Tuesday, November 1, 2011

☞ REMEMBER: 125th and Amsterdam c. 1932


The shop restoration at the old wood frame house that still stands on the corner of 125th Street and Amsterdam inspired some research on revisiting this section of Harlem before much of the original architectural details disappeared.  A photo from 1932 shows the wood frame house with its original cornice and the building apparently was a sign shop of some sort.  All of the buildings shown in the archival image are actually intact today but some have been maintained more accurately than others.

Charles Von Urban, Northeast corner of 125th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, 1932 via the digital collection at the Museum of the City of New York
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4 comments:

  1. GregNovember 1, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    I wish there were some sort of ordinance forcing the maintenance of cornices and other decorative trim on buildings. It's so nice to look up and see such lovely trim on buildings. Without it the building looks insignificant.

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  2. Sanou's mumNovember 1, 2011 at 11:32 PM

    Cornices may increase insurance rates. I truly don’t know. I agree with you 100% but there was a spate of bits falling from buildings causing injuries a while back and that, coupled with the expense of recreating them, may be reasons they disappear and stay gone.

    But a building without a cornice is like a lady without a hat. Or somesuch.

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  3. westsiderNovember 2, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    Good to know this streetscape has its major elements still intact.

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  4. westsiderNovember 2, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    Agreed, cornices are such an important element of a buildings façade. Harlem Bespoke had some good posts on the subject of cornices in the past. I know of some builders merchants in the South Bronx where new shiny cornices can be purchased, they are pressed metal and simply fastened to the masonry façade.

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