Park Avenue, 1898-99) which originally had a saloon on the ground floor, had been – NYC HD, NR-D one of four nearly identical tenements with commercial bases.

As the first tall apartment buildings 10a to be constructed on Park Avenue, 865 Park Avenue 865 and 925 Park (Pollard & Steinem, 1907-08) Avenue set the – NYC HD standard for the b avenue’s principal 10 940 Park Avenue building type. Both designed in the Renaissance Revival style, the buildings 925 Park Avenue (George & Edward Blum, 1925-26) – NYC HD, NR-D share similar architectural features, such as rusticated (Delano & Aldrich, 1907-08) stone bases, buff-colored brick, decorative metalwork – NYC HD, NR-D 944 Park Avenue and projecting cornices. Their heights, which are also similar (12 stories for 865 Park Avenue and 14 stories for 925 Park Avenue), set the (George F. Pelham, 1929-30) precedent that formed Park Avenue’s now iconic street wall. – NYC HD, NR-D

Wedged between 11 two 14-story, 1920s apartment buildings 890 Park Avenue is this five-story rowhouse, which, (James E. Ware, 1884-85) with its gable roof, – NYC HD pedimented dormer and chimney, appears quaint in comparison. Originally one of a group of rowhouses that wrapped around East , this brick and brownstone house’s front stoop was removed in 1929 and its entrance was converted into a round-arch window with columns and a fanlight.

6 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue Developers Leo and Alexander 12 M. Bing were the most prolific 893 Park Avenue developers (Sloan & Robertson, on Park 1929) – NYC HD Avenue, having constructed at least seven (Warren & Wetmore apartment and Robert T. Lyons, buildings. One 1912-13) of the most notable was the Renaissance Revival style 903 – NYC HD, NR-D Park Avenue, which, at 210 feet, was considered one of the tallest apartment buildings in the world upon completion. The luxury building was designed with one very large apartment per floor. Across East 79th Street is the striking 893 Park Avenue. Its Art Deco style has some powerful Classical motifs, including monumental fluted pilasters.

865 Park Avenue (Pollard & Steinem, 1907-08) – NYC HD 13

940 Park Avenue 925 Park Avenue (George & Edward Blum, 1925-26) – NYC HD, NR-D (Delano & Aldrich, 1907-08) – NYC HD, NR-D 944 Park Avenue Directly abutting one another are two noteworthy (George F. Pelham, 1929-30) examples of Art Deco style apartment buildings. – NYC HD, NR-D One of the earliest examples of the style on Park Avenue, 940 features stylized ornament, which is most prominent on the East 81st Street façade. Decorative ironwork motifs include female nudes and children tending gardens. 944 Park Avenue is a bit more restrained, but has stylized pilasters and terra-cotta “frozen fountain” reliefs.

7 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue 14a

949 Park Avenue (C3D Architecture, 2008-11) – NYC HD, NR-D

b 14 On the east side of Park Avenue, three new 985 Park Avenue apartment buildings were constructed in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Because they were (Costas Kondylis and Partners, 2005-08) all built on small lots, having replaced low-rise – NYC HD, NR-D 19th century buildings, they are strikingly similar 14c in their tall and narrow footprints, as well as in their glassy materiality. Another new building, 1055 Park Avenue designed by Barry Rice Architects, began construction in 2013 at 1110 Park Avenue. While (Kohn, Pedersen, Fox Associates with some find them to be stark intrusions, others H. Thomas O’Hara, 2005-09) believe these buildings represent the latest – NYC HD, NR-D chapter in the avenue’s history.

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Church of St. Ignatius Loyola 980 Park Avenue (parish hall/rectory: Patrick One of the first institutions on Fourth Avenue was the C. Keely, 1881-83 parish of St. Lawrence O’Toole, whose first building was church: erected in 1854. The parish, later incorporated as St. Schickel & Ditmars, Ignatius Loyola (founder of the Jesuits in 1541), expanded 1895-1900, NYC IL; in the 1880s, beginning with the construction of a four- school: story parish house and residence hall. The church itself Schickel & Ditmars, was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival, in homage 1899-1900) to the architecture that was popular during St. Ignatius’ lifetime. It was one of the first houses of worship in the – NYC HD, city to use steel roof beams and trusses for fireproofing. NR-P, NR-D Its two upper towers were never realized. In 1899, the Loyola School was established to educate the sons of wealthy Catholics (it became co-educational in 1973), for which the limestone building at the corner of East 83rd Street was built. 8 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue These two a townhouses were 16 constructed on property owned Lewis G. and Nathalie B. by lawyer Amos Morris House R. E. Pinchot. 1015 Park Avenue (Ernest In 1910, Pinchot Flagg, 1913-14) commissioned a – NYC HD, NYC IL, grand house for NR-P, NR-D himself at 1021 Park Avenue (demolished 1930), and purchased a considerable amount of property nearby. b 16 At the time, little was built this far north, making Pinchot a neighborhood pioneer. Constructed for Lewis Reginald & Anna Gouverneur and Nathalie Bailey Morris, 1015 Park DeKoven House Avenue is a distinctive neo-Federal mansion that faces 1025 Park Avenue East . Upon Mr. Morris’ death in 1968, (John Russell Pope, 1911-12) the house became the headquarters of several private – NYC HD, NYC IL, charitable foundations. 1025 Park Avenue was built NR-D for Reginald DeKoven, a popular composer and music critic. The house was designed in the Jacobean Revival style, a reprise of an English style popular during the Renaissance and named for King James I. The house’s Jacobean features include two prominent bay windows and an arched entrance flanked by columns and pilasters.

This magnificent French Gothic Revival style church is clad in grey Manhattan a schist, and features a pointed arch 17 stained glass window and a 70-foot Park Avenue lead fleche, cast in Birmingham, Christian Church England, by Henry Hope & Sons to 1010 Park Avenue emulate the one at Sainte Chapelle (Bertram in Paris. Goodhue also designed the Goodhue of Cram, Goodhue & adjacent rectory in the same style Ferguson, 1909-11) of the same grey schist. In 2014, –NYCHD, NR-D controversy over its demolition led to 17b the designation of the Park Avenue Historic District. The Gothic Revival style 1000 Park Avenue was designed to complement the church and (Emery Roth, 1915) rectory, and features intricate details – NYC HD, NR-D like statuettes of medieval warriors and builders, animal reliefs, coats of arms and foliated moldings. The building is unusual for Emery Roth, who mostly favored the Classical or Art Deco styles.

9 — Historic Districts Council — Park lull in construction during the Depression and 18a World War II gave way to a building boom in the post- war period, during which these three buildings were 1020 Park Avenue constructed. 1020 Park Avenue’s base is clad in travertine marble, a popular material at the time. 1036 Park Avenue (Wechsler & Schimenti, features stripes of blue-green ceramic panels on both 1963) façades, with wider panels on the corner. Many architects – NYC HD, NR-D of the Modern era employed color in place of ornament 18b to give buildings depth and character. Both buildings are distinctive for their asymmetrical massing at the top 1036 Park Avenue stories, which created private terraces. In 1961, the city passed a zoning code to encourage the construction (Gustave W. Iser, 1956) of free-standing towers. 1065 Park Avenue, which – NYC HD, NR-D took the place of a tenement, was one of the avenue’s 18c few buildings to be inspired by the “tower in the park” concept. Its 30-story height was achieved by setting the 1065 Park Avenue building back and within a small landscaped plaza. (Stephen C. Lyras, 1969-73) – NYC HD, NR-D

Originally constructed for the Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, 1035 Park Avenue was designed to relate to the 19 adjoining church (now the Park Avenue 1035 Park Avenue United Methodist Church), particularly its Venetian arches. Catty-corner to the (Henry C. Pelton, building is 1040 Park Avenue, whose 1925-26) eclectic ornament includes a frieze with – NYC HD, NR-D sculpted tortoises and hares. Interestingly, 1040 Park Avenue the building does not have a cornice, which is unusual for a Renaissance Revival style (Delano & Aldrich, building. It did, however, have one of the 1923-25) Avenue’s earliest penthouse apartments, – NYC HD, NR-D which became fashionable in the 1920s. Though intended as servants’ quarters, the top floor was transformed by famed magazine publisher Condé Nast into a 5,000-square-foot duplex designed by actress and interior decorator . The building was also briefly home to Jacqueline Kennedy after she left the White House. 10 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue These two, low-scale 20 structures were constructed in 1887 as tenements. 1082 1080 Park Avenue Park Avenue was redesigned in the Mediterranean (Frederick T. Camp, 1886-87; Revival style with arched Harry Hurwit, 1927-28) window openings and – NYC HD, NR-D intricate, vibrant terra- 1082 Park Avenue cotta ornament. Both have retained their commercial (redesign: Augustus N. Allen, 1925) storefronts, which is a rarity – NYC HD, NR-D for Park Avenue.

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1095 Park Avenue (Schwartz & Gross, 1929-30) – NYC HD, NR-D In 1929, the New York State Legislature passed the 1100 Park Avenue Multiple Dwelling Law, requiring better standards for safety, health and access to light and air. Its benefits (De Pace & Juster, for the city’s poor were great, but on Park Avenue, 1929-30) the law translated into a design trend toward terraced – NYC HD, NR-D upper floors, like those on 1095 and 1100 Park Avenue. The law also introduced water tanks to the urban landscape for drinking water and fire protection. On Park Avenue, water tanks were concealed behind rooftop pavilions, which fit right in with the stepped architectural silhouette that had become trendy during the Depression era, forming a crown at the top of the entire ensemble.

The congregation of Brick 22 Presbyterian Church dates back to 1767. Its original home was Brick Presbyterian Church the “old Brick Church” at the 1140-1144 Park Avenue corner of Beekman and Nassau Streets. After a stay in midtown, (York & Sawyer, 1938-40; parish house: the church merged with the 1948-49) Park Avenue Presbyterian – NYC HD, NR-D Church in the 1930s and constructed this lovely building. In reference to the congregation’s roots, the church was designed in the neo-Georgian style popular during the Colonial period. It features a temple front and a polygonal tower topped by a ball finial. There is a chapel extension on the north façade, and the parish house is around the corner at 62 East 92nd Street. The church interior was fashioned after St. Paul’s Chapel, a contemporary of the original Brick Church. 11 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue 23

1141 Park Avenue (John Sullivan, 1884-85) 1143 Park Avenue (John Sullivan, 1884-85; altered: Emery Roth, 1924); 1145 Park Avenue (John Sullivan, 1884-85; redesigned: Emery Roth, 1920-21); 1147 Park Avenue (John Sullivan, 1884-85) 1149 Park Avenue Aside from 1141 Park Avenue, which (John Sullivan, 1884-85; was originally a flats building for three redesigned: Emery Roth, 1917) families, these charming buildings – all: NYC ILs, NR-P were built as single-family rowhouses. All five of them, which were designed in the neo-Grec style, have undergone significant alterations or wholesale façade redesigns since their construction in the 1880s, but 1147 Park Avenue retains the most of its original façade configuration.

Occupying the 24 entire blockfront, this enormous 1185 Park Avenue Gothic Revival style apartment building (Schwartz & Gross, is accessed through a grand triple-arched 1928-29) doorway leading into a landscaped interior – NYC HD, NR-D courtyard and to the building’s six lobbies. The five bays on either end of the building resemble bookends, as their windows are surrounded by cream-colored, ornamental terra-cotta. Across the street, 1192 Park Avenue now stands where the home of prominent brewer George Ehret once stood. The brownstone mansion was built in 1878 (demolished 1928) when the area was largely unoccupied, but its location was convenient to Ehret’s Hell Gate Brewery on the East River. As one of the first “fine” residences on upper Park Avenue, the mansion inspired other prominent families to move here.

Though many of its slopes were flattened when the street grid was imposed in the early 19th century, the Upper East Side’s 25 natural topography is quite hilly. The slope at this section of Mount Park Avenue was once prominent, and was referred to as Prospect/ “Mount Prospect” or “Mount Pleasant.” In 1837, a railroad Mount Pleasant tunnel was cut through the hill to bring day-trip visitors to upper Park Avenue at Manhattan. A grand hotel, Prospect Hall, was built near what is East now East 93rd Street. Situated on 12 acres, visitors could take in views of the city, as well as Long Island and New Jersey.

12 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue This L-shaped, red brick 26 and limestone complex was built in two phases by two Former George F. different owners. The three- Baker Mansion story building that abuts Park 69-75 East 93rd Street Avenue was built for banker Francis F. Palmer. In 1928, (Delano & Aldrich, banker and philanthropist 1917-18 and 1928-29) George F. Baker, Jr. purchased the house and added the – NYC ILs, NYC HD, L-shaped ballroom wing, set back from the street by a NR-P, NR-D courtyard. On the other end, a garage with apartments above was also constructed. The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia purchased the house and ballroom wing in 1958. The garage wing remains a private residence.

These seven 27 rowhouses that wrap 1209, 1211, 1213, 1215, 1217 Park Avenue the corner and 112, 114 East of East 95th Street were (Flemer & Kohler, 1889-90; 1209 built by one redesign: Lucien David, 1960-62; 1211 redesign: developer. The houses on Park Avenue William L. Bottomley, 1922) – NRP-D were designed in the Renaissance Revival style, while the narrower ones on East 95th Street were designed in the Queen Anne style. 1209 and 1211 Park Avenue were significantly altered in the 20th century, the former in a Modern style when it was converted to a school, and the latter in the neo-Georgian style.

In 1884, a group of gentlemen horseback riders formed the “First New York Hussars” or “First Dragoons,” and by 28 1889, its 53 members became Troop “A.” By 1895, the group became Squadron “A,” and served in the Spanish American War and in World War I as the 105th Machine 1339 Gun Battalion. The armory was built for Squadron A and, (John R. Thomas, 1895; true to its roots, included roughly 100 horse stalls. At Park Avenue side: one time encompassing the entire block, the building Morris Ketchum, 1969) was partially demolished in the 1960s. The Madison – Madison Avenue façade: Avenue side was saved by an emergency action by the NYC IL, Landmarks Preservation Commission, which designated NR-P, NR-D it a city landmark. This façade is notable for its two large crenellated towers. The Park Avenue side was demolished to make way for a school, but was replaced with a building that evokes the original complex, which now houses the Elementary and High Schools. 13 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue 14 — Historic Districts Council — Park Avenue