Henson Townhouse

The Henson Townhouse was located at 117 East 69th Street in New York City. It was purchased by Jim Henson in 1977; the company moved into the building in 1978.

The townhouse was put on the market in 2003, before the Walt Disney Company purchased the Muppets. The Jim Henson Company moved to another location, with the New York Muppet Workshop.

The following facts are referenced from the tour sheet used as a guide by employees when taking visitors through the building.

History
The house was built between 1928 and 1929 for Beekman Winthrop, and the architect was Julius Gaylor. In 1929, the house contained over 20 rooms, and was used as a residence for only a decade before it sat empty for many years prior to being remodeled into offices and lecture rooms.

The only visible outdoor alterations made to this building were after Henson purchased the building -- the lily pad stained glass windows surrounding the front door.

The Foyer
The Foyer contained a glass display case, where the display was changed to reflect the season, holiday, or current project of The Jim Henson Company.

Above the door is the sign from the 1986 PBS documentary, Henson's Place.

The Mural
The mural located in the lobby is oil on canvas, and was painted in the mid-1980s by Coulter Watt, and contains a great majority of the Muppet cast up until that time. A row of authentic theatre seats from the Helen Hayes Tappanzee Playhouse line the front of the mural.



The Front Desk
The Front Desk was built by Frank Pollaro, designed by Warren Hansen, and the art work was done by Michael Frith. It contains 120 different types of veneers in the desk and took three years to complete.



The Great Hot Air Balloon Circus
The Great Hot Air Balloon Circus is a sculpture which began in the lobby at the base of the spiral staircase and continued up to the fourth floor. It was created by John Henson and John Kahn, and consists of wire, wood, and metal, as well as PVC figures of the Muppets. This sculpture can today be found between the first and second floors of the Flagship Disney Store on 5th Ave. in New York city.

The Marble Floor
The marble floor of the lobby contains the company's original logo, ha!, inlaid in brass in the marble floor.

Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D
A replica of the pediment over the entrance to the Muppet*Vision 3D theater hung above the doors leading to the Awards Room.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame
The commemorative plaque from Jim Henson's 1991 unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame also hangs in the lobby.

The Awards Room
Located on the 1st floor of the townhouse, the awards room houses only some of the countless awards that have been bestowed upon Jim Henson, the Muppets, and the Jim Henson Company. Included in this display are many of the awards received, including a sampling of Emmy, Grammy, George Foster Peabody, Ace, and Writer's Guild of America awards.