The early 20th century loft buildings that crowd the streets of the Garment District feature some nifty surprises—like these two magnificent fox statues, which guard the entrance of 242 West 30th Street.
They must be a remnant of the heyday of the Fur District, once a thriving part of the Garment District now populated by a fraction of the manufacturers who once had factories and showrooms in the upper West 20s and lower West 30s.
Newspaper archives show that fur manufacturers did occupy the building. But it’s unclear which company commissioned the statues, stately homages to the animals whose furs brought the company fortune.
This Fur District building has another interesting entrance: two grotesques handling a couple of furry creatures destined to become coats in some rich person’s closet!
Ephemeral New York 