Emerson, The
Also known as: The Flats
Why it's listed
Rising seven stories at the corner of West 53rd Street and Eleventh Avenue in Manhattan, this red-brick building was built in 1914-15 as a model tenement, housing meant to give working families safe, well-lit and ventilated apartments. Architect William Emerson, an active housing reformer, both designed and owned it. He planned it as an open-stair tenement, with two stairways opening to an inner court so each apartment door received fresh air and offered a route out in a fire. The ground floor once held a day nursery, a food store and public baths. The exterior uses deep red, textured brick with clinker bricks, header-brick panels, a corbelled cornice and a terra-cotta band, giving it an Arts & Crafts character. It is one of few surviving buildings by Emerson and reflects the neighborhood's reform-era housing efforts. The period of significance ends in 1928, when the social services were converted to apartments. A restoration finished in 2008 added a new lobby and elevator.
Significance in brief: It is a locally significant example of a privately funded model tenement and of the open-stair type that Emerson helped popularize for its light, ventilation and fire safety. It also shows the influence of Arts & Crafts design on reform architecture and is one of the few surviving buildings by Emerson. It was part of the housing-reform story of the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton neighborhood.
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 09000634, listed August 20, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 554 W. 53rd St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | August 20, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000634 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914-1928 |
| Architect / builder | Emerson, William |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Craftsman |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restoration was completed in 2008; the building remains in multiple-dwelling use with a ground-floor commercial space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.76946, -73.99276 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 09000634.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q119717874
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.