116 E 80th Street House (Formerly Lewis Spencer Morris House)

History and architecture

This residence of elegant simplicity designed in the Federal Style is four stories high, with an English basement. It is built of red brick laid in Flemish bond. The rather austere character of the building is soon forgotten in observing its fine proportions and the attractive relationship of the windows 'to the house as a whole. The details of design and workmanship, the beautifully patterned brick-work and the quiet accent of the white stone cornice and pediment all combine to produce a residence of unusual character and distinction.

In their design of the front elevation, the architects combined the basement and the upper floors into a formal arrangement, capping them with a cornice and a parapet which almost conceals the top floor set back behind them. Each floor has four windows symmetrically arranged, those at the first floor are arched, while those above are rectangular. The two center windows at each floor are grouped together in a wall, that projects slightly forward from the main facade and is surmounted by the pediment.

The cornice and window sills are of white stone as is the horizontal band above the English basement. The two entrances, left and right of the forward projecting center section, are variations within the overall pattern of arched bays. The main entrance (right) has a semi-circular fanlight directly above the doorway, consisting of a narrow, overhanging cornice, supported by consoles forming part of the fluted trim. The service entrance (left) has an arched window separated by brickwork from a small door below, the two elements forming a single unit within the arch.

The choice of the Federal style by the architects Cross & Cross is appropriate for this residence built in 1922 for Lewis Spencer Morris, a descendant of Lewis Morris III who was a member of the second Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It seems to carry a continuity of tradition into the Twentieth Century. The use of this style for fine residences generally ended after 1929 when the great financial depression brought a new pattern of life to the United States.