215 West 13th Street (New York City, New York)

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6-story residential building originally completed in 1851 as a pair of 3-story townhouses. In 1886, they were joined, and raised to four stories, six bays across. In 1925 another story was added above the cornice, and the former basement was altered to provide a ground-level entrance, flanked by columns and by round-arched windows on the floor above. These two stories are treated as a unit, forming one stone base course. Above this level, the walls are of brick and the windows have splayed lintels with keystones, added in the 1880s. The cornice above the fifth floor, added at the same time, is exceptionally handsome with modillions set above a row of dentils. When the top story was added an ornamental wrought iron railing was set on top of the cornice. Writer Anais Nin lived on the top floor here in the 1940-'60s.