Villard Houses, New York City
Villard Houses are townhouses located opposite St Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. They were built by Henry Villard, the owner of New York Evening Post and founder of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Villard engaged the services of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White to design the townhouses, one of which for himself, and the rest put for sale.
Villard Houses comprise six four-storey houses set around a central courtyard facing the street and the church. Villard took the house on the south wing, but financial problems besetting him eventually forced him to sell that house even before it was completed.
 Villard Houses, New York City Author: Gryffindor (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Villard Houses were owned by the Roman Catholic Church. When the church outgrew its space, the houses were very nearly demolished, if not for the rescue provided by the Helmsley chain which purchased air rights for the 51-storey Helmsley Palace Hotel (now the New York Palace Hotel). The center wing of Villard Houses is now the formal entrance of the hotel.
How to reach Villard Houses
Villard Houses are at 457 Madison Avenue. Take the E or V train to the Fifth Avenue / 53rd Street subway station. Walk east along East 53rd Street until intersection with Madison Avenue. Turn right, walk south along Madison Avenue until you reach Villard Houses on your left. They are located across from St Patrick's Cathedral on your right.
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