Name: 45 East 66th Street
Address: 45 East 66th Street, NY NY
Architect: Harde And Short
Style: French Gothic / Beaux Arts
Description: 45 East 66th Street, originally known as 777 Madison Avenue is a ten-story, red‑brick and white terracotta apartment building completed in 1908 in New York City on the Upper East Side, designed by the Beaux‑Arts firm Harde & Short. The structure blends French Gothic revival ornament across its entire façade including ogee arches, finials, tracery, crenellations, twisting engaged columns, and a prominent rounded corner turret that curves 180 degrees from Madison Avenue to 66th Street. The decorative exuberance is akin to that seen at other Harde & Short buildings such as the Red House and Alwyn Court. Unlike most pre‑World War I structures that reserved decoration for upper and lower stories, this building’s ornamentation spans the entire envelope, earning praise from architectural critics like Christopher Gray and Paul Goldberger for its richly textured façade.
Originally conceived as a luxury residence with just two expansive apartments per floor, with approximately 12 to 13 rooms including multiple family rooms, salons, and staff quarters, each unit was lavishly finished with hardwood, marble, and detailed woodwork, surrounding a central light court that brought daylight into interior spaces. In 1929, the building’s entrance was relocated to East 66th Street, and ground‑floor units were converted to retail use, reflecting changing commercial pressures. After subdividing many apartments during the mid‑20th century, it was converted into a cooperative in 1987, now comprising 33 apartment units and several storefronts. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1977 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, preserving its status as an architectural gem on Madison Avenue.
45 East 66th Street is a highly coveted apartment building, on par with any of the other architects of the time, Rosario Candela, Emery Roth and the other pre war architects.
Related Buildings:
The San Remo
The Beresford