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Landmarks
Request for designation of 35 West 57th Street.
WHEREAS, Originally constructed in 1879-80, the house at 35 West 57th Street assumed its current appearance in 1900 when Samuel W. Bowne commissioned the noted architectural firm of Schickel and Ditmars to design an elaborate new Beaux Arts style façade for the five-story building; and
WHEREAS, The architectural firm of Schickel & Ditmars that designed 35 West 57th Street is world famous, having designed historic religious buildings throughout the country as well as many designated building in NYC such as St. Ignatius Loyola on Park Avenue, St. John the Baptist in N.Y., Polyclinic Hospital in NY; and
WHEREAS, The firm was founded by William Schickel, a German émigré architect who had worked for Richard Morris Hunt and Henry Fernbach before opening his own office and joined Isaac Ditmars in 1887; the firm was known for both its residential and institutional commissions; and
WHEREAS, Samuel W. Bowne was a partner in the firm of Scott & Bowne, chemical manufacturers, who made emulsions, palatable castor oil, cough drops, etc; and
WHEREAS, Bowne was known as a philanthropist and the Bowne Memorial Gateway and Samuel W. Bowne Hall at Drew University are named after him.
WHEREAS, In 1928, Bowne completed the Samuel & Nettie Bowne Tuberculosis Hospital in Poughkeepsie in honor of his wife, donated $100,000 in 1906 to complete the Bowne Chemistry Hall at Syracuse University and was also a trustee at a number of universities; and
WHEREAS, The building currently has three separate commercial tenants, two restaurants, the Great American Health Bar and Café Classico, and a beauty salon, J Sisters Salon, each with its own entrance; and
WHEREAS, The sophisticated limestone façade features a central curved two story oriel with exuberant carvings, including swags, horns of plenty, a central cartouche, brackets and a denticulate cornice, culminating in a decorative metal railing; and
WHERAS, The fifth floor windows are crowned by sculptural foliate and floral forms, and the heavily cast stone ornate seems to have been kept well intact; and
WHEREAS, There are existing window canopies with signage at the third and fifth floors, with ornamental metal Juliet balconies on the third floor; the fifth floor also has this same detailing in front of its larger, deeper balcony; and
WHEREAS, There are two Serpentine Marble pilasters with low relief carved fleur de lis capital detailing which span the ground through second floor; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five strongly supports the landmark designation of 35 West 57th Street.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 38 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstention.