Red House
Why it's listed
Red House, at 350 West 85th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side, is a six-story apartment building completed in 1903-04 to designs by Harde & Short. Its facade is organized into two angled pavilions flanking a recessed center, with red brick set against cream-colored terra-cotta ornament. A one-story arcaded porch in the Francois I style, using Gothic and Renaissance elements, links the pavilions. The building was listed because it is an early example of the firm's work and a fine display of terra-cotta decoration, which the firm later mastered. Motifs introduced here, such as the salamander and crown, baldacchino canopies and multi-paned bay windows, recur in later Harde & Short apartment houses. The building also represents the second phase of Upper West Side development, when luxury apartment houses followed the earlier rowhouse period. Some changes were made, including new window sash probably in the 1920s and replaced entrance doors in 1981, but the facade remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an early work of Harde & Short, a firm known for luxury apartment houses in New York City. It is notable for extensive terra-cotta decoration inspired by the sixteenth-century Francois I style. Several details first used here, including the salamander and crown motif, baldacchino canopies and multi-paned bay windows, became standard in the firm's later buildings. It also reflects the early twentieth-century apartment development of the Upper West Side.
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 83001742, listed September 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 350 W. 85th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001742 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Harde & Short |
| Architectural style | Francois I |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in private ownership and used as a private residence. Condition is checked as excellent. The facade has some alterations, including later window sash, removal of the roof balustrade and piers, and new front doors in 1981. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.78890, -73.98029 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 83001742.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7304372
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.