Midtown East in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Fisk-Harkness House
12 East 53rd Street
— New York City Designated Landmark —
Photographed By Larry Gertner, August 16, 2019
1. Fisk-Harkness House Marker
Originally built as a brownstone-faced townhouse in 1871, the Fisk-Harkness House was substantially altered in 1871 to the designs of architect Raleigh C. Gildersleeve. Best known for the Tudor-inspired buildings he designed for the campus of Princeton University, Gildersleeve transformed the row house into a grand Neo-Tudor Gothic-style townhouse. The asymmetrical limestone façade features an arched entry with a crocketed hood molding, late-Medieval-style leaded-glass windows, buttresses, and fanciful gargoyles. Harvey E. Fisk, the owner who commissioned the renovation, was a prominent investment banker. Later occupants of the Fisk-Harkness house included Standard Oil heir William L. Harkness, Symons Galleries, and Lim College. The Fisk-Harkness house is a rare survivor of the period when the area around Fifth Avenue in midtown was home to Manhattan’s wealthiest citizens, who built mansions or transformed existing row houses into their private residences.
New York City Landmarks Preservation Foundation
2012
Erected 2012 by New York City Landmarks Preservation Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.
Location. 40° 45.597′ N, 73°
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Kiton (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Saint Thomas Church (about 300 feet away); The University Club (about 400 feet away); Former Aeolian Building (about 400 feet away); Cartier Building (about 500 feet away); St. Regis Hotel (about 600 feet away); Peninsula Hotel (about 600 feet away); Lever House (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
Also see . . . The Fisk-Harkness House. Detailed article at the Daytonian in Manhattan blog. (Submitted on January 30, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, August 16, 2019
2. Fisk-Harkness House
12 East 53rd Street, as Lim College.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 30, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 239 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 30, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
