130-133 Riverside Drive, AKA 365 West 85th Street

 

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130-133 Riverside Drive

 

Date: 1908-1909 NB Number: NB 435-1908 Type:  Apartment Building Architect:  Neville & Bagge Developer/Owner/Builder: Riverside Drive Realty Company NYC Landmarks Designation:  Historic District Landmark Designation Report: Riverside Drive- West End Historic District National Register Designation: N/A Primary Style:  Neo-Renaissance Primary Facade:   brown brick, Limestone, and Terra Cotta Stories: 12 Window Type/Material: See structure Structure:This twelve story apartment building is located at the northeast corner of West 85th Street and Riverside Drive, extending approximately 102 feet along the drive and 115 feet along the side street. The structure is U shaped in plan with a courtyard opening onto West 85th Street. The building is clad in brown brick laid in stretcher bond with limestone and terra cotta trim. The composition and ornamental detail of this building are similar to that of its northern neighbor, the Clarendon. Riverside Drive Facade: This facade is divided into three horizontal sections – a base, a midsection, and a top articulated by eight bays of windows arranged in pairs at the ends and at the third, fourth, and fifth bays from the north. Remaining bays contain single windows. The three story limestone clad base rises above a basement whose windows rise slightly above street level. The areaway is enclosed by a pipe rail fence with stone posts. The elaborate, classically inspired entrance occurs at the fifth bay from the south. Paired double height fluted pilasters with modified Corinthian capitals flank a segmentally arched entranceway with floral carvings and a pair of windows above. “Dorchester” is carved within the entablature which supports a decorative metal and stone balcony. Glass double doors, sidelights, and transoms of the entry have decorative metal grilles. Tall wrought iron light posts are located on the entryway cheek walls. The seven story brick faced midsection has limestone trim, and the two story top is faced in rusticated terra cotta. The facade of the building is further articulated by stringcourse moldings, rustication at the third story, stone window surrounds at the fourth story (with balconies at the end bays), decorative lintels at the fifth story, banding at the tenth story, and terra-cotta ornament joining the eleventh and twelfth story end bays. Large brackets at the twelfth story once supported a cornice. West 85th Street Facade: This facade is composed of two wings separated by a recessed courtyard. The overall design follows that of the Riverside Drive facade. Both wings are composed of three window bays. End bays have paired windows, while the central bay of the western wing has single windows placed on alternating stories and the eastern wing has a central grouping of three windows at each story. The recessed courtyard area is used as a service entrance. Brick matching that of the West 85th Street facade is continued in this area, but a lighter brick is used in place of the limestone and there is less ornament. Northern Elevation: The northern elevation is partially visible from West 86th Street. It is brick faced and two bays of windows with stone lintels and sills are visible. Eastern Elevation: The eastern elevation is partially visible from West 85th Street. Materials of the West 85th Street facade return approximately three feet. The remainder is faced in tan brick, partially painted black. Three bays of windows with stone lintels are visible, the middle bay having windows which are, slightly bowed. Historic District: Riverside Drive- West End HD Alterations: The building’s cornice has been removed. The date of removal remains undetermined. The windows typically have one-over-one double-hung aluminum replacement sash. Original windows may have been multi pane casement pairs with transoms. In the courtyard area, all of the ground-story openings and basement windows have been sealed and a metal walkway joins a service door with the sidewalk. History: The Dorchester was erected in 1908-09 for the Riverside Drive Realty Company according to the plans of Neville & Bagge. The site was previously occupied by the Episcopal Home of Mercy whose structure faced Riverside Drive and occupied eleven lots between West 85th and West 86th Streets. Selected References: New York City Department of Taxes Photograph-Collection, Municipal Archives and Record Collection, C 719. Thomas E. Norton, Jerry E. Patterson, Living It Up: A Guide to the Named Apartment Houses of New York (New York, 1984), 122. The World’s Loose Leaf Album of Apartment Houses (New York, 1910), 56.