9. 1 West 123rd Street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District

1 West 123rd Street
1 West 123rd Street. Photo by Jonathan Wallen.

1 West 123rd Street was built in 1890 in the Renaissance Revival style by architect Frank Hill Smith for John Dwight, owner of the Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Company. Located in the Mount Morris Park Historic District in Harlem, the building’s former owners eventually left the structure in poor condition. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the building was left abandoned and exposed to the elements, with flocks of pigeons making their home inside. 

Over the last decade, the building’s present owners, PBDW Architects, have engaged Samuel G. White, the grandson of Stanford White, to restore the interior design elements and original floor plan. Through these renovations, PBDW aimed to maintain the building’s historic features while also introducing new designs.