| 1342 Lexington Avenue | |
|---|---|
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 Interactive map of the 1342 Lexington Avenue area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Rowhouse |
| Location | 1342 Lexington Avenue,Manhattan, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°46′54″N73°57′15″W / 40.781616°N 73.954302°W /40.781616; -73.954302 |
| Year built | 1889 |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 3072 Sq Ft |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Henry J. Hardenbergh |
1342 Lexington Avenue is atownhouse located on theUpper East Side ofManhattan inNew York City. Best known as the residence of American Pop artistAndy Warhol from 1960 to 1974, the property played a pivotal role in the early development of Warhol's career and the creation of some of his most iconic works in the early 1960s. The townhouse was designated a historical landmark as part of theHardenbergh/Rhinelander Historic District in 1998.
The three-story structure is part of a cohesive row of townhouses onLexington Avenue and a small apartment building on East 89th Street, erected between 1888 and 1889 on previously undeveloped lots for the Estate of William C. Rhinelander.[1] Designed in the NorthernRenaissance Revival style byHenry J. Hardenbergh, the ensemble reflects the late 19th-century development of theCarnegie Hill section of Manhattan.[2] The buildings are clad in red brick,terra cotta, andbrownstone, with terra-cotta panels and alternating pierced and pedimented parapets above the ground floor. The Rhinelander family owned the seven structures until 1948, after which they were sold to private owners.[1]
In August 1960, Andy Warhol—then a successful commercial illustrator known for his advertising and magazine work—purchased 1342 Lexington Avenue for $60,000.[3] Seeking a larger workspace to accommodate his expanding artistic practice and growing personal collections, Warhol relocated from 242 Lexington Avenue in theMurray Hill neighborhood, where he had lived with his mother since 1953.[4]
Warhol's mother,Julia Warhola, moved with him to the new townhouse. She occupied a ground-floor apartment, while Warhol used the upper floors as both his residence and studio. The expanded space allowed him to store artwork, props, and collected objects, and it was during this period that he transitioned from commercial illustration to fine art. Until he rented his first dedicated studio, an unoccupied former firehouse at 159 East 87th Street, and laterthe Factory, Warhol worked primarily out of the ground floor as his studio at 1342 Lexington Avenue.[2] Among the major works produced during these years were theCampbell's Soup Cans,Dollar Bills, andCoca-Cola series, paintings that helped define the emergingPop Art movement and establish Warhol's reputation in the early 1960s New York art world.
1966, Warhol filmedThe George Hamilton Story, also known asMrs. Warhol, at his Lexington Avenue townhouse.[5] The film featured his mother portraying "an aging peroxide movie star with a lot of husbands."[6] Her most recent spouse in the film was played by Warhol's then live-in boyfriend, Richard Rheem.[5] The production reflects the townhouse's role not only as Warhol's residence and painting studio but also as an occasional site for hisexperimental filmmaking.
After Warhol was shot at his33 Union Square studio in 1968, his boyfriend,Jed Johnson, moved into the house to help care for him and his ailing mother.[7] "His mother spent a lot of time in bed. She was really senile. I used to have to take her to the doctor once a week. Then I used to stay and I'd help him get dinner and do some shopping. Andy was a pack rat—he'd saved everything, every bit of junk mail, every empty box and tin can. I sorted things out, put paintings with paintings and cans with cans. I ended up being there all the time so I just stayed," Johnson later recalled.[8] In 1971, Warhol's mother was sent to live with his brother, Paul Warhola, inPittsburgh.[9] By 1974, Warhol and Johnson outgrew the space and relocated to a larger townhouse at57 East 66th Street, which Johnson found and helped to renovate.[10]
Warhol retained ownership of 1342 Lexington Avenue after his departure and leased it to his business manager,Fred Hughes, in 1974.[2] In 1989, Hughes, who served as executor of Warhol's estate following the artist's death in 1987, purchased the property for $593,500 from the estate.[11]
Hughes reportedly nicknamed the house "Hotel Anglomania" in reference to his extensive and compulsive collection of portraits of English royalty displayed inside. He kept a large Warhol portrait ofPrince Charles in the foyer.[2]
On May 5, 1998, the townhouse, together with five adjacentrowhouses and a separate "French Flat" building designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh, was designated by theNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as part of theHardenbergh/Rhinelander Historic District.[12]
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Hughes lived at the property until he died in 2001.[2]
Following Hughes's death, the townhouse was sold to Dennis Omar and Nancy Smith, founders of the global marketing research firm Analytic Partners, for $2.55 million.[2] They modernized the building’s mechanical systems while largely preserving its original layout and character. Renovations included removing marbleized blue paint from a wood fireplace in the front parlor and replacing glossy dark blue walls adorned with gold petal motifs with more neutral tones. They also displayed several authenticated Warhol prints throughout the home, maintaining a visible connection to the artist's legacy.[2]
The property was sold in 2011 for $3.5 million and again in 2013 for $5.5 million.[13][14] A sign identifying the townhouse as "The Warhol," a local landmark of sorts, was removed by the owners in 2015.[15]
The property briefly returned to the market as a rental in December 2024, listed at $22,550 per month.[14] In 2025, the townhouse was placed on the market again, with an asking price of $6.95 million.[14]
Warhol's nephew,James Warhola, wrote and illustrated a children's book, Uncle Andy's, published by Puffin Books in 2003, about a family visit to 1342 Lexington Avenue in the early 1960s.[2]
