L.L. [69] Parlors were generally 25 by 40ft (7.6 by 12.2m). [137] The New York Times wrote in the 1920s that the Dakota "has always maintained its old-time popularity". [76] Beside servants' quarters, there was a playroom and a gymnasium on the roof, which was labeled as the "tenth story". [40] The Dakota's courtyard originally contained two fountains, which doubled as skylights for the basement. The Address Davis, Fiona, 1966- "After a failed apprenticeship, working her way up to head housekeeper of a posh London hotel is more than Sara Smythe ever thought she'd make of herself. [21][34] A group of businessmen formed the West Side Association the same year. I found Sara to be extremely likable, sympathetic, relatable, and quite strong. [119][120] Other tradesmen joined the strike but returned to work within a month. Originally, arched balconies connected the gables. [28][1][38] The main courtyard also functioned as a meeting area for residents, since the rest of the building was designed with "the utmost in personal privacy" as a consideration. Discover and add pictures, bio information and documents about the life of Theodore Camden (1918). [35] In some cases, an elevator served only one apartment on a floor, so the elevator doors opened directly into that tenant's foyer. I was so taken with THE ADDRESS mainly because it combines several of my passions: architecture, interior design, and madness. For the region of the United States, see. What research did you do? But I cant for the life of me remember the name. [222] Since then, the building and its inhabitants have been detailed in numerous periodicals, including Look and Architectural Forum. The kitchens had marble wainscoting and Minton tile, while the bathrooms contained porcelain bathtubs. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. 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. [a] All of these houses were designed by Hardenbergh. Are the ghosts of the Dakota building responsible for the curse, and why do so many residentsdie young? She was infamously killed by members of the Manson family. 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 possibility--no mean feat for a servant in 1884. [69], In addition to the Dakota's in-house staff, each tenant could employ up to five of their own servants on site. [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. WebThe year is 1885 and brilliant architect Theodore Camden offers London hotel housekeeper Sara Smythe a once-in-a-lifetime chance to accompany Camden to New York to manage the Dakota, an apartment building on Manhattans Upper West Side, which he helped to build. Fresh out of rehab and struggling with staying sober, she gets offered a job by her cousin, Melinda, to oversee the Renovation of The Dakota. [130] By the early 1890s, there was a waiting list for vacant apartments. The plant's roof was constructed of brick arches and iron beams, and the garden was planted above it. [35][41] After automobiles supplanted horse-drawn carriages, the Dakota banned automobiles from the courtyard[41] because the space could not support the weight of modern vehicles. 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. In 1886, house numbers on the Upper West Side were renumbered based on distance from Central Park West (Eighth Avenue), so the Dakota became 1 West 72nd Street. [167] Notable residents of the Dakota have included:.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}, As at other luxury apartment buildings in New York City, some of the Dakota's residents use their units as pieds-a-terre rather than as their primary residences. (an article of clothing, toy, book, something else?). [31] Due to the apartments' high ceilings, the Dakota's height was equivalent to that of a standard 15-story building. [17][30], The building's main entrance is a double-height archway on 72nd Street to the south. [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. [49] There were also tennis and croquet courts within the garden. WebOne hundred years later, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities: Fresh out of rehab, the former interior designer is homeless, jobless, and penniless. [155][229], The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Dakota as a New York City landmark in February 1969. L.L. The Dakota apartment building is one of the most architecturally significant places in New York City. [71] Architect Robert A. M. Stern wrote in 1999: "The Dakota was an undisputed masterpiece, far and away the grandest apartment house of the Gilded Age in New York and rivaling, if not exceeding, in logic and luxury any comparable building in Paris and London". [151] At the time, the building employed about 30 staff. One hundred years later, in 1985 NYC, Bailey Camden is an interior designer charged with renovating The Dakota. Joey Harrow, a fellow musician, told people that he saw Lennon standing surrounded by light in the building's archway. It is largely square in plan and built around a central "I"-shaped courtyard, through which all apartments are accessed. Martha Verda Camden. The building was not given its name until mid-1882, and Clark died before the Dakota was completed in October 1884. ], Author| Interviewer |Book Reviewer| Photographer. 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. [17][43] The original plans had called for the dining area to be accessible to the general public,[34][82] but the plans were modified before the building opened, and the dining room only served residents. "[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. [73] This gave residents a feeling of privacy, since tenants were largely separated both from each other and from servants. The kitchens and bathrooms contained modern fixtures, though other decorations such as moldings, woodwork, and floor surfaces were similar to those in many row houses. [26][105] In early October 1880, about two weeks before construction began, the Real Estate Record and Guide reported that the building was to be a "residential hotel" with between 40 and 50 suites, each with five to twenty rooms. [30][67][71] Between the first and second stories, the walls of the staircases are wainscoted with marble. It's also intriguing for a few darker reasons, most notably as the backdrop to John Lennon's murder. Lists of spooky places around the world where you might see, here, or feel a real ghost. [118] Work on the Dakota was delayed in August 1883 when the plasterers went on strike to protest the employment of non-union laborers at the site. Shes not your typical kowtowing woman of the Victorian Era. 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. [69] The attic had six water tanks, each with a capacity of 5,000U.S.gal (19,000L). XXI - 1924. [173][193] In 2002, the board rejected corrugated cardboard magnate Dennis Mehiel;[206] he was only allowed to move into the building 20 years later. Writers Sarah Bradford Landau and Carl W. Condit described the building as being built in a German Renaissance Revival style,[25] but a contemporary source described the building's design as being patterned after "the period of Francis I". [80], According to a 1996 article in New York magazine, many brokers classified the Dakota as one of five top-tier apartment buildings on Central Park West, largely because of its residents, large scale, and "historical prestige". A.I.A. [217], Praise for the building continued in later years. She's not the only one to have had a paranormal encounter with Lennon, either. What might have I forgotten to ask about? "[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. For instance, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono paid a monthly fee of $12,566 for her 6,000sqft (560m2) apartment in 1996, while a similarly-sized apartment at the nearby San Remo had a monthly maintenance cost of $6,000. The challenge comes when you have to narrow down the plot and characters and come up with a story that accurately represents the time periods but also keeps the reader guessing. [25][65][66] Partitions in the hallways are made of "fireproof blocks", while partitions in other parts of the building are made of either "fireproof blocks" or brick. [162] The restoration of the courtyard started in February 2004 and was completed seven and a half months later. You may know it as the apartment building where ROSEMARYS BABY was filmed, or perhaps where John Lennon died, or maybe you just think of it as a Bavarian monstrosity on the Upper West End where may playwrights, actors, writers, musicians live. [11], The Dakota's developer Edward Cabot Clark, who headed the Singer Manufacturing Company, selected the building's site based on several characteristics. Fall book wreath from L. Lindsays archives. [129], According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the Dakota, along with the American Museum of Natural History several blocks north, helped establish the "early character" of Central Park West. Other decorations included wood-burning fireplaces with tiled hearths; brass fixtures; and carved mirrors and mantels. [95][96] This was in part because of the West Side's steep topography and its dearth of attractions compared with the East Side. The building's design includes deep roofs with dormers, terracotta spandrels and panels, niches, balconies, and balustrades. There is also a security guard's booth to the west of the main entrance. [46] Under the co-op arrangement, the residents were obligated to share all maintenance and repair costs, which the Clark family had previously handled. [17][43] Residents could also order food from the basement kitchen to be delivered to their rooms. [106][110] Work was slightly delayed by a labor strike in March 1882. The apartments were divided into quadrants, each of which had a stair and an elevator for tenants, as well as another stair and another elevator for servants. The residents included lawyers, brokers, merchants, and clothiers, although they also included a cigar merchant, a coal-mine operator, and a stenographer. apartment. [138] Whereas the Dakota underwent few alterations in its first fifty years, the neighborhood changed dramatically during that period. One hundred years later we meet Bailey Camden, She has been stripped of everything, a former interior designer, drugs became her way of life. The opportunity to move to America. Ruey Ervin. [42], After the Dakota was completed, ornamental-iron contractor Hecla Iron Works published advertisements of the building in Architectural Record. Stephen Birmingham's book Life at the Dakota was published in 1979,[156][225] while historian Andrew Alpern's book The Dakota: A History of the Worlds Best-Known Apartment Building was published in 2015. [79] Apartments on the east side of the building (facing Central Park) generally had a reception area, a drawing room, a library, a kitchen, a pantry, a bath, four bedrooms, one full bathroom, and butlers' and maids' quarters. : What do you find most rewarding about writing historical fiction? 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. [4], The Dakota is one of several apartment buildings on Central Park West that are primarily identified by an official name. [218], Some critics also made commentary about specific architectural elements of the Dakota. [29] The roof is covered with slate tiles, and dormer windows and corbeled brick chimneys protrude from the roof at multiple locations. [44][45], To the west of the Dakota was another garden, below which was the building's mechanical plant. [29][30] It measures 16ft (4.9m) wide and 20ft (6.1m) tall. [152] The Dakota was also added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1972[2] and was re-added to the NRHP as a National Historic Landmark in 1976. However, what makes the Dakota building history more fascinating than most is the close ties that it has to many notable people. [45] The facade also contains Nova Scotia sandstone trim and terracotta detailing. [40], A service driveway also runs along the western side of the main courtyard. WebThe Amphitheatre and Harbor Park were a gift by Mary Louise Curtis Bok in 1931. [68], The basement had a coal bunker with a capacity of 1,000 short tons (910t). [40][57], Each elevation of the facade is divided vertically into bays. [143][159] New mortar had been applied to the brickwork in the facade, but the light color of the mortar contrasted sharply with the darkened bricks. [127][128], The Dakota's address was originally 301 West 72nd Street, since the address numbers of buildings on Manhattan's westeast numbered streets were based on the building's distances from Fifth Avenue. The opportunity to move to America and become the female manager of The Dakota, which promises to be the greatest apartment house in the world. After reading TEN DAYS IN A MADHOUSE, I took the tram over to whats now called Roosevelt Island to visit the remaining structure, the Octagon, which today serves as the lobby to a condo. Whether or not that's true, there are many fascinating things that have happened in relation to this building. William Craig Camden. Additionally, Lennonstated that he saw a UFO from one of his apartment windows. (LogOut/ [26][67][c] The initial plans had called for six[77][78] or eight apartments of about equal size on each of the seven lowest floors. [18][25][28] The space measures 90ft (27m) long and up to 55ft (17m) wide. The location of Clark's apartment was intended to attract tenants who were still accustomed to low-rise row houses. In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. [81] The Dakota's construction drawings are no longer extant, so the original arrangement of the apartments is known only from written descriptions. : In my former career, I was a child/adolescent psych R.N. [18] The deck of the courtyard was entirely replaced in 2004 because the steel beams that supported it had corroded severely. Fiona Davis:Sara Smythe and Theodore Camden are fictional characters. 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. [23][143] Since the building had been designated a New York City landmark five years prior,[152] the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had to review every proposed modification to the exterior. [166] The project was completed two years later for $32 million. Henry Hardenbergh? [84], Residents customized their apartments to fit their needs and, in some cases, their occupations. [134], The Clarks tried to sell off an adjacent plot to the north, between 73rd and 74th Streets, in 1902 with the proviso that no building on that site be taller than the Dakota. The Dakota, also known as the Dakota Apartments, is a cooperative apartment building at 1 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Henry Hardenbergh was the actual architect for the Dakota (and the Plaza Hotel and a number of other fabulous buildings), so I didnt mind having him make a cameo, but I didnt want to try to fit his life into my story. The building was one of the first large developments on the Upper West Side and is the oldest remaining luxury apartment building in New York City. Two generations ago, Baileys grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. [18] Above the sixth story is a stone cornice, which separates the seventh story and the roof from the rest of the facade. [34][219] American Architect and Architecture wrote: "the court-yard is symmetrically and handsomely shaped". 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. 1880 - 1968. Leslie Lindsay: Fiona, its a pleasure to welcome you back to the blog couch. [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. The Dakota had its own power plant, so the lack of municipal electric service did not affect the building. [17][43] There were 300 electric bells and 4,000 electric lights, all powered by the mechanical plant to the west of the building. [159] The Dakota's board decided to repair the most deteriorated bricks rather than replace the whole facade. The radiators in each apartment were placed under the window sills. [65][97][113] Back in 1879, Clark had proposed naming the Upper West Side's north-south avenues after states or territories in the Western United States, though his suggestions had been ignored. The Dakota was fully rented upon its completion. Creepy Ghost Stories from the US Civil War, Scary Facts About Huge Tourist Attractions, The Cursed Dakota Building In NYC Has A Long, Tragic, And Macabre History, reading a letter that predicted his untimely death. [60] By that October, the building had been constructed to the second story, although the Real Estate Record wrote that "it is hardly to be expected that it will be under roof before the winter sets in". [17][43][26] This driveway was used to deliver goods and "commodities of housekeeping", as well as remove garbage and ashes. It's possible that the ghost John Lennon talked about seeing made appearances in front of several other people. 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