30 West 44th Street
30 West 44th Street | |
---|---|
Marc Eidlitz & Son | |
Renovating team | |
Architect(s) | David P. Helpern |
Website | |
Official website | |
New York City Landmark | |
Designated | February 9, 2010[1] |
Reference no. | 2379[1] |
30 West 44th Street (formerly the Yale Club of New York City Building, United States Maritime Building, and Army Reserves Building; also the Penn Club of New York Building) is the clubhouse of the
The structure was originally 11 stories tall, but it was expanded to 14 stories in the early 1990s. The ornately decorated facade on 44th Street is made of brick,
The Yale Club was founded in 1897 and, following rapid increases in its membership, acquired the 44th Street site in early 1900. The Yale Club Building officially opened on May 1, 1901, but it became overcrowded within a decade, prompting the club to relocate to
Site
30 West 44th Street, originally
The current building replaced smaller structures at 30 and 32 West 44th Street.[5][6] The adjacent block of 44th Street is known as Club Row, which contains several clubhouses.[7] When 30 West 44th Street was developed at the beginning of the 20th century, several other clubhouses were being built in the area.[8] By the early 1900s, these other clubs included the New York Yacht Club, Harvard Club, New York City Bar Association, Century Association,[9][10] and the City Club of New York,[11] all of which remained in the area at the end of the 20th century.[12] Prior to the development of 30 West 44th Street, the neighborhood contained a slaughterhouse, stables for stagecoach horses, and a train yard for the elevated Sixth Avenue Line.[13] There were historically many stagecoach stables on 43rd and 44th Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues,[14] but only a few of the stables remained by the end of the 20th century.[13][14]
Architecture
Tracy and Swartwout designed 30 West 44th Street, which was completed in 1901,[15][16] in the Beaux-Arts style.[1] The structure was originally 11 stories tall,[15][17] but it was expanded to 14 stories in the early 1990s.[17][18] The design of the upper stories and interior dates to the 1990s renovation, which was designed by David W. Helpern.[17][19] 30 West 44th Street was the first university clubhouse in New York City to be designed as a high-rise structure. The building was predated by numerous multi-story clubhouses, such as the University Club of New York, but these clubhouses were generally designed to resemble low-rise buildings, downplaying their height.[16]
Facade
The building's facade largely resembles its original design and is primarily made of brick and
Base
The lowest portion of the facade contains a water table of granite, above which the first two stories are clad with rusticated limestone blocks. The main entrance is at the center of the facade and is accessed by a short granite stoop with granite walls on either side. The doorway contains a set of metal-and-glass double doors, topped by a metal grille, and is surrounded by bosses. Above the main entrance is an entablature with brackets; originally, the center of the entablature contained a cartouche with Yale University's shield.[17] To the right of the main entrance was a window that illuminated the basement, while to the left was a doorway to the basement; both were topped by sash windows at the first story. In the early 1990s, metal doors were installed at ground level in both bays, with pediments, lighting fixtures, and metal screens above the doors. Above the doorways are voussoirs; the center voussoir contains a round disk with foliate motifs on either side.[17]
On the second story, the center bay contains multiple panes of windows within a metal frame, as well as a pediment with brackets inside the window opening. The bay is flanked by
Upper stories
On the third to eighth stories, the facade is made of red brick with
There are small window openings at the ninth story, alternating with terracotta panels that contain disks and foliate decorations; the center of the ninth story contains a pair of fluted pilasters. Above the ninth story is a large copper cornice with coffers, modillions, and large brackets with foliate decorations. There is a balcony above this cornice, placed behind a balustrade that contains panels and balusters.[24] On the tenth story, the center bay contains a molded oversized arch, which includes a tripartite window. This arch formerly contained an inscription of the motto of Connecticut, the state where Yale's campus is located. The two outer bays on that story are flanked by brick and terracotta pilasters, above which is a cornice. The eleventh story is placed within a copper mansard roof and contains projecting dormer windows.[24]
Above the eleventh story is a balustrade; the center of this balustrade curves outward and contains the University of Pennsylvania's seal. The top three stories are set back from the mansard roof and are contain a facade of brick and limestone.[24]
Features
Yale Club
Originally, the lowest two floors were used as offices, the middle six floors contained bedrooms, and the highest three floors were used as dining rooms.[15][25] The Yale Club building was one of several "tower clubhouses" in New York City, where bedrooms were placed beneath club rooms on the lower floors and dining rooms on the upper stories. According to architect Robert A. M. Stern, this particular arrangement was generally used by social clubs that were less prestigious than the Union Club of the City of New York or the Metropolitan Club.[15][26] The interior also originally contained decorations relating Yale University itself and to Connecticut.[22]
The ground level contained an entrance hall, as well as two reception rooms, an office, billiards room, and a grill room.[27][28] One of the reception rooms was a wood-paneled smoking room to the left (east) of the entrance hall; the wood paneling contained various inscriptions from old German texts. To the right (west) of the entrance hall was a tiny reception room.[29] The colonial-style grill room measured 40 by 47 ft (12 by 14 m) and contained wooden walls, white floor tiles,[29] and a large fireplace donated by the class of 1867.[20] A set of columns separated the grill room from a similarly styled billiards room.[29] The second floor contained a lounging room, library, and reading room, which could be combined into a single space for receptions and club meetings.[25][27] It contained green furniture, as well as wooden columns and pilasters with gold capitals.[29] A marble spiral staircase led from the second floor to the rest of the building.[27]
The third to eighth stories contained bedrooms; members could use these bedrooms as short-term hotel rooms or pay annual rent to live there.[20][29] There were ten bedrooms on each story, four of which had baths.[29] The front section of the ninth floor contained a dining room occupying the facade's entire width, while the rear of that story contained two smaller dining rooms for private events.[25][29] The largest dining room was intended for class parties and could fit over 100 people; it was decorated in the Yale colors of white and blue, and it contained portraits of Yale athletes.[29][20] The next-largest dining room was used as a council room, while the smallest dining room contained a bar, which was hidden behind a sliding door.[29] On the tenth floor was the main dining room, which could fit 400 people.[29][20] The kitchen, storage rooms, and roof gardens were on the eleventh floor.[25][29] Below the adjacent sidewalk was a mechanical room with three boilers and two water tanks.[30][31]
Penn Club
The Penn Club's modern clubhouse contains a living room, a library, and a pair of dining rooms with double-story ceilings. The clubhouse was redecorated in red and blue. Penn alumni Bennett Weinstock and Judie Weinstock imported numerous pieces of furniture for the clubhouse, such as brass chandeliers, walnut tables, carpets, and vases.[19]
The clubhouse includes two restaurants and bars. The main dining room is on the second story and is known as the Presidents and Provosts' Room; it contains a dining foyer with a balcony for musicians, as well as a reception area. This space contains oak floors, gilded fixtures, lighting sconces, and chandeliers similar to those in the original Yale Club.[32] It can also be rented for events on weekends.[32] The Grill Room is accessed by a spiral marble staircase beneath the foyer; it contains a mahogany bar, a recreation of the Old King Cole mural, and other furnishings.[19][32] The Benjamin Franklin Living Room is next to the foyer. It contains oak-paneled walls, a fireplace, piano, paintings of Penn leaders, and a library for members.[33] Members are required to wear jackets and ties in the library.[34]
The clubhouse contains 39 guestrooms, which are rented to members and their guests for short periods.[19][35] The guestrooms are on the fifth through ninth floors. Each of the guestroom floors is themed to different alumni's and students' accomplishments.[35] On the 13th floor are a fitness center and an outdoor terrace.[36]
History
30 West 44th Street was constructed as the headquarters of the Yale Club of New York City. That club was established in 1897 to replace the Yale Alumni Association of New York, which had been established in 1868.
Yale Club
In February 1900, the club acquired an option for the purchase of two lots at 30 and 32 West 44th Street.
The Yale Building Company was formed to oversee the clubhouse's development, obtaining a
The clubhouse officially opened on May 1, 1901.[49][50] One Yale Club member said at the time: "It will be an easy matter to look down upon the Harvard and throw bouquets to them when there is occasion for doing so."[29][41] Yale Club members had already rented many of the bedrooms,[20][49] which were offered at prices ranging from $6 to $15 per night.[28][29] When the building opened, several architectural magazines described the clubhouse's design.[22] The New York Times praised the clubhouse as “one of the best appointed in the city".[28][22] During the 1900s, most of the clubhouse's bedrooms were leased to members on a long-term basis.[51] In addition, the clubhouse hosted other events such as ping-pong tournaments[52] and sports-team celebrations.[53] The club continued to grow, leading the Yale Alumni Weekly to say in 1912: "The Yale Club has become a permanent and all-the-year-round necessity."[54]
By early 1912, the club had more than three thousand members, who could not all fit within 30 West 44th Street.
Subsequent club use
The Yale Club sold an option on the building in April 1916 to another club, which the Yale Club's president declined to identify.
By 1925, DKE wished to sell the building at 30 West 44th Street and relocate to larger headquarters. The Army and Navy Club of America bought the building in June 1925, although DKE planned to remain in the building until it found a new clubhouse.[71][72] The Army and Navy Club had been forced to relocate from its previous clubhouse at 112 West 59th Street, which had been sold to a developer that February.[73] DKE leased space for a new clubhouse at 5 East 51st Street in August 1925 and relocated there.[65][74] The Army and Navy Club moved into the building that October. The club's finances suffered in subsequent years, as the enactment of Prohibition in the United States in 1919 had caused the club's membership to decline.[65] The Army and Navy Club filed for bankruptcy in June 1933;[75][76] at the time, the Army and Navy Club only had 500 members and was struggling to collect $40,000 in membership dues.[65] The clubhouse closed at the end of that month.[77][78]
A
The New York Herald Tribune reported in September 1942 that the building had been sold, although the United States Trust Company denied the news.[89] 30 West 44th Street was placed for sale in November 1942.[90] The same month, real estate developer Harry Ginsberg bought the building, assuming $17,000 in unpaid mortgages and $35,000 in back taxes;[91] he co-owned the building with his brother Morris, a manufacturer.[92]
Mid-20th century
United States government
The Ginsberg brothers sold 30 West 44th Street to the United States Maritime Service for $65,000 in December 1943,[93][94] and the Maritime Service opened its regional headquarters there in June 1944.[95][96] It contained a graduate station, which assigned apprentice sailors to ships; several classrooms for the Maritime Service Institute; an office and recreation center for the Maritime Service's shore patrol; and bedrooms for 200 or 300 sailors at a time.[97][95][96] During World War II, 30 West 44th Street was known as the United States Maritime Building.[98] 30 West 44th Street became the Civilian Naval Reserve Center after the war ended, housing civilian soldiers.[97]
The
The
Touro College
The federal government gave the building to
Penn Club
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) bought the building for $15 million in 1989.[18][118] Touro used the proceeds from the sale to develop new buildings on Lexington Avenue and in Brooklyn.[119][120] The university's alumni association, the Penn Club of New York, had no permanent clubhouse in New York City at the time, even though there were 28,000 Penn alumni in the New York metropolitan area.[118] Other Ivy League colleges such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell, and Princeton all had clubhouses for their alumni in Midtown Manhattan,[118] and Penn officials believed that the lack of a dedicated Penn clubhouse was negatively affecting undergraduate enrollment.[121] A spokesperson for the Penn Club said 30 West 44th Street had been selected for its proximity to Manhattan's Theater District, Grand Central Terminal, and other universities' alumni clubs.[18]
The club planned to raise an additional $25 million for renovations[19][118] and had already raised $5 million at the time of its purchase.[118] These included donations from Penn alumni Leonard Lauder, Ronald Lauder, Saul Steinberg, Michael Milken, and Ronald Perelman.[19] The interior was completely rebuilt and was expanded to 14 stories, but the facade was restored to its original condition. According to renovation architect David P. Helpern, the building had "a wonderful, wonderful facade" that was more evocative of the Penn campus than of the Yale campus.[18] 30 West 44th Street reopened in June 1994,[121][122] becoming the Penn Club's first permanent headquarters since the 1920s.[122] The club had 10,000 members soon after the clubhouse opened.[123][124] However, the club's membership had declined to 6,500 by 1998, prompting the club to accept some non-Penn alumni.[123] Under a reciprocity agreement with the Princeton Club of New York, members of the Princeton and Penn clubs could visit each other's clubhouses.[125]
Penn's alumni magazine The Pennsylvania Gazette wrote that the clubhouse hosted events such as "monthly wine tastings, business gatherings, happy hours, and speaker series", as well as parties.[126] The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission considered designating 30 West 44th Street as a city landmark in mid-2009[127] and formally did so on February 9, 2010.[128] After the Penn Club hired a new general manager in 2014, it spent $750,000 to renovate the clubhouse's guest rooms.[126] In 2017, members of the Columbia University Club of New York also began using the clubhouse at 30 West 44th Street as part of a reciprocity agreement with the Penn Club.[125][129]
See also
References
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