7. The Original American Museum of Natural History Building
You can see striking similarities to the original Metropolitan Museum of Art facade in the original American Museum of Natural History designed by Jacob Wrey Mould and Calvert Vaux. When commissioned for the project in 1872, Vaux and Mould came up with a grand plan that would take up the entire Manhattan Square site. Their ambitious design included an enormous five-story square with a Greek cross in the middle that would create four enclosed courts with a central octagonal crossing, covered with a dome. Initial funds for the museum were modest, so they started small. The cornerstone of the first building at 77th Street was laid by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, and it opened three years later. President Rutherford B. Hayes presided over the opening ceremony.
You can still see part of Vaux and Mould’s original facade on Columbus Ave. However, it is blocked by the construction of the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation designed by Studio Gang. It is unclear if the facade will be covered by the new wing or left exposed.
