Update: The Murphy Building was torn down in May of 2015; almost none of the ornamental terracotta, including the two caryatids, was saved from the landfill.
The poor Murphy Building, suffering now for decades, and constantly under threat of demolition. I actually thought it was doomed two years ago.
But my, what an amazing, stunning entrance, with two caryatids holding up the pediment above. Will it be saved if the rest of the building comes down?
Years ago, the keystones were stolen from the arches up above. Who could get away with such a brazen theft? Yes, that’s a tree growing on the roof.
The theft probably was accomplished by smashing through from the inside. At 2am. Just a guess.
Is the Majestic Theater still standing? Wondering how the demo affected that.
“Years ago, the keystones were stolen from the arches up above. Who could get away with such a brazen theft?”
Very easily, I was doing that starting age 13 in NY City- you go to the floor above like 2am and quietly remove the bricks behind the keystone from t he inside while sitting on the floor, and pull the keystone up and in thru the hole. By the time I was around 19 I had 60 tons worth stored in several lofts around the city.
I dont know why anyone wasted the effort for THOSE keystones on the Murphy- I went for those that had lions and faces on them like the one over the entrance and the caryatids- far more interesting.