In 1840, William C. Rhinelander constructed 14 Washington Square North, as well as the adjoining house at 15 Washington Square North. The houses were occupied continuously for 74 years by the Rhinelander family. The Rhinelander Estate owned nearly the entire Washington Square North block front between Fifth Avenue and MacDougal Street. In 1922, The New York Times reported that three of the Rhinelander Houses on the north side of Washington Square were being redeveloped. The Times lauded:

“with their dignified red-brick fronts and granite entrances and trim, they stand today as the best specimens of early American architecture in New York.”

The redevelopment of the Rhinelander Houses signified an increasing shift in the lower Fifth Avenue area from private homes to apartment complexes. The site continued to be a source of controversy in the 1940s and 50s.

The Rhinelander Houses were demolished in 1951, and replaced by a 19-story apartment complex.

December 1944: A parcel of land, including the "ancestral house of the Rhinelander family," was sold by the Rhinelander Real Estate Company to a syndicate, who planned to build a 19-story apartment building on the site

Fall 1945: Demolition begins on the site, and one building was lost, but due to the level of objection and controversy, the demolition is suspended before further damage could be done

January 1950: A syndicate, headed by builder Sam Rudin, purchases the site that included the Greek Revival Rhinelander Houses in order to construct what was billed as "one of Manhattan’s largest private apartment projects"

January 1950: The Washington Square Committee is formed to preserve the historic Rhinelander Houses and the beauty and atmosphere of Washington Square

February 1951: The Rhinelander Houses are demolished

The demolition of the Rhinelander Houses in 1951 evoked opposition from Greenwich Village residents, refocused preservation efforts after World War II, and highlighted the need for landmarks legislation.¹

In December of 1944, a parcel of land, including the "ancestral house of the Rhinelander family," was sold by the Rhinelander Real Estate Company to a syndicate, who planned to build a 19-story apartment building.² This controversial redevelopment led to a debate at the City Planning Commission over proposals for special restrictions limiting the height of buildings facing public parks and for "rezoning almost the entire Greenwich Village" to limit building height throughout the area.³

In fall of 1945, demolition began, and one building was lost. However, due to the level of objection and controversy, demolition was suspended before further damage could be done.⁴ In January 1950, a syndicate, headed by builder Sam Rudin, purchased the site that included the Greek Revival Rhinelander Houses in order to construct what was billed as "one of Manhattan’s largest private apartment projects."⁵ In order to mitigate the controversy, Rudin promised that the new designs, created by the architectural firm Emery Roth & Sons, would be sympathetic to the original character of the structures. Rudin assured that the buildings' exteriors would be "Colonial in style, in keeping with the neighborhood."⁶

However, there was opposition to this plan. In January 1950, the Washington Square Committee formed to preserve the historic Rhinelander Houses and the beauty and atmosphere of the square. The Washington Square Committee planned a "nation wide fund campaign to purchase the plot as a national historical area."⁷ This was advanced by legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives by Frederic R. Coudert, Jr. and Senator Herbert H. Lehman. The legislation proposed that the Federal Government step in to save the houses as part of a "precious historical heritage."⁸

Also on a national level, Major General Ulysses S. Grant III, president of the National Council for Historic Sites and Buildings, pledged the Council’s support for preservation efforts in Washington Square.⁹ In addition, David Finley, chair of the newly-formed National Trust for Historic Preservation, offered support for the efforts to save the Rhinelander Houses, and garnered additional support from George McAneny of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society.¹⁰

In November 1950, In light of the escalating controversy, the City Planning Commission went one step further to suggest amendments to the proposed zoning which would limit the building height around small parks. The Municipal Art Society (MAS) joined this campaign by encouraging public support for zoning measures "designed to preserve aesthetic values of the square."¹¹ Harvey Wiley Corbett, an architect and board member of MAS set out to bridge a compromise that new buildings around Washington Square would be the same size as existing structures. Corbett and the City Planning Commission suggested a meeting between the developer and a committee of citizens to try and arrange a compromise.¹² Despite this, some citizens refused to settle for compromise. Albert Bard, along with other preservationists, took their efforts to the New York City Council. They organized the introduction of a resolution to authorize the city to acquire the Rhinelander buildings as "historic monuments."¹³

The Municipal Art Society was also a voice in favor of the Rhinelander Houses’ preservation. In 1950, the Municipal Art Society's President, Francis Keally, called for the creation of a law to protect the "aesthetic character of private structures."¹⁴ The Municipal Art Society was drawn to the Rhinelander controversy as an issue of aesthetics, and ardently opposed the demolition.¹⁵

However, in the end, the efforts to save the Rhinelander Houses failed, and demolition began in February of 1951. The loss of the Rhinelander houses was one of the key failures that galvanized the Municipal Art Society to launch a preservation campaign after World War II, and to consider the importance of "aesthetic and historic zoning."

• Municipal Art Society of New York
  Archives of American Art
  1285 Avenue of the Americas, Lobby Level
  New York, NY 10019
  Tel: (212) 399-5015
  Fax: (212) 307-4501
  
  
• Records for the National Trust for Historic Preservation
  National Archives at College Park Maryland
  8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001
  Tel: (301) 837-2000
  Fax: (301) 778-1501