| PLAIN AND FANCY: Although the tenement carried a reputation for housing working people in crowded, dreary flats, as pure architecture it was not immune to the prevailing fashion for decoration, particularly in the latter part of the nineteenth century. You will see many decorative flourishes on the humble tenement in Hell's Kitchen. Note the treatment of doorways, windows, entablatures, and cornices. As architects and builders expressed themselves, they made opportunities for stone masons, bricklayers, and other artisans, many of them immigrants, to practice crafts learned in their mother countries. |  |
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CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT: 787 Ninth Avenue, built in 1886, is a remarkable example of a highly ornamented tenement. Situated mid-block, the building is indeed a centerpiece. The owner was a German immigrant whose name, "F. Werner," is emblazoned on the cornice. This crowning pediment marks the tallest point of the tenements along the block. The architect Jopst Hoffman, also a German immigrant, called into harmonious play a number of building materials including wrought iron, terra-cotta, brick, and finely carved stone. From classical Greek columns to medieval gargoyles, the architect blended styles to create a delightful and balanced design.
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