4. The Mismatched Minton Tiles
After you are done admiring the beautiful stained glass, look down. When the elevator was installed the Minton tiles were covered and wood railings along the staircase were removed. These historic elements were restored in later renovations during the 1980s, 1999, and 2002.
The Minton tiles, which were all the rage in the late 1800s, and can be found in buildings all over New York City (including on the ceiling of the Bethesda Terrace Arcade in Central Park), had fallen out of fashion by the time of these restorations. The English factory where they were produced had closed down making it impossible to find replacement tiles that exactly matched the orange shade of the originals. This design flaw actually serves as a great reminder of the building’s history, as now modern-day visitors can see the exact footprint of the former elevator.
