By Carter B. Horsley

These large and attractive, red-brick apartment houses were erected in 1906 and converted to a cooperative in 1980. They occupy the full blockfront between 85th and 86th Streets and they are almost identical. Orwell House, which was converted to a cooperative in 1980, is on the southwest corner at 86th Street, and Rossleigh Court is on the northwest corner at Central Park West.

Orwell House's entrance is relatively small and located on Central Park West while a large metal marquee on the sidestreet leads into a suite of medical offices.

The 13-story building, which has 96 apartments, has a two-story, rusticated limestone base and and a limestone and red-brick banded third story between cornice lines. The rest of the building has a red-brick facade. The copper cornice that is atop Rossleigh Court is missing at Orwell House. The building has limestone quoins at the corner and also in the middle of its Central Park West facade.The building has protruding air-conditioners, inconsistent fenestration and no sidewalk landscaping. It originally was the Hotel Peter Stuyvesant.

There is excellent cross-town bus service at the corner as well as a subway station at 86th Street.

The building, which has a concierge and doorman, overlooks the great lawn in Central Park. There are many attractive sidewalk cafes nearby on Columbus Avenue at 85th Street. There is considerable traffic because 86th Street is a two-way transverse road across Central Park. The buildings have inconsistent fenestration, exposed rooftop watertanks, no sundeck, no balconies and no health club.

The twin buildings were designed by Mulliken & Moeller.