Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz
Encyclopedia
Cyrus Lazelle Warner Eidlitz (July 27, 1853– October 5, 1921) was a New York
architect
best known for designing One Times Square
, the former New York Times Building
on Times Square
.
. He was the son of Lazelle Warner and influential New York architect Leopold Eidlitz
, one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects
. Although his father was of Jewish descent, the family had become Christian. Cyrus Eidlitz was also the nephew of noted builder Marc Eidlitz
of Marc Eidlitz & Son Builders N.Y.C. The young Eidlitz was educated in New York, Geneva, Switzerland and Stuttgart
, where he studied architecture at the Polytechnic Institute.
in the Bronx after it was damaged by fire. It had originally been designed by his father. His early Gothic and Romanesque Revival designs, including Dearborn Station in Chicago
and the precursor to the current Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
in Lafayette Square
, show his father's influence. His Romanesque Revival design for the Metropolitan Telephone Building on Cortlandt Street (1886) was the first purpose-built telephone building in New York City.
By the turn of the century, Eidlitz embraced the Beaux-Arts style. In 1903, he formed Eidlitz & McKenzie with Andrew McKenzie, who had been a construction supervisor and engineer
for his father's firm. Eidlitz & McKenzie was one of the first architecture firms that put architects and engineers on equal footing. Eidlitz & McKenzie worked primarily on telephone buildings, but their best known design was for the New York Times Building
(1903-04) for the publisher Adolph Ochs. Their design used their expertise in connecting buildings to subterranean infrastructure. The building, the second-tallest in the city at the time, incorporated a subway
stop into its basement levels. Times Square
was named for the building.
Eidlitz's other works include the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
(1898), located at 42 West 44th Street in New York City. It is still occupied by its original client, an unusual circumstance in a changing city. He also designed, with others, the Bell Laboratories Building (Manhattan)
, a National Historic Landmark
, and the First National Bank on West Commerce street. The interior decoration design of the Arnot Memorial Chapel at Trinity Church
in Elmira, New York
is also attributed to him.
Cyrus Lazelle Warner Eidlitz died in New York City on October 5, 1921.
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...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
best known for designing One Times Square
One Times Square
One Times Square is a 25 story, 395 foot high skyscraper at 42nd Street and Broadway in Times Square....
, the former New York Times Building
The Times Square Building
The Times Square Building, formerly known as The New York Times Building, is an 18-story building at 229 West 43rd Street in Times Square, New York City, that was the headquarters of The New York Times from 1913 through 2007....
on Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
.
Early life and education
Cyrus Lazelle Warner Eidlitz was born in New YorkNew 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...
. He was the son of Lazelle Warner and influential New York architect Leopold Eidlitz
Leopold Eidlitz
Leopold Eidlitz was a prominent New York architect best known for his work on the New York State Capitol , as well as "Iranistan" , P. T. Barnum's house in Bridgeport, Connecticut; St. Peter's Church, on Westchester Avenue at St...
, one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
. Although his father was of Jewish descent, the family had become Christian. Cyrus Eidlitz was also the nephew of noted builder Marc Eidlitz
Marc Eidlitz
Marc Eidlitz was a builder active in New York City, where he was prominent in the construction industry, in partnership with his son....
of Marc Eidlitz & Son Builders N.Y.C. The young Eidlitz was educated in New York, Geneva, Switzerland and Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, where he studied architecture at the Polytechnic Institute.
Career
Eidlitz began working for his father. His first independent work was the 1877-78 reconstruction of St. Peter's ChurchSt. Peter's Church, Chapel and Cemetery Complex
St. Peter's Church, Chapel and Cemetery Complex is a historic Episcopal Gothic Revival church at 2500 Westchester Avenue and Saint Peters Avenue in the Bronx, New York City....
in the Bronx after it was damaged by fire. It had originally been designed by his father. His early Gothic and Romanesque Revival designs, including Dearborn Station in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the precursor to the current Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is located on Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York. The current facility, built in 1963, replaced the original Cyrus Eidlitz Buffalo Public Library Building dedicated in February 1887. The first Buffalo Public Library, in turn, replaced the Erie County, New...
in Lafayette Square
Lafayette Square, Buffalo
Lafayette Square is a park in the center of downtown Buffalo, Erie County, New York, United States that hosts a Civil War monument. The block, which was once square, is lined by many of the city's tallest buildings...
, show his father's influence. His Romanesque Revival design for the Metropolitan Telephone Building on Cortlandt Street (1886) was the first purpose-built telephone building in New York City.
By the turn of the century, Eidlitz embraced the Beaux-Arts style. In 1903, he formed Eidlitz & McKenzie with Andrew McKenzie, who had been a construction supervisor and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
for his father's firm. Eidlitz & McKenzie was one of the first architecture firms that put architects and engineers on equal footing. Eidlitz & McKenzie worked primarily on telephone buildings, but their best known design was for the New York Times Building
New York Times Building
The New York Times Building is a skyscraper on the west side of Midtown Manhattan that was completed in 2007. Its chief tenant is The New York Times Company, publisher of The New York Times as well as The Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and other newspapers...
(1903-04) for the publisher Adolph Ochs. Their design used their expertise in connecting buildings to subterranean infrastructure. The building, the second-tallest in the city at the time, incorporated a subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
stop into its basement levels. Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
was named for the building.
Eidlitz's other works include the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
The New York City Bar Association , founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a landmark building on 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth...
(1898), located at 42 West 44th Street in New York City. It is still occupied by its original client, an unusual circumstance in a changing city. He also designed, with others, the Bell Laboratories Building (Manhattan)
Bell Laboratories Building (Manhattan)
463 West Street is a 13 building complex located on the block between West Street, Washington Street, Bank Street, and Bethune Street in Manhattan, New York. It was originally the home of Bell Telephone Laboratories between 1898 and 1966. For a time, it was the largest industrial research center...
, a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, and the First National Bank on West Commerce street. The interior decoration design of the Arnot Memorial Chapel at Trinity Church
Trinity Church (Elmira, New York)
The parish of Trinity Church, Elmira, New York was founded in 1833. Trinity Church is a parish of the Chemung District of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, centered in Syracuse, New York. The present structure of Trinity Church is located at 304 North Main Street, Elmira, New York....
in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
is also attributed to him.
Marriage and family
Eidlitz married Jennie Turner Dudley (1854-1935), who was the daughter of Joseph Dana Dudley (1822-1880) and Caroline Felthousen (1835-1902) of Buffalo, New York. They had two daughters who were both born in New York City: Caroline Dudley Eidlitz (1878-1962), who married Alexander Ladd Ward (1874-1948) on December 14, 1904; and Marion Dudley Eidlitz (1882-1952), who married John Butler Jameson (1873-1960) on November 19, 1913.Cyrus Lazelle Warner Eidlitz died in New York City on October 5, 1921.
External links
- "Today in History: July 27, birthdate of Cyrus Eidlitz", Library of Congress American Memory,