History and architecture
The Pratt New York Phoenix School of Design, a five-story brick and stone neo-Classical institutional building, is located on the northwest corner of Lexington Avenue and 30th Street. Built in 1908-09, it was designed by New York City architect Harvey Wiley Corbett of the firm Helmle & Corbett.
The school was founded as the New York School of Applied Design for Women on May 31, 1892, and was first housed in rented quarters at 200 West 23rd Street. Its stated purpose was that "…of affording to women practical instruction which will enable them to earn a livelihood by the application of ornamental design to manufacture and the numerous Arts and Crafts." The school fulfilled this mission, and generations of students received instruction in crafts such as book illustration, textile and wallpaper design, interior decoration, and other related fields. The Directors of the school were intensely conceded with the students' professional achievements, and the commissions of both students and graduates were duly noted in the Minute Books.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.