From Where Did The Wise Man Come?

The Dakota, the splendid and historically significant cooperative located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West on the Upper West Side has captured and teased the imaginations of city dwellers and visitors alike for over a century. The architectural masterpiece is always stunning and always familiar. Many a Central Park walkabouts begin or end with a compass set by the prominent location.

Architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh and his firm were commissioned to design the uptown apartment building for patent attorney, entrepreneur and investor Edward Cabot Clark. The 4-year construction project was completed in October of 1884. Clark, along with his business partner Isaac Merritt Singer, notably co-founded the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1851.

So many details are found among the exterior and interior finishes of the Renaissance style structure. North German, French and English Victorian influences have been catalogued by admirers and historians. Personally noteworthy are the wise man and double dragon iron supports that dominate the iron railing which surrounds the landmark building. Curious about the talent responsible for creating and fabricating such powerful ornaments, I was unable for some time to identify the actual ironworkers responsible for the exquisite contribution. Then during one recent afternoon in the New York Historical Society Museum & Library I came across Andrew Alpern’s definitive book, The Dakota: A History of the World’s Best-Known Apartment Building. Case solved.

According to Andrew Alpern, the railings and decorative iron work on watch for The Dakota were cast by Hecla Iron Works. A fascinating overview of Hecla’s role and contributions to the evolution of construction in New York City and the rise of the use of iron in building facades, in general, can be found in a 2004 Landmarks Preservation Commission report researched and written by Matthew A. Postal. All extremely intriguing to any fan of The Dakota, to say the least.

Decorative iron work in the form of wise men and double dragon sculptures embellish the exterior railing surrounding The Dakota.