520 West End Avenue

520 West End Avenue, also known as the John B. and Isabella Leech Residence, is a landmarked mansion on the northeast corner of West End Avenue and 85th Street, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

West facade

The house, built as a single-family residence, was built in 1892 as the residence of Isabella and John B. Leech. Leech was a prosperous cotton broker. The architect was Clarence F. True. At the time the Leech residence was built, West End Avenue was lined with homes belonging to prosperous families.^[1]

520 West End Avenue is a Romanesque Revival building, built of blocks of rusticated limestone on the first two floors with tan-colored Roman brick above. The detailing draws on Gothic Revival and Elizabethan Revival styles.^[1] Built on a corner lot, it was one of the largest homes on a street of townhouses.^[2] For a time it housed the Gordon-Winston School. It is now an apartment building.^[1]

Development battle

The house was declared a New York City landmark in 1987.^[3][4][5]

See also

• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets
• National Register of Historic Places listings in New York County, New York

References

1. Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Barbaralee (March 1998). Vinchesi, Amy L. (ed.). The Landmarks of New York III. New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-8109-3594-5.
2. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (2003). Guide to New York City Landmarks (3rd ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 149. ISBN 0-471-36900-4.
3. Dunlap, David W. (1987-04-30). "Panel Declares Landmark Site at Town House". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
4. Dunlap, David W. (1988-06-15). "Judge Overturns Landmark Status of Town House on Upper West Side". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
5. "Town House Made A Landmark Again". The New York Times. 1988-08-15. Retrieved 2009-09-05.

40°47′17.5″N 73°58′40.7″W