Barbizon Hotel for Women
Also known as: The Barbizon Hotel
Why it's listed
Rising 23 stories at Lexington Avenue and East 63rd Street in Manhattan, this hotel opened in 1927 as a residence for young women moving to New York to start careers. Architects Everett F. Murgatroyd and Palmer H. Ogden gave the steel-framed tower a salmon-colored brick skin with sandstone and terra-cotta trim, mixing Italian Renaissance, Gothic and Islamic motifs, with six setbacks and a pointed-arch dormer at the top. Inside, a second-floor recital room with oak paneling, a stained-glass window and a pipe organ survives largely intact. The hotel enforced strict rules: three character references, no male visitors above the lobby, and codes of dress and conduct. Amenities included a pool, gymnasium, library, art gallery, music studios and an eighteenth-floor roof garden. It gained a reputation as the city's finest residential hotel for women, with residents who later became well-known actresses and models. It kept its original use until 1981, when it became a commercial hotel.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel is an important example of eclectic 1920s skyscraper design, combining Italian Renaissance, Gothic and Islamic details on a modern steel and concrete frame. It is also significant socially, as a respectable residence for young women pursuing careers, and it housed many who later became famous actresses and models.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001186, listed October 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 140 E. 63rd St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | October 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001186 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1927) |
| Architect / builder | Murgatroyd and Ogden (Everett F. Murgatroyd and Palmer H. Ogden); built for United Club Residences, Inc. |
| Architectural style | Eclectic early twentieth-century skyscraper blending Italian Renaissance, Gothic and Islamic elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; converted in 1981 from a residential hotel to a commercial hotel with some cooperative apartments, and undergoing rehabilitation at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.76897, -75.15117 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001186.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4859697
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.