Porter Arms

Watch “The Paterno Family: Chronicling a New York Real Estate Legacy” video on YouTube

Read ‘The Paterno Brothers & Their Manhattan Apartment Houses‘ Look Book

1906 Porter Arms 620 West 116th Street
– Joseph Paterno (Kelley Paterno page 285)

Located in the Morningside Heights Historic District designated 21 February 2017

Formerly the Fiora-ville/Fioraville or Paterno per Apartment Houses of the Metropolis (scroll down to see illustration)

Currently a dormitory on the Barnard College campus. (source)

1906
962
$400,000.00
116th st, s s, 250 w Broadway two 10-sty brk and stone apartment houses, 75˙83.6
OWNER / OWNER ADDRESS
(o) Paterno Bros, Inc / (o) 557 W 183d [183rd] st COMMENTS
ARCHITECT / ARCHITECT ADDRESS
(a) Schwartz & Gross / (a) 35 W 21st st (source)

(source)

620 West 116th Street (aka 620-622 West 116th Street) ( Porter Arms )
Borough of Manhattan Tax Map Block 1896, Lot 83
Date(s): 1906-07 (NB 962-1906)
Architect(s) / Builder(s): Schwartz & Gross
Owner(s) / Developer(s): Paterno Bros.
Type: Apartment building
Style(s): Beaux Arts with alterations
Stories: 10
Material(s): Red brick; limestone; terra-cotta
Status: Contributing

History, Significance and Notable Characteristics
Porter Arms and Altora Residence are Beaux Arts style apartment buildings designed by the firm of Schwartz & Gross built in 1906-07 for the Paterno Brothers, prolific apartment house builders in Morningside Heights between 1898 and 1924. Porter Arms is a ten-story red brick, limestone, and terra-cotta apartment building with ornamental features characteristic of the Beaux Arts style, including a two-story rusticated base, wide stone stoop with two-story arched main entrance, transitional story with decorative banding, elaborate wrought-iron balconettes, keyed window surrounds, upper stories with stone and terra-cotta details such as bracketed sills, lintels with sculpted keystones and wrought-iron railings, band courses, and an attic story with arched windows, ornate spandrel panels and metal cornice. David (Tayson) Torrence (1864-1951), actor who appeared in 104 films between 1913 and 1939, lived at 620 West 116th Street according to the 1910 census.

Alterations
West 116th Street Facade: Cornice removed; main entrance door replaced; non-historic light fixtures and metal numerals at main entrance; windows replaced; concrete ramp at main stoop; electrical conduit piping at first-story facade; siamese piping at basement facade
West Facade: Red brick facade; partially visible interior light-court; facade repointed and parged in several places; windows replaced


Site
Sunken areaways with stone stairs, stone newel posts, and wrought-iron railings and fencing; tall metal gate

Sidewalk / Curb Materials
Concrete sidewalk with metal curb

References
U. S. Census records, 1910.
(source)

“It was not until 1904 that Mr. Paterno signed a contract for this first ten-story building, the Broadway, at 620 West 116th Street.” Joseph Paterno obituary (source)

(source)
(source)
(1907 source)
(source) 616 and 620 West 116th Street. Flora Ville [Paterno?] and Porter Arms Apartments.
(source) Broadway and 114th, 115th, and 116th Streets showing Porter Arms, Fioraville, Broadview, Rexor, Regnor, and Luxor
(source)
(source) 116th Street between Riverside Drive and Claremont Avenue showing Porter Arms, Colosseum, Paterno, Stadium View, Shore View, Barnard Court, and Tompkins Hall
Joseph Paterno obituary 14 June 1939 New York Times
Photo by mjwoo44 for Carla Golden 2021 – The Colosseum is on the right
Photo by mjwoo44 for Carla Golden 2021
Photo by mjwoo44 for Carla Golden 2021 – L to R: Altora Residence Club, Porter Arms, and The Colosseum
Photo by mjwoo44 for Carla Golden 2021 – L to R: Altora Residence Club, Porter Arms, and The Colosseum – across the street on the right is The Paterno – Riverside Park is straight ahead
New-York tribune. [volume], November 28, 1907, Page 10, Image 10
The sun. [volume], September 01, 1907, Second Section, Page 9, Image 19
The sun. [volume], September 22, 1907, Second Section, Page 10, Image 22
The sun. [volume], August 15, 1909, Second Section, Page 10, Image 22
IN THE REAL ESTATE FIELD: Site Bought for New Apartment House in Audubon Park — Purchaser for Convent Avenue Dwelling — Other Dealings and Auction Sales.
New York Times (1857-1922); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 30 July 1909: 11.