Hardenbergh-Rhinelander Historic District

The seven buildings in this district were designed by the architect Henry Hardenbergh, best known for the lavish Dakota apartments and the Plaza Hotel. The Rhinelander family held a leading position in the development of the Carnegie Hill-Yorkville neighborhood, and these buildings were constructed for the Estate of William Rhinelander in 1888-89. His heirs owned all seven until 1948.

Six Renaissance Revival row houses and one French-flats building line Lexington Avenue and the corner of East 89th Street. The row houses, clad in red brick, brownstone, and terra cotta, have a variety of window arrangements, entrance embellishments, and roofline decorations. The flats building is clad in similar materials, yet employs other architectural features, including a broken pediment entry surround surmounted by a pedimented window. They all remain, at least partially, in use as residences, though some of the buildings now possess storefronts. In 1959, Andy Warhol purchased the town house at 1342 Lexington Avenue. He used the ground floor as his studio, and considered the space to be his first “Factory.” ©2014