Sherry Netherland Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Sherry Netherland Hotel is a 38-story hotel
located at 781 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 59th Street
in Manhattan
, New York City
. It was designed and built by Schultze & Weaver with Buchman & Kahn. Construction began in 1926, and the upper floors suffered a spectacular fire in 1927 before the building was completed; the flames were said to have been visible from Long Island
. The fire ignited a debate in the press concerning the ability of technology to put out fires in high-rise buildings. The hotel was finished later in 1927. The building is 570 feet high, and was noted as the tallest apartment-hotel in New York City when it opened. It houses 165 apartments that were converted to co-ops in 1954.
The site had been occupied since the early 1890s by the Hotel Netherland, designed by William Hume for William Waldorf Astor, a member of the prominent Astor family
. The previous structure was among the first steel-framed buildings in the city and it enjoyed a reputation for being a very fashionable hotel and location in its day. Demolition began in the early winter of 1926, and the new "tower" apartment hotel began to replace it, occupying the same footprint and frontage on Fifth Avenue. In March, 1927, construction was almost completed and the property was turned over to Louis Sherry, Inc., a subsidiary of Boomer-duPont Properties Corporation. Lucius Boomer was a noted hotel operator and was also affiliated with the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, while Louis Sherry
was a noted restaurateur, famous for ice creams and other confections, and had run a hotel associated with his name and restaurant at 44th Street and Fifth Avenue, closing it soon after Prohibition
. Sherry had died before his name became associated with the new venture.
At the time of the hotel's construction, the Vanderbilt
mansion diagonally across Fifth Avenue was being demolished. Ornamental frieze
s from that mansion were installed in the Sherry's lobby, whose design was inspired by the ornately painted and vaulted Vatican Library
. Because of Prohibition, the Sherry was designed with smaller public restaurant square footage than other pre-War hotels.
The Sherry-Netherland is located within the Upper East Side Historic District
, which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
in 1981.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located at 781 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 59th Street
59th Street (Manhattan)
59th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan runs east-west, from York Avenue to the West Side Highway, with a discontinuity between Ninth Avenue/Columbus Avenue and Eighth Avenue/Central Park West for the Time Warner Center. Although it is bi-directional for most of its length, the...
in 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 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...
. It was designed and built by Schultze & Weaver with Buchman & Kahn. Construction began in 1926, and the upper floors suffered a spectacular fire in 1927 before the building was completed; the flames were said to have been visible from Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The fire ignited a debate in the press concerning the ability of technology to put out fires in high-rise buildings. The hotel was finished later in 1927. The building is 570 feet high, and was noted as the tallest apartment-hotel in New York City when it opened. It houses 165 apartments that were converted to co-ops in 1954.
The site had been occupied since the early 1890s by the Hotel Netherland, designed by William Hume for William Waldorf Astor, a member of the prominent Astor family
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:...
. The previous structure was among the first steel-framed buildings in the city and it enjoyed a reputation for being a very fashionable hotel and location in its day. Demolition began in the early winter of 1926, and the new "tower" apartment hotel began to replace it, occupying the same footprint and frontage on Fifth Avenue. In March, 1927, construction was almost completed and the property was turned over to Louis Sherry, Inc., a subsidiary of Boomer-duPont Properties Corporation. Lucius Boomer was a noted hotel operator and was also affiliated with the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, while Louis Sherry
Louis Sherry
Louis Sherry was an important American restaurateur, caterer, confectioner and hotelier during the Gilded Age and early 20th century. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream, and also the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York City.-Early life:Sherry was born in St...
was a noted restaurateur, famous for ice creams and other confections, and had run a hotel associated with his name and restaurant at 44th Street and Fifth Avenue, closing it soon after Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. Sherry had died before his name became associated with the new venture.
At the time of the hotel's construction, the 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...
mansion diagonally across Fifth Avenue was being demolished. Ornamental frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
s from that mansion were installed in the Sherry's lobby, whose design was inspired by the ornately painted and vaulted Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
. Because of Prohibition, the Sherry was designed with smaller public restaurant square footage than other pre-War hotels.
The Sherry-Netherland is located within the Upper East Side Historic District
Upper East Side Historic District
Upper East Side Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Its boundaries were increased in 2006....
, which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
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...
in 1981.