1943 photograph of 940 Park Avenue, from the collection of the Office for Metropolitan History
On the northwest corner of Park Avenue and 81st Street stands 940 Park Avenue, a building that rewards close looking. Designed in 1925 by the idiosyncratic firm of George & Edward Blum and completed in 1926, it is one of Park Avenue’s most distinctive early Art Deco apartment houses.
The Blum brothers began their practice around 1910, producing unusual Secession-style façades for otherwise conventional speculative apartment buildings. By the mid-1920s, the influence of Art Deco reinvigorated their work. At 940 Park, they combined stylized Meso-American motifs with Romanesque massing to produce a richly patterned façade that feels both playful and monumental.
The 15-story rusticated brick elevations are embellished with warm, variegated yellow-orange cast stone and terra cotta. Pattern and color were hallmarks of the Blums’ work, and here they are on full display.
Look up to the 14th floor: notched balconies project from the façade, their iron railings formed as silhouette figures of children watering flowers and tending gardens. On 81st Street, above the main entrance, iron grilles incorporate gilt figures resembling the Three Graces and even a nude dancer. Whether the work of a particular artisan or the architects themselves, these details give 940 Park an individuality rare on so formal an avenue.
The building was erected by William G. Watters, who operated two hospital equipment supply companies and was otherwise not active in real estate. He established 940 Park as a rental and occupied an apartment himself. Although new building plans were filed in 1925, construction moved quickly, rising over a nine-month period in 1926.
Originally, the building contained suites of five to eight rooms and a nine-room duplex—layouts designed for comfortable, long-term living. Converted to cooperative ownership in the mid-20th century, 940 Park has maintained both its architectural integrity and its residential character.
Today, residents enjoy classic pre-war proportions: generous galleries, corner living rooms, wood-burning fireplaces in select lines, and layouts that accommodate both formal entertaining and everyday family life. White-glove service, a full-time doorman, fitness facilities, and private storage meet modern expectations, while many apartments have been thoughtfully updated with central air and renovated kitchens and baths.
Location has always been central to Park Avenue’s appeal, and 940 Park is particularly well-placed. It sits on the same block as, and is zoned for, P.S. 6 – Lillie D. Blake School, one of the Upper East Side’s most sought-after public elementary schools. For families, that proximity—just steps from the front door—adds a rare and practical dimension to the building’s architectural pedigree. Central Park, Museum Mile, and Madison Avenue’s boutiques are all moments away.
For buyers who value craftsmanship, distinctive design, and long-term stability, 940 Park Avenue offers something newer glass towers cannot replicate: character, permanence, and a sense of place.
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More About Us: 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.
To see if we can help, contact our director, Sam Hightower:
- Research@MetroHistory.com
- (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.
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