Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension

247 Pages·2015·10.17 MB·English

by  Landmarks Preservation Commission

Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension
Designation Report

September 2015
Cover Photograph:
133 to 143 West 122nd Street
Christopher D. Brazee, September 2015
Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension
Designation Report

Essay Researched and Written by
Theresa C. Noonan
and Tara Harrison

Building Profiles Prepared by
Tara Harrison, Theresa C. Noonan, and Donald G. Presa

Architects’ Appendix Researched and Written by
Donald G. Presa

Edited by
Mary Beth Betts, Director of Research

Photographs by
Christopher D. Brazee

Map by
Daniel Heinz Watts

Commissioners
Meenakshi Srinivasan, Chair

Frederick Bland John Gustafsson
Diana Chapin Adi Shamir-Baron
Wellington Chen Kim Vauss
Michael Devonshire Roberta Washington
Michael Goldblum

Sarah Carroll, Executive Director
Mark Silberman, Counsel
Jared Knowles, Director of Preservation
Lisa Kersavage, Director of Special Projects and Strategic Planning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MOUNT MORRIS PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT EXTENSION MAP .................... AFTER CONTENTS

TESTIMONY AT THE PUBLIC HEARING .............................................................................................. 1

MOUNT MORRIS PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT EXTENSION BOUNDARIES .................................... 1

SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................. 3

THE HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
MOUNT MORRIS PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT EXTENSION
Early History and Development of the Area ................................................................................. 5
Early Development of the Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension ................................. 8
Architectural Development of the Historic District ...................................................................... 9
French Flats and Apartment Houses .......................................................................................... 12
Historical Development of the Historic District ......................................................................... 13
Harlem Renaissance Era and the Great Depression .................................................................. 15
Later History............................................................................................................................... 16
Community Institutions and Famous Residents .......................................................................... 18

FINDINGS AND DESIGNATION ............................................................................................................ 21

BUILDING ENTRIES
Fifth Avenue (odd numbers) ....................................................................................................... 25

Lenox Avenue (odd numbers) .................................................................................................... 25

West 118th Street (odd numbers) ................................................................................................ 27
West 118th Street (even numbers) ............................................................................................... 43

West 119th Street (odd numbers) ................................................................................................ 58
West 119th Street (even numbers) ............................................................................................... 75

West 120th Street (odd numbers) ................................................................................................ 98
West 120th Street (even numbers) ............................................................................................. 116

West 121st Street (odd numbers) ............................................................................................... 135
West 121st Street (even numbers) ............................................................................................. 140

West 122nd Street (odd numbers) .............................................................................................. 161
West 122nd Street (even numbers) ............................................................................................ 184

West 123rd Street (odd numbers) .............................................................................................. 189
West 123rd Street (even numbers) ............................................................................................. 192

ARCHITECTS’ APPENDIX .................................................................................................................... 211

ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 223

Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension
Av
5
W 124 St E 124 St
W 123 St E 123 St
W
Lenox Av Morris Pk
Mt
W 122 St Marcus Garvey Park E 122 St
W 121 St E 121 St
Bl Bl
well well
Po Po
C C Mount Morris Park
m m
Ada Ada Historic District Extension
W 120 St E 120 St
Mount Morris Park
Historic District
Mount Morris Park Historic
W 119 St District ExteEn 1s19i oStn (LP-2751)
Borough of Manhattan
vA xoneL vA 5 CPDueabsleilgnicnd Haatreeeaddr iSAngep prJitlu e1lmy4 ,b2 21e0r, 1225021, 52015Madison Av
Boundary of District
W 118 St E 118 St
Existing Historic District
Tax Lots in District
[
Tax Lots in Existing Historic District
0.03
Miles
Graphic Source: MapPLUTO, Edition 15v1, Author: New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, DHW, Date: 09.22.2015

Landmarks Preservation Commission
September 22, 2015, Designation List 484
LP-2571

TESTIMONY AT THE PUBLIC HEARING
On July 21, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed
designation of the Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension (Item No. 1). The hearing had been duly
advertised in accordance with the provisions of law. 23 people spoke in favor of designation, including
representatives of Congressman Charles B. Rangel, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, Community
Board 10, the Historic Districts Council, the Landmarks Conservancy, Mount Morris Park Community Improvement
Association, Save Harlem Now, The Society for the Architecture of the City, Former Landmarks Preservation
Commission Chair, Gene A. Norman, numerous home owners in the Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension,
the Real Estate Board of New York, testified in support of designation, but questioned the inclusion of certain
buildings, and the Commission received a letter City Council Member Inez E. Dickens, and statement of support
from the New York City Parks Department. Two people spoke in opposition to designation.

MOUNT MORRIS PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT EXTENSION BOUNDARIES

Section 1 of the Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension consists of the property bounded by a line beginning
at the intersection of the western curbline of Lenox Avenue and the northern curbline of West 118th Street,
extending westerly along the northern curbline of West 118th Street to a point formed by its intersection with a line
extending northerly from the eastern property line of 102 West 118th Street, southerly along said property line to the
southern property line of 102 West 118th Street, westerly along said property line and along the southern property
lines of 104 West 118th Street through 158 West 118th Street to the western property line of 158 West 118th Street,
northerly along said property line to the southern curbline of West 118th Street, easterly along said property line to a
point formed by its intersection with a line extending southerly from the western property line of 157 West 118th
Street, northerly along said property line, the western property line of 158 West 119th Street, and across the roadbed
to the northern curbline of West 119th Street, westerly along said curbline to a point formed by its intersection with
a line extending southerly from the western property line of 157 West 119th Street, northerly along said property
line to the southern property line of 166 West 120th Street, westerly along said property line to the western property
line of 166 West 120th Street, northerly along said property line and across the roadbed to the northern curbline of
West 120th Street, westerly along said curbline to a point formed by its intersection with a line extending southerly
from the western property line of 159 West 120th Street, northerly along said property line and the western property
line of 164 West 121st Street to the southern curbline of West 121st Street, easterly along said curbline to a point
formed by its intersection with a line extending southerly from the western property line of 159 West 121st Street,
across the roadbed and along said property line to the northern property line of 159 West 121st Street, easterly along
said property line to the western property line of 164 West 122nd Street, northerly along said property line and
across the roadbed to the northern curbline of West 122nd Street, westerly along said curbline to a point formed by
its intersection with a line extending southerly from the western property line of 165 West 122nd Street, northerly
along said property line and along the western property line of 168 West 123rd Street to the southern curbline of
West 123rd Street, easterly along said curbline to a point formed by its intersection with a line extending southerly
from the western property line of 111 West 123rd Street, northerly along said property line, easterly along the
northern property lines of 111 through 107 West 123rd Street, southerly along the eastern property line of 107 West
123rd Street and across the roadbed to the southern curbline of West 123rd Street, easterly along said curbline to a
point formed by its intersection with a line extending northerly from the eastern property line of 102 West 123rd
Street, southerly along said property line and along the eastern property line of 103 West 122nd Street to the center
of the roadbed of West 122nd Street, westerly along the center of said roadbed to a point formed by its intersection
with a line extending northerly from the eastern property line of 147 West 121st Street southerly along said property
line to the center of the roadbed of West 121st Street, easterly along the center of said roadbed to a point formed by
its intersection with a line extending northerly from the eastern property line of 102 West 121st Street, southerly
along said property line to the southern property line of 102 West 121st Street, westerly along said property line to
the eastern property line of 103 West 120th Street, southerly along said property line to the center of the roadbed of
120th Street, easterly along the center of said roadbed to a point formed by its intersection with a line extending
northerly from the western property line of 199 Lenox Avenue, southerly along the western property lines of 199 to
1
181 Lenox Avenue to the center of the roadbed of West 119th Street, easterly along the center of said roadbed to the
center of the roadbed of Lenox Avenue, southerly along said roadbed to a point formed by its intersection with a line
extending easterly from the northern curbline of West 118th Street, westerly along said curbline to the point of the
beginning.

Section 2 of the Mount Morris Park Historic District Extension consists of the property bounded by a line beginning
at the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and West 120th Street, westerly along the southern curbline of West 120th
Street, southerly along the western property line of 1490-1500 Fifth Avenue (aka 2 West 120th Street), easterly
along the southern property line of 1490-1500 Fifth Avenue (aka 2 West 120th Street) to the western curbline of
Fifth Avenue, northerly along said curbline to the point of the beginning.
2