Audubon Terrace
Encyclopedia
Audubon Terrace, also known as Audubon Terrace Historic District, is a landmark complex of approximately eight early 20th century Beaux Arts buildings in New York City
. Home to several different cultural institutions, the various architecturally complementary buildings, which take up most of a city block, are arranged in two parallel rows facing each other across a common east / west pedestrian plaza. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, the American Numismatic Society
, the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation
, the Hispanic Society of America, the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Church of Our Lady of Esperanza
. The first three organizations have since moved, and the Hispanic Society has been considering a move to larger quarters downtown since 2006. Boricua College
, a private bilingual college, has since occupied the former building of the American Geographical Society, the easternmost building on the north side of the plaza.
The Hispanic Society maintains a library and a museum with an important collection of art and artifacts from the Iberian peninsula
, as well as from Central
and South America
. It is normally open daily except Mondays. The American Academy of Arts and Letters exhibits to the public occasionally, usually twice each year.
, bounded by West 155th
and West 156th Streets, in the Washington Heights
neighborhood of upper Manhattan
, New York City, New York
, United States
. It is directly across 155th Street from Trinity Church Cemetery
. Although the 157th Street subway station is one block away, the complex's location considerably north of midtown has resulted in a perceived detriment to easy access for visitors, especially those from out of town.
, on whose former land the complex sits, and who is buried across the street, Audubon Terrace was commissioned by railroad heir and philanthropist Archer M. Huntington
in 1907. Huntington chose the location at a time when the two centuries old northward march of fashionable residences and cultural institutions seemed likely to transform the largely rural area. Huntington assumed that other museums and learned societies would soon join him, creating an intellectual citadel atop the island's heights. The widespread adoption of the elevator and steel framing at this time, however, led Manhattan real estate to begin to develop vertically instead and New York's other great cultural institutions stayed put.
Among the well-known architects who designed the buildings of Audubon Terrace were Cass Gilbert
, Stanford White
, and Charles Pratt Huntington
. Huntington designed the original buildings, housing the Hispanic Society, American Geographical Society, Museum of the American Indian, and American Numismatic Society. The two buildings housing the Academy of Arts and Letters were completed in 1923 and 1930, respectively. A large equestrian statue of the legendary Spanish knight El Cid
, located in the plaza in front of the Hispanic Society, was sculpted by Archer Huntington’s wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington
in 1927.
Audubon Terrace was designated the “Audubon Terrace Historic District” by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on January 9, 1979. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Home to several different cultural institutions, the various architecturally complementary buildings, which take up most of a city block, are arranged in two parallel rows facing each other across a common east / west pedestrian plaza. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Resident institutions
The original residents of Audubon Terrace included the American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
, the American Numismatic Society
American Numismatic Society
The American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:...
, the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
, the Hispanic Society of America, the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Church of Our Lady of Esperanza
Church of Our Lady of Esperanza
The Church of Our Lady of Esperanza is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 624 West 156th Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan in New York City....
. The first three organizations have since moved, and the Hispanic Society has been considering a move to larger quarters downtown since 2006. Boricua College
Boricua College
Boricua College is a post-secondary educational institution located in New York City in the United States. The college was designed to serve the educational needs of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics....
, a private bilingual college, has since occupied the former building of the American Geographical Society, the easternmost building on the north side of the plaza.
The Hispanic Society maintains a library and a museum with an important collection of art and artifacts from the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, as well as from Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is normally open daily except Mondays. The American Academy of Arts and Letters exhibits to the public occasionally, usually twice each year.
Location
Audubon Terrace is located on the west side of BroadwayBroadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
, bounded by West 155th
155th Street (Manhattan)
155th Street is a major crosstown street in the Harlem neighborhood, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the northernmost of the 155 crosstown streets mapped out in the Commissioner's Plan of 1811 that established the numbered street grid in Manhattan.155th Street starts on the West...
and West 156th Streets, in the Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
neighborhood of upper Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is directly across 155th Street from Trinity Church Cemetery
Trinity Church Cemetery
Trinity Church Cemetery consists of three separate burial grounds associated with Trinity Church in Manhattan, New York, USA. The first was established in the Churchyard located at 74 Trinity Place at Wall Street and Broadway...
. Although the 157th Street subway station is one block away, the complex's location considerably north of midtown has resulted in a perceived detriment to easy access for visitors, especially those from out of town.
History
Named for naturalist and artist John James AudubonJohn James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
, on whose former land the complex sits, and who is buried across the street, Audubon Terrace was commissioned by railroad heir and philanthropist Archer M. Huntington
Archer M. Huntington
Archer Milton Huntington was the son of Arabella Huntington and the stepson of railroad magnate and industrialist Collis P. Huntington...
in 1907. Huntington chose the location at a time when the two centuries old northward march of fashionable residences and cultural institutions seemed likely to transform the largely rural area. Huntington assumed that other museums and learned societies would soon join him, creating an intellectual citadel atop the island's heights. The widespread adoption of the elevator and steel framing at this time, however, led Manhattan real estate to begin to develop vertically instead and New York's other great cultural institutions stayed put.
Among the well-known architects who designed the buildings of Audubon Terrace were Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
, Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
, and Charles Pratt Huntington
Charles Pratt Huntington
Charles Pratt Huntington was an American architect, born in Logansport, Indiana and educated at Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1893, and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, from which he graduated in 1901. He later moved to New York, where he designed Audubon Terrace and several of...
. Huntington designed the original buildings, housing the Hispanic Society, American Geographical Society, Museum of the American Indian, and American Numismatic Society. The two buildings housing the Academy of Arts and Letters were completed in 1923 and 1930, respectively. A large equestrian statue of the legendary Spanish knight El Cid
El Cid
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
, located in the plaza in front of the Hispanic Society, was sculpted by Archer Huntington’s wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington
Anna Hyatt Huntington
Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington was an American sculptor.-Life and career:Huntington was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her father, Alpheus Hyatt, was a professor of paleontology and zoology at Harvard University and MIT, and served as a contributing factor to her early interest in animals and...
in 1927.
Audubon Terrace was designated the “Audubon Terrace Historic District” by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on January 9, 1979. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
External links
- Audubon Terrace Gallery - 96 photos