National Register of Historic Places

Osborne Apartments

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
April 21, 1993
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
93000333

About this property

The Osborne, also known as the Osborne Apartments or 205 West 57th Street, is an apartment building at Seventh Avenue and 57th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. The original portion of the Osborne was designed by James Edward Ware and constructed from 1883 to 1885. An annex to the west, designed by Alfred S. G. Taylor and Julian Clarence Levi, was constructed in 1906. The Osborne is one of the oldest extant luxury apartment buildings in New York City. The Osborne's facade is clad in rusticated blocks of brownstone, with a main entrance on 57th Street and a variety of window configurations. The first floor has an elaborate foyer and lobby, while the other floors contain apartments in duplex arrangements. The southern section of the building, facing 57th Street, is 11 stories tall and originally contained main living spaces with high ceilings. The northern section, at the rear of the building, is 15 stories tall and contained the bedrooms and servant's rooms. The Osborne was originally built with 38 apartments, although many of these units were gradually subdivided starting in the early 1920s. The building's namesake was the stone contractor Thomas Osborne, who had acquired the land in 1883 from restaurateur John Taylor, constructing the building as a speculative investment. The $2 million construction cost forced Thomas Osborne into foreclosure, leading Taylor's family to acquire the building in 1889. The Taylors sold the Osborne in 1961, and it was turned into a housing cooperative the next year. Throughout its history, the Osborne has housed many artists, actors, and musicians, as well as upper-middle-class residents such as doctors and lawyers. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as a city landmark in 1991, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Location

205 W. 57th St.
New York, New York County, New York
40.76566, -73.98041

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Nearby Battles

Battle of Kip's Bay
1776Revolutionary War
1.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Osborne Apartments listed on the National Register?

Osborne Apartments was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1993.

What type of historic resource is Osborne Apartments?

Osborne Apartments is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Osborne Apartments?

The period of significance for Osborne Apartments is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Osborne Apartments?

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