Location: Gramercy Park East, New York, NY
Landmark Status: Gramercy Park Historic District
Original Architect: George DaCunha
Date of Construction: 1883
Date of Restoration: 1998-present
Scope of Work: Brownstone Restoration, Masonry Repairs, Slate Roofing Replacement
Awards: Preservation Award (Victorian Society in America), Historic Preservation Award (Gramercy Neighborhood Association)
34 Gramercy Park East, originally known as the Gramercy Apartment House, was constructed in 1883 along the east side of Gramercy Park, which at the time was otherwise bounded by mid-1840s mansions. It was only the second building designed as a residential cooperative in New York, two years after the Rembrandt on West 57th Street, and is now the oldest operating co-op in the city. In addition to an unprecedented three apartments per floor, it featured Otis elevators and an upscale restaurant. The building is a 10-story, load-bearing masonry structure with exterior walls ranging in thickness from 16” to 32.” The Queen Anne-style facades are a profusion of rich red and brown masonry (pressed brick, brownstone, terra cotta, and granite) capped by slate mansard roofs, turrets, and dormers.
The street facades have undergone extensive restoration campaigns over the years, both in the 1980s and in 2005, when areas of deteriorated brownstone were repaired or replaced with natural brownstone or cast stone. During the latter project, which was designed and overseen by WBMA, portions of the main entry portico winged lions were restored, and the stucco that had covered the portico parapet was removed.
Over the two decades that followed, brownstone elements throughout the facades continued to delaminate due to natural weathering and the predominant vertical orientation of the stone bedding planes. As slates cracked or came loose from already-repaired roofs, comprehensive replacement became imperative. Beginning in 2021, this most recent project involved a comprehensive re-survey of the exterior, slate roofing replacement, sheet copper repairs, and masonry restoration including brownstone patching, consolidation, dutchman repairs, and repointing. The centerpiece of the project was the brownstone replacement of the six main entry portico column capitals and restoration of the “GRAMERCY” lettering at the architrave above.
While the restoration of a building such as 34 Gramercy Park East will never be complete, each phase of work reverses the decay of key elements and preserves the integrity of the residence. WBMA is honored to have been a steward of this splendid building for over 25 years.
