Stewart Building, in the shadow of Langham Place, narrowly missed being under an office tower; landmark designation saved it, and the Wedgewood-like terra cotta still owns the corner of Fifth Avenue and W 37th Street.
(See The 1914 Stewart Building; A Delicate Work of Ceramic in the Path of a Tower for the full story.)
Architecturally, the Stewart Building’s claim to fame is the unusual mix of Chicago School style and neo-Classical design. The neo-Classical side brings the building’s blue-gray terra cotta cladding. The Chicago Style attributes include the three-part “Chicago Windows,” steel frame, and base-shaft-crown vertical design.
The Stewart Building was originally owned by Robert Walton Goelet – part of one of New York’s wealthiest families, with real estate holdings second only to the Astor family. Architects Warren & Wetmore also designed New York landmarks New York Central Building (aka Helmsley Building), the Heckscher Building, and Steinway Hall, among others. The builder was the George A. Fuller Company, which built thousands of buildings in New York and elsewhere – including the Plaza Hotel, United Nations headquarters, Lever House and Seagram Building.
Stewart Building Vital Statistics
- Location: 402-404 Fifth Avenue at W 37th Street
- Year completed: 1915
- Architect: Warren & Wetmore
- Floors: 8
- Style: neo-Classical
- New York City Landmark: 2006
Stewart Building Recommended Reading
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report
- The New York Times Streetscapes: The 1914 Stewart Building; A Delicate Work of Ceramic in the Path of a Tower (July 22, 1990)
- Daytonian in Manhattan blog
- Emporis database
- Winick listing (leasing brokerage)