Butterfield House (New York City)

Last updated

Butterfield House
Butterfieldwater.jpg
Water color view from West 12th Street
Butterfield House (New York City)
General information
Architectural style Mid-Century Modern
Location37 West 12th Street,
Manhattan, New York City, NY 10011
United States
Coordinates 40°44′08″N73°59′44″W / 40.7356°N 73.9956°W / 40.7356; -73.9956
Completed1962
Technical details
Floor count12 with one penthouse floor
Design and construction
Architect(s) William J. Conklin and James Rossant while at Mayer, Whittlesey & Glass
Main contractorDaniel L. Gray, Dangray Construction [1]

Butterfield House is a cooperative apartment building on West 12th Street in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was designed by the architects and urban planners William J. Conklin and James Rossant then of Mayer, Whittlesey & Glass. It is situated between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue within the Greenwich Village Historic District. The building was described in The New York Times as "a modernist landmark" that "received numerous accolades when it was built in 1962". [2]

Contents

Mimi Sheraton referred to it as "one of the Village’s most coveted residences." [3] Architectural critic Paul Goldberger included Butterfield House on his list of the “10 Top Postwar Apartment Buildings” in New York City. [4]

The building shares the block of West 12th Street with historic townhouses and when the street received its landmark designation in 1969 it was described as "one of the most distinguished examples of street architecture of the mid-Nineteenth Century." [5]

Architecture

"The delicacy of form and elegance of detail, inherent in the design, make [Butterfield House] as one with its residential neighbors."

— New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, 1969 [6]

Butterfield House is an example of the International Style and Mid-Century Modern architectural styles and was designed by the architects William J. Conklin and James Rossant. Both men were acolytes of Walter Gropius who they studied under at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School, [7] is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modernist architecture. [8] [9]

Rossant's obituary in the New York Times states, "Butterfield House was hailed as a model of how to integrate modern architecture into a historic townhouse district." [6]

The Municipal Art Society awarded Mayer, Whittlesey & Glass a Certificate of Merit in 1963 for its work on the Butterfield House. [10]

The building has been referred to as "[one] of Manhattan's finest postwar apartment buildings". [11] In 2016, the building was included on a list of thirteen "Architectural Masterpieces" that you can live in. [12]

The building is notable for its deep bay windows, historic brown-brick façade, and floor-plan design where many of the units are floor-through apartments that offer views of the street on one side and the landscaped inner gardens and fountains on the other. The majority of the apartments have balconies or terraces facing the inner garden. Originally consisting of 102 apartments, including multiple penthouses, apartments have been combined over the years and Butterfield House now has fewer than 100 units. The architectural height of the building is 78.03 metres (256.0 ft). The Post-War Modern building's rear entrance address is on West 13th Street.

The AIA Guide to NYC calls it "The friendly neighborhood high rise", and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission cites it as an example of "urban harmony" between modern architecture and older forms. [13]

Name

The building was named after Union Civil War General and medal of honor recipient Daniel Butterfield. General Butterfield is credited with composing Taps, the bugle call played by the United States Armed Forces at dusk, during flag ceremonies, and at military funerals. [14] The building sits on the site of his former home on 12th Street. [15] [16]

Notable residents


Current and former notable residents of the Butterfield House:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dakota</span> Residential building in Manhattan, New York

The Dakota, also known as the Dakota Apartments, is a cooperative apartment building at 1 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The Dakota was constructed between 1880 and 1884 in the German Renaissance style and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh for businessman Edward Cabot Clark. The building was one of the first large developments on the Upper West Side and is the oldest remaining luxury apartment building in New York City. The building is a National Historic Landmark and has been designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The building is also a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morningside Heights</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningside Heights borders Central Harlem and Morningside Park to the east, Manhattanville to the north, the Manhattan Valley section of the Upper West Side to the south, and Riverside Park to the west. Broadway is the neighborhood's main thoroughfare, running north–south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The San Remo</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The San Remo is a cooperative apartment building at 145 and 146 Central Park West, between 74th and 75th Streets, adjacent to Central Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed from 1929 to 1930 and was designed by architect Emery Roth in the Renaissance Revival style. The San Remo is 27 stories tall, with twin towers rising from a 17-story base. The building is a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places–listed district, and is a New York City designated landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of New York City</span>

The building form most closely associated with New York City is the skyscraper, which has shifted many commercial and residential districts from low-rise to high-rise. Surrounded mostly by water, the city has amassed one of the largest and most varied collection of skyscrapers in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beresford</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Beresford is a cooperative apartment building at 211 Central Park West, between 81st and 82nd Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed in 1929 and was designed by architect Emery Roth. The Beresford is 22 stories tall and is topped by octagonal towers on its northeast, southwest, and southeast corners. The building is a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places–listed district, and is a New York City designated landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Majestic (apartment building)</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Majestic is a cooperative apartment building at 115 Central Park West, between 71st and 72nd Streets, adjacent to Central Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed from 1930 to 1931 and was designed by the firm of Irwin S. Chanin in the Art Deco style. The Majestic is 30 stories tall, with twin towers rising from a 19-story base. The building is a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places–listed district, and is a New York City designated landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Street (Manhattan)</span> West-east street in Manhattan, New York

57th Street is a broad thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Manhattan, one of the major two-way, east-west streets in the borough's grid. As with Manhattan's other “crosstown” streets, it is divided into its east and west sections at Fifth Avenue. The street runs from a small park overlooking the East River in the east to the West Side Highway along the Hudson River in the west. 57th Street runs through the Midtown Manhattan neighborhoods of Sutton Place, Billionaire's Row, and Hell's Kitchen from east to west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The El Dorado</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The El Dorado is a cooperative apartment building at 300 Central Park West, between 90th and 91st Streets adjacent to Central Park, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed from 1929 to 1931 and was designed by architect of record Margon & Holder and consulting architect Emery Roth in the Art Deco style. The El Dorado consists of twin 12-story towers rising from a 17-story base. The building is a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places–listed district, and is a New York City designated landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Century (apartment building)</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Century is an apartment building at 25 Central Park West, between 62nd and 63rd Streets, adjacent to Central Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed from 1930 to 1931 at a cost of $6.5 million and designed by the firm of Irwin S. Chanin in the Art Deco style. The Century is 30 stories tall, with twin towers rising from a 19-story base. The building is a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places–listed district, and is a New York City designated landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">712 Fifth Avenue</span> Office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

712 Fifth Avenue is a 650-foot-tall (200 m) skyscraper at 56th Street and Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Constructed from 1987 to 1990, it was designed by SLCE Architects and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. The skyscraper's base includes the Coty Building at 714 Fifth Avenue and the Rizzoli Bookstore building at 712 Fifth Avenue, both of which are New York City designated landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dorilton</span> Housing cooperative in New York City

The Dorilton is a luxury residential housing cooperative at 171 West 71st Street, at the northeast corner with Broadway, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 12-story building, designed by local firm Janes & Leo in the Beaux-Arts style, was built between 1900 and 1902 for real estate developer Hamilton M. Weed. The Dorilton is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bank of the Metropolis</span> Residential skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Bank of the Metropolis was a bank in New York City that operated between 1871 and 1918. The bank was originally located at several addresses around Union Square in Manhattan before finally moving to 31 Union Square West, a 16-story Renaissance Revival building designed by Bruce Price and built between 1902 and 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">23 Beekman Place</span> Apartment building in Manhattan, New York

23 Beekman Place, also the Paul Rudolph Apartment & Penthouse, is an apartment building between 50th and 51st streets in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Built c. 1869 as a five-story brownstone residence, it was substantially redesigned in the late 20th century by Paul Rudolph, an American architect and one-time dean of Yale University. It is one of the few known projects Rudolph designed in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan House</span> Residential building in Manhattan, New York

Manhattan House is a 21-story residential condominium building at 200 East 66th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The building was designed in the modern style by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), in partnership with the firm of Albert Mayer and Julian Whittlesey. It occupies a full city block bounded by Third Avenue to the west, 66th Street to the north, Second Avenue to the east, and 65th Street to the south. Constructed between 1949 and 1951, Manhattan House was developed by the New York Life Insurance Company as a middle-class apartment building. Manhattan House, one of the first apartment buildings in New York City to use white brick on its facade, is a New York City designated landmark.

Julian Hill Whittlesey was a prominent American architect and planner who co-founded the firms Mayer & Whittlesey and then Whittlesey Conklin + Rossant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gainsborough Studios (Manhattan)</span> Residential building in Manhattan, New York

The Gainsborough Studios, also known as 222 Central Park South, is a residential building on Central Park South, just east of Columbus Circle, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by Charles W. Buckham, the building is 16 stories tall with 34 apartments. Named after English painter Thomas Gainsborough, the building is one of several in Manhattan that were built in the early 20th century as both studios and residences for artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">240 Central Park South</span> Residential building in Manhattan, New York

240 Central Park South is a residential building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Albert Mayer and Julian Whittlesey, it was built between 1939 and 1940 by the J.H. Taylor Construction Company, an enterprise of the Mayer family. 240 Central Park South is designed in a combination of the Art Deco, Moderne, and Modern Classical styles, with over 300 apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">140 West 57th Street</span> Office building in Manhattan, New York

140 West 57th Street, also known as The Beaufort, is an office building on 57th Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It was built from 1907 to 1909 and designed by Pollard and Steinam, who also simultaneously designed the neighboring, nearly identical building at 130 West 57th Street. The buildings are among several in Manhattan that were built in the early 20th century as both studio and residences for artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockefeller Apartments</span> Residential building in Manhattan, New York

The Rockefeller Apartments is a residential building at 17 West 54th Street and 24 West 55th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Designed by Wallace Harrison and J. André Fouilhoux in the International Style, the Rockefeller Apartments was constructed between 1935 and 1936. The complex was originally designed with 138 apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Bank Building</span> Bank and apartment building in Manhattan, New York

The Apple Bank Building, also known as the Central Savings Bank Building and 2100 Broadway, is a bank and residential building at 2100–2114 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Constructed as a branch of the Central Savings Bank, now Apple Bank, from 1926 to 1928, it occupies a trapezoidal city block bounded by 73rd Street to the south, Amsterdam Avenue to the east, 74th Street to the north, and Broadway to the west. The Apple Bank Building was designed by York and Sawyer in the Renaissance Revival and palazzo styles, patterned after an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "House at 37 W. 12th St. Becomes a Cooperative" (PDF). The New York Times. July 23, 1963. p. 45. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ Barbour, Celia (October 22, 2006). "At a Modernist Landmark, the New Guard Moves In". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  3. ↑ Sheraton, Mimi (October 20, 2006). "My Manhattan: West 12th Street, by the Numbers". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  4. ↑ Goldberger, Paul (September 20, 1979). "Top Postwar Apartment Buildings". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ New York City Landmark Preservation Commission Greenwich Village Historic District Designation Report, Volume 1 (PDF). 1969.
  6. 1 2 Grimes, William (December 19, 2009). "James Rossant, Architect and Planner, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ Bauhaus, The Tate Collection, retrieved May 18, 2008
  8. ↑ "Butterfield House". James Rossant. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  9. ↑ Roberts, Sam (December 13, 2018). "William J. Conklin, Architect With a Broad Stamp, Dies at 95". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ "City Arts Society Honors Architects". The New York Times. May 21, 1963. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  11. ↑ Goldberger, Paul (June 4, 1981). "Architecture: a Bridge Known as Ramaz School". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ Peterson, Spencer (May 26, 2016). "How to live in an NYC-area architectural masterpiece". New York Post. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  13. ↑ "NYCLPC Greenwich Village Historic District Designation Report, volume 1" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 12, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Detailed History of Taps". West-point.org. July 4, 1969. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  15. ↑ "NYPL Photo Collection".
  16. ↑ Bunyan, Patrick (November 2010). All Around the Town: Amazing Manhattan Facts and Curiosities. ISBN   9780823231744.
  17. ↑ Velsey, Kim (February 6, 2015). "Warby Parker Founder Neil Blumenthal Expands Butterfield House Holdings". NY Observer. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  18. ↑ Poli, Bruce (March 10, 2018). "Ramsey Clark at 90: America's Most Liberal Attorney General and Veteran West Villager". Westview News. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  19. ↑ Polsky, Sara (November 2, 2011). "Buy a Former Today Show Host's Penthouse for 7m". Curbed.com. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Butterfield House, 37 West 12th Street, Apt. 8J". CityRealty.com. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Poet Stanley Kunitz's Former Co-op Is for Sale". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Adam Lippes Presses Restart On His Approach to Fashion–and His Business". Elle. September 10, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Inside the home of the real-life Don Draper, George Lois", YouTube, retrieved September 9, 2019
  24. ↑ "History". Van Ameringen Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Henry Van Ameringen". Influence Watch. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.