152 East 38th Street House

History and architecture

Elegance and charm are abundantly evident in the architectural quality of this three-story Federal style brick house. Separated from the street by a spacious forecourt and an inner landscaped garden, this outstanding town house is partly shielded from view by a one story brick wall dividing the forecourt from the garden. The wall and six slender columns with modified Ionic capitals support a covered walkway intended to provide shelter for those about to pass through the two entrance gates in the arched openings of the wall.

In the forecourt the east and west walls are each decorated with a blind arch, flanked by paired pilasters in low relief supporting a plain frieze and simple cornice. above each arch Greek ante-fixed motifs decorate the corners of a low pitched pediment. .At the sidewalk the landscaped area is enclosed by a low railing having paired gates flanked by posts bearing handsome lanterns. In the inner garden, rose ramblers climb trellises and ivy provides ground cover for a large, central plot. A life size bronze nude graces the brick wall, facing the house.

In a setting such as this, the house has an aura of charm. The first floor, raised four steps from the flagstone court, has a superb doorway, The door with glass side lights is framed by delicate pilasters supporting a molded entablature and a handsomely designed transom. Delicate iron trellises, in lieu of columns, support the graceful, scalloped bronze canopy covering the stoop. The line of the top step is continued as a wide horizontal stone band course, forming the sill of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the entrance floor. The upper two stories are three windows wide, with double-hung sash and attractive black exterior blinds. This brick house is painted gray with judicious use of white, or on occasion, black trim. It has a frieze decorated with rosettes and a simple cornice crowned by a low brick parapet.