By Carter B. Horsley
This handsome, 14-story apartment building, which replaced nine row houses on the sidestreet, was erected in 1927 and converted to a cooperative in 1949. It originally had 36 apartments, mostly duplexes and triplex units, and now has 42.
The building was designed by J. E. R. Carpenter and won a gold medal from the New York City Chapter of the American Institute of Architects as the best new residential building in the city in 1927.
Its double windows have thin terracotta reveals that enliven the brown-brick facade. The building, which has a depp entrance court and light well, has a balustraded roofline and the next-to-the-top floor is highlighted with terracotta detailing and balconies.
Carpenter was the leading designer of luxury apartment buildings of his generation. His other Park Avenue buildings include 550, 580, 625, 630, 635, 640, 655, 950, 960 and 1050 and his buildings on Fifth Avenue include 810, 825, 907, 920, 950, 988, 1030, 1035, 1060, 1115, 1120, 1143, 1150, 1165 and 1170 as well was 2 East 66th Street.
This elegant building has a one-story limestone base and consistent fenestration, but protruding air-conditioners. It is a short walk from the Whitney Museum of American Art on Madison Avenue and not far from Lenox Hill Hospital and a local subway station at 77th Street and Lexington Avenue.