This 11-story Beaux Arts building on the corner of 39th St. and Fifth Ave. was built in 1905-06 by Horace A. Hutchins, a businessman from Cleveland, Ohio. It was designed by the prominent architect C.P.H. Gilbert, who was primarily known for his mansions and townhouses for the wealthy class of Manhattan. I've drawn some of his Brooklyn townhouses, like this one and this one.
The ground floor and basement were leased to Knabe & Co., a piano manufacturer, for their showcase, and the building became known as the Knabe building. Other tenants included a book publisher, a real estate firm, the American Automobile Association, Mrs. Adeline Stanhop-Wheatcroft's "new Dramatic Studio," and the studio of photographer Edward S. Curtis, known for his documentation of the American West and Native Americans.
In 1928, Knabe & Co. moved to a new building further up Fifth Ave. The space was taken over by Ovington's, a retailer of high-end imported China. Ovington's hired architect Frank H. Hutton to modernize the building. Much of the ornament, decoration, and cast iron balcony railings were stripped away. In 2016, it was restored by Scott Henson Architecture.
History source: Daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com
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