 seen fromFifth Avenue (2011) | |
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| Location | Greenwich Village,New York City |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°43′53″N73°59′43″W / 40.7313°N 73.9954°W /40.7313; -73.9954 |
Washington Mews is a private gated street inManhattan,New York City betweenFifth Avenue andUniversity Place just north ofWashington Square Park. Along with MacDougal Alley andStuyvesant Street, it was originally part of aLenape trail which connected theHudson andEast Rivers,[1] and was first developed as amews (row ofstables) that serviced horses from homes in the area. Since the 1950s the former stables have served as housing, offices and other facilities forNew York University.
Washington Mews is on land that in the 18th century was part of a large farm owned by Capt.Robert Richard Randall; upon Randall's death, he bequeathed the land to what became known asSailors' Snug Harbor.[2] The institution leased the land, using the resulting income to establish itsStaten Island complex; the homes built on the land along the north side of Washington Square and the south side of Eighth Street came with two-story stables built along what became known as Washington Mews.[2] The private stables were used by the families of men such asRichard Morris Hunt,John Taylor Johnston, andPierre Lorillard.[2]
In 1881, New York City'sDepartment of Public Works ordered the construction of Washington Mews first gates at each end, in an apparent attempt to distinguish the Mews from public streets. In 1916, Sailors' Snug Harbor had a dozen of the stables remodeled into artist studios, designed byMaynicke & Franke; during the 20th century, artists living there includedPaul Manship,Gaston Lachaise, and laterGertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.[2][3]
Around 1950,New York University leased most of the entire property and gradually converted the buildings along the Mews into offices and faculty housing. In 1988, NYU hired architect Abraham Bloch to design a new six-foot-high Fifth Avenue gate, replacing the simple posts-and-chain used since the studios were built.[2][3]
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