The Rhinelander House, Washington Square North, January 1950.

Built for William C. Rhinelander in 1940, the Greek Revival mansion at Washington Square North and Fifth Avenue became a preservation flashpoint after the Rhinelander Real Estate Company sold the property for development in 1944.

After a half-decade in limbo, the house was demolished in 1951, over the objections of the nascent Washington Square Committee, formed in January 1950.

Today, the nineteen-story 2 Fifth Avenue stands on the site.