The Level Club
Encyclopedia
The Level Club is a building in the Upper West Side
neighborhood of New York City
, located at 253 West 73rd Street. It was built as a men's club by a group of Freemasons
in 1927; it served this original function for about three years. Afterwards, the building was used, in turn, as a hotel and a drug re-hab center. It has now been remodeled as a condominium.
The bank foreclosed on the club's mortgage in 1931. It became a hotel for men that rented rooms by the week in the 1930s, and a kosher hotel in the 1940s and 1950s, and a single-room-occupancy hotel in the 1960s. At the height of the urban decay of the 1970s it was purchased by the nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization Phoenix House
. It was turned into an upscale condominium in 1984. The New York Daily News
describes it as the city's "most mystical and intriguing condominium."
The facade was designed as an homage to Freemasonry, particularly by incorporating aspects of biblical descriptions of the Temple of Solomon, a significant building in Masonic tradition. The facade also features many carvings of symbols adopted by the Masons, such as the all-seeing eye, the hourglass, the level, the hexagram, the beehive and the Bible. The door is framed by two large pillars representing Boaz and Jachin
, the pillars that stood at the entrance to King Solomon's Temple. The figures at the base of the pillars represent two figures of Masonic significance Hiram Abiff
and King Solomon. According to Bruno Bertuccioli, author of The Level Club: A New York City Story of the Twenties: Splendor, Decadence and Resurgence of a Monument to Human Ambition, the building was built as a Replica of the Jewish Temple
. Bertuccioli describes the building as "the only true-to-size rendering of King Solomon's Temple that exists in the world today."
The building's original grand lobby, featuring a two story atrium with balcony and grand staircases is intact. The building originally included "a swimming pool, bowling alley, 4,000-seat auditorium, dining halls, gymnasium, racquetball courts, a club floor, billiards room and rooftop gardens." It did not include lodge meeting rooms. While none of these survive, the facade is "perfectly preserved." The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
neighborhood of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, located at 253 West 73rd Street. It was built as a men's club by a group of Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in 1927; it served this original function for about three years. Afterwards, the building was used, in turn, as a hotel and a drug re-hab center. It has now been remodeled as a condominium.
History
The building was erected in 1927.The bank foreclosed on the club's mortgage in 1931. It became a hotel for men that rented rooms by the week in the 1930s, and a kosher hotel in the 1940s and 1950s, and a single-room-occupancy hotel in the 1960s. At the height of the urban decay of the 1970s it was purchased by the nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization Phoenix House
Phoenix House
Phoenix House is a nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization operating in ten states with 150 programs. Programs serve individuals, families, and communities affected by substance abuse and dependency.- History :...
. It was turned into an upscale condominium in 1984. The New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
describes it as the city's "most mystical and intriguing condominium."
Architecture
The Neo-Romanesque building was designed by the New York architectural firm Clinton Russell Wells George and Holton.The facade was designed as an homage to Freemasonry, particularly by incorporating aspects of biblical descriptions of the Temple of Solomon, a significant building in Masonic tradition. The facade also features many carvings of symbols adopted by the Masons, such as the all-seeing eye, the hourglass, the level, the hexagram, the beehive and the Bible. The door is framed by two large pillars representing Boaz and Jachin
Boaz and Jachin
Boaz and Jachin were two copper, brass or bronze pillars which stood in the porch of Solomon's Temple, the first Temple in Jerusalem.-Description:...
, the pillars that stood at the entrance to King Solomon's Temple. The figures at the base of the pillars represent two figures of Masonic significance Hiram Abiff
Hiram Abiff
Hiram Abiff is a character who figures prominently in an allegorical play that is presented during the third degree of Craft Freemasonry...
and King Solomon. According to Bruno Bertuccioli, author of The Level Club: A New York City Story of the Twenties: Splendor, Decadence and Resurgence of a Monument to Human Ambition, the building was built as a Replica of the Jewish Temple
Replicas of the Jewish Temple
Replicas of the Jewish Temple are scale models or authentic buildings that attempt to replicate the Temple of Solomon, Second Temple and Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.-Scale models:...
. Bertuccioli describes the building as "the only true-to-size rendering of King Solomon's Temple that exists in the world today."
The building's original grand lobby, featuring a two story atrium with balcony and grand staircases is intact. The building originally included "a swimming pool, bowling alley, 4,000-seat auditorium, dining halls, gymnasium, racquetball courts, a club floor, billiards room and rooftop gardens." It did not include lodge meeting rooms. While none of these survive, the facade is "perfectly preserved." The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984.
Books
- The Level Club: A New York City Story of the Twenties: Splendor, Decadence and Resurgence of a Monument to Human Ambition, by Bruno Bertuccioli and Andrea Bassan, 1991.