317 West 71st Street
317 West 71st Street
Â
Date:Â 1896-96
NB Number:Â 520-95
Type: Â Townhouse
Architect: Â Friend, Frederick
Developer/Owner/Builder: Caroline Hartwell
NYC Landmarks Designation:Â Historic District
Landmark Designation Report:
West 71st Street Historic District Report
No. 317 is one of six two-bay, four-and-one-half story houses designed as a row on the north side of the street. As an end house of the row (along with No. 307), it projects slightly to serve as a pavilion to the four center houses (Nos. 309, 311, 313, 315) which have gentle bowing at the second story. On each house, the lowest two stories are faced with smooth, ashlar limestone while the two middle stories are faced with Roman ironspot brick surrounded by a limestone enframement. The houses are in the row are in various shades of tan. There are two different ground story configurations in the row. Alternate houses have two bays on the ground story with a steep, narrow stairway leading to a basement door below the small stoop. The others have three openings on the ground story, including a door with a similar small stoop, a window, and a doorway to the basement, and no areaway. No. 317 is of the latter plan. The ground floor windows were originally covered with decorative wrought iron grilles, which remain on many of the houses, including No. 317. Each stoop is flanked by wing walls and newel posts. Continuous stone ornamental stringcourses link the houses at the ground story level but alternate the design from house to house. Individual stringcourses formed of a Greek key motif set off the third stories. Limestone enframements surround the window openings on the third and fourth stories. These houses originally had one-over-one, double-hung wood sash windows but only No. 307, No. 315, and No. 17 retain historic windows at this time. The fifth story of each house is finished with pressed metal panels between the windows, embellished with fleur-de-lys on the end houses and fleur-de-lys and pilasters on the center houses. A broad, modillioned metal cornice caps each building.
National Register Designation:
Primary Style: Â Renaissance Revival
Primary Facade: Â Â Brick and Limestone
Stories: 5
Window Type: One-over-one, double-hung wood sash windows with decorative wrought iron grilles (Only No. 307, No. 315, and No. 17 retain historic windows at this time)
Historic District: West 71st Street HD
Wish List:Â
Alterations:
At the ground story, the main entrance was moved to the westernmost bay, and replaced by a smaller window. The present entrance was originally a door to the cellar and has no stoop. Lamps were added near the replacement metal and glass door, and a new canvas awning was placed over the entrance. One window on the ground story and those on the third, fourth and fifth stories are one-oyer-one, double-hung wood sash, while the second story has metal sash and storm sash covers the windows of the third story. A through-the-wall air-conditioner has been placed below the easternmost window of the ground story and the other window has a non-historic iron grille. The original stoop, wing walls and areaway have been removed and a small wall of railroad ties surrounds the areaway. The limestone on the first and second stories has been painted tan while the metal panels and cornice have also been painted tan.