Colonnade Row
Encyclopedia
Colonnade Row, also known as LaGrange Terrace, on present-day Lafayette Street
in New York City
's NoHo
neighborhood, is a landmarked
series of Greek revival buildings originally built in the early 1830s. They are believed to have been built by Seth Greer, although the project has been attributed to a number of other architects. The buildings' original name comes from Lafayette
's estate in France, but the series of nine row houses
, of which four remain, owe their existence to John Jacob Astor
, who bought the property and who's grandson John Jacob Astor III
later lived at No. 424. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name LaGrange Terrace and the facades remain standing on Lafayette Street south of Astor Place.
from Albany, New York
(whose name is also given as "Greer") were located at 418-426 Lafayette Place on the site of Astor's Vauxhall Gardens Amusement Park
. The property on which these buildings were constructed was bought by Astor in 1804 for $45,000.
The original name of the buildings was Lagrange or La Grange Terrace, after General Lafayette's country estate, one of many places named for him in New York City
and on the East Coast, after his triumphant return tour in 1824-25
.
The buildings each contained 26 rooms and were 27 feet (8.2 m) wide, with 15 feet (4.6 m) deep front yards, uncommon at the time. Their facades were made entirely of marble and linked with a colonnade of Corinthian columns
providing the homes with their current name. The marble for the buildings was found at Sing Sing
, where the convicts worked to cut it for use in construction.
The precise year of the buildings' construction, as well as the architect responsible are subject to some debate. The architects generally credited with Colonnade Row's design is Alexander Jackson Davis
, Ithiel Town
, and James Dakin, who were believed to have designed the homes for the Astor
and Vanderbilt
families. Town and Dakin are believed to have begun work on the project, which they called LaGrange Terrace, during the winter of 1831-32, during which they worked on a number of design projects. Davis is not believed to have played a role in the final construction of the building, which was completed in 1833 according to the Landmarks Commission, and there are some who believe that he did not work on the design at all.
Apart from John Jacob Astor III
, President John Tyler
spent some time on Colonnade Row, as did Cornelius Vanderbilt
, Washington Irving
and Warren Delano.
cul-de-sac
, was the most fashionable area in New York City and one of the first to be developed in the city's expansion north of Canal Street
. The upper-class demographics of the region shifted, and by 1860 Murray Hill
was considered a better place to live, and the area around the former Lafayette Place fell into decline.
The original buildings located at 418-426 Lafayette Place were torn down following a failed proposal in 1902 to relocate the remaining structures to Bryant Park
, after more than half were torn town to make room for Wanamaker's warehouse and department store. Some of the columns and decorative parts ended up in Morristown, New Jersey
.
in December 1976 after being nominated in August of the same year.
The owners have announced plans to restore the buildings as recently as 1995, however this has not yet happened due in part to cost.
Lafayette Street (Manhattan)
Lafayette Street is a major north-south street in New York City's Lower Manhattan, which runs roughly parallel to Broadway to the west. Originally, the part of the street below Houston Street was called Elm Place....
in New York City
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...
's NoHo
NoHo
NoHo, for North of Houston Street is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, roughly bounded by Houston Street on the south, The Bowery on the east, Astor Place on the north, and Broadway on the west. NoHo is wedged between Greenwich Village, west of Broadway, and the East Village...
neighborhood, is a landmarked
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
series of Greek revival buildings originally built in the early 1830s. They are believed to have been built by Seth Greer, although the project has been attributed to a number of other architects. The buildings' original name comes from Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
's estate in France, but the series of nine row houses
Row houses
The Row at Stanford University is made up of 36 student-managed houses, from the Cowell Cluster to the Lake Houses and all along Mayfield Avenue, with a total population of a little over 1600 students. Houses range in occupancy from 22 to 59...
, of which four remain, owe their existence to John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
, who bought the property and who's grandson John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III was the elder son of William Backhouse Astor, Sr. and the wealthiest member of the Astor family in his generation...
later lived at No. 424. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name LaGrange Terrace and the facades remain standing on Lafayette Street south of Astor Place.
Design
The nine original buildings, a series of Greek revival townhouses built by Seth Geer, a contractorGeneral contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
from Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
(whose name is also given as "Greer") were located at 418-426 Lafayette Place on the site of Astor's Vauxhall Gardens Amusement Park
New York Vauxhall Gardens
The New York Vauxhall Gardens was a pleasure garden and theater in New York City. It was named for the Vauxhall Gardens of London. Though the venue passed through a long list of owners, and suffered buyouts, closings, relocations, and re-openings, it lasted until the mid-19th century.In the...
. The property on which these buildings were constructed was bought by Astor in 1804 for $45,000.
The original name of the buildings was Lagrange or La Grange Terrace, after General Lafayette's country estate, one of many places named for him in New York City
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...
and on the East Coast, after his triumphant return tour in 1824-25
Visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States (1824-25)
From July 1824 to September 1825, the last surviving French General of the Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette, made a famous tour of the 24 states in the United States...
.
The buildings each contained 26 rooms and were 27 feet (8.2 m) wide, with 15 feet (4.6 m) deep front yards, uncommon at the time. Their facades were made entirely of marble and linked with a colonnade of Corinthian columns
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
providing the homes with their current name. The marble for the buildings was found at Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
, where the convicts worked to cut it for use in construction.
The precise year of the buildings' construction, as well as the architect responsible are subject to some debate. The architects generally credited with Colonnade Row's design is Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis
Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis , was one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, in particular his association with the Gothic Revival style....
, Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town
Ithiel Town was a prominent American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the first half of the 19th century. He was high-strung, sophisticated, generous,...
, and James Dakin, who were believed to have designed the homes for the Astor
Astor family
The Astor family is a Anglo-American business family of German descent notable for their prominence in business, society, and politics.-Founding family members:...
and Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
families. Town and Dakin are believed to have begun work on the project, which they called LaGrange Terrace, during the winter of 1831-32, during which they worked on a number of design projects. Davis is not believed to have played a role in the final construction of the building, which was completed in 1833 according to the Landmarks Commission, and there are some who believe that he did not work on the design at all.
Apart from John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III was the elder son of William Backhouse Astor, Sr. and the wealthiest member of the Astor family in his generation...
, President John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
spent some time on Colonnade Row, as did Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
, Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
and Warren Delano.
Decline
At the time of their construction, Lafayette Place, which was then a cobblestoneCobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
, was the most fashionable area in New York City and one of the first to be developed in the city's expansion north of Canal Street
Canal Street
Canal Street may refer to:* Canal Street , England, UK* Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA* Canal Street , New York City, New York, USA...
. The upper-class demographics of the region shifted, and by 1860 Murray Hill
Murray Hill, Manhattan
Murray Hill is a Midtown Manhattan neighborhood in New York City, USA. Around 1987 many real estate promoters of the neighborhood and newer residents described the boundaries as within East 34th Street, East 42nd Street, Madison Avenue, and the East River; in 1999, Frank P...
was considered a better place to live, and the area around the former Lafayette Place fell into decline.
The original buildings located at 418-426 Lafayette Place were torn down following a failed proposal in 1902 to relocate the remaining structures to Bryant Park
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a 9.603 acre privately managed public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan...
, after more than half were torn town to make room for Wanamaker's warehouse and department store. Some of the columns and decorative parts ended up in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
.
Protection
The four buildings that remain, numbers 428, 430, 432, and 434 Lafayette Street, were among the first to be landmarked when New York City began doing so in 1965, despite having been sub-divided into apartments and commercial properties, altered and generally in poor condition. The public hearings regarding the landmarking were held on September 21, 1965 at which time a number of people supported the landmarking and the owners presented no objections. The buildings were added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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 December 1976 after being nominated in August of the same year.
The owners have announced plans to restore the buildings as recently as 1995, however this has not yet happened due in part to cost.
External links
- NYC Architecture images and description
- La Grange Terrace Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
, Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...