161 Madison Avenue
Israels & Harder, 1902

Like Madison Square Park, Madison Avenue was named after James Madison, the fourth President of the United States. The Avenue begins at 23^rd Street and extends to the Madison Avenue Bridge at 138^th Street. When the Manhattan street grid was mandated in 1811, there was no avenue between Fourth (now Park) and Fifth Avenues. Madison Avenue was carved out in the 1840s due to the wide distance between Fourth and Fifth Avenues and in order to create more building lots with avenue frontage. This southern section of Madison Avenue is characterized by its fine assortment of large-scale hotels, lofts and office buildings.

The Beaux-Arts style former Warrington Hotel features rich ornament, including sculpted panels, brackets, iron balconies and limestone quoins. It was originally built as a residential hotel.