The Gilded Armory: Exploring the First Floor

Posted on 10/3/24

Authored & Curated By
M.J.G.

While the Armory is not technically a "home," the rooms were decorated with the same passion and attention to detail as many of the high-class homes of the time. The 7th Regiment Armory, located on Park Avenue in New York, occupies a city block bordered by Park Avenue, Lexington Avenue, 66th Street, and 67th Street. It consists of a five-story administration building and a large drill hall. The interior was designed in various styles by renowned decorators such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, Stanford White, Kimbel and Cabus, Alexander Roux, Francis Davis Millet, and the Herter Brothers. This includes several halls, stairways, and rooms for the 7th Regiment's companies. Approved by the New York City Board of Aldermen in 1875 and funded by the 7th Regiment, the armory officially opened in 1880. Expanded in the early 20th century, the building primarily served military purposes but also hosted various events. Since 2000, the Park Avenue Armory Conservancy has been restoring the space, which is now used for arts, exhibits, and performances. Many rooms have undergone changes over the years, but several have revealed original stenciling or undergone partial and complete restorations.

The interior rooms were well photographed during the 19th century, and high-resolution scans provide a detailed look at the intricate designs of many interior spaces.

The Exterior of the Armory Building
This imposing brick structure stands three stories tall and includes a large tower. The administration building, built with Philadelphia red brick and granite trim, showcases defensive architectural elements.

Steps lead up on both sides of the front door. Upon entering the entrance hall, you ascend another set of steps. Directly in front of you is a large grand staircase, framed in iron and covered with maple casing that matches the rest of the hall. The hall boasts a height of 23 feet, and directly beneath the stairs is the expansive drill hall.

The Sanborn Map
This turn-of-the-century map illustrates the impressive size of the armory building, which occupied an entire block in New York City.

The Ladies Reception Room

This is the Ladies Reception Room, designed by Herter Brothers, with the woodwork completed by Alexander Roux and Company. The photographer may have bumped the camera as the room is slightly blurry. It is not fully restored today.

By sifting through layers of paint, they have uncovered the border atop the wood panel.

The wall treatments in this room were simple, and although the ceiling is not visible, it is said to have featured a heavy design.

The Board of Officers Room

This beautiful room was designed by Herter Bros and exemplifies the typical aesthetic movement interior of the 1880s. Stylized flowers and patterns adorn all surfaces in warm, rich tertiary colors. This early photograph captures the room illuminated by gas lighting before electric lighting was installed in the 1890s. Note that the stenciling on the ceiling features a wide border that disregards the smaller beam separations, following the perimeter of the room rather than framing each of the two panels individually. This was a common application during that time.

The room suffered significant damage over time and was re-stenciled during 1930’s with gold accents but replicated similar patterns. They did alter the original design, however. It is interesting that a campaign to restore this room took place in the 1930’s when this style was considered to be unfortunate. During the more recent restoration, the original black stencils were discovered on the walls, leading the team to revert to that original design. When the room was electrified, new dramatic light fixtures with exposed Edison bulbs and chains were installed, showing off a creative design. The original Herter Brothers leather furniture still adorns the space, making it one of the few surviving Herter Brothers rooms today. Additionally, it’s interesting that the furniture was arranged similarly to how it appeared in the original photograph, although the stage, statues, and a few pieces are missing. We will review the ceiling a little later.

Interestingly, in this photo, the ceiling border features dark floral leaves against a light background, while the original photo of the pattern shows the opposite. The restored paint scheme we see today is this darker border. Could a change have been made over time? Was it possible that the original colors could not be determined, and they decided to restore to the second restoration? Could the earlier restoration have been inaccurate? Was the stenciling altered shortly after painting? Did the paint change color over time? These are all considerations when examining photographs. Nothing is ever “black and white.”

The two large statues on either side of the stage are quite striking. Notice the cuspidors, or spittoons, placed around the room, reflecting a time when chewing tobacco and smoking were socially acceptable in buildings. I hope someone can identify these impressive statues in the comments below.

The photographer likely capped the camera for a brief period and closed the curtains to filter the incoming light and prevent overexposure of the photograph. Note that the curtain is positioned in two different ways.

A lovely view of the etched glass transom and the stenciled wall featuring those stylized burst patterns showcases a playful and unique design.

The room was electrified in the 1890s, and cast iron chandeliers with exposed bulbs were installed.

Here is a closer view of the intriguing 1890s light fixtures before the room’s restoration.

The Colonel’s Room

The Colonel’s Reception Room is another creation by Herter Bros. Although there aren’t many historical photos of the room, a few grainy images do exist. The room today is not fully restored.

A close-up view of the couch and chairs, along with the dado, features an obscured glimpse of the painted walls, which were said to be in a dark Pompeian red.

The Field & Staff Room
This room was originally stenciled and decorated by Pottier & Stymus. The walls and ceilings feature intricate and distinctive stencil designs.

Over the years, the room has been repainted. When a built-in was removed, it revealed some of the original stencil border and wall fill. The central panel is currently being cleaned in the middle. Although this room has not been fully restored, it has revealed some of the decorative elements in preparation for future restoration.

This room features a beautifully stenciled and painted ceiling adorned with stylized floral designs and patterns, some of which have been uncovered today. Pottier & Stymus followed the typical trends of the aesthetic movement during the 1880s by blending styles inspired by Egyptian, Greek, and ancient Roman influences, along with other popular styles of the decade.

Stripping away layers of paint reveals a distinctive, stylized pattern.

Here is a closer and clearer view of the wall stencil that has been uncovered. Although this room has not been fully restored, some of the original stenciling has been revealed and examined.

A close up of the etched or painted glass transom.

The Veterans Room

The Veterans Room underwent two phases of decoration. It seems to have been photographed during an update and after additional details were added. At this time, you can see a blank black rectangle above the fireplace and that the frieze is missing. However, it appears that Louis Tiffany had his stained glass windows installed, and the ceiling beams were stenciled. The fireplace is also adorned with Tiffany glass tiles.

This photo depicts the room after completion, featuring the added frieze and rustic iron gas lights that hang with open flame jets along the top. The lighting in this room is quite substantial and remains in place today, having been converted to electricity later. It is fortunate that these fixtures were preserved when the room was electrified.

The room, fully restored in modern settings, is breathtaking and truly unique. While some may view the modern lighting as an intrusion, if you look beyond that, you’ll find that nearly all of the original details have been meticulously restored. Experiencing the room in person is awe-inspiring.

The windows can be opened for ventilation by tilting inward. However, they have been permanently affixed today to prevent this, as the strain on the heavy windows could cause damage and lead to cracking.

A close-up view of the contemporary pattern in Tiffany glass.

In these two photos from the 1880s, you can observe the room’s decoration during its transition. The first photo shows the room unfinished, with a blank frieze and an empty framed area above the fireplace. In the second photo, the frieze has been installed, and the corbels along the ceiling have been removed. Large gas lights have been added, and the framed area above the fireplace has been filled with a rustic piece of artwork.
A wonderful video featuring the restoration of this stunning room can be found here.

All of the draperies, portieres, and window treatments in this room were created by Candace Wheeler. The heavily embroidered portieres and the unique window treatments below the stained glass offered an interesting way to filter the light to remove glare from the room, thus allowing the stained glass light to take center stage.

This photo provides a closer view of the light, stained glass windows, and frieze. The windows consist of layers of glass, causing the color to change depending on how the light hits them.

Although difficult to discern in black and white photography, the details are clearer in these photos taken after restoration. The rustic gems have been inserted into this carved wood panel.

This entire room was fully restored, but one small detail was not recreated—the stencil below the molding, featuring round circles and a curved line. This detail gave the wall an appearance similar to hanging chainmail or a similar pattern.

The Library
Adjacent to the Veterans Room and accessible via the hallway, the library features a barrel vault designed by Stanford White, adorned with a basket weave pattern, along with distinctive railings and bookcases. The light fixtures and stained glass windows were crafted by Louis C. Tiffany and Associated Artists.

Here’s a reworded version of your sentence: — Tiffany installed two stained glass windows in the library, featuring rustic gems arranged in a stylized pattern.

The Drill Hall
This remarkable space is recognized as one of the oldest balloon sheds in the United States. Measuring 200 by 300 feet, it occupies most of the block. The wrought-iron arched trusses span 187 feet, supporting a vaulted roof made of Georgia pine. The brick walls are adorned with decorative paint, designed by Jasper F. Cropsey, who created stylized patterns featuring stars, shields, floral motifs, and stripes for the walls, ceilings, window frames, balconies, trusses, and rafters. Today, the room is painted in a green hue from the early 20th century.

A view from one of the wall balconies overlooking the event.

This view of the drill hall during the event shows the original ceiling, complete with its stencils, windows, and impressive heights.

A view of the stenciled ceiling covered with stylized stripes and stars.

Some areas still display the ceiling stars, stripes, and border designs. The room must have appeared quite patriotic when it was first constructed.

The walls featured various designs, including stars and stripes. Below are examples of some designs from an unidentified location.

A close-up of the stenciling around the windows in the armory building, contrasting with the painted brick walls. You also get a clear view of the early gas lights hanging from the ceiling prior to their electrification.

Some of the original stenciling from the 1880s is still preserved in hidden areas or where the paint has chipped away, revealing the original color scheme.

Here’s a reworded version of your sentence: — When the building was electrified, most of the room’s lighting was entirely replaced in the 1890s with new electric fixtures. Here is a view of the ornate electric fixtures that replaced the old gas ones.

Here’s a reworded version of your passage: — Next time, we’ll move to the second floor. Unfortunately, during the building’s updates, the top floors were expanded, the tower was removed, and the central front portion of the structure was reworked. While the building still maintains a strong presence, it has been somewhat altered from its original design.

Next time we will explore the second floor's Company Rooms.

Previous photo studies can be found in the in the link below:
Flash Back

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