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Coordinates: 40°44′40″N 73°59′06″W / 40.7444°N 73.9851°W / 40.7444; -73.9851
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  • Emmet Building
  • https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2603.pdf
  • ("emmet building" or "95 madison avenue" or "95 madison ave" or "95 madison av" or (("Madison Avenue" or "Madison Ave" or "Madison Av") and ("29th Street" or "29th St" or "Twenty-ninth Street" or "Twenty-ninth St") and "emmet" "building")) and ("Manhattan" or "New York") Not ("Classified Ad" or "Display Ad" or "arrival of buyers" or "Arrivals Of Buyers")

Emmet Building in 2011

The Emmet Building is a historic 16-story building located at 89–95 Madison Avenue at 29th Street, in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was designed by John Stewart Barney and Stockton B. Colt of the architectural firm of Barney & Colt for surgeon Thomas Addis Emmet.

Emmet Building in 1913, photograph by Irving Underhill

Site

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The Emmet Building is surrounded to the south and east by a structure at 79-87 Madison Avenue,[1] which dates to 1926.[2]

During the 19th century, much of the surrounding area contained Italianate brownstone row houses, which measured four or five stories high and were set back from the street. These brownstones were built along both Madison Avenue and the side streets.[3] One brownstone at 89 Madison Avenue was occupied by Thomas Addis Emmet,[4] a prominent gynecological surgeon who was also an author of books on Irish history.[5] He was the grandson of lawyer Thomas Addis Emmet[6] and the great-nephew of Irish nationalist Robert Emmet.[7][8] Emmet moved into his house in 1872, built a fifth story in 1880, and extended it to the rear in 1883. He expanded his medical practice into three neighboring houses at 91–95 Madison Avenue in the early 1880s, and he rented out these houses after retiring in the 1900s.[4] Emmet hired Stockman Beekman Colt to design another rear extension for 89 Madison Avenue in 1908.[4][9]

Architecture

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The neo-Renaissance[5][10] building is adorned in terracotta Gothic Revival ornamentation.[11] There is a light court in the southeast corner of the building.[12] The fifth edition of the AIA Guide to New York City speculates that the design of the building may have been inspired by the Woolworth Building.[10] Christopher Gray of The New York Times wrote in 1992 that the structure was in reality a French Renaissance structure.[8]

Facade

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The exterior of the first two floors used limestone and were adorned with cast-iron ornamentation and green marble-clad pillars.[13] The lower story exterior features Medieval figures, canopies, and gargoyles,[14] as well as "cavaliers and courtesans".[10] Exterior columns span between the fourth and eleventh floors.[14]

Interior

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When the Emmet Building was constructed, it had a bank of freight elevators accessible from 29th Street, as well as a bank of passenger elevators from Madison Avenue, The structure had two standpipe lines, automatic fire alarms, and enclosed stairs for fire protection, which at the time of the building's construction were novel features.[12][13] The main emergency staircase was within a masonry tower that was structurally separate from the rest of the building. Wire-glass windows and steel doors provided additional fire protection.[13] The building also included mail chutes.[12]

The lobby was adorned with Siena and Numida marble, mosaic floors, and bronze elevator doors and surrounds.[13] Each of the upper stories covered 9,200 square feet (850 m2) and had loft spaces with high ceilings and widely-spaced columns.[15]

Former apartments

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The northern and western ends of the 16th story contained Emmet's apartment. At the time of the Emmet Building's construction, buildings with no more than two apartments were exempted from New York City apartment house regulations.[13][16] The apartment was accessed by a library measuring 18 by 36 feet (5.5 by 11.0 m) across and featured prints and books from Emmet's collection.[13] The other rooms in the apartment included a study, dining room, breakfast room, drawing room, sunroom, bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, servants' rooms, and a kitchen.[13][16] The apartment was outfitted with custom furnishings by Keeble, Ltd, which included a mahogany table measuring 15.5 by 9 feet (4.7 by 2.7 m) across.[13] According to census records from 1915, Emmet occupied the apartment with his 51-year old son, his nurse, and his cook.[8]

The eastern end of the 16th floor originally contained the building manager's apartment.[13][16] In contrast to Emmet's private apartment, the building manager's apartment was a common feature for buildings erected in New York City during the early 20th century.[8] A roof garden occupied the rest of that level; the roof garden contained a pergola and a solarium on either end, as well as a fountain in the center.[13][16] Emmet's apartment was converted to regular commercial space after his death in 1919.[17]

History

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In the early 19th century, the surrounding area was largely rural and contained cottages and farms.[3] New Yorkers began establishing mansions and row houses north of Madison Square Park during the mid-nineteenth century.[18] Several nearby churches were built nearby, including the "Little Church Around the Corner" and the Marble Collegiate Church.[19] A commercial boom followed with the growth of hotels, restaurants, Broadway theaters, the second Madison Square Garden, and office buildings.[3][20] The opening of the New York City Subway's first line (now the IRT Lexington Avenue Line) one block east, in 1904, spurred further development in the area.[21][22] The 28th Street subway station was two blocks southeast of the intersection of Madison Avenue and 29th Street, and there were many stores and entertainment venues nearby, so the area was highly attractive to developers.[20]

Development

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In May 1910, Emmet bought a four-story row house at 26 East 29th Street, next to his existing properties at 89–95 Madison Avenue, from the Cairns family. This gave Emmet a plot measuring 98.9 by 100 feet (30.1 by 30.5 m).[23] Emmett founded the Thomas Addis Emmet Realty Company the next year to develop a building on the site; he named his sons as directors.[4][24] By August 1911, Emmet planned to raze all the houses on the site, including his own residence, and replace them with a building measuring at least 12 stories tall. H. B. Anable, who operated the boarding houses at 91-95 Madison Avenue, was evicted from these houses.[25][26] The same month, Emmet transferred ownership of the houses to the Thomas Addis Emmet Realty Company.[27] The Real Estate Record and Guide wrote: "Five such structures have appeared in this part of Madison avenue in the last two years."[28]

Barney and Colt had been hired to design a 16-story building on the site by November 1911, and Purdy & Henderson had been hired as steel engineers.[29] By then, the plans for the building had been modified to contain a penthouse for Emmet's family on the top story.[4][12] The Cauldwell-Wingate Company was hired as the general contractor for the building,[12] and Sexauer and Lemke were hired as ornamental iron contractors. Although the edifice's primary function was to serve commercial tenants in the area north of Madison Square Park, Emmet had his own apartment on the top floor,[5] Conversely, Emmet banned manufacturing tenants.[12] The building was completed by October 1912,[17] and only a few offices remained unoccupied in early 1914.[15]

20th century

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The New York Times, in a 1927 article, retrospectively referred to the Emmet Building as "one of the business building pioneers in [the lower] portion of Madison Avenue".[2] Early tenants included the New York State Department of Labor,[30] as well as numerous silk firms,[31] including wholesale silk merchants William Openhym & Sons and the Manhattan Shirt Company.[11] The Silk Association of America established a silk exchange in the building as well.[32] Emmet lived in the building until he died in 1919.[17][33] The Title Guarantee and Trust Company placed a $700,000 loan on the Emmet Building in 1921.[34][35] One tenant, Barnard Phillips & Co. Inc., built a private stairway between the 9th and 10th floors when it leased additional space in the building in 1923.[36]

The Sklar family acquired the Emmet Building in the 1940s.[8] During that decade, the building's tenants included the Perry Wachtel and Ben Smith, De Perri Advertising Agency which occupied the top floor.[37]

The facade underwent restoration in 1991.[38]

21st century

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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) hosted hearings in February 2018 to determine whether the Emmet Building and the nearby James New York – NoMad should be designated as a city landmarks.[39] About a dozen people spoke in favor of both landmark designations,[39] and the buildings were designated as landmarks on March 6, 2018.[40][41] Landmarks Preservation Commission chairperson Meenakshi Srinivasan said, "These elegant buildings are not only distinctive and exemplary on their own, but together they represent an era of change and development in the area north of Madison Square during the early 20th century."[42] The family that owns it has been renovating the building, and, after initially supporting the landmarking, later expressed displeasure with how the Landmark Preservation Commission operates and its bureaucracy.[43]

The building's legal owner, Ninety-Five Madison Company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2021 after it was unable to repay $38,000 that it owed to subcontractors. At the time, Rita Sklar was recorded as Ninety-Five Madison Company's general partner.[44] In June 2024, a local firm named Sunlight Development paid the Sklar family $65 million for the Emmet Building. Following its purchase, Sunlight planned to convert the building to 70 residential apartments.[45][46]

References

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Notes

  1. ^ "Latest Dealings in Real Estate: Textile Building to Cost $3,500,000 Goelet Estate Sells Madison Avenue and Twenty-eighth Street Corner by Radio". The New York Times. April 19, 1925. p. 28. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 2276880377.
  2. ^ a b "Old Homes Pass On Murray Hill". The New York Times. February 13, 1927. p. RE1. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 104237795.
  3. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 2018, p. 8.
  4. ^ a b c d e Landmarks Preservation Commission 2018, p. 10.
  5. ^ a b c Herman, Margaret (February 20, 2018) "95 Madison Avenue (The Emmett Building) Designation Report" New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
  6. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2018, p. 9.
  7. ^ Staff (ndg). "Emmet, John Patten (1796–1842)". Encyclopedia Virginia.
  8. ^ a b c d e Gray, Christopher (August 30, 1992). "Streetscapes: 95 Madison Avenue; Overcoming the Fear of Terra Cotta". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Contracts Awarded". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 81, no. 2079. January 18, 1908. p. 128 – via columbia.edu.
  10. ^ a b c White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
  11. ^ a b Staff (ndg). "Six to Celebrate: The Emmet Building". Historic Districts Council.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "New Emmet Building: Spare No Expense on Construction of Sixteen Story Structure". New-York Tribune. June 16, 1912. p. B7. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 574938821.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Apartments on Top of 16-story Loft: Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet to Live on Site of Old Home on Madison Avenue". The New York Times. April 21, 1913. p. XX2. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 97252215. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  14. ^ a b Pereira, Ivan (March 6, 2018). "Hotel Seville, Emmet Building receive landmark status". AM New York.
  15. ^ a b "Model Loft & Office Buildings Between 15th & 33rd Streets: Has Many Modern Lofts and Offices Big List of New Structures in District From 15th to 33d Street District in the Centre of City Some Principal Features of the High Class Buildings in the Section". New-York Tribune. January 4, 1914. p. C2. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 575189203.
  16. ^ a b c d "Highest Living in New York.: Owner of a Skyscraper Has a Fine Home on the Top Floor". Cincinnati Enquirer. May 5, 1912. p. 6. ProQuest 897920986.
  17. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 2018, p. 12.
  18. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2018, p. 8; National Park Service 2005, p. 8.
  19. ^ National Park Service 2005, p. 8.
  20. ^ a b National Park Service 2005, p. 10.
  21. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2018, p. 10; National Park Service 2005, p. 9.
  22. ^ "Review of the Week". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 67, no. 1727. April 20, 1901. p. 695 – via columbia.edu.
  23. ^ "Investment Buying in Bronx Zones". New-York Tribune. May 28, 1910. p. 12. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "Unclassified Sales". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 85, no. 2202. May 28, 1910. p. 1160 – via columbia.edu.
  25. ^ "The Real Estate Field". The New York Times. August 1, 1911. p. 14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  26. ^ "The Real Estate Market". The Sun. August 1, 1911. p. 7. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  27. ^ "The Real Estate Field". The New York Times. August 9, 1911. p. 13. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  28. ^ "The Week in Real Estate". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 88, no. 2264. August 5, 1911. p. 167 – via columbia.edu.
  29. ^ "Latest Madison Avenue Building". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 88, no. 2277. November 4, 1911. p. 680 – via columbia.edu.
  30. ^ "The Real Estate Field; New York Central Takes Title to Lexington Avenue Hospital for $1,350,000 -- West End Avenue Corner Transferred -- Brooklyn and Suburban Deals -- 34th Street Lease". The New York Times. October 2, 1912. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  31. ^ "Business Notes". The New York Times. December 11, 1912. p. 16. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  32. ^ "New Home for the Silk Association of America". New-York Tribune. July 13, 1912. p. 12. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 574942414.
  33. ^ "Dr. T.A. Emmet Dead at 90 Years; Eminent Physician and Medical Writer Dies in High Building on Old House Site". The New York Times. March 2, 1919. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  34. ^ "Realty News: Loan On Madison Ave. Property". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 23, no. 146. December 23, 1921. p. 25. ProQuest 1666173598.
  35. ^ "$1,393,500 In Loans; Title Guarantee and Trust Company Places $700,000 First Mortgage". The New York Times. December 22, 1921. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  36. ^ "Silks: Silk Factors Double Former Floor Space". Women's Wear. Vol. 27, no. 74. September 28, 1923. p. 6. ProQuest 1665986279.
  37. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 12, 1946. p. 125. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  38. ^ Miller, Tom (August 4, 2010). "A Roof Garden and "Swimming Plunge" - The 1912 Terra Cotta Emmet Building". Daytonian in Manhattan.
  39. ^ a b Warerkar, Tanay (February 20, 2018). "Nomad buildings in line for landmarking get unanimous public backing". Curbed NY. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  40. ^ Pereira, Ivan (March 6, 2018). "Hotel Seville, Emmet Building in Manhattan receive landmark status". amNewYork. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  41. ^ Warerkar, Tanay (March 6, 2018). "Two early 20th-century Nomad buildings are now NYC landmarks". Curbed NY. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  42. ^ Warerkar, Tanay (March 6, 2018). "Two early 20th-century Nomad buildings are now NYC landmarks". Curbed New York.
  43. ^ Spivack, Caroline (June 20, 2018). "In About-Face, Emmet Building Owner Trashes Landmark Status". Gramercy Patch.
  44. ^ Bokum, Christopher (July 30, 2021). "Owner of Historic NYC Building Declares Bankruptcy, Showcasing Current and Past Construction Debt". Levelset. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  45. ^ "Sunlight Dev. signs $65M contract for NoMad office, plans 70-unit conversion". PincusCo. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  46. ^ Hallum, Mark (June 3, 2024). "Landmarked NoMad Building Bought Out of Bankruptcy for $65M". Commercial Observer. Retrieved June 6, 2024.

Sources

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40°44′40″N 73°59′06″W / 40.7444°N 73.9851°W / 40.7444; -73.9851

[[Category:Emmet family]] [[Category:Office buildings in Manhattan]] [[Category:Madison Avenue]] [[Category:Renaissance Revival architecture in New York City]] [[Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan]] [[Category:Office buildings completed in 1912]]

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