280 Broadway

280 Broadway – also known as the A.T. Stewart Dry Goods Store, the Marble Palace, the Stewart Building, and the Sun Building – is a seven-story office building on Broadway, between Chambers and Reade Streets, in the Civic Center neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1845 to 1846 for Alexander Turney Stewart, the building was New York City's first Italianate commercial building and one of the United States' first department stores. The building also housed the original Sun newspaper from 1919 to 1950 and has served as the central offices for the New York City Department of Buildings since 2002. It is a National Historic Landmark and a New York City designated landmark.

280 Broadway
Alternative names	A.T. Stewart Dry Goods Store Marble Palace Sun Building
General information
Architectural style	Italianate
Address	280 Broadway
Town or city	Civic Center, Manhattan, New York
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°42′51″N 74°00′21″W / 40.71417°N 74.00583°W / 40.71417; -74.00583
Construction started	1845
Completed	1846
Renovated	1850–1851, 1852–1853, 1872, 1884, 1995–2002^[1]^[2]
Height	77.53 ft (23.63 m)
Technical details
Floor count	7
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John B. Snook Joseph Trench
Renovating team
Architect(s)	Trench & Snook (1850–1851, 1852–1853) Schmidt^[a] (1872) Edward D. Harris (1884) Beyer Blinder Belle (1995–2002)^[1]^[2]
Website
Official website
A. T. Stewart Dry Goods Store (Sun Building)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
New York City Landmark No. 1439
Location	280 Broadway, Manhattan, New York
Coordinates	40°42′51″N 74°00′21″W / 40.71417°N 74.00583°W / 40.71417; -74.00583
NRHP reference No.	78001885
NYCL No.	1439
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 2, 1978
Designated NHL	June 2, 1978
Designated NYCL	October 7, 1986
References
^[3]

Trench & Snook had designed the original store at the corner of Broadway and Reade Street, as well as two annexes in the early 1850s; further additions were designed by "Schmidt"^[a] in 1872 and Edward D. Harris in 1884. The facade is made of Tuckahoe marble and is divided into multiple sections, allowing the various expansions to be designed in a similar style. The ground level contains pilasters and columns, which originally framed plate-glass walls. The facade also contains a four-sided clock and a two-sided thermometer, which were added when the Sun occupied 280 Broadway. When the building was completed, the wholesale and retail departments of Stewart's store were arranged around a central rotunda. The current interior dates to 1884, when the rotunda was destroyed and the building was converted into offices.

Stewart's store opened on September 21, 1846, and grew rapidly in the next two decades. The store's retail division moved uptown in 1862, but the wholesale division remained there until 1879. Henry Hilton bought the building from Stewart's widow in 1882 and converted the building to offices. Hilton sold the building in 1908 to Felix Isman, who lost it to foreclosure four years afterward. The newspaper moved into 280 Broadway in 1919 and renamed it the Sun Building in 1928. After the Sun vacated the building in 1950, there were various plans to demolish the building, which did not come to fruition. Instead, the building has been used as city government offices since 1965, and it was rehabilitated from 1995 to 2002.

Site

 

Map of the area in 1905

280 Broadway is in the Civic Center neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It occupies the western section of the city block bounded by Broadway to the west, Reade Street to the north, Elk Street to the east, and Chambers Street to the south.^[4] The land lot is rectangular, running along Broadway, Reade Street, and Chambers Street. Nearby buildings and locations include Tower 270 to the southwest; the Broadway–Chambers Building and 287 Broadway to the west; the Ted Weiss Federal Building to the north; the African Burial Ground National Monument to the northeast; 49 Chambers and the Surrogate's Courthouse to the east; and Tweed Courthouse, New York City Hall, and City Hall Park to the south.^[4]

The lot covers 34,413 sq ft (3,197 m²), with a frontage of about 151 ft (46 m) on Broadway and about 207 ft (63 m) on Reade and Chambers Streets.^[4] The site was expanded in four phases. It originally measured 90.25 ft (27.51 m) on Broadway and 100.75 ft (30.71 m) on Reade Street. The first expansion, in 1850–1851, comprised a 61 by 100 ft (19 by 30 m) rectangular plot on Broadway and Chambers Street. An "L"-shaped plot measuring 52 ft (16 m) wide on Chambers Street and 75.25 ft (22.94 m) wide on Reade Street was built in 1852–1853; it wrapped around a 24 ft-wide (7.3 m) parcel on Chambers Street that was not acquired until 1872. The fourth and final expansion, in 1884, was a 49 ft-wide (15 m) rectangular parcel on Chambers and Reade Streets, extending through the entire block.^[5][6]

Previous uses

Prior to the settlement of New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the 17th century, the site was largely a ravine that drained into Collect Pond in the northeast.^[7][8] The surrounding area contains evidence of the interments of individuals, mostly of African descent.^[7][9] Interments may have begun as early as the 17th century.^[10] These corpses were part of a cemetery called the Negros Burial Ground, which operated until the 1790s.^[11][12] During the next two centuries, historians were aware of the burial ground's existence but had believed that the corpses were destroyed.^[12] The section of the Negros Burial Ground between Duane and Reade Streets, east of Broadway, was initially lower than the surrounding ground. The land was raised by up to 25 ft (7.6 m), and subsequent buildings' foundations were relatively shallow, thus preserving this section of the cemetery.^[13][14]

Just prior to the construction of the current building, the northwest corner of the site had contained Washington Hall, the former headquarters of the Federalist Party.^[15][16] The red-brick building was built from 1809 to 1812 on the site of the African Burial Ground.^[15][17] Designed by John McComb Jr., the building was converted to a hotel in 1828.^[17] Washington Hall became less prominent during the mid-19th century, as the oyster bar in its basement became more important than the hotel itself.^[15] The hotel burned down in July 1844 and was replaced by the original section of the current building.^[18][19] The rest of the site contained residences, which were all demolished by 1884.^[17]

Architecture

280 Broadway was originally a dry-goods store operated by Alexander Turney Stewart and was designed in five stages by four architects.^[1][2] The original store, as well as its first two additions in 1850–1851 and 1852–1853, were both designed by John B. Snook and Joseph Trench^[b] of the firm Trench & Snook.^[2] The third annex was designed in 1872 by a person who is named in planning documents as "Schmidt".^[22][23][a] The fourth annex was designed in 1884 by Edward D. Harris. The building was originally only four stories tall^[c] but was expanded upward in two stages. The fifth story was added between 1850 and 1852, and the sixth and seventh stories were added during the 1884 expansion.^[25][26] The sculptor Ottaviano Gori likely carved much of the building's stonework,^[27][24] while Signor Bragaldi was responsible for the frescoes and other decorations.^[24][28] The building's design was inspired by that of the Travellers Club in London and Frances Trollope's Bazaar in Cincinnati.^[29]

Until the late 20th century, there was confusion over who was responsible for 280 Broadway's design. At the store's opening on September 21, 1846, Trench, Gori, and Bragaldi were all variously cited as the architects.^[30] The New York Herald did not mention any specific architect on opening day, but it credited Bragaldi as the "designer of the entire building" the next day,^[31] likely under pressure from Bragaldi himself.^[28][31] By the 1970s, evidence from historian Mary Ann Smith indicated that the original building and the early-1850s expansions were designed by Trench & Snook.^[32][21] There is also some uncertainty as to whether Snook was involved in the design of the original store, as he was a junior partner in Trench's firm, but both men were definitely involved in the early-1850s expansions.^[33]

Facade

280 Broadway's facade is made primarily of Tuckahoe marble, although cast iron columns were added on the first floor in 1850.^[2][20] Stewart had planned to expand the building since before it opened.^[18][34] As a result, Trench and Snook designed the facade so that its design could be copied easily.^[34] The first story initially contained 66 sq ft (6.1 m²) plate-glass windows imported from France.^[35] After the first two expansions were completed in 1853, the building had 2,000 pieces of plate glass. The first floor contained doors and windows, each with a single pane of plate glass, while the upper floors contained sash windows with plate-glass panes separated by mullions.^[36]

Broadway

 

First three sections on Broadway

From north to south, the Broadway elevation of the facade is divided vertically into five sections, each with three bays on the first five stories.^[37][38] The northern three sections are part of the original building, while the southern two sections were completed in 1851.^[37] The southern two sections differ slightly in width from the northern three sections.^[38] The second and fourth sections, as counted from north,^[d] project slightly from the facade^[37] by about 15 in (380 mm).^[32] At ground level, the bays are flanked by either flat engaged pilasters or fluted freestanding columns, both of which are placed atop pedestals and capped by Corinthian-style capitals.^[32][37] There are recessed windows or doorways between each set of pilasters and columns. An entablature, as well as a cornice with modillions, run above the ground story.^[37]

The upper stories are all made of marble, and each section is delineated by vertical quoins.^[25][26][39] The second through fifth stories all contain rectangular windows, which gradually decrease in height on upper stories. A band course extends under all of the second-story windows.^[25][26] In the projecting sections of the facade, the band course is interrupted by marble balustrades under the second-story windows, and there is a carved keystone and a triangular pediment above each of these windows. Within these sections, there are eared architraves above the windows on the third through fifth stories. In the non-projecting groups of windows, only the second-story windows have eared architraves, while the third to fifth stories have flat architraves.^[e] In all bays, each window sill on the third through fifth stories is supported by two corbels; the sills below the third-story and fifth-story windows are linked by band courses.^[25] A cornice with dentils runs above the fifth story.^[25][41]

On the sixth and seventh stories, the projecting sections each have three windows and two blank panels, while the non-projecting sections have five windows. The windows on both stories are separated by pilasters with capitals; the sixth-story capitals are in the Tuscan order while those on the seventh floor are in the Scamozzi style. There are cornices above both stories. A balustrade runs on the roof above the seventh story, but the projecting pavilions have parapets instead of balustrades.^[25]

 

Four-sided clock

At the corner of Broadway and Chambers Street is a four-sided clock. It was installed in 1917 when the New York Sun moved into the building.^[42][43] Designed by Gerald A. Holmes and manufactured by the International Time Recording Company, the clock consists of a bronze case measuring 4 by 4 ft (1.2 by 1.2 m) across, 8 ft (2.4 m) tall, and weighing 1,500 lb (680 kg). Each clock face has an octagonal dial; an hour hand with a star-shaped tail and a heart-shaped pointer; and a minute hand with a crescent-shaped tail and a rhombus-shaped pointer. Over each clock dial is the inscription "The Sun", while under each dial is the text "It Shines for All"; these two inscriptions refer to the Sun's motto.^[42] As of 2022^[update],^[44] the clock has been maintained by the city's "clock master", Marvin Schneider, since 1992.^[45]

There is a two-sided analog thermometer on the northern end of the Broadway elevation, near Reade Street. The thermometer was installed in 1936 and is housed in a bronze case manufactured by the United States Bronze Sign Company. The case measures 1,000 lb (450 kg) and contains dials measuring 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) across. The triangular hands measure 3 ft 2 in (0.97 m) long and indicate the temperature in increments of 10 °F (5.6 °C), from −20 to 120 °F (−29 to 49 °C).^[42] The words "The Sun / It Shines for All" is also inscribed on this thermometer.^[42][46]

Chambers Street

 

Detail of second-floor windows in a projecting section of the facade

The Chambers Street elevation is divided into eight sections, each with three bays on the first five stories. Counting from west to east, the first three sections are part of the first expansion, completed in 1850.^[25][26] The fourth section from the west was constructed in 1872, since Stewart was unable to acquire a holdout plot for more than two decades.^[23][26] The fifth and sixth sections were built in 1853, while the seventh and eighth sections were built in 1884. The second, fifth, and seventh sections from the west project slightly from the facade.^[25]

At ground level, the bays are flanked by either pilasters or columns, similar to those on Broadway. The columns and pilasters in the westernmost three sections are made of marble, while those in the easternmost five sections are made of cast iron (painted to resemble marble). An entablature and a cornice with modillions run above the ground story.^[25] The section above the first floor is made of marble. Above the ground floor, each section is separated by a strip of quoins. The non-projecting and projecting sections are designed in a very similar manner to those on the Broadway elevation. The only difference is that, above the seventh story, there is a parapet above the sixth and eighth sections, even though these sections do not project from the facade.^[47]

Reade Street

 

A portion of the facade on Reade Street, showing the third section (right) and fourth section (left)

The Reade Street elevation is divided into eight sections. Counting from west to east, the first three sections are part of the original store, completed in 1846. The fourth to sixth sections were built in 1853, while the seventh and eighth sections were built in 1884.^[47] The fifth and seventh sections from the west project slightly from the facade. Unlike on the other two elevations, part of the basement is visible, as Reade Street slopes down from west to east.^[47][48] The westernmost three sections contain eleven tall windows, which are flanked by twelve pilasters with Corinthian capitals. Beneath these windows are metal grilles, which cover the basement openings.^[47] Drawings suggest that there was originally an areaway in front of these grilles.^[48] The easternmost five sections contain a cast-iron storefront on the first story. Below this is a parking garage at basement level, which was installed at some point in the 20th century. An entablature and a cornice with modillions run above the first story, but the cornice and entablature are misaligned where the original building and the annexes meet.^[47]

The section above the first floor is made of marble.^[47] The western three sections differ from the remainder of the facade in that they are not divided by quoins. Additionally, the second section is wider than the others, with four bays^[f] on the basement through fifth stories.^[47][48] The windows in the western three sections are also spaced farther apart, likely to accommodate the building's original rotunda, and the second-story windows are of simpler design. Otherwise, the facade is similar to those of the Broadway and Chambers Street elevations. Each section of the Reade Street elevation (except the second-westernmost one) contains three bays on the basement through fifth stories. There is a brick penthouse above the easternmost two sections.^[47]

Features

There are few written accounts of the building's original interior, and no images exist.^[49] The building's main entrance on Broadway led to an oval rotunda, capped by a dome measuring 80 or 90 ft (24 or 27 m) tall,^[29][39] with a circumference of 70 ft (21 m).^[26][50] The main floor of the rotunda contained mahogany sales counters and maple drawers.^[51] A balcony encircled the rotunda. The dome was supported by columns, which in turn were topped by capitals signifying the themes of "commerce" and "plenty".^[49][50] This motif was used throughout the store, with various frescoes symbolizing commerce.^[26][51][52] The western end of the rotunda connected with the main entrance, while the eastern end contained a flight of stairs leading to the balcony.^[50] The walls of the rotunda were originally decorated with mirrors measuring 56 in (1,400 mm) wide and 158 in (4,000 mm) tall.^[39][50] When the store was expanded between 1850 and 1853, the rotunda was relocated to the center of the enlarged store, and the dome was expanded.^[53][54] The rotunda was turned into a rectangular hall,^[55] which measured 80 ft (24 m) tall and 100 by 40 ft (30 by 12 m) across.^[36][39][56]

The store was New York City's largest at the time of its opening, with slightly more than 0.25 acres (1,000 m²) of space devoted to sales.^[24] The second, third, and fourth stories were used for wholesale operations and were divided into several spaces, each for a different department.^[50][57] The basement was split into a carpet room and a sales floor. On the first story, the main entrance and rotunda was for "miscellaneous and fancy articles", the north wing was used for shawls, and the south wing contained a linen and furnishing room. The second story was divided into three sections, one each for selling dress goods, silk goods, and embroidery; these all led onto the rotunda's balcony. The third floor contained a shawl room and a hosiery and glove room, while the fourth floor contained a storeroom for wholesale operations.^[51][6] Next to the store, on Reade Street, Stewart constructed a boardinghouse and private library for the store's clerks.^[58] After 1853, the store's basement contained carpets, the first floor included retail items, and the upper floors were for wholesalers.^[36][56]

When the building was converted into offices in 1884, the dome was replaced with an open courtyard measuring 26 by 130 ft (7.9 by 39.6 m), which was surrounded by gray brick walls.^[22][41] Following the renovation, the building had five passenger elevators and one freight elevator.^[22][59] On the first through third floors, the corridors were paved in English Minton tiles, and the doorways on each corridor were made of Philadelphia brick and decorated with terracotta. In addition, on the first through fourth stories, the walls of each room had terracotta wainscoting and black marble moldings. These were all accessed by an ornate entrance on the Broadway elevation. The New-York Tribune described the building in 1884 as "absolutely fireproof".^[59]

History

Irish-born merchant Alexander Turney Stewart opened his first store at 283 Broadway, on the western sidewalk between Chambers and Reade Streets, in 1823.^[49][60] At the time, even the largest stores were generally housed in small buildings,^[49][61] and the surrounding neighborhood was largely residential.^[62] As his business expanded, Stewart moved to 262 Broadway, then to 257 Broadway, during the late 1820s and early 1830s.^[63][64] Stewart's store featured a number of marketing innovations.^[18][65] For instance, he was among the first merchants to set fixed prices for his goods;^[65][66] he bought inventory with cash, rather than on credit;^[65] and he allowed customers to browse his shop without employee supervision.^[29] By 1837, at the age of 34, Stewart was a millionaire, having sold expensive merchandise at low prices during the Panic of 1837.^[63][67]

A. T. Stewart store

Development and opening

 

View of the thermometer on the original section of the Broadway facade

Stewart bought all the lots on the eastern side of Broadway from Reade to Chambers Street in April 1844, paying about $90,000 to $100,000 in total.^[19] These included Washington Hall on the southeast corner of Broadway and Reade Street, which measured 90 ft (27 m) on Broadway and 123 ft (37 m) on Reade Street.^[18] Most of the site was inadvertently cleared when the hall burned down in July 1844.^[19] Stewart hired Joseph Trench and John Snook to design a new dry-goods store on the site,^[33] and construction had begun by April 1845.^[18][19] During the store's construction, some skeletons from the old Negros Burial Ground were found on the site.^[68] Critics objected that the building was too far "uptown",^[69][70] in spite of the fact that three major competitors (Hearn Brothers, Lord & Taylor, and Arnold Constable & Company) were all located further north.^[69] Other criticism came from the fact that the building was on the eastern side of Broadway, which was directly lit by sunlight during the afternoon, discouraging upscale shoppers who preferred shops on the shaded western sidewalk.^[69][70] At the time, no dry-goods stores existed on the eastern side of the avenue.^[71] The original store ultimately cost $150,000 (equivalent to $3,868,000 in 2021).^[72]

Stewart's new store opened on September 21, 1846,^[18][73] and was initially known as the Marble Palace.^[74][75] The Marble Palace was New York City's first commercial structure designed in the Italianate style,^[2][20] and it was one of the first structures in the U.S. designed in a Romano-Tuscan style.^[76] It was also the first store in the city to contain a marble facade.^[61][76] At the time, most buildings in New York City were generally clad in brick, but public buildings including City Hall, the Subtreasury, and the Merchants' Exchange had marble facades.^[52] Inside the Marble Palace was a grand rotunda,^[52][77] the second one to be built in a commercial building in the United States.^[77] The first story included plate-glass windows, which had never before been used in a store in the U.S.^[35][76][52] Merchandise was sold in multiple departments across several floors, in contrast to competing stores, which generally had only one selling floor.^[57] The building was the United States' first department store,^[75] leading historian Harry E. Resseguie to refer to it in 1964 as the "cradle of the department store".^[64][76]

The Herald and the Evening Post reported that the store was popular on and after opening day.^[78] The store initially contained $600,000 worth of imported European merchandise, which Stewart's partner Francis Warden had acquired during various trips. Warden continued to manage A. T. Stewart & Company's European import business for several decades, buying items such as carpets, costumes, laces, shawls, and silks.^[79] Anticipating that he might need to expand the store, Stewart bought seven land lots on Chambers Street and Broadway in 1847.^[80] The store was increasingly prosperous by 1850; James Gordon Bennett Sr. had observed that the store had done four times as much business in January 1850 than in January 1849.^[81]

Initial expansion

 

Westernmost two sections on Chambers Street, part of the first expansion

From 1850 to 1851, the store was expanded south, measuring 165 ft (50 m) wide on Broadway and 100 ft (30 m) on Reade and Chambers Streets.^[82][83] Trench and Snook designed these modifications.^[2][55][40] Work on the foundations began in May 1850, and the annex had been constructed to the fourth story by that October.^[40] The dome was also relocated, and Stewart added a fifth story above the original building.^[53][54] The expanded store was decorated with Corinthian columns and pilasters on Broadway, Reade Street, and Chambers Street; there were entrances on all three streets.^[84][g] To deliver the granite and marble, masonry contractor James Hall built temporary railroad tracks on Chambers Street.^[55] In addition, the New York State Legislature granted Stewart an exemption from the state's fire-safety codes, allowing him to build the Chambers Street annex out of marble instead of cast iron.^[85] The project cost $200,000 in total (equivalent to $5,158,000 in 2021).^[72] The expanded structure had about seven times more selling space, or approximately 2 acres (8,100 m²).^[54]

As work on the southern annex was proceeding, Stewart bought four lots on Chambers and Reade Streets during 1850 and 1852.^[38] The owner of the lot at 61 Chambers Street refused to sell his building, so Stewart decided to build around it.^[23][38] Stewart was able to extend the Reade Street frontage 123 ft (37 m) eastward; plans indicate that he either demolished or remodeled the boardinghouse to the east of his original store.^[86] This expansion was completed by 1853.^[2][86] The store was still the only dry-goods retailer on the eastern side of Broadway, although it was extremely profitable. An 1853 account noted that the store had an annual profit of $7 million (equivalent to $183,723,000 in 2021).^[36][87] In addition, the store had 300 clerks after the expansions were completed, compared with 100 clerks at the store's opening seven years earlier.^[88] The store became one of the city's major visitor attractions in the 1850s. Part of the store's success arose from the fact that Broadway and Chambers Street was the city's busiest intersection at the time. In addition, wealthy residents frequently traveled along Broadway in their carriages.^[89]

Continued growth and relocation

By the mid-1850s, the retail department had expanded into the upper floors, which had been intended exclusively for wholesale business.^[88] By the end of the decade, wealthy residents had started to move uptown, and Stewart began planning a new location for his retail business.^[90] He started developing a building on Broadway between 9th and 10th Streets in 1859, occupying a full city block,^[87][90] and the store's retail department moved to the new building in 1862.^[74][91][h] In the year before the retail department relocated from the Marble Palace, the store employed an estimated 400 to 500 clerks and earned $5 million a year.^[92] The wholesale department continued to operate at the Marble Palace,^[74][87] and Stewart maintained an office on the second floor.^[93]

Stewart leased the lot at 61 Chambers Street in 1872, allowing him to build an annex on that site.^[23][94] The owner still refused to sell the site, so Stewart instead agreed to lease the lot at a cost of $11,000 a year, which at the time was an exorbitant amount.^[22][90] Stewart agreed to spend at least $30,000 on a marble-faced annex on the site, and he ultimately spent $35,000 on the annex.^[22] An architect, known only as "Schmidt",^[a] designed the annex in a similar style to Trench and Snook's original building.^[22][23] Also in 1872, Stewart acquired four lots on Chambers and Reade Streets, adjacent to the store building.^[22] Stewart continued to maintain his offices at the Marble Palace until his death in 1876.^[37][92] Henry Hilton, the executor of Stewart's estate, took over the store's operation.^[37] The Marble Palace's sales suffered because of the executor's mismanagement, and the wholesale department moved uptown to 9th Street in January 1879.^[92] Subsequently, the building was vacant for over a year.^[95]

Use as offices

Hilton ownership

 

View of the fourth through seventh stories; the top two stories were added in 1884

After the Stewart store relocated uptown, there were rumors that the building would be converted into a hotel.^[95][96] Instead, Hilton hired Edward D. Harris in September 1882 to renovate the building and convert the interior into offices.^[96][97] The building was expanded eastward, and two floors were added.^[22] The main facade on Broadway remained intact, but Harris rebuilt the rear of the building on Reade and Chambers Streets.^[97] The Marble Palace was combined with two properties that Hilton owned on 53 and 55 Chambers Street, which themselves were remodeled to complement the original store's design.^[22] The store's rotunda was removed and replaced with an open courtyard.^[22][41] Hilton bought the property from Stewart's widow for $2.1 million in February 1884.^[98][99] By then, the New York City government was reportedly planning to buy the building, since its proximity to City Hall made the building an ideal spot for municipal offices.^[59]

The Marble Palace was renamed the Stewart Building when it was remodeled.^[92] The New York City Department of Finance leased space there after the renovation was completed.^[100] Additional departments of the New York City government moved into the building in the late 19th century, including the Department of Taxes and Assessments, the Commissioner of Jurors, the Commissioners of Accounts, and the Aqueduct Commissioners.^[101] By 1897, the city government was paying over $85,000 (~$2.44 million in 2021) per year to rent space at the Stewart Building.^[101][102]

Meanwhile, in August 1893, financier Hetty Green loaned $1.25 million (~$34.5 million in 2021) to Hilton's firm Hilton, Hughes & Co., which operated the Stewart stores but was experiencing financial difficulties. In exchange, Green took a five-year mortgage on 280 Broadway as a security.^[103][104] The New York World described the loan as a "great blow to Henry Hilton's pride".^[105] Shortly after the loan was placed, elected officials questioned whether Green was using the loan to commit tax evasion.^[106] Hilton, Hughes & Co. went bankrupt in 1896,^[104][105] but the loan was paid off before Green died two decades later.^[107] By the early 1900s, the city government was considering erecting a municipal building on the site.^[107][108] State senator Patrick H. McCarren proposed a bill in 1900, which would construct a building on the blocks bounded by Broadway and Reade, Centre, and Chambers Streets; 280 Broadway would have been demolished as part of the plan.^[109] The city government filed plans for a $10 million (~$241 million in 2021) courthouse on the Stewart Building's site in January 1904.^[110] The courthouse plans were dropped that September, as the site would have been too costly, and the surrounding neighborhood was too noisy.^[111]

Isman ownership and foreclosure

 

1893 photograph

Felix Isman paid $4.5 million (~$104 million in 2021) in April 1906 for an option to acquire the building.^[112][113] Isman would be able to purchase the Stewart Building from Hilton's estate after one year.^[114] According to The New York Times, a few minutes after signing the purchase agreement, Isman refused an offer to make a $1 million profit from the purchase.^[113] Isman was subsequently injured in a railroad accident in 1907 and was unable to exercise his option at the time;^[62][114] he received a further extension following the Panic of 1907.^[62][115] Despite reports that Isman planned to renege the deal,^[116] he ultimately bought the building in June 1908 from Hilton's executors, Horace Russell and Edward Harris.^[114][117] Isman received a mortgage loan of $3.7 million for the property,^[116][118] although his wife at the time, actress Irene Fenwick, officially held the mortgage.^[118] The next year, Isman's architect Charles G. Jones filed plans to renovate the building at a cost of $50,000.^[119][120] The alterations included rebuilding the sidewalk, lowering the first story to ground level, and dividing the first story into multiple storefronts.^[120]

The Hilton estate sued in June 1912 to foreclose on a $4 million mortgage that had been placed on the Stewart Building.^[121][122] Isman owed $3.838 million on the mortgage by that December.^[115][123] By January 1913, there were rumors that the building would be sold to make way for a skyscraper.^[124] The city government opened a municipal reference library in the building in April 1913.^[125] A foreclosure auction for the building was delayed because the executor of the Hilton estate was deciding whether he should sell the building off or take back ownership. The Hilton estate would lose money in both cases, but it would lose less in a foreclosure auction than in a buyback.^[126] The Stewart Building continued to lose money while it remained in foreclosure. In 1916, one of Henry Hilton's sons requested that the building be sold, alleging that it was losing $60,000 to $100,000 a year.^[107] In February 1917, a state judge announced that the building would be sold at a foreclosure auction that April.^[115][123]

Sun Building

 

Thermometer at Broadway and Reade Street, installed by the Sun

Frank Munsey, publisher of the New York Sun, purchased the Stewart Building in October 1917 for $4 million.^{[107][108][127]} He also acquired the fee ownership to a small portion of the site from Martha A. Andrews;^[107] the building's previous owners had never been able to buy that plot.^[108] Munsey initially planned to raze the Stewart Building and erect a skyscraper for his newspaper.^{[107][108][127]} The next year, he leased part of the basement and first story to Frank Winfield Woolworth, who opened a Woolworth five-and-ten-cent store there.^[128][129] The Sun moved into the second floor, a portion of the ground floor, and two basement levels in 1919.^[130] The Mohican Company, the Frank Munsey Company, and Sun president William T. Dewart's "other interests" took up space in the building's top story.^[131] Munsey sued New York City's board of commissioners in 1922, seeking to reduce the building's valuation for tax purposes. In legal filings, Munsey indicated that he wanted to replace the old Stewart Building.^[132][133] The building had 2,000 workers by the mid-1920s.^[134]

When Munsey died in 1925, the building passed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[135] The museum sold the building in 1928 to Dewart, who renamed the edifice the Sun Building.^{[130][136][137]} Although Fenwick had long since divorced Isman, she still held the mortgage on the property, and she was obligated to pay $2.5 million (~$31 million in 2021) as a result of a default judgment against her in 1926. Two years afterward, Fenwick sued to have the default judgment vacated.^[118] The building's tenants in the mid-20th century included insurance brokerage Davis, Dorland & Company (which leased much of the fourth floor),^[138] as well as the Publishers' Association of New York City.^[139] After World War II, businessman Henry Modell opened a store in the building, selling surplus wartime material.^[140][141] The Sun continued to be a major tenant until January 1950, when the New York World-Telegram acquired the Sun. Afterward, all Sun staff either lost their jobs or were transferred to the offices of the World-Telegram.^[142][143] The sale of the newspaper did not include 280 Broadway.^[144]

A syndicate, led by the respective presidents of the Charles F. Noyes Company and the City Investing Company, bought the site from Dewart in 1951. The syndicate planned to construct a 40-story building on the site with 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m²) of space.^[135][145] At the time, the building could not be demolished due to temporary restrictions placed by the city government.^[135] The plan was ultimately never carried out because of a lack of essential construction materials such as steel. Noyes and City Investing renovated the property and sold it in November 1952 to a syndicate led by David Rapoport.^[146][147] The owners refinanced the building in 1955 with a $1.3 million (~$10.4 million in 2021) first mortgage loan from the Charles F. Noyes Company.^[148] Tenants at this time included the Better Business Bureau.^[149] Part of the ground-story facade was replaced with aluminum and glass in 1959, after Modell's Sporting Goods leased a storefront at the base of the building.^[150]

City government ownership

Proposed redevelopment

By 1962, the government of New York City wanted to redevelop the Civic Center as part of the "ABC plan".^[151] The New York Sun Building, the Emigrant Savings Bank Building, and several other structures were to have been demolished to make way for a new Civic Center municipal building and a plaza.^[151][152] At the time, the New York City Rent and Rehabilitation Association occupied the structure.^[152] Edward Durell Stone had been hired to design the new building.^[151][153] After receiving negative criticism, the city presented a revised proposal in April 1964.^[154] Later that year, the government of New York City received authorization to buy the Sun Building and several surrounding plots, which would be demolished to make way for a new Civic Center municipal building.^[155] The New York City government filed plans for a new building on the site in January 1965,^[156] and the city government acquired the site through condemnation the same year.^[157]

The clock faces on the building's exterior had stopped operating by 1966.^[43] A local group advocated for the clock's restoration after the city acquired the building.^[43][158] The clock was reactivated in June 1967 after a restoration costing $1,350 (~$8,491 in 2021).^[159] The redevelopment plans were ultimately scrapped due to the 1975 New York City fiscal crisis, but the city retained ownership of the Sun Building.^[160] Because the Civic Center redevelopment was legally dormant and had not yet been canceled outright, the city initially decided not to refurbish either 280 Broadway or 49 Chambers, even though both buildings were in need of renovation.^[161] The Sun Building's ground story contained Modell's, while the upper stories contained city government offices.^[162]

Restoration and 21st century

 

View of the building with a sidewalk shed in front of it

The Sun Building was severely dilapidated by 1981, with large cracks, broken windows, falling ceilings, malfunctioning lights, and extensive leaks.^[157] The building was also inaccessible to disabled guests and lacked modern fire-safety features.^[91] The city no longer planned to demolish the structure, and 16 tenants paid $280,000 in rent every year, but the city government claimed that it did not even have the funds to conduct routine maintenance.^[157] The New York Daily News wrote that the building's offices were "reviled by generations of city workers".^[163] The clock outside the Sun Building was restored again in 1988,^[164] but the structure was still dilapidated in 1994, when the city government considered selling it to a private developer under a leaseback agreement.^[49] William J. Diamond, the city's commissioner of general services, said of 280 Broadway and the neighboring 49 Chambers: "The excitement from the private sector is that they are coming in and saying to us, 'We can make these buildings financially viable if you either sell it to us and/or lease it to us.'"^[165]

The administration of mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced in early 1995 that it planned to lease the buildings to a private developer, who would then renovate both buildings for up to $50 million (~$82.4 million in 2021).^[166][167] In November 1995, the Giuliani administration announced that the Starrett Corporation would renovate the building's garage and storefronts,^[167] leasing the retail space from the city government for 49 years.^[91] Beyer Blinder Belle was hired to design a renovation of the building, which commenced in 1995.^[1][20] As part of a public–private partnership, the building was renovated in two phases: one funded by the city and the other by Starrett.^[168] The city spent $15.7 million (~$25.9 million in 2021) to restore the facade, replacing the Tuckahoe stone with Italian marble.^[91] In the second phase, Starrett would renovate the basement, first floor, and second floor for $21.5 million, then lease out the retail space.^[91][169] During the renovation, the Modell's store at the building's base was closed around 1998.^[170]

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) moved its offices to 280 Broadway in 2002, relocating from MetroTech Center and 60 Hudson Street.^[171] Modell's 14,500 sq ft (1,350 m²) store on the first floor reopened the same year.^[170] Dance Space Center (later renamed Dance New Amsterdam, or DNA^[172]) leased 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m²) on the lower stories in 2004.^[173] The group had expressed interest in revitalizing Lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks.^[172][174] With some funding from the city government,^[175] DNA spent $5.5 million (~$7.22 million in 2021) renovating the space into seven studios, a cafe, and offices, moving into its new space in 2006.^[172] Due to cost overruns relating to the renovation, DNA fell behind on rent payments in 2010 and was in danger of eviction.^[176][177] The group renewed its lease in 2012 and started renovating the lower floors,^[178][179] but it filed for bankruptcy in 2013.^[180][181]

Gibney Dance leased a 36,000 sq ft (3,300 m²) space at the building's base in 2014,^[182][183] taking over both the old DNA space and a former bank location.^[184] Gibney Dance then refurbished its space with $3 million from the Agnes Varis Trust.^[185] A restoration of the facade commenced in 2017;^[186] the project, designed by Urbahn Associates, cost $17.5 million (~$19.2 million in 2021).^[187] Prior to the restoration, the building had been surrounded by a sidewalk shed since 2008,^[188] but the shed was disassembled in 2019 when the renovation was completed.^[186] The project received the 2020 Lucy Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.^[187]

Impact

Critical reception

 

Above the ground floor, the cornice and entablature are misaligned where the various annexes meet.^[47]

When 280 Broadway opened, it received broad praise.^[189] A New York Evening Post article from 1849 described the building as "the looming front of a marble palace, five stories high, decorated in the most beautiful style of art".^[190][191] Just before the store opened, former New York City mayor Philip Hone wrote: "There is nothing in Paris or London to compare with this dry goods palace".^[91][192] His only concern was that the plate-glass windows were a "useless piece of extravagance" that were prone to breaking.^[91] British writer Lady Emmeline Stuart-Wortley said in 1849 that the store was "one of the finest structures I ever saw".^[89] Following the first expansion, an observer wrote for Harper's Magazine in 1854 that the building "rises out of the green foliage of [City Hall] Park, a white marble cliff, sharply drawn against the sky".^[193][194] British novelist Anthony Trollope said in 1861: "I wish we had nothing approaching to it. For I confess to a liking for the old-fashioned private shops."^[195]

According to Stewart's historian Harry Resseguie, some observers criticized the 1850s expansions for "lacking architectural beauty".^[55] Art critic Clarence Cook wrote that, while the specific architectural details could be subject to debate, "as a whole, it is an imposing structure, and an ornament to the city".^[36][196] Cook's objections largely centered around the building's ornamentation, which he felt was too flat; he believed that these details over-emphasized the building's height.^[88][196] After the building's final expansion in 1884, Resseguie wrote that the renovations had "wrecked [the store's] distinctive interior and obscured the beautiful facade of the original building".^[74]

Influence and landmark designations

The Stewart Building's completion inspired the construction of other large dry-goods stores, a trend that continued until early skyscrapers were built in the late 19th century.^[61][192] Winston Weisman wrote in 1954 that the building "created architectural repercussions up and down the Atlantic seaboard";^[193][87] after the Stewart Building had been completed, most large commercial buildings were built in the palazzo style for about 25 years.^[193][197] Within the immediate area, the building's construction inspired the development of other stores on Broadway that were clad with brownstone, cast-iron, or marble.^[87][198] The Hartford Courant's New York City correspondent, writing about these stores in 1850, said the newer buildings were "far from being equal to the 'palace' and cannot in any sense be viewed as rivals".^[198] According to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the building's impact on mid-19th century architecture in New York City was comparable to the impact of Lever House on the city's mid-20th century architecture.^[87] The New York Times wrote in 2019 that the building raised "a commercial enterprise into a public institution and Stewart into an entrepreneurial prince".^[199]

280 Broadway was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1978.^{[200][201][202]} The LPC designated the building's exterior as a city landmark on October 7, 1986.^[203] 280 Broadway is one of several former newspaper headquarters designated as New York City landmarks, along with the Daily News Building, the New York Times buildings at 41 Park Row and 229 West 43rd Street, and the New York Evening Post Building.^[204] 280 Broadway is also located within two historic districts. It is part of the African Burial Ground and the Commons Historic District,^[205] which was designated a city landmark district in 1993.^[206] The building is also part of the African Burial Ground Historic District,^[207] a National Historic Landmark District.^[208]

See also

• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan below 14th Street
• List of National Historic Landmarks in New York City
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan below 14th Street

References

Notes

1. Schmidt's identity cannot be verified, but the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission says that the name likely refers to Frederick Schmidt, who practiced between 1837 and 1890.^[2][23]
2. Trench's name is sometimes mistakenly spelled as "French"^[20] because of the way the letter "T" was written.^[21]
3. A New York Herald article described the building as "five stories including the basement", but there were only four stories above ground.^[24]
4. In this article, the bays of the western (Broadway) elevation are counted from north to south. The bays of the northern (Reade Street) and southern (Chambers Street) elevations are counted from west to east.
5. The northern nine windows on the fourth story originally did not have architraves; instead, there was a cornice above that story. When the fifth story was completed in 1852, the architraves were added above the fourth-story windows to make them seem taller.^[25][40]
6. Trench and Snook's drawings show the second section as having five windows, but it is unknown why this is the case.^[48]
7. The Broadway elevation had eight round columns and 18 square pilasters, while the Chambers and Reade Street elevations each had four columns and 12 pilasters.^[84]
8. A full-block annex between 8th and 9th Streets, now 770 Broadway, was built in 1902. By that time, A. T. Stewart had died and the company had been sold to John Wanamaker.^[2]

Citations

1. White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
2. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
3. . Emporis. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
4. "280 Broadway, 10007". New York City Department of City Planning. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
5. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 27.
6. Smith 1974, p. 26.
7. National Park Service 1993, p. 11.
8. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1993, p. 5.
9. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1993, p. 39.
10. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1993, p. 3.
11. Dunlap, David W. (October 9, 1991). "Dig Unearths Early Black Burial Ground". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
12. Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2006, pp. 306–307.
13. Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2006, p. 307.
14. Shipp, E. R. (August 9, 1992). "Black Cemetery Yields Wealth of History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
15. Resseguie 1964, p. 137.
16. National Park Service 1978, pp. 7–8.
17. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1993, p. 35.
18. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 2.
19. Resseguie 1964, p. 138.
20. "The Sun Building". Department of Citywide Administrative Services. from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
21. Smith 1974, p. 21.
22. Smith 1974, p. 32.
23. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 11.
24. Resseguie 1964, p. 142.
25. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 8.
26. National Park Service 1978, p. 5.
27. Gayle, Margot (August 8, 1982). "Changing Scene". New York Daily News. p. 180. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
28. Smith 1974, p. 20.
29. Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 706.
30. Smith 1974, pp. 20–21.
31. Resseguie 1964, pp. 142–143.
32. National Park Service 1978, p. 2.
33. Smith 1974, pp. 21–22.
34. "The Course of Trade". New York Daily Herald. December 30, 1878. p. 10. from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
35. Resseguie 1964, p. 140.
36. Resseguie 1964, p. 155.
37. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 7.
38. Smith 1974, p. 28.
39. Weisman 1954, p. 289.
40. Smith 1974, p. 27.
41. National Park Service 1978, p. 6.
42. Reuben, Jeff (September 3, 2021). "The Lost History of the New York Sun Clock and Thermometer". Untapped New York. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
43. "Group Acts to Save The Sun Clock". The New York Times. August 30, 1966. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
44. Barron, James (March 11, 2022). "He's Springing Forward to Move City Clocks to Daylight Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
45. Dunlap, David W. (November 15, 1992). "New York Designates Father Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
46. Gray, Christopher (June 2, 1996). "Streetscapes/Readers' Questions;Milk, Cast Iron, a Thermometer and 'Banana Kelly'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
47. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 9.
48. Smith 1974, p. 30.
49. Gray, Christopher (March 20, 1994). "Streetscapes/The A.T. Stewart Department Store; A City Plan to Revitalize the 1846 'Marble Palace'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
50. Smith 1974, p. 25.
51. Resseguie 1964, p. 146.
52. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 5.
53. National Park Service 1978, pp. 5–6.
54. Resseguie 1964, pp. 151–152.
55. Resseguie 1964, p. 152.
56. Smith 1974, p. 31.
57. Resseguie 1964, p. 149.
58. Smith 1974, pp. 24–25.
59. "The Enlarged Stewart Building". New-York Tribune. February 29, 1884. p. 8. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
60. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, pp. 1–2.
61. Resseguie 1964, p. 132.
62. Nicholson, Arthur T. (April 29, 1917). "Stewart Building To Be Sold at Auction Tuesday: Sam Due on This Historic Landmark $3,700,000, with Interest Some Facts About Site Another Big Salesroom Offering This Week 128 Lots on University Heights". New-York Tribune. p. B7. ProQuest 575721963.
63. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 2; National Park Service 1978, p. 7.
64. Resseguie 1964, p. 135.
65. Resseguie 1964, p. 158.
66. Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 705.
67. Resseguie 1964, p. 136.
68. "Skeletons in Broadway Gruesome Find in a Building Excavation". Democrat and Chronicle. June 27, 1897. from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
69. Resseguie 1964, pp. 138–139.
70. National Park Service 1978, p. 8.
71. "Early New York Buildings". Stone. Vol. 38, no. 5. May 1, 1917. p. 252. ProQuest 913059595.
72. Resseguie 1964, p. 154.
73. Resseguie 1964, p. 141.
74. Resseguie 1964, p. 131.
75. Gordon, John Steele (March 20, 2017). "From Marble Palace to Digital Emporium". Barron's. Vol. 97, no. 12. p. 41. ProQuest 1878762095.
76. National Park Service 1978, p. 3.
77. Resseguie 1964, p. 147.
78. Resseguie 1964, pp. 144–145.
79. Resseguie 1964, p. 150.
80. Smith 1974, p. 23.
81. Resseguie 1964, pp. 150–151.
82. Resseguie 1964, p. 151.
83. Smith 1974, pp. 26–27.
84. Resseguie 1964, pp. 153–154.
85. Resseguie 1964, p. 153.
86. Smith 1974, pp. 29–30.
87. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1986, p. 6.
88. Resseguie 1964, p. 156.
89. Resseguie 1964, p. 157.
90. Resseguie 1964, p. 160.
91. Dunlap, David W. (September 24, 1997). "Return of a White Marble Palace; Buildings Agency to Occupy Old Home of Stewart's and The Sun". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
92. Resseguie 1964, p. 162.
93. "Stewart, and the Dry Goods Trade of New York". The Continental Monthly; Devoted to Literature and National Policy. Vol. 2, no. 5. November 1862. p. 532. ProQuest 124720039.
94. Smith 1974, p. 29.
95. "A Walk Along Broadway: From the Battery to the Park Changes in the Great Street a Bank Building to Cost $450,000 the Old Stewart Store Buildings and Stores to Let a Wilful Man and His Way From Union-square to Fiftieth-st. Broadway Losing Its Identity the New Horse Exchange the Rise of the Apartment House". New-York Tribune. July 25, 1880. p. 10. ProQuest 572867848.
96. "The Old Stewart Building". The New York Times. September 20, 1882. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
97. "Building Intelligence: New York City Building Items Miscellaneous". The Manufacturer and Builder : a Practical Journal of Industrial Progress. Vol. 14, no. 10. October 1, 1882. p. 224. ProQuest 88894208.
98. "Mr. Hilton Buys the Stewart Building". New-York Tribune. February 27, 1884. p. 8. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
99. "Late News Items". Dunkirk Evening Observer. February 28, 1884. p. 3. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
100. "Finance in a New Place". The New York Times. November 6, 1884. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
101. "Rentals Paid by the City". New-York Tribune. August 29, 1897. p. 11. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
102. "Rentals the City Pays; List Prepared by Controller Fitch for the Legislature". The New York Times. February 19, 1896. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
103. "Hetty Green Loans $1,250,000". Daily American. September 1, 1893. p. 1. ProQuest 938484327.
104. "A Great Firm Fails; Assignment Made By Hilton, Hughes & Co". The New York Times. August 27, 1896. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
105. "Store Too Far Downtown". The World. August 27, 1896. p. 3. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
106. "Hetty Green.: She Pays No Taxes on Her Fortune of $60,000,000. But a Mortgage on Judge Hilton's Business May Affect Her. Under the Income Tax She Will Have to Pay About 860,000 a Year to the Federal Government—the Richest Woman in America and Her Family". St. Louis Post – Dispatch. February 18, 1894. p. 16. ProQuest 579219083.
107. "Says Hilton Estate Income is Only $696; Judge's Son Charges $4,000,000 Left by Father Has Been Mismanaged". The New York Times. May 2, 1916. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
108. ""Sun's" Owner Buys Stewart Building". New-York Tribune. October 10, 1917. p. 11. ProQuest 575786917.
109. "Great Municipal Building Scheme; Space for All Courts and Offices of City and County". The New York Times. March 11, 1900. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
110. "Plans Submitted for the New Court House; $10,000,000 Pile May Be on Old Stewart Building Site". The New York Times. January 10, 1904. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
111. "As to the Cotton Leak; J.S. Bache & Co. Offer to Help Prove Nothing Was Wrong". The New York Times. September 13, 1904. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
112. "The Stewart Building Purchase". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 77, no. 1989. April 28, 1906. p. 772. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
113. "$4,500,000 In Deal for Stewart Site; Isman Gets Plot Often Talked of for Municipal Structure". The New York Times. April 21, 1906. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
114. "Price of Potatoes Jumps; Old Crop Goes Up 13 Cents a Bushel and New 5 Cents". The New York Times. June 13, 1908. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
115. "Stewart Building Sale; Estate of Late Judge Henry Hilton Demands Payment of Judgment". The New York Times. February 25, 1917. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
116. "The Week". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 81, no. 2101. June 20, 1908. p. 1186. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
117. "F. Isman in Big Deal: Gets Stewart Building College View Apartment House Changes Hands". New-York Tribune. June 13, 1908. p. 8. ProQuest 572124009.
118. "Actress Contests $2,500,000 Claim; Irene Fenwick Seeks to Bar Judgment Obtained on a Mortgage She Signed". The New York Times. September 28, 1928. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
119. "In the Real Estate Field; Investor Buys $235,000 Property on 54th Street – Washington Heights Purchases – Deals by Brokers and at Auction". The New York Times. May 26, 1909. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
120. "Greenwich St. Sales: to Build on One Site Plans Filed for Remodelling the Stewart Building". New-York Tribune. May 27, 1909. p. 9. ProQuest 572172847.
121. "Hilton Estate Acts: Would Foreclose Mortgage on the Stewart Building Felix Isman Defendant Proceeding Involving $3,700,000 Begun in Supreme Court". New-York Tribune. June 30, 1912. p. 16. ProQuest 574947639.
122. "Sue on $4,000,000 Mortgage; Estate of Henry Hilton Would Foreclose on Stewart Building". The New York Times. June 30, 1912. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
123. "Stewart Building to Highest Bidder". New-York Tribune. February 25, 1917. p. B7. ProQuest 575671381.
124. "Stewart Building to Go: Broadway Landmark Likely to Be Replaced by Skyscraper". New-York Tribune. January 9, 1913. p. 6. ProQuest 575032567.
125. "City Library Opens: Books of Reference Now Available for Students and Officials". The New York Times. April 1, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
126. "Trustee to Resell Stewart Building: Old Store of "Merchant Prince" to Be Sacrificed by Hilton Estate Now Assessed at $4,750,000 Property in Chambers Street Must Bring $4,000,000 to Cover Interest and Mortgage". New-York Tribune. January 29, 1914. p. 14. ProQuest 575199345.
127. "Munsey Buys Old Stewart Building: Property Will House the "Sun" and Other Publications". The Hartford Courant. October 10, 1917. p. 20. ProQuest 556514511.
128. "Real Estate Field: Bank Sells Broadway Apartment House—Woolworth Store at 280 Broadway. Results at Auction. The Building Department". The New York Times. March 7, 1918. p. 18. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 100023664.
129. "Woolworth to Have Store In Old Stewart Building". New-York Tribune. March 7, 1918. p. 7. ProQuest 575848345.
130. "New York Sun Buys Building: Acquires Structure Used by A.T. Stewart". Daily Boston Globe. January 3, 1928. p. 6. ProQuest 747438326.
131. "Metropolitan Museum Sells Sun Building to W. T. Dewart". New York Herald Tribune. January 3, 1928. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113413538.
132. "Munsey to Rebuild; Tax Suit Reveals That He Intends to Replace Stewart Building". The New York Times. June 29, 1922. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
133. "New York Landmark to Be Torn Down". The Christian Science Monitor. June 30, 1922. p. 3. ProQuest 510624284.
134. "Lower Manhattan Buildings Centers Of Great Population: Several Skyscrapers Each House More People Than Lived in New York City Before Revolutionary War". The New York Herald, New York Tribune. April 13, 1924. p. B1. ProQuest 1112963408.
135. Bradley, John A. (January 27, 1951). "Old Sun's Site Sold for Erection of a $40,000,000 Skyscraper; Air-Conditioned Structure of 40 Stories Will Replace Historic Building on Broadway Government Tenancy Sought". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
136. "The Sun Buys Building". Times Union. January 3, 1928. p. 4. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
137. "Stewart Building is Sold to the Sun; Newspaper Obtains Home From Metropolitan Museum, Legatee of Frank A. Munsey". The New York Times. January 3, 1928. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
138. "Moving to Broadway Building". The New York Times. March 26, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
139. "Publishers Agree to New Wage Talk; Will Seek to Reach Agreement Tomorrow With "Big Six" Typographical Union". The New York Times. July 20, 1932. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
140. "Model Training Store Is Set Up for Veterans". New York Herald Tribune. March 14, 1946. p. 31A. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1284503271.
141. "Mayor Opens Store Staffed by Veterans". The New York Times. March 23, 1946. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
142. "Combined Papers Make Appearance; World-Telegram and Sun Takes Over All Latter's Comics and 10 Feature Writers". The New York Times. January 6, 1950. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
143. Kupferberg, Herbert (January 6, 1950). "Paper Merger Retains Many 'Sun' Features: 'World Telegram and Sun' Keeps Departments From Purchased Publication". New York Herald Tribune. p. 15. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1326809034.
144. "Where 'The Sun' Published Before 117-Year Career Ended". New York Herald Tribune. January 5, 1950. p. 12. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1325823453.
145. "Sun Building Is Sold as Site For Skyscraper: New 40-Story Structure Is Planned on Broadway at Cost of $40,000,000". New York Herald Tribune. January 27, 1951. p. 6. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1327567047.
146. "Syndicate Takes Old Sun Building: Investors Buy Landmark Near City Hall – Apartment Sold on East Tenth Street". The New York Times. November 13, 1952. p. 55. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 112438526.
147. "Noyes and Dowling Interests Resell Former Sun Building". New York Herald Tribune. November 13, 1952. p. 30. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1326891841.
148. "Loan on 280 Broadway; $1,300,000 Financing for the Old Sun Building". The New York Times. April 21, 1955. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
149. Churchill, Allen (November 18, 1951). "Eye for Business; New York's Better Business Bureau maintains a vigilant lookout for shady sales practices". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
150. "Landmark Losing Historic Facade; 112 – Year – Old Colonnades at 280 Broadway Give Way to Aluminum and Glass". The New York Times. October 3, 1959. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
151. Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, p. 157.
152. Arnold, Martin (December 8, 1962). "Civic Center to Cost 165 Million Planned For City Hall Area; 167 Million Asked for Civic Center". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
153. Huxtable, Ada Louise (May 30, 1963). "Stone to Design City Civic Center; Reidy Says Mayor Approves Plan for Architect to Coordinate Project". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
154. Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1995, p. 159.
155. "City Authorized to Buy Land for a Civic Center". The New York Times. November 17, 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
156. "Plans for City Skyscraper At Chambers St. Are Filed". The New York Times. January 22, 1965. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
157. Goodwin, Michael (August 5, 1981). "280 Broadway: Past Shames Present". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
158. "Friends of Clock". The Hartford Courant. October 12, 1966. p. 7. ProQuest 549278380.
159. "The Old Sun Clock Runs Again After a Champagne Ceremony; 50-Year-Old Landmark on Lower Broadway Restored at a Cost of $1,350". The New York Times. June 9, 1967. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
160. Perez-Pena, Richard (January 9, 1995). "City Hall to Let Developer Save 2 Landmarks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
161. Goldberger, Paul (April 22, 1975). "Plans Rethought for Old buildings of Distinction". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
162. Goldberger, Paul (December 30, 1977). "Metropolitan Baedeker: Chambers St., an Urban Metaphor". The New York Times. p. C22. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 123151567.
163. Feiden, Douglas (March 1, 2002). "Tweed Debate Just Part of Picture". New York Daily News. p. 45. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
164. Dunlap, David W. (May 4, 1988). "With a Hand or 2, an Old-Timer Revives". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
165. Dunlap, David W. (February 20, 1994). "Commercial Property/City-Owned Office Buildings; New Commissioner Says Conditions Are 'Atrocious'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
166. Perez-Pena, Richard (January 9, 1995). "City Hall to Let Developer Save 2 Landmarks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
167. Grant, Peter (November 21, 1995). "City off bldg. on B'way". New York Daily News. p. 1445. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
168. Dunlap, David W. (April 19, 1998). "Around City Hall, The Past Is New". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
169. Croghan, Lore (June 8, 1998). "Back in the game". Crain's New York Business. Vol. 14, no. 23. p. 1. ProQuest 219141555.
170. Curan, Catherine (July 15, 2002). "Retailers overcome doubts, begin to return downtown". Crain's New York Business. Vol. 18, no. 28. p. 4. ProQuest 219202115.
171. "Postings: A Switch to 280 Broadway, at Chambers; Buildings Dept. Moving Offices". The New York Times. July 21, 2002. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
172. Kinetz, Erika (February 13, 2006). "Dance Center Has an Apt Vista in New Home". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
173. Croghan, Lore (September 15, 2004). "P. Diddy's Times Sq. Bldg. Goes on Block". New York Daily News. p. 60. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
174. Lipson, Karin (September 13, 2004). "' If you build it, they will come', That's the philosophy of four downtown arts groups looking to expand their offerings – and revitalize neighborhoods near Ground Zero". Newsday. p. B02. ProQuest 279923883.
175. Kinetz, Erika (December 25, 2005). "A Grand New Studio, and 6 to Spare". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
176. "Lower Manhattan dance studio may face eviction". The Real Deal New York. July 7, 2010. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
177. "Arts organization in danger of eviction". Crain's New York Business. July 7, 2010. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
178. Shapiro, Julie (June 1, 2012). . DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
179. Cameron, Christopher (June 1, 2012). "First dance studio to move downtown post-9/11 reaches rent deal". The Real Deal New York. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
180. Catton, Pia (May 30, 2013). "Downtown Dance Company Files for Bankruptcy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
181. "Dance New Amsterdam files for bankruptcy". amNewYork. June 12, 2013. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
182. Catton, Pia (January 10, 2014). "Lease Is Fresh Step for New York's Dance World". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
183. Seibert, Brian (October 24, 2014). "Making Space for Creativity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
184. Elstein, Aaron (February 4, 2019). "A struggling artist becomes a key player helping to keep the New York dance scene on its feet". Crain's New York Business. Vol. 35, no. 5. p. 16. ProQuest 2176806111.
185. Buckley, Cara (January 28, 2014). "Agnes Varis Trust to Give $3 Million to Gibney Dance". ArtsBeat. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
186. Elstein, Aaron (June 24, 2019). "Sidewalk shed comes down after 11-year run on Broadway: Home to city Department of Buildings will finally see the light". Crain's New York Business. Vol. 35, no. 25. p. 3. ProQuest 2247812246.
187. "Lucy Moses Preservation Award for iconic 280 Broadway renovation". Informed Infrastructure. September 24, 2020. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
188. Elstein, Aaron (July 9, 2018). "Let There Be Light: Eight Years After Winning a City Design Competition, Urban Umbrella is Poised to Tackle the Scourge of Sidewalk Sheds". Crain's New York Business. Vol. 34, no. 28–29. p. 18. ProQuest 2068471213.
189. Weisman 1954, pp. 285–286.
190. Weisman 1954, p. 286.
191. New York Union History Company (1899). History of Architecture and the Building Trades of Greater New York. History of Architecture and the Building Trades of Greater New York. Union History Company. p. 143. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
192. Weisman 1954, p. 285.
193. Weisman 1954, p. 288.
194. Resseguie 1964, pp. 156–157.
195. Resseguie 1964, pp. 157–158.
196. Cook, Clarence (February 1853). "New-York Daguerrotyped". Putnam's monthly. Vol. 1. pp. 129–130. hdl:2027/coo.31924079618900. from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
197. Resseguie 1964, p. 144.
198. "The Disturbances at the Tabernacle—A Word about the Anniversaries—Extension of Stewart's Marble Palace, &c. &c". The Hartford Courant. May 10, 1850. p. 2. ProQuest 552911963.
199. Roberts, Sam (October 31, 2019). "5 New York Buildings That Changed American History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
200. "Federal Register: 44 Fed. Reg. 7107 (Feb. 6, 1979)" (PDF). Library of Congress. February 6, 1979. p. 7538 (PDF p. 338). (PDF) from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
201. United States. Dept. of the Interior (1985). "Catalogue of National Historic Landmarks". U.S. Department of the Interior. p. 162. from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
202. "Buildings Get Landmark Tag". The New York Times. June 17, 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
203. "Metro Datelines; Sun Building Is Recognized". The New York Times. October 8, 1986. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
204. Dunlap, David W. (October 21, 2000). "Headquarters Of The Times Is Considered As Landmark". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
205. Landmarks Preservation Commission 1993, PDF p. 3.
206. Dunlap, David W. (February 26, 1993). "African Burial Ground Made Historic Site". The New York Times. p. B3. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
207. National Park Service 1993, p. 30.
208. "New York: African Burial Ground National Monument". National Park Service. October 31, 2016. from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2021.

Sources

• A.T. Stewart Store (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. October 7, 1986.
• A.T. Stewart Store (Report). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. June 2, 1978.
• African Burial Ground & The Commons Historic District (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. February 25, 1993.
• Historic Structures Report: African Burial Ground (Report). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. April 19, 1993.
• Resseguie, Harry E. (April 1964). "A.T. Stewart's Marble Palace-The Cradle of the Department Store". New York Historical Society Quarterly. Vol. 48, no. 4.
• Smith, Mary Ann (January 1974). "John Snook and the Design for A. T. Stewart's Store". New York Historical Society Quarterly. Vol. 58, no. 1.
• Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1995). New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial. New York: Monacelli Press. pp. 157–161. ISBN 1-885254-02-4. OCLC 32159240. OL 1130718M.
• Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1999). New York 1880: Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilded Age. Monacelli Press. pp. 705–708. ISBN 978-1-58093-027-7. OCLC 40698653.
• Stern, Robert A. M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2006). New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Bicentennial and the Millennium. New York: Monacelli Press. ISBN 978-1-58093-177-9. OCLC 70267065. OL 22741487M.
• Weisman, Winston (January 1, 1954). "Commercial Palaces of New York: 1845–1875". The Art Bulletin. Vol. 36. ProQuest 1296207091.

External links

•   Media related to Sun Building (Manhattan) at Wikimedia Commons