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The Goodwin Mansion

One of my favorite buildings in Midtown is the Board of Directors office of the U.S. Trust, at 9-11 West 54th Street. This fairly reserved wide neo-Georgian townhouse was designed by McKim Mead & White as a residence for Mr. James J. Goodwin when the West 50’s was full of beautiful townhouses instead of mediocre office buildings.

The building eventually became home to the Rhodes School, a prep school which eventually moved to what is now the Children’s Museum across from Café Lalo on the Upper West Side before closing in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s. Robert de Niro was a Rhodes grad and my Aunt Naomi took a summer course there (chemistry, I believe).

The Rhodes School, W. 54th St., 1955

On the same block at the Fifth Avenue corner is the renaissance palazzo of the University Club (so beloved of my friend Lev Trubkovich), also designed by McKim Mead & White. It’s a bit too Italianate for my tastes (in the context of clubs, I prefer the neo-Georgian style), but impressive nonetheless. I especially enjoy the academic heraldry carved along the length of the building, depicting the coats of arms or seals of some of the country’s most prominent institutions (Yale, Harvard, Brown, Williams, West Point, Annapolis, etc). And of course right around the corner is the most enjoyable neo-gothic Church of St. Thomas with its ethereal choir.

It’s very much a shame, however, that this building isn’t a home any more, nor a school, which is nearly as good as a home as it too is a place in which one (hopefully) experiences and matures. I imagine that the Board of Directors of the U.S. Trust can’t enjoy their meetings to the same extent that a child could enjoy growing up in such a house. And that is, after all, what it was designed for. Notwithstanding, the Trust have been kind to the Goodwin mansion, having completely renovated it back to a high standard following decades of use as a school building, so at least for that we can be grateful.

UPDATE: An elevation and floor plans in this more recent post.

Published at 12:54 pm on Tuesday 22 February 2005. Categories: Architecture New York.
Comments

Thanks for the history and current information on this! I’ve warmly admired this building. It seems to owe a fair amount to Bulfinch’s third house for Harrison Gray Otis, don’t you think?

I agree about preferring neo-Georgian for clubs. A fine example, of course, is my erstwhile NYC club, the Harvard Club, also designed by McKim Mead & White.

— ScurvyOaks 13 Jul 2007 5:53 pm

very lovely. however, what is the structure to the right that can be seen in the picture above, the limestone one? please do tell!

— bs 28 Aug 2010 10:04 am

Cool, I went to school there. It was right across the street from Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). We used to go sit in the sculpture garden and the headmaster could see us. He never told on us. I think he knew we were getting a better education at the museum. It was a nice building but we had no cafeteria or gym. We had lunch wherever and people were always complaining about us. I don’t blame them. LOL
I remember there was a wonderful huge black guy who was the doorman. He was wonderful. I forgot his name. But if my father came to pick me up and I didn’t want to see him ,the doorman would lie for me. But if someone came and picked you up without a tie they would have to wait down on the corner. He was very big and strong so everyone listened to him. This was the 60’s! Who wore ties? Ha
Funny, I don’t remember anyone from that school but the doorman. He was so nice to me.
Thanks for the pictures and memories.

— Alice 8 Sep 2010 2:00 pm

Spence was the doorman’s name. RIP Spence. We miss you!

— Spence 16 Aug 2011 1:08 pm

Wasn’t Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s office located directly behind the school on 55th Street?

— Rock 10 Jul 2016 10:36 pm
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