Limestone Still Top of the Pops

Brownstone was the go-to material for the well-heeled in the post-Civil War era but was supplanted by limestone when William K. Vanderbilt chose the material to build his mansion on 52nd and Fifth Avenue in 1880. Robert A.M. Stern, who has used the material in his new project at 62nd and Central Park West, thinks limestone is still the finest material around. Says the architect:

In New York, limestone conveys buildings of the highest architectural ambitions. Whether it’s the great public buildings like the Metropolitan Museum, or the grand palatial houses from the early 20th century like the Frick mansion, or the great apartment houses that were built in the 1920’s, particularly along Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue, quite a number of the best buildings are limestone-faced buildings.

Limestone: The Choice for the Rich [NY Times]