The Chateau, built in 1922 to designs by Andrew J. Thomas, is one of the Queensboro Corporation’s early garden apartment complexes in Jackson Heights. Occupying most of the block, the complex consists of twelve freestanding U-shaped buildings, six along each block front, which are situated back to back across a common landscaped garden at the interior of the block. The large garden opens onto 34th Avenue and is clearly visible from the street. The three street fronts around the complex are also lined with gardens. The passageways between the buildings are spanned by brick walls and iron entrance gates.
Each blockfront of six brick buildings with masonry trim is arranged in a “A-B-C-C-B-A” pattern. The outer buildings (“A”) are asymmetrically massed, each with a five-story section at the center flanked by a six-story projecting section and a corner tower; the towers mark the ends of die complex. The (“B”) buildings are symmetrical five-story buildings with flush facades, while the center buildings (“C”) are mirror images with slightly projecting sections which mark the center of the block.
The style of the Chateau, derived from French Renaissance architecture, has been described as “reminiscent of die architecture of Henri IV of France.” Particularly suggestive of this inspiration are the imposing slate mansard roofs with dormers and finials; the Flemish bond brick facing and the decorative banding; the diaperwork patterning on the towers of the “A” buildings; the brick chimneys with decorative tops; and the stone entry portals, flanked by decorative colonnettes and capped by hoods.
The segmentally-arched door openings contain glass doors with decorative iron grilles. All of the original doors survive. Almost all of the original four-over-four double-hung wood sash windows survive, as do most of die multi-pane wood casement windows in the towers of the “A” buildings.
The rear facades of the Chateau continue the style of the street facades. They are partially visible from the sidewalks outside the complex, especially on 34th Avenue.
–nyc.gov
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