Washington Heights & Inwood Online

Nestled on 186th Street between Amsterdam and Audubon Avenues is an oasis of serenity called Washington Terrace. The Terrace was the brainchild of Daniel J. Murphy, a resident of Bayonne, New Jersey, who was interested in real estate.

The original plot of land for this site was purchased in 1898 by Murphy who filed plans for 18 tan three-storied houses with right angled stoops and porches. Each unit cost $4,500. The 175-foot by 166-foot terrace allows the passer-by a chance to view the street as a whole.

The houses are modest Renaissance-style works, and the court-like street captures attention more that the architecture. The odd-numbered houses are on the east side of the terrace and the even-numbered houses are on the west.

The houses were completed in 1899, but Murphy lost the property due to foreclosure in January 1900. In the census of that year, Murphy was listed as living at 18 Washington Terrace at the far end of the row. In 1900 and again in 1916, the property owners of the Terrace petitioned the City to take over the roadbed, which had never been done.

These houses are owner-occupied. The president of the Washington Terrace Block Association is Anthony LaCroix. Since 1991, Mr. LaCroix has been trying to ensure the stability of the Terrace by trying to get landmark status for all 18 buildings.

Mr. LaCroix granted me an interview and gave me a tour of his home. As one enters the house one sees the stairs to the second floor with the richly carved banister that dates to when the building was constructed. In the front, the living room has a covered fireplace that also coincides with the design style of the period. The French doors separating the living room from the dining room when opened are recessed into the walls. In the dining room, the visitor can see the back yard with its quaint features.

In 1984, CFIP rented 1, 2, 7, 9 and 16 instead of selling them. The office for CFIP was at 500 West 185th Street which was the address for Yeshiva University. At present 1, 2, 3, 5, 9 and 18 are boarded up.

When the story of Washington Terrace came to light in the Real Estate Section of the August 4, 1991, issue of the New York Times, Yeshiva University had denied any involvement in the overseeing of the buildings on the Terrace. Since then, the University recanted this denial and is managing the empty buildings on the Terrace.

It was also mentioned that all of the buildings are structurally sound. Mr. LaCroix said that if there was a problem with any of the buildings or any problems with the street, Yeshiva University was quick to respond.

As a point of reference, Washington Terrace is not mentioned in any guide book. The AIA Guide to New York City by White and Willensky makes no mention of it. There are several books that are devoted to such side streets in this Metropolis: New York’s Nooks and Crannies by David Yeadon, The Street Book, An Encyclopedia of Street Names and Their Origins by Henry Moscow, and New York Enclaves by William Hemp completely ignore this beautiful enclave. Another book that does not mention Washington Terrace is The Companion Guide to New York by Michael Leapman.

Washington Terrace’s existence has also been put to the test by the Cartographic Department of the United States Department of the Interior. In a geological survey and topographical map of the Central Park Quadrangle, which includes Washington Heights and Inwood, there is no mention of Washington Terrace on it.

On November 19, 1995, a mobile workshop called “The Role of the Immigrants in Making New York a World City” was conducted by the American Planning Association. As a part of this workshop, a tour of Washington Heights was given. One of the stops was Washington Terrace, and a brief summary on the Terrace was given.

Along on this tour were elected officials such as City Councilmember Guillermo Linares. Others in attendance were Frederick Davie, Deputy Borough President of Manhattan, and Giovanni Puello, Liaison from the Borough President’s Office to Washington Heights and Inwood. As the group walked through the Terrace, they were amazed and interested in how this enclave had gone unnoticed. Their interest was also recognized as the history of Washington Terrace was told to them.

At present, Washington Terrace does not have landmark status, and the designation would not only protect the buildings from being demolished. These architecturally significant buildings enhance the history to future generations as to how this neighborhood had looked in a former period. The Terrace as an entity is over a century old and has faithfully served the community as one of the original owner-operated housing complexes in the community.

Mr. LaCroix and others involved with the Washington Terrace Block Association are continuing to pursue landmark status for the buildings. This would provide for the ultimate protection for themselves as well as for others who wish to keep a bit of living history alive for the future.