Every Building on Fifth

140 Fifth Avenue, The Corn Exchange Building

Developed by Henry Corn, the (non-eponymous) Corn Exchange Bank Building at 140 Fifth Avenue is another design by the prolific Robert Maynicke. Built in 1899 and replacing a townhouse with an attached garden, the structure is a fine display of vigorous brickwork, terra-cotta and carved stone.

139 Fifth Avenue, The Corndiac Building

The Corndiac Building at 139 Fifth Avenue is an elegant building by Alfred Zucker, one of New York City’s most eccentric architectural firms, whose surviving works include the nearby Baudouine Building (capped by a minature Greek Temple the Landmarks Commission called “a little Parnassus in the sky”) and the bizarre Decker Building on Union Square… Continue reading

138 Fifth Avenue

Another conversion from a brownstone, 138 Fifth Avenue has a pleasant late Post-WWII stucco façade and details that suggest the Craftsman movement. The wooden window frames are an unusual feature. The original house was constructed in the 1840s and first converted for commercial use in 1886. The modillioned roof cornice may date from a further… Continue reading

137 Fifth Avenue

A relatively tall building for so narrow a lot, 137 Fifth Avenue is another Robert Maynicke design. The dramatically projecting entablature is a notable feature. This photograph shows 137 Fifth flanked by its neighbors at 135 and 139 Fifth and is taken from the dramatic arched entryway of 156 Fifth Avenue, directly across the street…. Continue reading

136 Fifth Avenue

Referred to in the Landmark Preservation Commission’s designation report for the Ladies’ Mile Historic District as a “taxpayer,” 136 Fifth Avenue is all that remains after a 1960 fire destroyed a previously modified brownstone townhouse. At the time that the Ladies’ Mile Historic District was designated, the still extant one-story building sported an aluminum façade… Continue reading