Villard Houses
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Villard Houses
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(c.1890)
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| Location | 29½ 50th Street, 24—26 East 51st Street, and 451, 453, 455, and 457 Madison Avenue, New York City |
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| Coordinates | 40°45′29.22″N 73°58′30.91″W / 40.7581167°N 73.9752528°WCoordinates: 40°45′29.22″N 73°58′30.91″W / 40.7581167°N 73.9752528°W |
| Built | 1882–84 |
| Architect | Joseph M. Wells of McKim, Mead & White |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Other |
| NRHP Reference # | 75001210 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 2, 1975 |
| Designated NYCL | September 30, 1968 |
The "Villard Houses" is a historic landmark located at 455 Madison Avenue between 50th and 51st Street in Manhattan, New York City.
The building was constructed in 1884, designed by architect Joseph M. Wells of the architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. It is considered to be a Roman design with specific Renaissance touch points. Among the artists who worked on the building's elaborate interior were sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and painter Maitland Armstrong.
The houses were commissioned by Henry Villard, then president of the Northern Pacific Railway, shortly before his railroad empire began to crumble. Ownership of the building changed through many hands throughout the century. The houses themselves are now owned by the Sultan of Brunei, while the land remains the property of the Archdiocese of New York under a 99-year lease.
In 1968, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the complex an historical landmark. A combined restoration/new hotel complex construction project was proposed by real estate developer Harry B. Helmsley who constructed the 51-story New York Palace Hotel tower directly behind the original building. The project was designed by architects Emery Roth & Sons and Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer in 1977 and completed in 1980.
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