Abraham E. Lefcourt Explained

Abraham E. Lefcourt
Birth Date:	March 27, 1876
Birth Place:	Birmingham, England
Birth Name:	Abraham Elias Lefkowitz
Death Place:	Manhattan, New York
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Real estate developer
Children:	Mildred Audrey Lefcourt Alan Elias Lefcourt
Spouse:	Irma Viola Castleberg

Abraham E. Lefcourt (March 27, 1876  - November 13, 1932^[1]),^[2] better known as A.E. Lefcourt, was a prominent real estate developer in New York City in the 1920s. In his lifetime Lefcourt was known as one of the most prolific developers of Art Deco buildings in New York City.^[3] Describing Lefcourt in a 1930 newspaper article, The New York Times said, "No other individual or building organization has constructed in its own behalf as many buildings as are in the Lefcourt Group."^[4]

Early life

Lefcourt was born Abraham Elias Lefkowitz on March 27, 1876, to Russian-Jewish immigrants in Birmingham, England.^[5] His family immigrated to New York's Lower East Side in 1882 where Lefcourt grew up in a predominantly Jewish and poor community.

Career

Lefcourt began his career as a newsboy and bootblack. He became a prominent figure in the New York garment industry when he assumed control of his employer's wholesale business. His forays into real-estate began in 1910 with a 12-story loft on West 25th Street. He built many more structures in the area, including the Alan E. Lefcourt building at 49th Street, known today as the Brill Building, heralding the beginnings of the new Garment Center.

An entrepreneur, Lefcourt had numerous other business interests, including founding Lefcourt Normandie National Bank, which eventually became a part of JP Morgan Chase.^{[6] [7]}

Notwithstanding his success and a net worth reported to have been as much as $100 million in 1928,^[8] Lefcourt's empire began to unravel during the Depression, with his company going into foreclosure and his buildings being auctioned off.^[9] In 1932, with creditors pursuing him and others accusing him of fraud, Lefcourt suffered a heart attack in his Savoy-Plaza Hotel apartment and died at the age of 55.^[10]

Personal life

He married Irma Viola Castleberg (1883–1949). The couple began using the surname Lefcourt around 1900 but did not officially adopt the name until 1909.^[11] The Lefcourts had two children: Mildred Audrey, born in 1908, and Alan Elias, born in 1913. Lefcourt constructed the Brill Building in part as a memorial to his son Alan Elias who died of anemia in February 1930.^[12] Lefcourt himself died on November 13, 1932, at the Savoy Hotel, leaving an estate of only $2,500.^[13] Services were held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.^[14] Mrs. Lefcourt died in 1949 at Nantucket, MA; she was at the time of her death listed as a resident of the Savoy-Plaza Hotel.

Buildings

Among Lefcourt's more notable real estate development projects:

• Brill Building, 1619 Broadway, New York, NY ^[15]
• Lefcourt Newark Building/Raymond Commerce Building, 1172-1182 Raymond Boulevard, Newark, NJ Now known as Eleven-Eighty.^[16]
• Lefcourt Clothing Center, 275 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY ^[17]
• Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Avenue, New York, NY ^{[18] [19]}
• Lefcourt Empire Building, 989 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY ^[20]
• Lefcourt Madison Building, 16 East 34th Street, New York, NY ^[21]
• Lefcourt Manhattan Building, 1412 Broadway, New York, NY ^[22]
• Lefcourt National Building, 521 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon ^[23]
• Lefcourt Normandie Building, 1384 Broadway, New York, NY ^[24]
• Lefcourt State Building, 1375 Broadway, New York, NY ^[25]

Sources

• Web site: Historic Preservation Studio 1999 . 2008-03-06 ., Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (archived 2008)

Notes and References

1. Web site: New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949. FamilySearch. 17 July 2016.
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930023724/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744769-2,00.html Time magazine: "A.E. Lefcourt"
3. http://www.thecityreview.com/madison.html The City Review: Madison Avenue
4. https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F00717FD3A5E1B728DDDA10994DD405B808FF1D3 NY Times: "Abraham Lefcourt"
5. Book: World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.. National Archives and Records Administration.. Washington DC. 4,582 rolls. M1509.
6. https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F00714FC3A55167A93C4A8178AD85F4D8285F9 NY Times: "A.E. Lefcourt Bank Formally Opened"
7. http://www.scripophily.com/nybankhistoryl.htm Scripophily: Lefcourt Normandie National Bank
8. https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20E13FD355513738DDDAC0994DA415B828FF1D3 NY Times: "A.E. Lefcourt"
9. https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB091FFF3C5F11738DDDAF0894DA405B818FF1D3 NY Times: "Auction of Lefcourt National Building"
10. https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F7071EFA3A5513738DDDAF0994D9415B828FF1D3 NY Times: A.E. Lefcourt Obituary
11. Book: Kobrin. Rebecca. Chosen Capital: The Jewish Encounter with American Capitalism. Aug 20, 2012. Rutgers University Press. 73. 9780813553290.
12. News: Gray. Christopher. Built With a Broken Heart. 26 June 2014. New York Times. December 30, 2009.
13. News: AE Lefcourt Left $2500, No Realty; Builder of 20 Skyscrapers. New York Times. December 15, 1932.
14. News: Lefcourt Funeral Services Here Today . The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 15, 1932 .
15. http://www.brillbuilding.com/history.html Brill Building
16. http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/busind/office/lefcourt.htm VirtualNewarkNJ.com
17. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/10/realestate/streetscapes-readers-questions-an-italianate-co-op-and-a-second-empire-facade.html NY Times: "Streetscapes"
18. https://web.archive.org/web/20101027193110/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,732788,00.html Time magazine: "Unfreezing Assets"
19. http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=17190 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Colonial Building
20. http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57772 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Empire Building
21. http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57773 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Madison Building
22. http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57774 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Manhattan Building
23. ,
24. http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57775 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Normandie Building
25. http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57776 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt State Building