Before we were here. THE BUILDING Year Book of the Architectural League of New York, 1893, p.94 The builder-developer Edward Kilpatrick (1829?-1898), born in Ireland, immigrated to the United States at the age of 11 and learned the carpenter's trade. In the late 1860s Kilpatrick worked as a building sub-contractor, establishing himself as a builder and developer on the Upper West Side by the 1880s. In the early 1890s Kilpatrick set up a lumber yard and factory for the making of interior trim at 42 West 67th Street. (Landmarks Preservation Commission 354 Central Park West House report, p. 3.) League of American Wheelmen Bulletin, July 3, 1896, p. 23
American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record, July 1912, p. 93 The proposed new Musicians Building: Evolution of an idea (click here to see the complete clippings) November 13, 1915: Rumored Artists Hotel a newly formed syndicate of artists plan to build a new hotel, similar to the Hotel des Artistes now being built at Central Park West and 67 th Street (Real Estate Record and Guide, November 13, 1915, p. 820) November 21, 1915: New Hotel for Artists. another home building is planned for the studio block, as Sixty-seventh Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, is called
The new building will probably be similar to the other structure, though taller. The first floor will contain a large exhibition room, while the upper part will be given over to living quarters for artists and students. (New York Times, November 21, 1915, p. XXI) November 25, 1915: MUSICAL FLATS EXPERIMENT NOVEL ONE A syndicate of artists, among them are Henry Ranger, Edwin Isham, George Devoll and Dr. M.L. Rhein, will erect an eight story apartment studio building in which the partitioning will be so completely sound proof that a prima donna practicing arias with the full strength of her lungs will not disturb or be disturbed by, an amateur trombonist, say, who may be stridently perfecting his art. Shortly after the syndicate acquired [the property] with the purpose of putting up a building for artists their attention was called to the plight of musicians who, so far as any one was aware, had no apartment where they could essay to practice as much as they pleased and as loudly as they pleased at any hour of the day or night. Owing to the restrictions that had been placed upon musicians a musical colony had grown up in the neighborhood of Carnegie Hall. So Mr. Ranger and his associates instructed their architects, Shape & Bready, to construct the east wing solely for the benefit of musicians In order to
make the building agreeable to the musical fraternity, the architects planned a sound proof construction, with walls and floors of such sound resisting capability as would permit of a brass band playing in one apartment while a soprano was running through her exercises in the apartment adjoining. Many musicians have already expressed their intention to lease apartments The west wing will be constructed with particular attention to the requirements of those who live by brush and pencil. The architects have designed an Elizabethan structure [which] permits the use of many windows, a feature necessary to studio building construction. (The Sun, November 25, 1915, front page) November 28, 1915 MUSICIANS TO SHARE WITH ARTISTS An effort will be made to segregate the different classes of tenants. That is, artists will be encouraged to buy apartments in the west wing and musicians in the east wing. No serious objection, however, will be made to artists or musicians going in either wing. It will be the first apartment where musical folks can live without restriction as to the practicing or teaching of their
art. At present a musicians workshop is far from his home, for the reason that apartment house owners find it a financial necessity to see that they are separated, for the average apartment liver takes pride in sensitive nerves. The plight of the musicians came to the notice of the artists as they were planning and it was readily decided to come to the aid of their musical friends if their architects could give assurance that the harmony and melody could be controlled. The architects promised this could be done. On each floor will be eight suites which may be connected with those adjoining or those below. The block is rapidly developing into one of the city s leading art centres. (The Sun, November 28, 1915, front page) November 28, 1915: A co-operative home of artistic design for persons of artistic taste, although not necessarily artists in the real meaning of that word, has been planned for a large plot. Aside from the many interesting features of this new addition to the west side artistic community, it brings into marked prominence the remarkable development within the last few years of the Sixty-seventh Street block. The building will be the sixth large community home in that block for artists, musicians, literary workers, and
others of moderate means whose interests are more or less identified with such pursuits. An interesting feature [is sound proofing] with a view of blocking the sound of a multitude of musical harmonies or otherwise, before they can reach the precincts of a neighboring apartment where the charm of quietness may be desired by the occupants. The attention which has thus been shown for the comfort of musicians and their apartment neighbors has aroused considerable interest in the musical world. [The building] has been designed purely as an apartment house the plan being that of two buildings connected by a central entrance. There will be sixty-four studio apartments and so planned as to permit of expansion, duplex or otherwise. The exterior will be suggestive of the Elizabethan architecture which lends itself to the use of exceptional glass areas while retaining something of that domestic character. (New York Times, November 28, 1915, p. XXI) January 25, 1917 New studio apartments are now in course of construction in New York to be completed about March 1, in a block already made famous by studio apartment buildings.
The apartments consist of studio, library, bedroom, foyer, kitchen and bath, at moderate rentals. The building is considered one of the best, in design and construction, of its kind that has ever been built in New York. The agents report that they have already rented from the plans more than 25 per cent of the available apartments. (Musical Courier, January 25, 1917, p.28)
Advertisements New York Times, September 25 th, 1924, p. 39: New York Times, June 16 th, 1929 p. RE10:
New York Herald Tribune, April 20, 1930, p E9: New York Times, September 14, 1938, p. 21: New York Herald Tribune, August 30, 1942, p. E6: