"The Brownstones of Turtle Bay Gardens" 1964 Detmold, Mabel

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DETMOLD, Mabel

[77] pp.

The East 49th Street Association

1964

8 3/4" x 6"

Turtle Bay Gardens is a 20-house … Read more DETMOLD, Mabel

[77] pp.

The East 49th Street Association

1964

8 3/4" x 6"

Turtle Bay Gardens is a 20-house historic enclave in Midtown Manhattan (East 48th/49th Sts) revitalized in the 1920s by Charlotte Hunnewell (later Mrs. Walton Martin). It converted 1860s rowhouses into a Mediterranean-style community with a shared central garden, attracting famous residents like Katharine Hepburn and Stephen Sondheim.

Key Details of Turtle Bay Gardens

Location: 20 brownstones on 48th and 49th Streets, between Second and Third Avenues.

Creator: Charlotte Hunnewell (later Mrs. Walton Martin) purchased the homes in 1919–1920, with architects Edward C. Dean and William Bottomley designing the renovation.

Design: Inspired by Italian villas, the design removed rear fencing to create a shared, central garden with a fountain, featuring iron turtle motifs on the front gates.

Notable Residents: Katharine Hepburn (244 E 49th St), Stephen Sondheim, E.B. White, Bob Dylan, Leopold Stokowski, and Kurt Vonnegut.

Detmold Connection: Mabel Detmold was a resident who noted theories on the name origin. The area is near Detmold Park, named for a local activist, Philip Detmold, who was murdered nearby in 1972.The enclave remains a private, highly exclusive "oasis" in Manhattan known for its quiet, verdant interior courtyard. See less