Abraham E. Lefcourt

Abraham E. Lefcourt (1877-1932) [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744769-2,00.html "Time" magazine: "A.E. Lefcourt"] ] , better known as A.E. Lefcourt, was a prominent real estate developer in New York City in the 1920s. All but forgotten today, in his lifetime Lefcourt was known as the one of the city's most prolific developers of Art Deco buildings. [ [http://www.thecityreview.com/madison.html The City Review: Madison Avenue] ] 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." [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F00717FD3A5E1B728DDDA10994DD405B808FF1D3 "NY Times": "Abraham Lefcourt"] ]

An entrepreneur, Lefcourt had numerous other business interests, including founding the Lefcourt Normandie National Bank, which eventually became a part of JP Morgan Chase. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F00714FC3A55167A93C4A8178AD85F4D8285F9 "NY Times": "A.E. Lefcourt Bank Formally Opened"] ] [ [http://www.scripophily.com/nybankhistoryl.htm Scripophily: Lefcourt Normandie National Bank] ]

Notwithstanding his success and a net worth reported to have been as much as $100 million in 1928, [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20E13FD355513738DDDAC0994DA415B828FF1D3 "NY Times": "A.E. Lefcourt"] ] Lefcourt's empire began to unravel during the Depression, with his company going into foreclosure and his buildings being auctioned off. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB091FFF3C5F11738DDDAF0894DA405B818FF1D3 "NY Times": "Auction of Lefcourt National Building"] ] 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. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F7071EFA3A5513738DDDAF0994D9415B828FF1D3 "NY Times": A.E. Lefcourt Obituary] ]

Buildings

Among Lefcourt's more notable real estate development projects:

* Brill Building, 1619 Broadway, New York, NY [ [http://www.brillbuilding.com/history.html Brill Building] ]
* Lefcourt Building/Raymond Commerce Building, 1172-1182 Raymond Boulevard, Newark, NJ [ [http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/busind/office/lefcourt.htm VirtualNewarkNJ.com] ]
* Lefcourt Clothing Center, 275 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5DB1530F933A2575AC0A96F948260 "NY Times": "Streetscapes"] ]
* Lefcourt Colonial Building, 295 Madison Avenue, New York, NY [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,732788,00.html "Time" magazine: "Unfreezing Assets"] ] [ [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=17190 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Colonial Building] ]
* Lefcourt Empire Building, 989 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY [ [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57772 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Empire Building] ]
* Lefcourt Madison Building, 16 East 34th Street, New York, NY [ [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57773 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Madison Building] ]
* Lefcourt Manhattan Building, 1412 Broadway, New York, New York [ [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57774 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Manhattan Building] ]
* Lefcourt National Building, 521 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY [ [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=115379 Emporis- Lefcourt National Building] ]
* Lefcourt Normandie Building, 1383 Broadway, New York, NY [ [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57775 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt Normandie Building] ]
* Lefcourt State Building, 1375 Broadway, New York, NY [ [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=57776 Skyscraperpage.com: Lefcourt State Building] ]

Notes