The 1900 Albert Goldman Mansion - 305 West 105th Street

 

In 1899, real estate developer Hamilton W. Weed broke ground for four upscale residences on the north side of West 105th street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue.  Designed by Janes & Leo in an A-B-B-C configuration, they were completed the following year.  Among the B models was 305 West 105th Street.  Clad in Flemish bond brick and trimmed in limestone above an ashlar base, its French Beaux Arts design included a two-story, faceted oriel behind a balustrade at the second and third floors.  The central window of the second floor wore a triangular pediment that engulfed a large, layered keystone.  The understated fifth floor sat above a bracketed metal cornice.

Real estate operator Albert Brod purchased three of the houses for resale.  He sold No. 305 to Albert and Augusta Goldman in May 1901.  Goldman sat on the board of directors of the Mutual Chemical Company of Jersey City and of the Tartar Chemical Co.  He and Augusta had three children, Harry, Sophie and Lillian.

John C. Umberfield lived with the family briefly, listed here in 1904.  A prolific builder and developer, many of the structures he erected were on the Upper West Side.

Sophie and Lillian Goldman had lofty ambitions for young women in the first years of the 20th century.  At a time when female attorneys were nearly unheard of, in 1911 Sophie was enrolled in the Woman's Law Class of New York University.  Her sister would graduate from the Law Class, as well.

image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

Augusta Goldman died in the mansion on August 10, 1914.  Sophie and Lillian took over the management of the house.  When well-to-do families closed their townhouses for the summer, the staff was often let go, to be replaced in the fall.  On June 26, 1916, a notice in The New York Times read: "Cook--Lady closing house for Summer, wishes situations for her cook and chambermaid, waitress.  305 West 105th St."

As early as 1920, both sisters were members of the Portia Club.  A women-only group, it was founded in 1895 and focused on social and intellectual activities.  Sophie was also a member of the Woman's Forum, a group composed of female lawyers, social workers, doctors and other professionals.  While partly a social club, the Woman's Forum also held civic discussions and events.

By then, Harry was gone from East 105th Street.  An advertisement in the New York Herald on March 23, 1920 reflected Albert's German origins: "Cook, competent, for private house, family three adults; city references required; German or Austrian preferred."

Interestingly, another builder-developer lived with the Goldmans shortly after that ad.  Hugh Getty was described by the Record & Guide as "one of the best known builders of New York City."  Born in Ireland in 1849, he came to New York at the age of 18 and "erected a number of business buildings in this city, several hotels and a number of handsome residences," said the journal.  Getty died in the house at the age of 73 on December 3, 1922.

The Goldmans had a serious scare in the spring of 1926.  Around the turn of the century, the Consolidated Gas Company established a "Pulmotor Crew" to resuscitate victims of escaping fumes from "imperfect gas fixtures and unsatisfactory, antiquated or neglected house pipes," as described by Gas Logic.  In March 1926, the Goldmans' neighbor, Dr. B. S. Bookstaver, who lived across the street at 304 West 105th Street, wrote a letter to the Consolidated Gas Company that said in part:

I extend my sincerest thanks for the help your Pulmotor crew have given me today in saving the life of Albert Goldman of 305 West 105th Street at 8:30 A.M. from accidental gas asphyxiation.

On April 21, 1929, Goldman's death was announced in an extremely succinctly worded notice in The New York Times:  "Goldman, Albert, at his late residence.  305 West 105th St. Funeral private."

The mansion was converted to apartments, two per floor, in 1940.  Among the residents as early as 2006 was Tony Award winning actress Betty Buckley.  Born in Texas in 1947, she made her mark on Broadway, film and television, earning her Tony as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats in 1983.  While living here she sang "Memory" from Cats at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2006, in tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Externally, little has changed to 305 West 105th Street since the Goldman family moved in nearly 125 years ago.

photographs by the author