562-568 West End Avenue
Date:Â 1912-1913
NB Number:Â NB 674-1913
Type: Â Apartment Building
Architect: Â Walter Haefeli
Developer/Owner/Builder:Â Aeon Realty Company
NYC Landmarks Designation:Â Historic District
Landmark Designation Report:Riverside Drive- West End Historic District
National Register Designation:Â N/A
Primary Style: Â Neo-Renaissance
Primary Facade: Â Â brown brick, Limestone, and Terra Cotta
Stories:Â 12
Window Type/Material:Â See Structure/Alterations
Structure:Â This twelve story apartment building is located on the east side of West End Avenue between West 87th and West 88th Streets, extending seventy-eight feet along the avenue and approximately eighty feet to the east. The building is dumbbell shaped in plan, with interior courtyards opening to the north and south. The structure is faced in brown brick laid in stretcher bond with limestone and terra cotta trim. Most of the original wood-framed window sash are extant.
West End Avenue Facade: This facade is composed of three horizontal divisions – a two story base, a nine story midsection, and a one story top – defined by stringcourses and a change of materials. The building’s entrance is placed at the center of the two story limestone base. Four fluted Doric half-columns flank metal and glass double doors and windows with decorative metal grilles. The classically inspired surround, slightly recessed from the wall surface, is embellished with wreaths, garlands, and rosettes.
The facade is articulated by six bays of rectangular window openings with stone sills. End bays have small nine-over-nine windows flanking bays of paired nine-over-one windows. The two center bays have tripartite windows composed of six-over-one sash flanking twelve-over-one sash. Windows of the building’s midsection (not including the end bays) have raised brick surrounds. Other detailing includes a stringcourse with a Greek key motif at the third-story sill line, balconies at the paired window bays of the second story, brick coursing at the end bays of the midsection, terra-cotta panels and window surrounds at the twelfth story, and a metal bracketed cornice.
Southern Elevation: The southern elevation is partially visible from West 87th Street and is composed of wings flanking a recessed courtyard. The wing and courtyard elevations are faced mostly in tan brick with some brown brick and have no significant architectural detail. The western wing has two bays of windows and the eastern wing has one bay of windows. The center has five bays of windows and a fire escape. Original windows remaining at this elevation include four-pane casement pairs, nine-over-one sash, and six-over-one sash flanking nine-over-one sash.
Rear Wall: The rear wall is partially visible from West 87th Street. It is faced in beige brick and has a fire escape.
Historic District: Riverside Drive- West End HD
Alterations: Some of the end bay windows of the West End Avenue facade have been replaced with nine-over-one or one-over-one sash which appear to be wood. Replacement windows on the southern elevation are one-over-one aluminum sash. Rear wall replacement windows are also aluminum. Recent light fixtures flank the entrance and the present surface treatment at the entry surround suggests that some decorative trim may have been removed.
History: This apartment building was constructed in 1912-13 for the Aeon Realty Company according to the designs of architect Walter Haefeli. Previously on the site were four rowhouses.  Selected Reference: New York City Department of Taxes Photograph Collection, Municipal Archives and Record Collection, G 2042.