S. Niewenhous, Inc. Architectural Specifications Collection
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Abstract
Collection of architectural specifications and contracts relating to the alteration, expansion, or construction of schools, hospitals, religious institutions, apartment buildings, warehouses and private residences done by S. Niewenhous, Inc. in New York City between 1881 and 1923.
Historical Note
Siebrand Niewenhous founded his company of builders, S. Niewenhous, Inc., in Manhattan in the late 1870s. After his death in 1914, the presidency of the company was taken over by August Niewenhous. The company worked on construction projects in all five boroughs of New York, many of which were for Roman Catholic organizations. S. Niewenhous, Inc. remained in operation until 1952.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged into twoseries:
- Series I: Institutional Buildings
- Series II: Miscellaneous Buildings
Scope and Content Note
The S. Niewenhous, Inc. Architectural Specifications Collection spans the period from 1881 to 1923 and primarily contains specifications and contracts relating to the alteration, expansion, or construction of schools, hospitals, religious institutions, apartment buildings, warehouses, factories, stables, and private residences in New York City. Some materials are undated. Related correspondence, permits, and detail drawings are also present. Included are specifications by architects I.E. Ditmars, William Schickel, Schickel & Ditmars, Henry A. Koelble, Julius Boekell & Sons, Ditmars & Brite, John H. Friend, Thomas J. Duff, Charles H. Baxter & Co., Michael J. Garvin, John E. Kerby, Julius Kastner, Carl L. Otto, and F. Joseph Untersee.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Topics
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as S. Niewenhous, Inc. Architectural Specifications Collection, PR 093, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Provenance
Gift of George B. Niewenhous, February 24, 2001.
About this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I: Institutional Buildings
Scope and Contents note
Series I consists of architectural specifications for projects undertaken for institutions, many of which were associated with the Roman Catholic Church, dating from 1881 to 1918. Materials are arranged by type of institution into four subseries: Charitable Organizations, Churches, Hospitals, and Schools. Thereunder they are arranged alphabetically. All of the buildings are in New York City, with the exception of a project at the Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, New York. Most of the documents in this series relate to alterations or additions made to existing buildings.
Charitable Organizations
St. Francis Home, Manhattan - 605-617 East 5th Street, 1906-1912, inclusive
Society of Catholic Mechanics, Manhattan - East 88th Street near Third Avenue, undated
Churches
Capuchin Fathers Convent, Manhattan -- Stanton and Pitt Streets, 1881, inclusive
Church of the Assumption Clubhouse, Manhattan - West 50th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, 1911, inclusive
Church of the Immaculate Conception Clubhouse, Bronx, 1907, inclusive
Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary, Esopus, NY, 1905 1911, inclusive
Redemptorist Fathers Clubhouse, Bronx, undated
St. Alphonsus Sisters Residence, Manhattan - 14 Thompson Street, 1913, inclusive
St. Alphonsus Rectory, Manhattan - 308 West Broadway, 1913-1918, inclusive
St. Joseph's Asylum Chapel, Manhattan - East 90th Street, 1907, inclusive
St. Joseph's Church Rectory, Manhattan - 421 East 86th Street, 1908, inclusive
St. Mary's Church, Bronx - 150th Street and Melrose Avenue, undated
St. Pious Church and Rectory, Bronx - 145th Street, east of Willis Avenue, 1907, inclusive
Hospitals
German Hospital and Dispensary (currently Lenox Hill Hospital),Manhattan - Park Avenue between East 76th and East 77th Streets, 1910, inclusive
Nazareth House of the Sisters of Charity, Bronx - Spuyten Duyvil, 1907, inclusive
New York Foundling Hospital, Manhattan - East 67th - 68th Streets, 1909, inclusive
St. Anthony's Hospital, Queens - Woodhaven, undated
St. Francis Hospital, Bronx - East 142nd Street, Brook Avenue and St. Ann's Street, 1910, inclusive
St. Joseph's Hospital, Bronx - 143rd and 144th Streets and Brook Avenue, 1906-1914, inclusive
St. Joseph's Hospital, Bronx - 143rd and 144th Streets and Brook Avenue, 1915-1918, inclusive
St. Vincent's Hospital, Staten Island, 1908, inclusive
Schools
Parochial School, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Manhattan - 62nd Street, between First and Second Avenues, 1906, inclusive
School of St. Francis of Assisi, Manhattan - 143 West 31st Street, 1911, inclusive
Series II: Miscellaneous Buildings
Scope and Contents note
Series II consists of architectural specifications for the erection of or alteration to a variety of buildings including apartment houses, warehouses, office buildings, factories, stables, sheds, and outhouses dating from 1897-1923. Materials are arranged by New York City borough and thereunder by address; miscellaneous and unidentified materials are at the end of the series. Some specifications concern the erection of new buildings, but many relate to minor alterations or additions to existing structures. Where building types are identified in the specifications they are noted in parentheses after the address. Included in this series is one folder of miscellaneous specifications containing sections of documents for unidentified building projects. One folder at the end of the series contains general specifications and detail drawings for such things as roofing and concrete reinforcement.