History and architecture
This apartment-hotel in the grand French Beaux Arts style occupies the entire blockfront on the west side of Broadway between 73rd and 74th Streets. It rises on its conspicuous site to a height of seventeen stories. Built at the turn of the century, with over three hundred suites, it was at that time one of the largest apartment-hotels in the world. The Ansonia is a symbol of an era of opulence and elegance, and still stands as one of the truly grand buildings of Manhattan's West Side.
The Ansonia hotel was built by William Earl Dodge Stokes, a noted capitalist and builder who was one of the leading developers of Riverside Drive and the Upper West Side. It was designed, in accordance with his specific instructions, by Paul DuBoy, a French architect. It was built by the Onward Construction Company which was owned by Stokes and for which he served as treasurer. His personal fortune had been inherited from his father, James Stokes, a partner in Phelps, Dodge & Co.
The name Ansonia was derived from Ansonia, Connecticut, where Stokes spent many summers and the town, in turn, had been named for Anson Greene Phelps, his maternal grandfather, who founded the Ansonia Brass & Copper Company.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.