317 Second Avenue (New York City, New York)

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6-story Renaissance-revival residential building completed in 1910. It is clad in light-grey brick and terra-cotta above a rusticated limestone ground floor. A low stoop at the center with grey granite steps and limestone sidewalls topped by iron railings leads to the round-arched entrance with black wood-and-glass double-doors set in a surround with a spiral molding. It is flanked by a pair of scrolled brackets supporting the base of a black wrought-iron fire escape with basket-style landings running up the middle of the facade. On either side of the entrance are two segmental-arched single-windows with foliate keystones, above a brick basement level with four windows, and areaways enclosed by iron fencing.

The upper floors have six single-windows grouped into three pairs. Spanning the center pair at each floor is a stone lintel heavily decorated with escutcheons and foliate ornament. The outer four windows on the 2nd floor are flanked by fluted, engaged columns with ornamented bases and Corinthian capitals, supporting lintels with smaller escutcheons and foliate ornament, surmounted by panels of urns, fruit, and more foliate ornament. Above a string course, the 3rd & 4th floors have 2-story beveled pilasters framing the outer windows, with bellflowers adorning them at the 4th floor. More panels above the windows on both floors have small escutcheons and foliate ornament, while larger spandrel panels between the floors have shells and further foliate ornament. Topping the 4th-floor windows are rounded pediments broken by cartouches. The 5th floor has flat pilasters with bellflowers framing the windows, more carved panels above, and triangular pediments surmounting them.

The 6th floor is set off by a patterned string course and has thin banding on the piers. All six windows are topped by splayed lintels with escutcheons. The original roof cornice has been removed, leaving a plain brick roof parapet. The building contains 18 apartment units.