Portale Restaurant

 restaurant, historic landmark

2-story building completed in 1864 as a stable. It is one of nine remaining stable buildings from an original row of 13. Executed in a round-arched utilitarian style related to the German Rundbogenstil, it still features a mix of Romanesque and Renaissance-revival details. The red-painted brick and stone facade has a narrow pedestrian door at the east side, topped by a round-arch, and a green, wooden garage door at the west. There was originally a center carriage door and a second pedestrian door on the west, but these were combines in 1945 when the vehicle entrance was enlarged.

The 2nd-floor piers carry an arcade in which the center arch is both wider and taller than the flanking arches, all of which have stone sills and keystones. A small pilaster bisects the center bay into a pair of arched windows topped by a green molded wood surround that features a central bulls-eye. The building is crowned by a simple molded brick entablature.

The stable was owned by Archibald Gracie King from 1866-1883. It was sold to David & John P. Duncan, and then to the Security Safety Elevator Company in 1904. The building was altered to accommodate manufacturing and a tower (now removed) for testing elevators was constructed on the roof.

In 1923, Otis Elevator Company purchased the building, retaining it for only five years before selling to William H. Awe, Inc. in 1928. That company used the building as a garage and warehouse until 1945, when the 2nd floor was remodeled for offices.

s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1815.pdf