The mystery of the copper and glass awning on a brick row house in the West Village
Nestled within the lovely brownstone blocks of Greenwich Village, one house in particular stands out to me: 152 West 11th Street, toward the end of that triangular block west of Sixth Avenue where Seventh and Greenwich Avenues meet.
In the shadow of what used to be St. Vincent’s Hospital (RIP), this Flemish-bond beauty features all the charm of an early 19th century grand row house. Yet its smaller scale gives it a homey feel: two stories plus a half-floor attic, an English basement, a short stoop, and a pretty iron fence in front.
What really sets Number 152 apart from its neighbors is the copper and glass awning over the entrance. This delicate, ornamental headpiece is unlike anything I’ve seen on similar residential buildings.
It’s hard to walk by it and not wonder who put it there. It likely wasn’t the original builder of the house, who in 1836 also put up the three houses to the left—creating an identical row of Greek Revival homes for the new, well-heeled residents of rapidly developing Greenwich Village.
Over the years, changes came to the row. The three houses at 146, 148, and 150 gained an extra floor; Number 152 served as a boardinghouse before appearing to go back to a single-family residence occupied at different times by a merchant, a doctor, the well-known stage actress Bessie Cleveland, and a Suffrage supporter who held public meetings in the house.
Later photos from the mid-20th century, like the one above, show Number 152 with its unique awning, and this old-school piece of beauty has been in place ever since.
While it’s unclear which owner decided to add it to an already stunning row house, I’m going to guess it date back to the first years of the 20th century.
The ornamental copper pieces look like petals, and this motif inspired by the natural world makes me think it’s an example of the Art Nouveau style popular in the early 1900s.
Or perhaps the awning is supposed to look like a crown, with jewels of glass that sparkle in the sun like diamonds and meant to make the house feel regal—like you’re entering a miniature palace.
[Third image: NYC Department of Records & Information Services]
