145 Avenue C; 649-651 East 9th Street | Block : 392 | Lot #37

Description & Building Alterations

This six story  brick and terra cotta tenement built in 1903 and designed by Bernstein & Bernstein for Julius Weinstein housed 25 families with ground floor shops.  The corner building’s two facades were designed in the Renaissance Revival style with Chinoiserie details.  The terra-cotta details are focused around the window openings, the material is light brick and the pressed-metal cornice with floral swag motif were all key elements to the Renaissance Revival.  On the second floor, the windows alternate between segmental-arched and triangular pediment window lintels.  The arched lintels are adorned with dragons, fish and sea shells.  These motifs, likely drawn from the French adaptation of the Chinese culture which was popular in the design arts at the time, represented social status, wealth and prosperity.  The third and fourth floor windows have full-window surrounds with a spandrel panels also with sea shells and scrolls.