109 Fifth Avenue, The Constable Building
Designed by William Schickel & Co., 109 Fifth Avenue is one of the grandest buildings in the district, a fireproof palace clad in limestone. The ornament is derived from the Italian Renaissance and shows a strong sense of solidity and correctness. The corner ground floor window surrounds are especially fine, likewise the handsomely detailed balconies.
Planned in 1893 as a place of “manufacturing and workshop,” the Constable Building was upgraded to offices when built in 1894. The interior and exterior ironwork was by Hecla Iron Works, a leading such firm at the time and the structure was designed to recall something of the grandeur of the Belmont Mansion, the large residence it replaced.
Schickel was a noted ecclesiastical architect who also designed the original central building at St. Vincent’s Hospital.