A building situated the upper east side neighborhood of Yorkville in Manhattan is being considered for landmark status due to its historical German American past. Currently the building is home to a GAP clothing store and Equinox gym, but back in 1905 it was constructed for the Yorkville Bank which was well known for serving many German immigrants and descendents. Even the architect, Robert Maynicke, was German born.
Most of the surrounding buildings in the neighborhood have undergone many renovations or have been torn down to modernize the town, but this four-story granite, limestone, brick and terracotta building has been mostly left untouched. One of the staples of the building is its large bronze doors that local residents have fallen in love with.
The structure at 1511 Third Ave. is currently undergoing minor renovations and the Landmarks Preservation Commission found it to be the right time to put it into consideration for landmark status. In a testimony during a recent hearing, the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts said that the building is a “powerful symbol of the German-American community that once densely populated the Yorkville neighborhood and has now lost prominence… It is one of the rare, fully-intact survivors in a neighborhood marked by unsympathetic alterations and characterless new construction.”
New York is known for its many historical structures, and while not every building can be protected, it would be a shame to see this one left behind.
Photo by PropertyShark via therealdeal.com
