The Lorge School

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5-story school building completed in 1904. Designed by John H. Duncan as a club house, it was built for Dr. Theodore G. White to house his charity Gordon House. Named to honor British Army officer Charles George Gordon, the club was formed to guide neighborhood boys. It originally opened in 1901 in a rented stable at the same location as the new building. Duncan died that same year, and left a part of his estate for the continuance of Gordon House, and the rest to his nephew, Theodore B. Starr and his sons, Louis M. and Howard W. Starr. The Starrs donated their inheritances to Gordon House and laid plans for a proper clubhouse.

Following Theodore Starr's death in 1907 his sons closed Gordon House. The building was purchased by the New York Telephone Club. As the name suggests, the men's social club was formed for employees of the Bell Telephone Company, and was well suited as it already contained a pool room, bowling alleys, gymnasium, smoking room and meeting room. In September 1919 the New York Telephone Club merged with the Telephone Society of New York to become the Telephone Society, Inc. The Telephone Society remained in the building through 1930.

In 1936 it became the Manhattan Center of the Catholic Youth Organization. In 1961, The Lorge School, a special education school, opened in the building. The building was altered in the mid-1970's and it was possibly at this time that the cornice, with its striking brackets and balustrade, was removed.

The building has a ground floor composed of brick painted bright red, and white-painted limestone with a cornice. There are horizontal bands at the ground floor creating by recessed bricks. Large, scrolled brackets around the central doorway support an entablature and transom with leaded glass above the doorway, topped by a pedestal flanked by ornate volutes. There is a large window bay on either side, also trimmed in white stone.

The upper floors are clad in light brown brick with quoins on the corners. The 2nd and 3rd-floor windows are segmental-arched, with stone sills and large, overblown keystones carved in a fishscale pattern, wearing leafy Caesar-like crowns. An elaborate cartouche, surrounded by carved ribbons and fruity swags, clings to the façade above the 3rd floor. It is surmounted by a flaming torch, a symbol of learning.

The 4th floor has no openings, and is decorated by a cartouche in the center of the facade. The top floor has square windows framed in stone. The architrave windows of the top floor appear oddly undersized from the street. Somewhat interfering with Duncan's design, they were the result of that floor's purpose. Inside was a gymnasium, so the windows were reduced in size and placed high up to provide additional wall space. On the exterior, they were flanked by massive brackets that upheld the cornice and decorative balustrade, now removed, ending in a simple roof parapet with a metal railing above.

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