Building of the Week: 1000 Park Avenue

1916 rendering of 1000 Park Avenue, with its original glass marquee, since removed, from the collection of the Office for Metropolitan History.

In 1916, architect Emery Roth designed the luxury apartment building at 1000 Park Avenue for Fenlo Realty, a subsidiary of Bing & Bing. The Bing brothers were famous for being among the first to recognize Park Avenue’s potential as a residential thoroughfare, and the statues at 1000 Park’s entrance are said to represent them. Shortly after 1000 Park, Roth designed another apartment building for the brothers 20 blocks south at 570 Park Avenue. A 1916 article in the Real Estate Record and Guide notes that as the steel frame for the eighth floor of 1000 Park was going up, the excavation work for the foundations for 570 Park was beginning. Brown Harris Stevens now manages both of these buildings.

Roth was famous for working classical styles like Italian Renaissance into new forms, as he did with the San Remo. However, the apartment building at 1000 Park Avenue is in a different style altogether: Gothic Revival. He ornamented the building’s façade with terra cotta details, including gargoyles, heraldic shields, squirrels, and owls. Grotesques hold miniature versions of the nearby Park Avenue Christian Church, nodding to the structure whose architectural style likely inspired 1000 Park’s design. A recent award-winning restoration ensures that these architectural details will last through the building’s next century of life and beyond.

Historic occupants include figures in both the arts and real estate. Resident James Joseph Rorimer oversaw the construction of the Cloisters and the expansion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was an Army captain during World War II, receiving the Legion of Honor for uncovering art stolen by the Nazis. Another resident was William Guthman, who worked for Bing & Bing for almost 29 years building apartment houses and hotels along Park and Fifth avenues, eventually becoming president of the firm.

Period literature about the apartment’s construction states that, “In the finish and equipment of the various suites the best modern practice as applied to high-class apartment houses will be followed.” Reporters noted the wood-burning open fireplaces in the larger suites, still present today. Demand for luxury living on Park Avenue was high, and the building was fully rented by the time it was ready for occupancy in October 1916. 1000 Park has continued to contribute to the Upper East Side’s real estate prestige, topping the priciest residential closings at least twice in the past seven years, with $10.4 million for a unit in 2022 and $6.5 million for a unit in 2019.

More About Us: The Office for Metropolitan History (MetroHistory) is pleased to offer its services to Brown Harris Stevens brokers working with pre-war buildings. Founded in 1975 by the late architectural historian and New York Times columnist Christopher Gray, MetroHistory has long been recognized as New York City’s premier specialist in building research and document recovery. For research inquiries, please reach out directly to Sam Hightower, Director, [email protected], (212) 799-0520.

Services Available

• Drawing Recovery: Locating original architectural, structural, and mechanical drawings.





• Historic Photographs: Access to a collection of 40,000 negatives and 18,000 photographs.





• Literature Review: Comprehensive review of architectural periodicals, historic newspapers, brochures, deeds, and other archival material.





• Building Reports: Synthesis of the literature review into a compelling story. Can be targeted for more specialized technical and legal needs.

When To Call Us

• Renovation Needs: When clients want to blow out the wall between the living and dining rooms, we will find the blueprints that actually tell them what they need to know: where the beams, columns, and risers are. 





• Marketing Premier Listings: Add credibility and historic gravitas to your promotional material with original drawings, old photographs, and property history.





• Client Gifts: There is no more perfect gift for the proud new owner of a pre-war apartment than a historic photograph or drawing elegantly framed.





• Centennial Celebrations: For their upcoming centennials, boards of pre-war apartment buildings can engage our services to learn more about the history of their buildings and prepare for their next hundred years.

Click here to learn more about the Office for Metropolitan History