Frederick and Lydia Prentiss ARCHITECT: C. P. H. Gilbert DATE: 1899-1901 STYLE: Beaux-Arts

The Prentiss Residence, designed by noted architect C.P.H. Gilbert and constructed in 1899-1901, is an elegant Beaux-Arts style townhouse located on a prominent site at the intersection of West 72nd Street and Riverside Drive and is one of four grand townhouses remaining at that corner.

Designed and built in accordance with restrictive covenants in an area long intended for high-quality residential development, it is an excellent example of an impressive townhouse designed for that area. A townhouse with an American basement plan, the Prentiss Residence is faced in limestone and has curved bays at the front and side facades and a mansard roof enlivened with a turret. These features, combined with the siting of the building, give the townhouse a striking presence at the gateway to Riverside Drive.