[31] Servants employed by the residents, as well as visiting servants, occupied the eighth and ninth floors. [130] By the early 1890s, there was a waiting list for vacant apartments. Can you tell us a little about how that piece of the story came to be? [72] In any case, because the Dakota had four entrances with their own elevators and stairs, there were very few public hallways on the upper stories. When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. There is also a security guard's booth to the west of the main entrance. [76] Beside servants' quarters, there was a playroom and a gymnasium on the roof, which was labeled as the "tenth story". [143] The Dakota was one of twelve apartment buildings on Central Park West to be converted into housing cooperatives in the late 1950s and early 1960s. [18][23][24] The construction process involved several contractors including stonemason John L. Banta, plumber T. Brieu, iron supplier Post & McCord, carpenter J. L. Hamilton, stonework supplier J. Gillis Se Son and Henry Wilson, and woodwork contractor Pottier & Stymus. [155] Years after Lennon's death, the Dakota's residents tended to eschew publicity. More and more, they're moving away from creative people and going toward people who just have the money. [193] Another prospective tenant sued the Dakota's board in 2015 after the board prohibited him from moving into a unit he had bought 16 years prior. If anyone has read that book and remembers the title, please reach out to me! What item(s) from your own childhood do you still, even occasionally, pine for? Canadian-born, New York City-based novelist Fiona Davis has discovered a winning formula for her fiction: pair the history of a real-life landmark building with the imagined lives of those who might have lived or worked there, and structure the story as a dual narrative with alternating time periods. [27] The west elevation, facing the former yard, was sparsely ornamented. [106][110] Work was slightly delayed by a labor strike in March 1882. The modern courtyard is a reinforced-concrete slab, which is covered by granite pavers. [113][114][115] The more likely origin for the "Dakota" name was Clark's fondness for the names of the then-new western states and territories. [21] Clark developed another set of row houses at 1365 and 103151 West 73rd Street, some of which still exist. A.I.A. [38], A "handsome doorway", measuring 10ft (3.0m) tall,[60] also led from 73rd Street to the courtyard. I realized that setting a book there would give me the perfect excuse to get inside (and was eventually able to do that, through roundabout connections to a couple of very generous tenants). [4][5][6] The building occupies the western sidewalk of Central Park West (formerly Eighth Avenue[6][7]) between 72nd Street to the south and 73rd Street to the north. [95][96] This was in part because of the West Side's steep topography and its dearth of attractions compared with the East Side. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Read my interview with Fiona about her first book, THE DOLLHOUSE. The opportunity to move to America, where a person can rise above ones station. [82] Many floor plans for individual apartments have been published over the years, and the Dakota's modern floor plans have been reconstructed based on these documents. [32][139], Edward S. Clark died in 1933, just before the Dakota's 50th anniversary, and his brother Stephen Severin Clark took over the building's operation. [47] The Real Estate Record said the next month: "The 'Dakota' is at last near completion and is receiving its finishing touches prior to its opening in May, when it will be quite ready for dwelling purposes. [38][76] Some tenants, most of whom were friends of Stephen Clark, did not pay rent at all. [17][18][27] The materials and colors were selected to not only complement each other but also to soften the appearance of the building's shadows and massing. [64] The floors were made of inlaid tiles of marble, while the walls had English oak wainscoting, above which were bronze bas-reliefs. Residential building in Manhattan, New York, This article is about the apartment building in New York City. [30][67] Each corner of the building has a brick shaft with one elevator and one staircase;[17][43] this roughly divides the Dakota into quadrants. [17][70][35] The servants' quarters had been converted into apartments by the 1950s. Fiona Davis:Back when I was around eight years old, I took a book out of my local library about a girl whos horse crazy, and finally gets to ride a horse for an entire summer before realizing that taking care of it is a lot of hard work. WebWhen a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. This gives the building an eerie reputation that is likely to endureuntil the end of its days. [18] Many of the horse-drawn carriages were dispatched from the now-demolished Dakota Stables at 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, developed by Edward C. Clark's son Alfred Corning Clark. Two generations ago, Baileys grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. [17][43] There were 300 electric bells and 4,000 electric lights, all powered by the mechanical plant to the west of the building. The upper-story servants' quarters contained dormitories, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and dryer rooms. [17][43] The generators became obsolete after the neighborhood was connected to the city's power grid, and the boilers and engines were relocated to the Dakota's basement. Nellie Bly, a journalist for the New York World during the 1880s, actually went by the name Nellie Brown when she went undercover to expose the injustices at Blackwells Island Asylum. WebView Theodore Camden (1918)'s memorial on Fold3. [53] An entrance to the New York City Subway's 72nd Street station, served by the B and C trains,[54] is built within this areaway. [133] A major reason was the lack of electricity in the area, since large apartment buildings needed electricity for their elevators, but the city did not install electric ducts along Central Park West until 1896. Thats where Theo came in hes in charge of the interiors for the building and I could make him do my bidding without any constraints. (LogOut/ When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. [53] Clark's apartment on the sixth floor had 18 rooms, 17 fireplaces, and a drawing room that rivaled the design of the ground-floor dining room. Lists of spooky places around the world where you might see, here, or feel a real ghost. The Dakota is at 1 West 72nd Street in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The building was managed by the Clark family for eight decades and remained largely unchanged during that time. [18] Above the sixth story is a stone cornice, which separates the seventh story and the roof from the rest of the facade. However, what makes the Dakota building history more fascinating than most is the close ties that it has to many notable people. [3][230] The Dakota is also part of the Central Park West Historic District, which was designated as an NRHP district in 1982,[231] as well as the Upper West Side Historic District, which became a New York City historic district in 1990.[232]. Despite her caution after her mothers experience of being in love with a married man, Sara finds herself falling in love with Theodore Camden, the architect who hired her to manage the building. [76] The building particularly appealed to theatrical figures because of its proximity to the Broadway Theater District, which was also on the West Side. [1][59][67] The strength of the Dakota's superstructure rivaled that of contemporary office buildings. But the absence of a genetic connection means Bailey wont see a dime of the Camden familys substantial estate. XXI - 1924. [18][47][48] The decision to place the mechanical plant under a garden, rather than directly under the building, was a deliberate measure to reassure residents in case the machinery exploded. What research did you do? The building was not given its name until mid-1882, and Clark died before the Dakota was completed in October 1884. The facade is largely composed of brick with sandstone trim and terracotta detailing. [161] The fireplaces were also restored in the late 1990s or early 2000s, requiring some of the fireplace flues to be replaced. [69] According to historical records collated by historian Andrew Alpern, the Dakota's earliest residents were active in a variety of industries. [17][67][70] Some apartments had plaster ceilings. [14] The Dakota's board announced in 2002 that it planned to restore the interior courtyard, and it hired Higgins & Quasebarth as a consulting architect. Martha Verda Camden. [30] The thick walls, floor slabs, and partitions also provided noise insulation. [144] Residents tended to live in the building for several decades, leading The New York Times to observe: "It is reported that no Dakotan leaves the building permanently unless it is feet first". [23] The Dakota's board also voted in 1975 to ban the installation of air conditioners that protruded through the building's facade, since the LPC would have to approve every air conditioner that was installed. [156] The Dakota has also appeared in several popular media works, including Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. [15][23], Clark died in 1883 and bequeathed the apartment complex to his oldest grandson, Edward Severin Clark, who at the time was 12 years old. There are 11 bays on 72nd Street to the south and Central Park West to the east; 13 bays on 73rd Street to the north; and 17 bays to the west. [35] The service elevators, among the first in the city, lead to the kitchens of the apartments. The Dakota was constructed between 1880 and 1884 in the Renaissance Revival style and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh for businessman Edward Cabot Clark. [154] According to the Chicago Tribune, the Dakota became a makeshift memorial for Lennon, especially among fans of his rock band The Beatles. [64], The building also had common spaces shared by all residents, including a dining room and a ballroom. "[9][10] In September 1884, the Real Estate Record reported that the Dakota "will be ready for occupancy October 1" at a yearly rent of $1,500 to $5,000 and that one-quarter of the units had already been rented. It was my favorite book I was horse crazy but deeply moved by the characters insights and transformation and I mustve checked out the book dozens of times to re-read. Some Dakota building stories indicate that this New York City landmark is haunted as well as cursed. But when a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house The Dakota, leads to a job offer, her world is suddenly awash in possibilityno mean feat for a servant in 1884. [75] In the original plans, each elevator served two apartments per floor. : What do you find most rewarding about writing historical fiction? The building is also a contributing property to the Central Park West Historic District. Perhapsshe lived in the area when the Dakota was built in 1884. [15][113] Though the Clark family never denied this story,[65] its veracity is disputed, as contemporary publications did not discuss the building's remoteness. [26], The building was renamed the "Dakota" by June 1882. "[42][220] Hardenbergh, who remained involved in his designs after their completion,[221] wrote a letter objecting to American Architect's characterization of the courtyard. [101] During the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class, but by the late 19th century, apartments were also becoming desirable among the middle and upper classes. [50][52][61] Portraits of a man and woman (probably Edward C. Clark's partner Isaac Merritt Singer and Isaac's wife Isabella Boyer Singer) are placed above the doorway. The thicknesses of the exterior walls varied at different stories: Sources disagree on the number of apartments that the Dakota originally had. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibility - no mean feat for a servant [9][10] While most of the building contained fully-equipped apartments, with their own entrances and service elevators/stairs, part of the second floor was divided into smaller apartments and guest rooms. The next book will be set at Grand Central Terminal one of New York Citys most famous iconic buildings and Im having a blast working on it. Henry Hardenbergh? [76], In January 1961, the Glickman Corporation paid $4.6 million for the Dakota and an adjoining lot that contained the building's boiler room. [12] Unlike other large apartment buildings on Central Park West, the Dakota was not named after a previous building on the site. In 1961, the Dakota's residents bought the building from the Clark family and converted it into a housing cooperative. The location of Clark's apartment was intended to attract tenants who were still accustomed to low-rise row houses. Fiona Davis:I love the research phase, when anything is possible and the ideas are bubbling away. [46] Under the co-op arrangement, the residents were obligated to share all maintenance and repair costs, which the Clark family had previously handled. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. [52] Some of the apartments also had balconies, which allowed apartment layouts to be further customized, while also blending in with the building's overall design. After all, everyone knows it as the place where Lennon died. [4][9][10] Nearby locations include the Majestic apartment building immediately to the south, the Olcott Hotel to the west, the Langham apartment building to the north, and Central Park (including the Strawberry Fields memorial) to the east. [69][220] American Architect had only one complaint: "The service-entrances to the suites are situated upon the same court-yard, so that grocers' wagons and ice-carts are almost always to be seen standing about in the space which should be reserved exclusively for more fashionable equipages, and for the promenades of the tenants of the house. [82] The Dakota also had a ladies' reception room with an artwork by the Misses Greatorex. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. There aren't many Hollywood stories more tragic than Marilyn Monroe's. [40][57], Each elevation of the facade is divided vertically into bays. Director Roman Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, became increasingly interested in the occult as a result of the movie. Residents generally continued to live in the building for prolonged periods, and maintenance costs continued to increase. Horse-drawn carriages, entering from 72nd Street, used the courtyard to turn around. [28] Because the Dakota was one of the city's earliest luxury apartment buildings, the floor plans resembled those of traditional row houses. [32][33], The building is largely square in plan and built around a central "I"-shaped courtyard. [39] There was also a long waiting list of potential tenants, and apartments rented for a relatively low $6,000 to $7,000 per year. According to Wilbur Ross, a former president of the Dakota's board, a planned "centennial art book" about the building was canceled in 1984 because the Dakota was so poorly documented. The kitchens had marble wainscoting and Minton tile, while the bathrooms contained porcelain bathtubs. Sara is to be the new managerette of the soon-to-be opened The Dakota. [25][30][64][b] The superstructure includes rolled steel beams on each floor, spaced every 3 to 4ft (0.91 to 1.22m) and measuring 6 to 12in (150 to 300mm) deep. 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