Marvelous mail chutes and marble kitchens. That’s Rossleigh Court for you. Rossleigh Court stands proudly at the northwest corner of 85th Street and Central Park West. This magnificent building is more than just apartments. It’s a piece of New York City history. Built between 1906 and 1907 Rossleigh Court exemplifies the popular French Flat model in the Beaux-Arts style. Designed by Mulliken and Moeller and constructed by Gotham Building and Construction it’s a twin to the building just to the north at 257 Central Park West.
Rossleigh Court wasn’t just any apartment building. It boasted modern conveniences unheard of at the time. Imagine small elevators like dumbwaiters delivering mail directly to each apartment. Kitchens were wainscoted with marble. Porcelain tubs and sinks gleamed. Nickel-plated plumbing added a touch of elegance. Even a central vacuum cleaning system ensured spotless homes. Each apartment even had its own wall safe. Service elevators kept residents separate from deliverymen and servants. This was luxury living at its finest.
The building’s residents were a fascinating mix. Multimillionaire Morris Schinasi and his wife Laurette lived there briefly before moving to their Riverside Drive mansion. Estelle Christy a famous chorus girl called the perfect chorus girl also called Rossleigh Court home. She made headlines after breaking off her engagement to Lord Eliot who subsequently committed suicide. Rossleigh Court housed many affluent families 46 out of 59 resident families were listed in the 1911 Dau’s Blue Book of New York Society.
Author Ellen Glasgow resided in Rossleigh Court from 1911 to 1916. Her novels tackled social issues like marriage and female friendships ahead of their time. A more dramatic resident was the decorative artist Gustave E. Fauser and his wife Margaret. Their relationship ended in a very public very messy divorce. Margaret was temporarily committed to an insane asylum. She claimed Fauser had mistreated her teenage daughter. The resulting court battles and accusations played out in the newspapers.
Rossleigh Court also housed several physicians. Dr. Arthur Stein an obstetrician lived there in 1909. Other doctors included S Kleinberg William Ahlstrom Theron Wendell and Morris Grossman. Dr Ahlstrom served with the Red Cross American Ambulance Corps in Alsace France. Even two young businessmen Solomon Shuldinger and Gerome S Dumont lived there. They were later indicted for embezzling $100000. Their trial and conviction became another chapter in the building’s colorful history.
A fascinating resident was James Churchill known as Handsome Jim. He started as a beat cop but became a successful restauranteur. President Warren G Harding offered him the position of Prohibition Administrator but Churchill refused. He said he couldn’t turn on his friends in the liquor business. Churchill’s funeral procession even included prominent figures from the police department show business and the restaurant industry.
Rossleigh Court continued to attract physicians through the years. Drs George H Sherwood Sigmund Pollitzer and Henry W Mooney lived there in the 1930s. In the 1950s Leopold Glushak a plastic surgeon and amateur singer called it home. He was even a member of the Doctors Orchestral Society. He passed away in his Rossleigh Court apartment in 1964.
Today Rossleigh Court stands as a testament to a bygone era of elegance and drama. It’s a reminder that even an address can hold a thousand stories. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people who lived there. It’s a quiet giant of the Upper West Side a treasure waiting to be discovered.