| Butterfield House | |
|---|---|
 Water color view from West 12th Street | |
 Interactive map of Butterfield House | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mid-Century Modern |
| Location | 37 West 12th Street, Manhattan,New York City,NY 10011 United States |
| Coordinates | 40°44′08″N73°59′44″W / 40.7356°N 73.9956°W /40.7356; -73.9956 |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 with one penthouse floor |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | William J. Conklin andJames Rossant while atMayer,Whittlesey & Glass |
| Main contractor | Daniel L. Gray, Dangray Construction[1] |
Butterfield House is a cooperative apartment building on West 12th Street in theGreenwich Village neighborhood ofManhattan,New York City. It was designed by the architects and urban plannersWilliam J. Conklin andJames Rossant then ofMayer,Whittlesey & Glass. It is situated betweenFifth Avenue andSixth Avenue within the Greenwich Village Historic District. The building was described inThe New York Times as "a modernist landmark" that "received numerous accolades when it was built in 1962".[2]
Mimi Sheraton referred to it as "one of the Village’s most coveted residences."[3] Architectural criticPaul Goldberger included Butterfield House on his list of the “10 Top Postwar Apartment Buildings” in New York City.[4]
The building shares the block of West 12th Street with historic townhouses and when the street received its landmark designation in 1969 it was described as "one of the most distinguished examples of street architecture of the mid-Nineteenth Century."[5]
"The delicacy of form and elegance of detail, inherent in the design, make [Butterfield House] as one with its residential neighbors."
— New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, 1969[6]
Butterfield House is an example of theInternational Style andMid-Century Modern architectural styles and was designed by the architectsWilliam J. Conklin andJames Rossant. Both men were acolytes ofWalter Gropius who they studied under at theHarvard Graduate School of Design. Gropius, founder of theBauhaus School,[7] is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters ofmodernist architecture.[8][9]
Rossant's obituary in theNew York Times states, "Butterfield House was hailed as a model of how to integrate modern architecture into a historic townhouse district."[6]
TheMunicipal Art Society awardedMayer,Whittlesey & Glass a Certificate of Merit in 1963 for its work on the Butterfield House.[10]
The building has been referred to as "[one] of Manhattan's finest postwar apartment buildings".[11] In 2016, the building was included on a list of thirteen "Architectural Masterpieces" that you can live in.[12]
The building is notable for its deep bay windows, historic brown-brick façade, and floor-plan design where many of the units are floor-through apartments that offer views of the street on one side and the landscaped inner gardens and fountains on the other. The majority of the apartments have balconies or terraces facing the inner garden. Originally consisting of 102 apartments, including multiplepenthouses, apartments have been combined over the years and Butterfield House now has fewer than 100 units. The architectural height of the building is 78.03 metres (256.0 ft). ThePost-War Modern building's rear entrance address is on West13th Street.
TheAIA Guide to NYC calls it "The friendly neighborhood high rise", and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission cites it as an example of "urban harmony" between modern architecture and older forms.[13]
The building was named after UnionCivil War General andMedal of Honor recipientDaniel Butterfield. General Butterfield is credited with composingTaps, thebugle call played by theUnited States Armed Forces at dusk, during flag ceremonies, and at military funerals.[14] The building sits on the site of his former home on 12th Street.[15][16]
Current and former notable residents of the Butterfield House:
Notes
