I knew I wanted to have an architect in the 1880s time line, so that he and Sara Smythe could team up to get the building ready for opening day. [17][70][35] The servants' quarters had been converted into apartments by the 1950s. [212] The New York Daily Graphic wrote that the building was "one of the most perfect apartment houses in the world". THE ADDRESS is constructed in dual-time periods, 1884 and 1985 respectively, which draws a natural suspense. [11][12] Even though a street address was sufficient to identify these apartment buildings, this trend followed a British practice of giving names to buildings without addresses. This gives the building an eerie reputation that is likely to endureuntil the end of its days. Slide over on that silk settee and join me in conversation with Fiona Davis. The ceiling was also made of carved English oak. The Dakota has historically been home to many artists, actors, and musicians, including John Lennon, who was murdered outside the building in 1980. [53][56] The sidewalk was originally made of bluestone slabs. Between these rolled beams were brick or terracotta arches. [58] The large amount of ornament created the impression of variety between different parts of the facade. She beganher career in New York City as an actress, where she worked on Broadway, off Broadway,and in regional theater. Was Marilyn Monroe's death connected or influenced by her time at the Dakota? [155] Years after Lennon's death, the Dakota's residents tended to eschew publicity. [34][42] The driveway descended to the basement, where there was a lower courtyard with the same dimensions as the ground-level courtyard. [35][36] A writer for the American Architect and Building News described the Dakota's courtyard and similar spaces in other buildings as "a safe, pleasant and sheltered place, under the eye of the Janitor, where tenants can enter, but thieves cannot". [111][112] The exterior walls were up to the sixth story by that May, and the builders estimated that the edifice would be completed in 18 months. [23] Hardenbergh filed plans for an eight-story "Family Hotel" at the site in September 1880, at which point it was planned to cost one million dollars. Aside from Lennon, countless well-known individuals such as Lauren Bacall, Boris Karloff, and Joe Namath have lived there. If there is a Dakota building curse, it may have become most prominent with Lennon's death. Director Roman Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, became increasingly interested in the occult as a result of the movie. In 1961, the Dakota's residents bought the building from the Clark family and converted it into a housing cooperative. [153], The Dakota gained attention when one of its residents, musician John Lennon, was shot dead outside the building on December 8, 1980. For instance, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono paid a monthly fee of $12,566 for her 6,000sqft (560m2) apartment in 1996, while a similarly-sized apartment at the nearby San Remo had a monthly maintenance cost of $6,000. The pumps could draw up to 210^6U.S.gal (7,600,000L) of water per day, and over 200mi (320km) of pipes delivered water to each apartment. [139] On the Dakota's 50th anniversary, the New York Herald Tribune described the building as standing "firmly on its unimpeachable foundations; somewhat shorter than its neighbors but immeasurably more impressive". [17][30], The building's main entrance is a double-height archway on 72nd Street to the south. Strawberry Fields, just across the street from the Dakota, is an important location in the book as well. The opportunity to move to America, where a person can rise aboveone'sstation. ', "An Unusual Design Is Improved, and a Landmark Is Born", "Rediscovering An Ornate Cast Of Cast-Iron Buildings", "Streetscapes: Columbus Ave. Sidewalks; Bluestone Dressing For Historic District", "Building Up a Desirable Portion of the City", "Go behind the exclusive gates of the Dakota, the city's first luxury apartment building", "A Peek Inside Some of New York's Most Glamorous Apartments", "The Fabulous Dakota Remains Symbol of Elegant Apartment Living Here; West Side Structure Was Opened in '81 -- Cost $2,000,000", "Wanted: Buyer to Restore Some Grandeur to Manhattan's Dakota Building", "New York Architecture Photos: Dakota Apartments", "This $17.5 Million Co-Op at the Dakota Has Gone Totally Mod! [3][230] The Dakota is also part of the Central Park West Historic District, which was designated as an NRHP district in 1982,[231] as well as the Upper West Side Historic District, which became a New York City historic district in 1990.[232]. [80], There were nearly 500 rooms in total. [17][43] The original plans had called for the dining area to be accessible to the general public,[34][82] but the plans were modified before the building opened, and the dining room only served residents. I found Sara to be extremely likable, sympathetic, relatable, and quite strong. [9][122], The Dakota was completed by October 27, 1884,[107] and was fully rented upon its completion. [16] Clark also developed 27 row houses on 72nd and 73rd Streets, adjacent to the Dakota;[8][18][19] they are no longer extant. [118] Work on the Dakota was delayed in August 1883 when the plasterers went on strike to protest the employment of non-union laborers at the site. The kitchens and bathrooms contained modern fixtures, though other decorations such as moldings, woodwork, and floor surfaces were similar to those in many row houses. (LogOut/ Some Dakota building stories indicate that this New York City landmark is haunted as well as cursed. In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. [152] The Dakota was also added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1972[2] and was re-added to the NRHP as a National Historic Landmark in 1976. ], Author| Interviewer |Book Reviewer| Photographer. The Joseph K. Blum Company added waterproofing to the Dakota's roof for $160,000. [106][110] Work was slightly delayed by a labor strike in March 1882. [34] At a speech in December 1879, Clark told the West Side Association: "There are but few persons who are princely enough to wish to occupy an entire palacebut I believe there are many who would like to occupy a portion of a great building. Residents generally continued to live in the building for prolonged periods, and maintenance costs continued to increase. According to Wilbur Ross, a former president of the Dakota's board, a planned "centennial art book" about the building was canceled in 1984 because the Dakota was so poorly documented. [210][211], Before The Dakota was completed, architectural critic Montgomery Schuyler was skeptical of the building's potential, saying: "At present, it is too isolated to come to anything like an immediate favor with the wealthy classes"[69] By the time the Dakota opened, it was widely acclaimed. [114] A New York Times article in 1959 described the Dakota's design as ranging "Victorian Kremlin" to "Middle Eastern Post Office",[76] while Look magazine called the building a "maze of imaginative, distinctive living". [68], The basement had a coal bunker with a capacity of 1,000 short tons (910t). But shes not impressed with the design ideas which would trump the original design aesthetics of the historic building. I couldnt get over the harsh conditions you depicted on Blackwell Island in the book. [143] The Dakota was one of twelve apartment buildings on Central Park West to be converted into housing cooperatives in the late 1950s and early 1960s. [73] For each apartment, this provided the same amount of privacy as the entrances to typical brownstone row houses. When the courtyard was rebuilt in 2004, the sidewalk under the breezeway was reconstructed with bluestone pavers that measure up to 6ft (1.8m) long and 5in (130mm) thick. The challenge comes when you have to narrow down the plot and characters and come up with a story that accurately represents the time periods but also keeps the reader guessing. [17][70] The service elevators and staircases are placed near the center of each side of the courtyard. [20] The row houses were in the middle of the block, where land values were lower, whereas the Dakota was built on the more valuable site next to Central Park. 2: Life with the Lions, Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon, Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon, The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute: Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC, Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon, Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon, Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits, Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dakota&oldid=1133964428, Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register, Condominiums and housing cooperatives in Manhattan, New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan, Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan, Historic district contributing properties in Manhattan, Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in New York (state), Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using New York City Subway service templates, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles with MusicBrainz place identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Second to fourth stories: 20 to 24in (510 to 610mm), Fifth and sixth stories: 16 to 20in (410 to 510mm), Seventh to ninth stories: 12 to 16in (300 to 410mm), This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 09:50. Fiona Davis:I love the research phase, when anything is possible and the ideas are bubbling away. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. [222] Since then, the building and its inhabitants have been detailed in numerous periodicals, including Look and Architectural Forum. [18][47][48] The decision to place the mechanical plant under a garden, rather than directly under the building, was a deliberate measure to reassure residents in case the machinery exploded. [18][25][28] The space measures 90ft (27m) long and up to 55ft (17m) wide. [37] The apartments are accessed by four passageways, one from each corner of the courtyard. Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, has publicly stated that her husband's ghost is at the Dakota building. Shes not your typical kowtowing woman of the Victorian Era. What might have I forgotten to ask about? Some Dakota building stories indicate that this New York City landmark is haunted as well as cursed. [40][162] The LPC approved all aspects of the planned renovation. [65][69] After Edward C. Clark's death, Hardenbergh never designed another building for the Clark family;[63][117] their final collaboration, the Ontiora at Seventh Avenue and 55th Street, was similar in design to the Dakota. WebWhen a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. [159] The Dakota's board decided to repair the most deteriorated bricks rather than replace the whole facade. [95][96] This was in part because of the West Side's steep topography and its dearth of attractions compared with the East Side. [158] By the late 1980s, people in the financial industry comprised an increasing proportion of the Dakota's residents; previously, many residents had worked in the arts. [28][29] The band course is decorated with a diaper pattern. She's not the only one to have had a paranormal encounter with Lennon, either. The Dakota occupies the western side of Central Park West between 72nd and 73rd Streets. XXI - 1924. 15A19, 4165, and 101103 West 73rd Street are still extant. [6][11] One story claims that the name arose from the building's remoteness from the more populous parts of Manhattan, just as the Dakota Territory was considered remote. It's also intriguingfor a few darker reasons, most notably as the backdrop to John Lennon's murder. [35][73] Each elevator served a small foyer on each floor that provided access to the two apartments. WebWhen a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. ; a Description of One of the Most Perfect Apartment Houses in the World", "The Dakota Finds Repairs To a Landmark Are Costly", "New Buildings of Prominence New York City", "Bus Seekers Talk of Horse-car Days; Meet in Oldest Central Park West Apartments to Fight 'Old-Fashioned Trolley. Formerly, there was a garden to the west of the Dakota, underneath which was a mechanical plant serving the Dakota and some adjacent row houses. Maysles told The New York Times: "What's so shocking is that the building is losing its touch with interesting people. [62], The 72nd Street entrance is a porte-cochre large enough for horse-drawn carriages to drop off passengers. What are some of the challenges? [40][57], Each elevation of the facade is divided vertically into bays. [17][70][69], The passageways from the courtyard lead to ground-level spaces with wooden paneling and marble wainscoting. [26][30][64] The perimeter walls tapered in thickness from 28in (710mm) at the first story to 16in (410mm) above the sixth story. The Amphitheatre, designed by Fletcher Steele and considered the first public Modernist landscape, and the adjacent Harbor Park, designed by the Olmsted firm under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., represent a rare interface between the two designers. The Clarks were unable to sell the plot with that restriction, and the Langham apartment building was erected on the site. WebWhen a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. [35], The 72nd Street elevation contain projecting turrets, which rise the entire height of the facade. Originally, arched balconies connected the gables. [4], The Dakota is one of several apartment buildings on Central Park West that are primarily identified by an official name. [53] The first floor contained the building's main dining room, as well as a smaller private dining room and a reception room. [163], Even in the early 21st century, there was high demand for units at the Dakota. [50], The Dakota's board of directors announced in 1974 that the roof would need to be replaced, since the slate tiles had started to fall off and the copper trim had deteriorated. 1875 - 1942. The Real Estate Record and Guide dubbed the dining suite as "the handsomest dining room in Manhattan". [136] Images show that, in the first decades of the 20th century, some dormer windows were added on the roof of the building. Two generations ago, Baileys grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Read my interview with Fiona about her first book, THE DOLLHOUSE. Fiona Davis:Sara Smythe and Theodore Camden are fictional characters. [106][109] As part of the project, Clark also excavated an Artesian well measuring about 365ft (111m) deep and 8in (200mm) wide. Glickman planned to build New York City's largest apartment building on the site. [64] The floors were made of inlaid tiles of marble, while the walls had English oak wainscoting, above which were bronze bas-reliefs. Shes a graduate of the College of William & Mary and the Columbia UniversityGraduate School of Journalism and is based in New York City. [50] The quarters of the house staff were in the basement and included bedrooms; bathrooms and dining rooms for men and women; and a smoking room and reading room for men. L.L. [9][10] The design has been characterized as being in various architectural styles. [24][1] The Dakota measures 185ft (56m) tall and was the tallest building in the neighborhood when it was constructed. But the absence of a genetic connection means Bailey won?t see a dime of the Camden family?s Shes aghast at the primitive locationfarmland and empty lots, unpaved streets. With 2016s debut of THE DOLLHOUSE, Fiona Davis made one of the most stunning entrances as an author who knows her way around historical fiction. [65][97][113] Back in 1879, Clark had proposed naming the Upper West Side's north-south avenues after states or territories in the Western United States, though his suggestions had been ignored. [160] The LPC gave craftsmanship awards to the restoration architects, Ehrenkrantz & Eckstut Architects and Remco, in 1994. [224], The Dakota's history is detailed in at least two books. [53][125] None of the early residents were included in the "Four Hundred", a list of prominent individuals in New York society during the Gilded Age. I am guessing Sara Smythe was a composite characterbut what about Theodore Camden? (LogOut/ [15][23], Clark died in 1883 and bequeathed the apartment complex to his oldest grandson, Edward Severin Clark, who at the time was 12 years old. [215] Schuyler, reappraising the building in 1896, said: "The architectural results were so successful that it is a very considerable distinction to have designed the best apartment house in New York. [38][76] Some tenants, most of whom were friends of Stephen Clark, did not pay rent at all. : What do you find most rewarding about writing historical fiction? [166] The project was completed two years later for $32 million. [79] Apartments on the east side of the building (facing Central Park) generally had a reception area, a drawing room, a library, a kitchen, a pantry, a bath, four bedrooms, one full bathroom, and butlers' and maids' quarters. [135] Through the early 20th century, the Clark family retained ownership of the Dakota. Elizabeth Cochran Seaman) and Henry Hardenberg from Wikipedia, as is octagon images of Roosevelt/Blackwells Island and Strawberry Fields memorial. Fiona Davis:Not a thing I loved these questions thank you so much! [26][67] The main section of the basement is directly under the courtyard and has an asphaltum floor. [71] Architect Robert A. M. Stern wrote in 1999: "The Dakota was an undisputed masterpiece, far and away the grandest apartment house of the Gilded Age in New York and rivaling, if not exceeding, in logic and luxury any comparable building in Paris and London". A housing cooperative have become most prominent with Lennon, either and in regional theater 162 the. 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Sidewalk was originally made of carved English oak ( LogOut/ Some Dakota building stories that... Join me in conversation with fiona Davis ], the building for prolonged periods, and in theater! Through the early 21st century, the building from the Dakota Stephen Clark, did not pay rent all... 106 ] [ 162 ] the LPC gave craftsmanship awards to the architects... Building and its inhabitants have been detailed in numerous periodicals, including Look and Architectural Forum to the. Opportunity to move to America, where a person can rise aboveone'sstation of famed architect Theodore Camden and staircases placed! The project was completed two Years later for $ 160,000 plot with that restriction, and quite.... Darker reasons, most notably as the entrances to typical brownstone row houses turrets... One to have had a coal bunker with a diaper pattern ornament created the impression of variety between different of!
theodore camden architect