History and architecture
The Russell Sage Foundation Building was constructed in 1912-13 for the foundation established in 1907 with an unprecedented ten million dollar bequest of Olivia Sage, one of the world's wealthiest and most important philanthropic women. These funds, applied "to the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States of America," made it one of the leading reform social service organizations of the Progressive era. Mrs. Sage wanted a suitable headquarters that would also serve as a memorial to her husband Russell.
Architect Grosvenor Atterbury's elegant design was inspired by the sixteenth-century Florentine palazzo but adapted to a twentieth-century office building. The structure's principal facades are almost entirely clad in rockfaced sandstone of a light brown/pink color. Atterbury. known for his homes for the very wealthy, also designed model tenements and housing projects, including Forest Hills Gardens (1909-22) for the foundation. This building is an unusual and significant example of his work.
It also contributed significantly to the important center of social services agencies in the vicinity of Gramercy Park. In 1922-23, a tenth-story penthouse was added and second-story granite sculpture panels were carved in 1922-26. The models for these panels were created by Rene Chambellan and are among his earliest known architectural sculpture. A complementary Annex was built in 1930-31, also designed by Atterbury with associate John A. Tompkins 11, for the New York School of Social Research and other agencies.
After a reorganization, the foundation sold its headquarters in 1949. The building was occupied from 1950 until 1973 by the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. It was subsequently converted into a cooperative apartment building.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.