Central Park West Historic District


The Central Park West Historic District is located in Manhattan, New York City, United States along historic Central Park West, between 61st and 97th Streets. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 9, 1982. The district encompasses a portion of the Upper West Side-Central Park West Historic District as designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and contains a number of prominent New York City landmarks, including The Dakota Apartments, a National Historic Landmark. The buildings date from the late 19th century to the early 1940s and exhibit a variety of architectural styles. The majority of the district's buildings are of neo-Italian Renaissance style, but Art Deco is a popular theme as well.

History

The buildings that are part of the historic district were mostly developed in the 1880s through 1930s, following the construction of Central Park. This was further spurred by the construction of the Ninth Avenue Elevated, which provided easy access to Lower Manhattan. Tenements and row houses lined Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, while more upscale luxury buildings were built on Central Park West. Generally, the further away a lot was from Columbus Avenue and its elevated railway, the more upscale the house was likely to become. By the early 20th century, the row houses were destroyed to make way for apartment buildings. The construction of the New York City Subway's Eighth Avenue Line in the 1920s accelerated this process of redevelopment.
The Central Park West Historic District was federally recognized on November 9, 1982, when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It had been designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1973. The LPC designation covered a T-shaped area, which included one block of West 76th Street, two adjacent blocks of Central Park West and a short stretch of West 77th Street, as the Central Park West–76th Street Historic District. The local designation and boundaries persisted well past the 1982 National Register listing.
In 1990 the LPC formally extended the local boundaries of the Central Park West–76th Street Historic District to include almost all of the area included in the boundaries of the federal historic district. The much larger Upper West Side-Central Park West Historic District includes the area from 96th Street to 62nd Street and Central Park West to Amsterdam Avenue.

Boundaries

The Central Park West Historic District is a linear historic district including the stretch of Central Park West from 61st to 97th Streets. When the Upper West Side–Central Park West Historic District was designated in 1990 as a local historic district its boundaries closely mirrored those of the 1982 Central Park West Historic District, except the local historic district encompasses land stretching to Amsterdam Avenue. The federal historic district is considerably smaller than the local district.

Architecture

The expanse of Central Park West between 61st and 97th Streets is a mixture of late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural styles. By far the district's most dominant style is Neo-Renaissance, mostly neo-Italian Renaissance though there are German and Flemish Renaissance influences found in some of the structures. Art Deco, Second Empire, Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical architecture are all found in multiple buildings. Gothic and Romanesque Revival influences can be found combined with other styles in some of the buildings as well as on their own. A few Queen Anne, Art Moderne and Italianate buildings dot the streetscape of Central Park West.

Structures

Of the buildings within the boundaries of the historic district only one was considered a non-contributing property to the historic character of the district when it was nominated to the National Register: the building located at 80 Central Park West, a 1965 modern building. The area within the district is home to nearly 40 high-quality, luxury apartment highrises. Sprinkled within the residential buildings are four Christian churches, one synagogue, several smaller-scale, multi-family houses, the New York Society for Ethical Culture, the New York Historical Society and the American Museum of Natural History.

Contributing properties

These properties are contributing properties to the Central Park West Historic District. In general this means that they add to the character of the historic district.
Building name Address Architecture Built Architect Remarks
Mayflower Hotel15 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1926Emery RothDemolished in 2004.
The Century25 Central Park WestArt Deco1931Irwin S. ChaninAt 30 floors, one of three buildings tied for the title of the district's tallest. It was constructed at a cost of $6.5 million and designed by the firm owned by Irwin S. Chanin. The Century apartment building is located on the former site of the Century Theater, which was demolished in 1930 and 1931 to make way for the apartments. The building is one of three within the boundaries of the historic district that stretch upwards 30 floors, thus tying it for the title of the district's tallest building.
Ethical Culture School33 Central Park WestClassical Revival1902John Mervin Carrère and Thomas Hastings
Ethical Culture Meeting House2 West 64th StreetArt Nouveau1910Robert D. Kohn
Harperly Hall41 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1910Henry W. Wilkinson
The Prasada50 Central Park WestSecond Empire1907Charles W. Romeyn and Henry R. Wynne
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church1 West 65th StreetGothic Revival1903-
Ghostbusters Building55 Central Park WestArt Deco1929Simon Schwartz & Arthur GrossInformally known as "Ghostbusters Building" since 1984 film was filmed there. In the film, the building was said to have been designed by mad architect Ivo Shandor, in reality, the Art Deco building was constructed in 1929 and designed by Schwartz & Gross. The 19-floor building was portrayed as taller in the film.
65 Central Park West65 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1926Emery Roth
70 Central Park West70 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1916Charles A. Rich & Frederick Mathesius
75 Central Park West75 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1928Rosario Candela
Second Church of Christ, Scientist10 West 68th StreetClassical Revival1898Frederick R. ComstockThe building itself is seen in the Mafia II game.
The Brentmore88 Central Park WestBeaux-Arts1909Simon Schwartz & Arthur Gross
91 Central Park West91 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1928Simon Schwartz & Arthur Gross
Congregation Shearith Israel Parsonage99 Central Park WestClassical Revival1897Arnold William Brunner and Thomas Tryon
Congregation Shearith Israel8 West 70th StreetClassical Revival1897Arnold William Brunner and Thomas TryonAlso known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. It is the oldest American Jewish congregation is the fifth in a line of structures dating back to 1730, though only the current building was located near Central Park West.
101 Central Park West101 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1929Simon Schwartz & Arthur Gross
The Majestic115 Central Park WestArt Deco1930Irwin S. ChaninAt 30 floors, one of three buildings tied for the title of the district's tallest.
The Dakota1 West 72nd StreetGerman Renaissance1884Henry J. HardenberghSome sources indicate this was the first luxury apartment building in New York City. National Historic Landmark.
The Langham135 Central Park WestSecond Empire1905Charles W. Clinton & William Hamilton Russell
The San Remo145-146 Central Park WestClassical Revival1930Emery RothProminent, two-towered, 27-story building.
The Kenilworth151 Central Park WestSecond Empire1908Townsend, Steinle and Haskell
Fourth Universalist Society of New York4 West 76th StreetGothic Revival1898William A. PotterOriginally known as the Church of Divine Paternity.
New-York Historical Society170 Central Park WestClassical Revival1908 and 1938Edward York & Philip Sawyer, and Walker & Gillette
American Museum of Natural History79th Street at Central Park WestGothic Revival and Romanesque Revival1877 and 1900Calvert Vaux & J. Wrey Mould and J.C. Cady and Co.The building was constructed from 1874 to 1877 and designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould.
The Beresford211 Central Park WestClassical Revival1929Emery Roth
The Alden225 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1926Emery Roth
227 Central Park West227 Central Park WestQueen Anne1888Thomas & Wilson
The Bolivar230 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1926Nathan Korn
239 Central Park West239 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1925Henry M. Sugarman & Berger
241 Central Park West241 Central Park WestArt Deco1930Simon Schwartz & Arthur Gross
Flemish Renaissance Revival townhouses247, 248 and 249 Central Park West at W85Neo-Renaissance1887Edward AngellThree townhouses.
Rossleigh Court251 Central Park West at W85Beaux-Arts1906Mulliken and Moeller
Orwell House257 Central Park West at W86Beaux-Arts1905Mulliken and MoellerOriginally known as the Central Park View, and then as The Hotel Peter Stuyvesant.
The White House262 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1928Henry M. Sugarman & Berger
271 Central Park West271 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1912Simon Schwartz & Arthur Gross
275 Central Park West275 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1930Emery Roth
Walden School1 West 88th StreetClassical Revival1904Louis KornDemolished c. 1988; replaced by 280 Central Park West
The St. Urban285 Central Park WestSecond Empire1904Robert T. Lyons
1 West 89th Street1 West 89th StreetQueen Anne1899Clarence True
293 Central Park West293 Central Park WestItalianate1899Neville & Bagge
295 Central Park West295 Central Park WestArt Moderne1940Emery Roth
The Eldorado300 Central Park WestArt Deco1931Margon & HolderAt 30 floors, one of three buildings tied for the title of the district's tallest.
The Brookford315 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1911Simon Schwartz & Arthur Gross
The Ardsley320 Central Park WestArt Deco1931Emery Roth
322 Central Park West322 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival1925George Blum and Edward Blum
325 Central Park West325 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1899George F. Pelham
327 Central Park West327 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1928Nathan Korn
The Turin333 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1909Robert J. Bodker
336 Central Park West336 Central Park WestArt Deco and Egyptian Revival1929Simon Schwartz & Arthur GrossUndulating terra-cotta cornices at the top of the building and the water tower suggest Egyptian influences.
350 Central Park West350 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1928Jacob M. Felson
Romanesque Revival townhouses352, 353, 354, and 355 Central Park West, and 1 West 95th StreetRomanesque Revival1892G.A. SchellengerFive townhouses; 3 were demolished c.1992 and replaced by 353 Central Park West, a 19-story building
360 Central Park West360 Central Park WestNeo-Renaissance1928Rosario Candela
First Church of Christ, Scientist1 West 96th StreetBeaux-Arts1903John Mervin Carrère and Thomas Hastings

Non-contributing properties

Significance

The Central Park West Historic District is significant, in regards to the National Register, for its architecture and its character as a cohesive residential area. The district is located along one of the city's finest residential streets and consists mostly of apartment buildings which are among some of the earliest in New York.
With the 1990 local boundary increase the NYLPC developed the theme that the strength of the historic district lay in its diversity. The Commission called the buildings in the district brashly "commercial" and "stylistically diverse." The Commission went on to stress the importance of the district's special skyline that challenged the whole of the New York skyline. "The stylistically diverse buildings of Central Park West create a streetscape and a skyline which is exuberant and varied as to scale, height and form," the Commission stated.