Watch “The Paterno Family: Chronicling a New York Real Estate Legacy” video on YouTube
Read ‘The Paterno Brothers & Their Manhattan Apartment Houses‘ Look Book
This building is featured in the video The Paterno Monograms: Art of Personalizing Apartment Buildings
1915 Rutherfurd 360 Riverside Drive
NB 336-1915
Riverside Drive; West 108th Street, 331; northeast corner
12-sty fireproof apartment house, 50×100 COST:
$300,000
OWNER:
The Anthony A. Paterno Construction Corp, 601 West 115th st
ARCHITECT:
Gaetan Ajello, 1 West 34th st
ADDRESS IN REAL ESTATE RECORD:
108TH ST, 331 West, n e cor Riverside Drive
Located in Riverside – West End Historic District Extension II designated 23 June 2015
Date: 1915
NB Number: NB 336-1915
Borough of Manhattan Tax Map Information: Block 1893, Lot 1
Type: Apartment Building
Architect/Builder: Ajello, Gaetan
Original Owner: The Anthony A. Paterno Construction Corporation
NYC Landmarks Designation: Historic District
Landmark Designation Report: Riverside Drive– West End Historic District Extension II
National Register Designation: N/A
Primary Style: Renaissance Revival
Primary Facade: Brick and Terra Cotta
Stories: 13
Historic District: Riverside-West End Historic District Extension II
Significant Architectural Features: Tripartite composition with three-story base, nine-story middle section, and one-story upper section; granite watertable; primary entrance features double-height, arched limestone enframement with molded panels, roundels, and cartouche; lower-story window openings feature Renaissance-inspired terra-cotta enframements; denticulated terra-cotta beltcourse above second story, molded terra-cotta beltcourses above third and 12th stories; middle-story window openings feature alternating pattern of corbelled and plain brick lintels, with projecting stone sills; fifthstory balconette and window openings with elaborate terra-cotta enframement; upperstory window openings feature terra-cotta enframements with elaborate arched tympanum; modillioned cornice
Alterations: Four-story fire escape installed
Notable History and Residents: Named the Rutherfurd
South Facade: Designed (historic, terra-cotta elements painted)
Door(s): Possibly historic primary door
Windows: Historic
Security Grilles: Historic (upper stories)
Cornice: Original
Sidewalk Material(s): Concrete
Curb Material(s): Granite (West 108th Street); bluestone (Riverside Drive)
West Facade: Designed (historic)
Facade Notes: Similar to West 108th Street facade
East Facade: Not designed (historic) (partially visible)
Facade Notes: Brick side facade; regular arrangement of window openings; service way accessed through historic iron fence and gate (source)
360 Riverside Drive (aka 331-339 West 108th Street)
Borough of Manhattan Tax Map Block 1893, Lot 1
Date: 1915 (NB 336-1915)
Architect/Builder: Gaetan Ajello
Original Owner: The Anthony A. Paterno Construction Corporation
Type: Apartment building
Style: Renaissance Revival
Stories: 13
Material(s): Brick; terra cotta
Significant Architectural Features: Tripartite composition with three-story base, nine-story
middle section, and one-story upper section; granite watertable; primary entrance features
double-height, arched limestone enframement with molded panels, roundels, and cartouche; lower-story window openings feature Renaissance-inspired terra-cotta
enframements; denticulated terra-cotta beltcourse above second story, molded terra cotta
beltcourses above third and 12th stories; middle-story window openings feature alternating pattern of corbelled and plain brick lintels, with projecting stone sills; fifth story balconette and window openings with elaborate terra-cotta enframement; upperstory window openings feature terra-cotta enframements with elaborate arched tympanum; modillioned cornice
Alterations: Four-story fire escape installed
Notable History and Residents: Named the Rutherfurd
South Facade: Designed (historic, terra-cotta elements painted)
Door(s): Possibly historic primary door
Windows: Historic
Security Grilles: Historic (upper stories)
Cornice: Original
Sidewalk Material(s): Concrete
Curb Material(s): Granite (West 108th Street); bluestone (Riverside Drive)
West Facade: Designed (historic)
Facade Notes: Similar to West 108th Street facade
East Facade: Not designed (historic) (partially visible)
Facade Notes: Brick side facade; regular arrangement of window openings; service way accessed through historic iron fence and gate (source)
1915
336
$300,000.00
108TH ST, 331 West, n e cor Riverside Drive 12-sty fireproof apartment house, 50˙100
OWNER / OWNER ADDRESS
(o) The Anthony A. Paterno Construction Corp / (o) 601 West 115th st COMMENTS
ARCHITECT / ARCHITECT ADDRESS
(a) Gaetan Ajello / (a) 1 West 34th st (source)
“Bayne’s 1887 original home at 360 Riverside Drive was bought in 1915 for $150,000 from Henry S.F. Davis’ heirs Cora B. and John A. Rutherfurd by the Anthony A. Paterno Construction Corp. In 1916 Paterno completed a 13 story building on the site and resold the property and the fully rented building to John A. Rutherfurd for $425,000. The building, appropriately named the Rutherfurd Apartments remains there today and is now a co-op.” Old New York In Photos #37 – Riverside Drive 108th Street
New York Architectural Terra Cotta Company Bids- Columbia University
Job #: 26221
Date: 1915-09-29
Architect: Ajello, Gaetan
Project: Apartment, 12-story
Client: Anthony Paterno Construction Co.
State: NY
City: Manhattan
Address: NE cor. 108th St. & Riverside Drive
Contractor: Anthony Paterno Construction Co.
Outcome Federal TCC (Federal Terra Cotta Company)
Building Type (AAT): apartment houses
Notes: revised bid
“You referred to 360 Riverside Drive as “The Rutherford.” That should be “Rutherfurd” with a U. The name is spelled correctly, carved in stone over the entrance. There is a cartouche above that, but it is blank—no initial. (See photo)
The site was formerly occupied by the home of Cora Rutherfurd, widow of John A. Rutherfurd. Mr. Rutherfurd was a grandson of John Rutherfurd, one of the three Commissioners responsible for the 1811 Commissioners’ Plan for Manhattan’s streets. The Rutherfurds are accustomed to the name being misspelled, but bravely maintain the original Scots spelling. (I know about this because a cousin of Mr. R’s was a friend of mine and I am still in touch with one Rutherfurd descendant.)
There is a story, which I can’t find the source for at the moment, that Cora Rutherfurd was quite put out by the construction of the Bonavista, the apartment building directly to the north, in 1906. Not wanting the apartment dwellers peering into her garden, she put up a spite wall that blocked the view from at least the first few floors.” Gil Tauber, August 2022
