590-598 West End Avenue, AKA 275-276 West 89th Street
Â
590-598 West End Avenue, AKA 274-276 West 89th Street
Â
Date:Â 1915
NB Number:Â NB 388-1915
Type: Â Apartment Building
Architect: Â Neville & Bagge
Developer/Owner/Builder:Â 590 West End Avenue, Inc
NYC Landmarks Designation:Â Historic District
Landmark Designation Report:Â Riverside Drive- West End Historic District
National Register Designation:Â N/A
Primary Style: Â Neo-Renaissance
Primary Facade: Â Â brown brick, Orange Brick, Stone, and Terra Cotta
Stories:Â 12
Window Type/Material:Â See Structure
Structure:Â Â This twelve story apartment building is located at the southeast corner of West End Avenue and West 89th Street, extending 100 feet along the avenue and approximately ninety feet along the side street. The building is faced in brick in shades of orange and brown laid in Flemish bond, with terra cotta and stone trim. The structure is U-shaped in plan with an interior courtyard opening to the east.
West End Avenue Facade: This facade has four major horizontal divisions. The first division is the ground story which is faced in deeply rusticated stone with brick joints and rests on a low stone water table punctuated by basement windows. The stone in this area is painted to match the brick joints. Above, the facade has six major bays of windows. The two end and two middle bays have wide tripartite windows and the other two bays have single windows; smaller windows occur to the north of the center bays and to the north of the southern end bay. The main entry to the apartment building is located at the third bay from the south. It has metal and glass double doors with decorative metal grilles, side lights, and a fanlight within a stone surround. Secondary entrance doors are found in two bays of this facade and are topped by small windows. The second and third stories are clad in brick; the tripartite bays are flanked by double height fluted pilasters with modified Corinthian capitals and are separated by spandrel panels with decorative motifs. These windows at the second story have metal balconies. The third story is surmounted by a modillioned cornice with a decorative frieze. Fourth-story tripartite bays have decorative stone surrounds flanked by urns. The seven story midsection is defined by a simple sill course at the tenth story with a molded stringcourse above separating it from the top section. The two story top with a window treatment similar to that found at the second and third stories, is crowned by a modillioned terra-cotta cornice. A roof structure is just visible above the cornice.
West 89th Street Facade: The overall design and articulation of detail of this facade follows that of the West End Avenue facade. It has seven bays of windows.
Eastern Elevation: The eastern elevation is partially visible from West 88th and West 89th Street. It consists of two wings separated by a courtyard. The brickwork of the primary facades is continued but there is no significant ornamental detailing. The southern facing courtyard wall is faced in beige brick.
Historic District: Riverside Drive- West End HD
Alterations:  The entrance is shielded by a recent canopy. An opening located just to the north of the main entry, and similar to it in size, is now filled in with glass block. A small portion of the brick on the eastern elevation has been replaced. All of the windows have one-over-one aluminum sash replacing the original which were probably wood framed sash. The balustrade above the cornice is missing.
History:Â This apartment building was erected in 1915 for 590 West End Avenue, Inc. according to the design of the architectural firm of Neville & Bagge. The site was previously occupied by seven rowhouses — five on West End Avenue and two on West 89th Street. Selected References: New York City Department of Taxes Photograph Collection, Municipal Archives and Record Collection, G 2042. New York Public Library, Photographic Views of New York City 1870’s-1970’s from the Collections of the New York Public Library (Ann Arbor, Mich., 1981), microfiche nos. 1038-C5. Peter Salwen, Upper West Side Story: A History and Guide (New York, 1989), 306.