Parge House
Parge House
130 1/2 East 65th StreetNew York, NY 10065
What began as an 1878 brownstone would be hard to recognize today. The dramatic transformation is owed to Frederick J. Sterner, an English immigrant and architect who remodeled many of New York’s brownstone buildings in the early part of the twentieth century. Sterner drew influence from foreign and historic styles, converting the rows of monotonous residences into architectural gestures towards another time and place. The New York Times called Sterner “one of the city’s most innovative architects.”
Completed in 1921, Parge House was the last building that Sterner remodeled. Its name refers to the technique of decorative plaster modeling that was applied to its facade. The walls are adorned with flowers, long skirts, and wings – described, in 1924 as a “riot of arabesques.” At the time, the building was used as Sterner’s home and office. Though Sterner is now long gone, the decorative Parge facade remains a surprising stylistic break in the homes along 65th.