647 Fifth Avenue, originally known as the George W. Vanderbilt Residence, is a commercial building in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is along the east side of Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street. The building was designed by Hunt & Hunt as one of the "Marble Twins", a pair of houses at 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue. The houses were constructed between 1902 and 1905 as Vanderbilt family residences. Number 645 was occupied by William B. Osgood Field, while number 647 was owned by George W. Vanderbilt and rented to Robert Wilson Goelet; both were part of the Vanderbilt family by marriage.
647 Fifth Avenue | |
---|---|
Former names | George W. Vanderbilt Residence |
General information | |
Architectural style | Neoclassical |
Location | Manhattan, New York |
Coordinates | 40°45′34″N 73°58′34″W / 40.75941°N 73.97616°W |
Current tenants | Versace |
Opened | 1905 |
Renovated | 1938 1995–1996 |
Client | George W. Vanderbilt |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 6 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Hunt & Hunt |
Renovating team | |
Architect(s) | Francisque Verpilleux (1938) Laboratio Associati (1995–1996) |
Designated | March 22, 1977[1] |
Reference no. | 0954[1] |
Designated entity | 647 Fifth Avenue |
Designated | September 8, 1983[2] |
Reference no. | 83001733[2] |
Designated entity | Houses at 647, 651–53 Fifth Avenue and 4 East 52nd Street |
The house is a six-story stone building in the French Renaissance Revival style. The first floor has arched openings topped by a balustrade, while the second and third stories contain fluted pilasters supporting an entablature. The fourth and fifth floors were added in the late 1930s in an imitation of the original design, and a balustrade runs above the fifth story. The adjoining townhouse at 645 Fifth Avenue, demolished in 1944, had been built in a similar style. The entire building is taken up by a store for fashion company Versace, which also built a sixth-story fitting room.
The southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street was planned as a hotel in the early 1900s after the Roman Catholic Asylum vacated the site. After the Vanderbilts blocked the development of the hotel, the southern portion of the site was developed as the Marble Twins, while the northern portion became the Morton F. Plant House (now the Cartier Building). Number 647 was altered for commercial use after 1916 and contained an art gallery and airline ticket agent, among other tenants. Number 645 was largely residential until it was torn down. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated 647 Fifth Avenue as a city landmark in 1977, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 along with the Cartier Building. In the late 1990s, Versace remodeled 647 Fifth Avenue.
Site
edit647 Fifth Avenue is in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is along the east side of Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street.[3][4] The land lot is rectangular and covers 3,750 square feet (348 m2), with a frontage of 37.5 feet (11.4 m) and a depth of 100 feet (30 m).[3] The building is on the same block as the Cartier Building on 651 Fifth Avenue to the north, the Olympic Tower to the south, and 11 East 51st Street and 488 Madison Avenue to the east. Other nearby buildings include 650 Fifth Avenue to the west, 660 Fifth Avenue to the northwest, Austrian Cultural Forum New York to the north, 12 East 53rd Street and Omni Berkshire Place to the northeast, St. Patrick's Cathedral to the south, and the International Building of Rockefeller Center to the southwest.[3][4]
Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and Central Park South (59th Street) was relatively undeveloped through the late 19th century.[5] The surrounding area was once part of the common lands of the city of New York.[6] The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 established Manhattan's street grid with lots measuring 100 feet (30 m) deep and 25 feet (7.6 m) wide.[7] Upscale residences were constructed around Fifth Avenue following the American Civil War.[5][8] In 1882, three Vanderbilt family residences were completed along Fifth Avenue between 51st and 59th Streets (the William H., William K., and Cornelius II mansions). The surrounding section of Fifth Avenue thus became known as "Vanderbilt Row".[8][9][10] By the early 1900s, that section of Fifth Avenue was becoming a commercial area.[11][12]
The site immediately north of St. Patrick's Cathedral was owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, which used the site for the Roman Catholic Asylum.[10][13] The asylum took up two blocks between 51st Street, 52nd Street, Fifth Avenue, and Park Avenue. It was once one of several public institutions on the midtown section of Fifth Avenue, but by the end of the 19th century, it was the only one remaining.[14] The Roman Catholic Asylum site was placed for sale in 1899 after the institution had secured another site in the Bronx.[9][10]
Architecture
edit647 Fifth Avenue is the surviving northern half of the "Marble Twins", a pair of residences erected simultaneously at 645–647 Fifth Avenue.[1][15][16] The southern half, at number 645, was replaced by a Best & Co. store and then the Olympic Tower in the mid-20th century.[9][17] Both houses were designed by Hunt & Hunt in the French Renaissance Revival style.[1][18] They were constructed by D. C. Weeks & Son.[19] Number 647 is the only remaining Vanderbilt family residence on Fifth Avenue south of Central Park.[20][21]
Facade
edit647 Fifth Avenue is six stories high.[3] The facade along Fifth Avenue is five stories high and consists of three vertical bays,[17][22] while the sixth story is recessed on the roof.[23] As originally designed, 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue were both four stories high and contained six bays between them.[24][25]
The first floor was designed as an English basement. Initially, the houses had round-arched windows separated by rusticated and vermiculated limestone blocks. There were consoles on top of each set of rusticated and vermiculated blocks, which supported the second-story balconies.[17][22] The entrances to the respective houses were via short stoops on the extreme ends of either house, with number 645's entrance on the far right (south) and number 647's entrance on the far left (north).[24][25] The openings on the first story of number 647 were enlarged in 1916,[22] and the ground-floor facade was totally rebuilt in 1937.[9] The later design had plate-glass doors on either side of a display window.[17][22] In the late 1990s, the first floor was rebuilt with vermiculated blocks and arched openings similar to the originals.[26]
The second and third floors are mostly unchanged from the original design. While the balcony was originally made of stone balusters, this was removed in 1937[9] and replaced with a cast-iron balustrade.[17][22] The original design of the Marble Twins contained five pilasters, each of which was fluted and was topped by an elaborate capital. These pilasters separated each of the six windows on both stories and were flanked on the extreme ends by broad piers, which each contained a narrow section of another pilaster.[24][25] The northern pier and the northernmost two and a half pilasters remain intact. The windows on the second and third floors both contain splayed lintels and recessed panels above them. The second-story windows open onto the balcony while the third-story windows contain window sills above corbel blocks.[17][22]
Originally, 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue were only four stories high.[9] The fourth story consisted of recessed square windows set between carved stone rosettes. Above the windows was a band of dentils, followed by a deep cornice and a balustrade supported by brackets.[24][25] The modern design of number 647's fourth and fifth stories dates to an alteration in the late 1930s. The fourth-floor windows and rosettes were left in place, but the heavy bracketed cornice was removed. A set of stone panels was installed above the rosettes and the new fifth-story windows were designed similarly to the fourth-story windows. The band of dentils and the balustrade were relocated to the top of the fifth story rather than being destroyed.[17][22]
Features
editThe original design had a curving stairway separating the south side of number 647 and the north side of number 645, but this was demolished in the mid-20th century.[26][27] When number 647 became an art dealership in 1917, an oeil-de-boeuf was installed above a door on the first floor. That door separated a portrait hall in the front, with gray-marble walls, and a sculpture gallery in the rear, with red-damask walls.[28] In 1938, number 647 was converted into a wholly commercial building, and some of the interior columns were removed. The first floor was turned into a retail space with a ceiling height of 20.67 feet (6.30 m), including a central mezzanine 11.75 feet (3.58 m) above the ground level. A freight elevator was installed, connecting the storage basement and the five above-ground stories. The upper floors had ceiling heights ranging from 17.83 feet (5.43 m) on the second floor to 11.67 feet (3.56 m) on the fourth floor.[29]
In the late 1960s, the interior was redecorated for Olympic Airlines, the Greek national airline. The first story had marble walls and hardwood floors and was decorated with two tile mosaics. One of the mosaics depicted Phaethon, the son of the Greek god Helios, while the other mosaic depicted the sun shining on an island village in the Aegean Sea. The second story had the airline's reservations area, which displayed flight information, as well as an 80-seat showroom that demonstrated in-flight travel equipment. The third floor housed the airline's personnel, while the fourth and fifth floors had communications machinery and general offices.[30]
When the building was renovated for fashion company Versace in the late 1990s, the stairway on the south side of 647 Fifth Avenue was restored.[26][27] The staircase consists of a marble set of stairs with a bronze balustrade, lit by a skylight on the roof. The interiors were also inlaid with terrazzo floors and, on the fifth story, the home furnishings department received a wooden floor.[31] In addition, a sixth floor with a rooftop garden and cafe was added.[16][31] A private boutique, a terrace on Fifth Avenue, and skylights and balconies were also installed on the roof. The private boutique was intended as a VIP fitting room and could only be reached by turning a key in the elevator.[23]
History
editIn October 1899, the Roman Catholic Asylum sold much of the city block bounded clockwise from west by Fifth Avenue, 52nd Street, Madison Avenue, and 51st Street.[32] The sale was valued at $2.5 million and included the lots on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets, as well as those on the side streets.[33] George R. Sheldon and Charles T. Barney were reported as the purchasers.[10][33] In the subsequent months, many of the lots along 51st and 52nd Streets were sold to families, though one lot was sold to the Union Club of the City of New York.[9][10] The single-family lots were sold under the stipulation that they would remain in residential use for 25 years.[10][34] By May 1900, only the lots along Fifth Avenue remained unsold.[35]
Residential use
editConstruction
editA group of developers led by Stewart H. Chisholm bought the southeast corner lot at 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue, measuring 100 by 125 feet (30 by 38 m), from Flake & Dowling in early 1901.[36] That October, Chisholm's syndicate filed plans for an 18-story apartment hotel, designed by William C. Hazlett, to be built on that site.[36][37] In March 1902, after the corner site had been excavated, Chisholm sold the site to the New York Realty Corporation.[38][39] The Real Estate Record and Guide described the sale as "a peculiar transaction, and one which can hardly be called a sale".[38] The corporation was acting on behalf of the Vanderbilt family, which did not want to see a high-rise hotel development opposite their houses.[9][10][40] The Vanderbilts sold the northern section of the plot, facing 52nd Street and measuring 50 by 100 feet (15 by 30 m), to financier Morton F. Plant. However, they were unable to obtain a buyer for the southern section, which was in the middle of a city block.[10][40]
In September 1902, George W. Vanderbilt announced plans for marble townhouses at 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue on the southern section of the site, measuring 75 by 100 feet (23 by 30 m). At that point, the Vanderbilt family was confirmed to be associated with the New York Realty Corporation. That month, Hunt & Hunt filed plans for the houses with the New York City Department of Buildings, which were to cost $100,000.[41][42] A general contract was awarded to D. C. Weeks & Son.[19] The residences were designed as a double house with identical architectural features. Vanderbilt sold the southern house, number 645, for $500,000 in July 1904.[43] The buyers were George's sister Emily and her husband William Douglas Sloane.[20][1] By April 1905, number 645 was already occupied and number 647 was nearly finished.[44] The Real Estate Record and Guide said that the Vanderbilt houses would "will long act as an absolute barrier" against further business development on Fifth Avenue above 50th Street.[45]
Occupancy
editEmily and William Sloane did not live in number 645; they instead rented it to their daughter Lila Field and son-in-law William B. Osgood Field.[9][1] Neither did George Vanderbilt live in number 647, for he had sold it to his brother William K. Vanderbilt in 1904.[1] William was the sole owner of 647 Fifth Avenue after that date, according to a deed filed in 1915, following William's death.[46] An image from 1905 indicated that number 647 still had a "for sale" sign in front of it.[9] In March 1907, Sloane was recorded as having leased number 647 for several years.[47] Robert Wilson Goelet and his wife Elsie Whelen moved into number 647 at the end of that year.[48] The Goelets lived there with their son Ogden, as well as fourteen servants.[9] The Goelet family was the only residential occupants of number 647.[20][49] The Goelet home was used for events: in 1910, they hosted a sixty-person dinner and a George Bernard Shaw play,[50] and in 1912, they held an "Oriental"-themed party.[51]
Fifth Avenue was widened in 1911, and the marble steps in front of Goelet's and Field's houses had to be cut back.[52] Hunt & Hunt was hired to perform the alterations.[53] Around that time, the neighborhood was growing increasingly commercial.[54] In January 1914, Elsie Goelet filed for divorce from Robert; most of the servants were dismissed and both Goelets left the house for good.[55][56] Morton Plant's adjacent house was leased in October 1916 to Cartier,[57] and number 647 was leased to art dealers Rene Gimpel and Nathan Wildenstein the following month.[58] According to the Real Estate Record and Guide, these sales marked "another step in the transition of this section of Fifth avenue from the residential to the business stage".[59] The Fields continued to live in number 645 for several years.[9] In 1929, William and Lila's son Frederick Vanderbilt Field was married to Elizabeth G. Brown at the Field residence.[60][61]
Commercial use
edit1920s to 1940s
editGimpel & Wildenstein (later Wildenstein & Co.) designed a fifth story for number 647 in 1917, with J. H, Deeves & Brother as general contractors.[62] The renovation did not significantly change the house's exterior design,[29] although the interior was remodeled.[28] Gimpel & Wildenstein's new galleries opened in May 1917.[63] William K. Vanderbilt was recorded in 1920 as conveying title to 647 Fifth Avenue to Harold S. Vanderbilt and Malcolm D. Sloane.[64] Number 647 was sold to Hoagland Corporation in May 1923 at an assessed valuation of $750,000.[65] The house was further sold to Felix Wildenstein, who owned Wildenstein & Co., in 1925.[66][67] Architect Eliot Cross bought number 647 in March 1928.[68] Two months later, Cartier bought number 647 for investment. As a term of the sale, Wildenstein & Co. would be allowed to remain in the house until 1932, after which Cartier planned to either renovate or replace the building with a commercial structure.[69][70] Wildenstein & Co. moved out of number 647 after purchasing another site in 1931 and developing a new building.[71][72]
In 1937, Wallace K. Harrison and J. André Fouilhoux filed plans for a renovation of the facade, a new mezzanine, and new elevators to cost $125,000.[73] Late the following year, Francisque Verpilleux was hired to design a renovation of number 647, while Charles H. Tyler was hired as general contractor. As part of the project, the floors were redesigned as spaces without columns, and elevators, air-conditioning, and sprinklers were installed. A shipping dock was also installed in the building's rear, extending to 52nd Street.[29] After the renovation, the American Express Company leased space in June 1939[74] and opened its offices that October, taking up the basement through the second story.[75][76] Mary Lewis opened her dress shop on the third floor of number 647 in April 1940,[77][78] although the Lewis shop was only at 647 Fifth Avenue for two years.[79] The second floor was rented to tailors James W. Bell & Co. in 1942,[80] and costumer Harry Collins leased space at the building the same year.[81]
The neighboring house at number 645 continued to be owned by William Osgood Field until he sold it in May 1944.[82] By that time, it was frequently empty. The buyer was reported to be "Beatrice J. Longstreet of Manasquan, N. J.", though The New York Times speculated this was not the real buyer.[83] 645 Fifth Avenue, along with the clubhouse of the Union Club and the residence at 3 East 51st Street to the south, were to be demolished and replaced with a taller structure.[83][84] These structures were being demolished by August 1944 when a twelve-story department store was announced for that site.[85] By that December, demolition was "virtually complete" and Best & Co. were announced as the tenants of the new structure.[86][a] The Best & Co. store opened in 1947.[87][88]
1950s to 1980s
editThe house at 647 Fifth Avenue, along with the neighboring properties at 653 Fifth Avenue and 4 East 52nd Street, were all acquired in May 1950 by the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company. The buyer, who reportedly paid for the buildings in cash, held the properties as an investment and continued leasing 647 Fifth Avenue to American Express.[89][90] American Express renovated 647 Fifth Avenue in 1958 to designs by Joseph Huston.[91] By the early 1960s, number 647 was the only remainder of the former Vanderbilt residences on Fifth Avenue.[21] In 1965, American Express relocated its operations to two other Midtown buildings. American Express sublet 647 Fifth Avenue to Olympic Airways, the Greek national airline, for 10 years at $1.3 million a year.[92] The Olympic offices were opened and dedicated the next year.[30][93]
In the late 1960s, Best & Co. purchased the development rights over 647 Fifth Avenue, which permitted Best's to erect a skyscraper above their store.[94] An early plan for the skyscraper, designed by Morris Lapidus, would have resulted in the demolition of 647 Fifth Avenue, though the plans were changed in 1971 after Lapidus was fired as architect.[95] Aristotle Onassis, the president of Olympic Airways, established a family trust called Victory Development in March 1970. Victory formed a joint venture with Arlen Realty & Development Corporation to acquire Best's store, 647 Fifth Avenue, and the Cartier Building.[96] The Best & Co. store next door closed in late 1970[97] and it was demolished the next year to make way for the Olympic Tower.[98] As part of the Olympic Tower's construction, a pedestrian plaza was built east of 647 Fifth Avenue and the Cartier Building.[99] Olympic Airways initially intended to renovate 647 Fifth Avenue with a glass facade similar to that of the tower.[100] Architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable described the plan as an "undesirable change" and said the Olympic Tower's architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) "have obviously never heard of the Let-It-Alone Club".[101] After Huxtable, Paul Goldberger, and other people in the architectural community objected, SOM decided to retain Hunt & Hunt's original facade on 647 Fifth Avenue.[102] The tower was ultimately completed and dedicated in 1974.[103]
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) began considering 647 Fifth Avenue for New York City landmark status in early 1977.[104][105] The building was designated as a landmark on March 22, 1977.[1][102] In addition, on September 8, 1983, the George W. Vanderbilt residence at 647 Fifth Avenue was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), along with the adjacent Cartier Building at 651–653 Fifth Avenue and 4 East 52nd Street.[2] The buildings were cited as examples of residences in Midtown Manhattan that were later converted to commercial use.[106] The houses were added to the NRHP as a single listing, the "Houses at 647, 651-53 Fifth Avenue and 4 East 52nd Street".[2]
1990s to present
editOlympic Airways moved out of 647 Fifth Avenue around 1993, and the building was vacant for two months. In February 1995, fashion designer Gianni Versace leased 647 Fifth Avenue for 20 years on behalf of his company.[16] Architectural firm Laboratio Associati was hired to renovate the building. The original vermiculated base was rebuilt from Danby Vermont marble, which had been in the Italian city of Carrara.[27][31] The vermiculation was reproduced using laser cutting, but the finishes were performed by hand. Rocco Magnoli and Lorenzo Carmellini, two architects with Laboratio Associati, used historic photos of the house to recreate its original appearance. The interiors were also renovated with one room per vertical bay.[31] Versace also added a rooftop cafe and garden.[16] The Versace store opened in October 1996 with a party attended by celebrities such as Sheryl Crow and Jon Bon Jovi.[107] The location was meant to be Versace's flagship store.[108]
The building was renovated for six months starting in late 2005, during which the windows were enlarged and the interiors were rearranged.[109] The Versace store reopened in March 2006.[109][110] In May 2012, real estate investment firm Crown Acquisitions took a 49.9 percent stake in the Olympic Tower properties, which included 647 Fifth Avenue, the Cartier Building, the Olympic Tower itself, and a fourth building at 10 East 52nd Street.[111] In December 2018, Versace announced its plans to leave 647 Fifth Avenue and sublease the space. Versace's lease did not expire until December 2023, and the company, which wanted to move uptown, could not break its lease.[112][113] By 2022, Versace was still located at 647 Fifth Avenue.[114] The shapewear brand Skims leased 647 Fifth Avenue in early 2024 at a rate of less than $200 per square foot ($2,200/m2), no more than a quarter of the rate that Versace had been paying for the building.[115][116]
See also
editReferences
editNotes
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Landmarks Preservation Commission 1977, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d "Federal Register: 49 Fed. Reg. 4459 (Feb. 7, 1984)" (PDF). Library of Congress. February 7, 1984. p. 4653. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "647 5 Avenue, 10022". New York City Department of City Planning. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ a b White, Willensky & Leadon 2010, p. 326.
- ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 2009, p. 2.
- ^ Stokes, Isaac Newton Phelps (1915). "The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909". Robert H. Dodd. p. 67. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. (2010). The Encyclopedia of New York City (2nd ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 558. ISBN 978-0-300-11465-2.
- ^ a b Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1999). New York 1880: Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilded Age. Monacelli Press. pp. 578, 580. ISBN 978-1-58093-027-7. OCLC 40698653.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Gray, Christopher (April 9, 1995). "Streetscapes/647 Fifth Avenue; A Versace Restoration for a Vanderbilt Town House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Landmarks Preservation Commission 2009, p. 3.
- ^ Wist, Ronda (1992). On Fifth Avenue : then and now. New York: Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 978-1-55972-155-4. OCLC 26852090.
- ^ "Mr. Edward Harriman..." (PDF). The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 79, no. 2038. April 6, 1907. p. 296. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, p. 416.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2009, p. 10.
- ^ Stern, Gilmartin & Massengale 1983, p. 333.
- ^ a b c d "Postings: 20-Year Lease on Fifth Avenue Town House; From Vanderbilt To Gianni Versace". The New York Times. February 19, 1995. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Landmarks Preservation Commission 1977, p. 3.
- ^ White, Willensky & Leadon 2010, pp. 329–330.
- ^ a b "Building News". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 70, no. 1804. October 11, 1902. p. 530. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ a b c National Park Service 1983, p. 3.
- ^ a b Reed, Henry Hope Jr. (August 12, 1962). "The Changing Face of Fifth Avenue: the Great Families Have Retreated From Their Fifth Avenue Strongholds, Leaving Some Midtown Masterpieces". New York Herald Tribune. p. F2. ProQuest 1325697390.
- ^ a b c d e f g National Park Service 1983, p. 2.
- ^ a b Hamilton, William L. (January 4, 1998). "For the Stars, a Fitting Room of Their Own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Stern, Gilmartin & Massengale 1983, p. 332.
- ^ a b c d "Marble Twins". Architecture. Vol. 11. 1905. plate XLIX. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c Stern, Robert A. M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2006). New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Bicentennial and the Millennium. New York: Monacelli Press. p. 564. ISBN 978-1-58093-177-9. OCLC 70267065. OL 22741487M.
- ^ a b c Ward, Timothy Jack (July 18, 1996). "Currents;A Versace Rehab That's Fit for a Vanderbilt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Haddon, Rawson W. (August 1, 1917). "Some Recent Salesroom Interiors, Art Galleries, and Decorators' Studios". Architecture. Vol. 36, no. 2. p. 157. ProQuest 913095403.
- ^ a b c "Old Mansion Bows to 5th Ave. Trade; Dwelling Adjoining Cartier's Being Transformed Into Business Building" (PDF). The New York Times. December 18, 1938. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "Main American Office Is Opened by Olympic". The Hartford Courant. April 24, 1966. p. 58A. ProQuest 549085569.
- ^ a b c d "Designer's flagship store former Vanderbilt". The Sentinel. September 19, 1996. p. 59. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "$2,500,000 Real Estate Sale.; Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum Has Disposed of Its Fifth Avenue Block -- Secrecy About Buyer" (PDF). The New York Times. October 14, 1899. p. 11. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "Fifth Avenue Asylum Sold; Catholic Board of Managers Closes Negotiations with a Syndicate -- The Consideration $2,050,000" (PDF). The New York Times. December 25, 1899. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Stern, Gilmartin & Massengale 1983, p. 312.
- ^ "In the Real Estate Field; Another Lot in Orphan Asylum Block Sold -- Other Dealings by Brokers and at Auction" (PDF). The New York Times. May 12, 1900. p. 14. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "In the Real Estate Field; New Building Near Long Acre Square for Studebaker Brothers. Yesterday's Dealings by Brokers -- Upper Fifth Avenue Dwelling Sold -- Results in the Auction Room" (PDF). The New York Times. October 24, 1901. p. 14. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Projected Buildings". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 68, no. 1754. October 26, 1901. p. 549. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ a b "South of 59th Street". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 69, no. 1775. March 22, 1902. p. 511. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "Fifth Avenue Plot Sold; Lots Opposite Vanderbilt Mansions Again Change Hands. Realty Corporation Purchases the Property on Which Apartment Hotel Was to Have Been Built" (PDF). The New York Times. March 21, 1902. p. 7. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "Vanderbilts Spend Millions For Self-Protection; It Is an Expensive Luxury to Live in Fifth Avenue and Keep Business Encroachments at a Distance" (PDF). The New York Times. May 1, 1904. p. 11. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "G.W. Vanderbilt to Build in Town; Two Marble Front Dwellings to Go Up on Fifth Avenue" (PDF). The New York Times. September 7, 1902. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "G. W. Vanderbilt Saves Light: Prevents Building of Hotel by Erecting Dwelling Houses Near His Home". New-York Tribune. September 7, 1902. p. 7. ProQuest 571179952.
- ^ "Vanderbilt House Sold: George W. Sells Dwelling House at No. 645 Fifth-ave". New-York Tribune. July 6, 1904. p. 1. ProQuest 571456935.
- ^ "The Realm of Building". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 75, no. 1933. April 1, 1905. p. 684. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "The Northerly Movement of the Fifth Avenue Business District". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 73, no. 1885. April 30, 1904. p. 978. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "The Real Estate Field; Henry Phipps Transfers Fifth Avenue Home to Wife" (PDF). The New York Times. April 22, 1915. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "In the Real Estate Field.; Deal for New Hotel Near Madison Square -- to Build on All Souls' Church Site -- New Structure on West Eighteenth Street" (PDF). The New York Times. March 2, 1907. p. 16. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "New York Society". New-York Tribune. December 31, 1907. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1977, p. 2.
- ^ "Mrs. Goelet Entertains; Gives Dinner and Shaw Play, with Arnold Daly, at Her Home" (PDF). The New York Times. January 27, 1910. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Society at Home and Abroad; Visit of British Royalty to Make Brilliant and Busy Week" (PDF). The New York Times. January 21, 1912. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Upper Fifth Avenue in Wreckers' Hands; New York's Most Famous Mansions Have Their Facades Cut Back to Widen Thoroughfare" (PDF). The New York Times. August 13, 1911. p. 35. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Manhattan". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 88, no. 2259. July 1, 1911. p. 1255. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "Vanderbilt District of Fifth Avenue Invaded by Tall Business Structures". The New York Times. September 3, 1911. p. 72. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Goelet Asks Absolute Divorce From Millionaire". The Evening World. January 21, 1914. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Robert Goelet Seeks a Divorce; Papers Filed in Newport Charge Cruelty and Conduct 'Repugnant to Marriage Vows.'" (PDF). The New York Times. January 22, 1914. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Old M.f. Plant Home Leased to Jeweler; W.K. Vanderbilt Buys the Property at 5th Av. and 52d St. and Rents It to Cartier" (PDF). The New York Times. October 4, 1916. p. 7. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "5th Av. Homes of Plant and Vanderbilt Go to Trade". New York Herald. November 16, 1916. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fifth Avenue Dwellings for Trade". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 98, no. 2540. November 18, 1916. pp. 703–704. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "F. Vanderbilt Field Weds Duluth Girl At His Home Here: Miss Elizabeth G. Brown Bride of William B. Osgood Field's Son". New York Herald Tribune. March 21, 1929. p. 27. ProQuest 1111959127.
- ^ "Frederick V. Field Weds Miss Brown; Kin of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt Marries Daughter of Mrs. H.W. Brown of Duluth" (PDF). The New York Times. March 21, 1929. p. 26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts Awarded". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 100, no. 2576. July 28, 1917. p. 127. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "New Galleries of Gimpel & Wildenstein". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 15, 1917. p. 36. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Real Estate News, Notes and Gossip". New York Herald. December 16, 1920. p. 21. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lefcourt Projects.: A. E. Lefcourt Vacates Old Quarters on West 57th Street". The New York Times. May 24, 1923. p. 31. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 100218792.
- ^ "647 Fifth Avenue Sold". The New York Times. May 19, 1925. p. 36. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 103486262.
- ^ "Business Building On Fifth Avenue Bought by Tenants". New York Herald Tribune. May 19, 1925. p. 29. ProQuest 1113132323.
- ^ "Eliot Cross, Architect, Buys Building at 647 Fifth Avenue" (PDF). The New York Times. March 7, 1928. p. 44. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Jeweler Buys Building on Fifth Avenue: Cartier, Inc., Gets Structure Occupied by Wildenstein Galleries Next to Home". New York Herald Tribune. May 30, 1928. p. 27. ProQuest 1113447989.
- ^ "O'donnell Buys 7th Avenue Hotel; Operator Acquires the Grenoble at 56th Street From the Lannin Interests" (PDF). The New York Times. May 30, 1928. p. 31. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Art Firm Buys Building Site In 64th Street". New York Herald Tribune. May 12, 1931. p. 41. ProQuest 1114131632.
- ^ "Wildenstein Galleries File Plans for 64th Street Home" (PDF). The New York Times. October 15, 1931. p. 44. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Apartment to Rise at 52 West 65th St.; Extensive Alterations Will Be Made in Fifth Avenue and 34th St. Buildings" (PDF). The New York Times. February 16, 1937. p. 43. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Midtown Space Leased By American Express Co". New York Herald Tribune. June 27, 1939. p. 37. ProQuest 1341560615.
- ^ "American Express Co. Opens Larger Quarters". New York Herald Tribune. October 22, 1939. p. D9. ProQuest 1258528886.
- ^ "Fifth Ave. Stores Are Well Rented; New Home in Growing Long Island Colony" (PDF). The New York Times. October 16, 1939. p. 34. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "George S. Harris Named President of Cotton Mill". New York Herald Tribune. April 10, 1940. p. 41. ProQuest 1243025058.
- ^ "Lewis Shop Opens Tomorrow" (PDF). The New York Times. April 9, 1940. p. 36. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "New Fifth Ave. Shop Is Opened By Mary Lewis: Business Gets Under Way on Fourth Anniversary of Start of First Store Opens in New Location". New York Herald Tribune. April 11, 1944. p. 25. ProQuest 1282862767.
- ^ "Tailors Rent Floor in 647 Fifth Avenue; Custom Firm Was in No. 522 for 20 Years -- Other Leases" (PDF). The New York Times. November 24, 1942. p. 39. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Harry Collins at 647 5th Ave" (PDF). The New York Times. October 10, 1942. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Builders Take 15-Story House On 5th Avenue: Buyers Will Subdivide Large Suites After War; West End Avenue Corner Sold". New York Herald Tribune. May 4, 1944. p. 31. ProQuest 1269878663.
- ^ a b "5th Ave. Will Lose 2 More Landmarks; 'Imposing Edifice' Near St. Patrick's to Replace Union Club, Vanderbilt House" (PDF). The New York Times. May 4, 1944. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "New Owner Will Haze 3 Buildings on Fifth Av". New York Herald Tribune. May 6, 1944. p. 5. ProQuest 1289095045.
- ^ "12-Story Store Is Slated for 5th Av. and 51st: Union Club's Old Building Part of Site; Tenant for Structure Not Named". New York Herald Tribune. August 19, 1944. p. 12. ProQuest 1337095840.
- ^ "Best & Co. Plans 12-Story Store At 5th and 51st: Will Build on Former Sites of Union Club Building and Vanderbilt Home". New York Herald Tribune. December 22, 1944. p. 13. ProQuest 1318112180.
- ^ "Best & Co. Opens Store 48 Hours After Moving". New York Herald Tribune. April 15, 1947. p. 29. ProQuest 1291278561.
- ^ "Specialty Store in New Quarters; Best & Co., Without Any Advance Notice, Opens Its 12-story Building at 51st Street" (PDF). The New York Times. April 15, 1947. p. 30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Cartier Property in 5th Ave. Deal; Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co. Acquires 52d St. Corner for Investment" (PDF). The New York Times. May 2, 1950. p. 31. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Pollack Concern Takes Land for 1,000 Houses". New York Herald Tribune. May 2, 1950. p. 26. ProQuest 1327211833.
- ^ "Travel Office Renovated" (PDF). The New York Times. October 8, 1958. p. 59. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Ennis, Thomas W. (July 27, 1965). "News of Realty: Leases Arranged; American Express Sublets Building and Plans Move" (PDF). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Olympic Airways Building Is Blessed by Archbishop" (PDF). The New York Times. April 21, 1966. p. 35. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, p. 389.
- ^ Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, pp. 389–390.
- ^ Ennis, Thomas W. (March 8, 1970). "News of the Realty Trade". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ Barmash, Isadore (October 4, 1970). "Best & Co. Announces Its Decision to Terminate Business". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Ranzal, Edward (September 1, 1971). "50‐Story Building to Rise By St. Patrick's Cathedral". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Olympic Tower" (PDF). Progressive Architecture. Vol. 56, no. 12. December 1975. p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Horsley, Carter B. (June 24, 1973). "A New Neighbor Is Dwarfing St. Patrick's". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Huxtable, Ada Louise (December 5, 1976). "Architecture View". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, p. 392.
- ^ "Olympic Tower Dedicated Here" (PDF). The New York Times. September 6, 1974. p. 36. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Horsley, Carter B. (January 31, 1977). "A Landmark District Is Proposed On 5th Ave. Opposite Art Museum" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Hearings Are Set On Historic Sites". New York Daily News. March 6, 1977. p. 685. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ The Associated Press (October 16, 1983). "Properties in City Cited as Historic". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ Rush, George; Molloy, Joanna (October 29, 1996). "Gianni-come-latelies try new store's tight fit". New York Daily News. p. 590. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Winters, Patricia (March 3, 1995). "Versace latest with designs on city". New York Daily News. p. 1715. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Kuczynski, Alex (March 9, 2006). "Medusa Wears a Sweeter Smile". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Critchell, Samantha (March 12, 2006). "Donatella Versace going for a simpler look, showing her more complex side". Standard-Speaker. p. 60. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Crown Acquisitions Buys Stake in NYC's Olympic Tower Complex". Bloomberg. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
- ^ "Versace joins slew of retailers leaving Fifth Avenue". The Real Deal New York. December 27, 2018. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Fraser, Kristopher (December 27, 2018). "Versace leaving Fifth Avenue". FashionUnited. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Givenchy Swaps For Versace at Wharton's 747 Madison Ave". The Real Deal. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ Dilakian, Steven (March 25, 2024). "Kim Kardashian's Skims Secures Big Discount on Fifth Ave". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ Elstein, Aaron (March 22, 2024). "Kim Kardashian's Skims leases Fifth Avenue storefront at a super-discounted rent". Crain's New York Business. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
Sources
edit- "George W. Vanderbilt Residence" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. March 22, 1977.
- "Historic Structures Report: Houses at 647, 651–53 Fifth Avenue and 4 East 52nd Street" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. September 8, 1983.
- "John Peirce Residence" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. June 23, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Gregory; Massengale, John Montague (1983). New York 1900: Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism, 1890–1915. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 0-8478-0511-5. OCLC 9829395.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1995). New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial. New York: Monacelli Press. ISBN 1-885254-02-4. OCLC 32159240. OL 1130718M.
- White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
External links
edit- Media related to 647 Fifth Avenue at Wikimedia Commons