Gramercy Park Historic District

Once a part of the estate of James Duane, the first mayor of Post-Revolutionary New York, the land that is now Gramercy Park was purchased in 1831 by Samuel B. Ruggles, a lawyer and real estate operator. In an early example of city planning, Ruggles, an avid proponent of urban green space, divided the land into 66 lots surrounding a private park, which was deeded to owners of the accompanying lots. During the planning of what is now the only remaining private park in the City (the only other being the earlier and now-defunct Hudson Square), both Lexington Avenue and Irving Place were created, feeding into the development at the north and south. The iron fence was erected in 1832 and park planting begin in 1844. Private residences began to appear around the park and attracted leading New Yorkers of the day, including railroad magnate Stuyvesant Fish, New York State Governor Samuel J. Tilden and New York City Mayor James Harper, who lived in No. 4 from 1844 to 1847.

Gramercy Park's residential architecture represents a wide variety of architectural styles, ranging from Greek and Gothic Revival to Anglo-Italianate. The structures retain their nineteenth-century residential character and original ornament including lintels, molded cornices and door surrounds. Several fine houses distinguish the edge of the park on Gramercy Park West, and the structures at Nos. 3 and 4 Gramercy Park West are attributed to the eminent architect Alexander Jackson Davis. These buildings display cast-iron porches in the Greek Revival style, defining the individual houses and providing elegance to the entire row.

Many of these ornate and historically intact buildings were home to a variety of influential figures. Edwin Booth, the famed Shakespearean actor, lived at No. 16, and inventor Thomas Edison resided at No. 24. The Gramercy Park Hotel, built on the former site of writer Edith Wharton's birthplace, and architect Stanford White's house, has historically attracted an influential clientele. For a few months in 1938, a young John F. Kennedy stayed there with his family, and actor Humphrey Bogart married his first wife, Helen Menken, on the roof in 1926.

There are also a number of notable non-residential buildings, including the National Arts Club, the Players Club, and Pete's Tavern. Built in the mid-nineteenth century,the Tavern was frequented by the writer O. Henry and remains intact. The Gramercy Park Historic District is unusual in that it is a serene, residential area in the midst of the city, and represents an early example of city planning. ©2014