The Garfield Building was located at 26 Court Street, at Remsen Street, in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. It was built by contractor William Lamb, who was originally from
Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. Together with his brother Thomas, the builders began their careers with the firm W&T Lamb, starting in 1861. The seven-story Garfield Building was offered in an auction by the Brooklyn Real Estate Exchange in January 1906. The lot covered 100 feet by 150 feet on Remsen Street. It was near Borough Hall, the court house, Temple Bar, Hall of Records, the borough's first subway station, and the heart of the financial center.
Description and history
The building was constructed by tea merchant
Abiel Abbot Low
Abiel Abbot Low (February 7, 1811 – January 7, 1893) was an American entrepreneur, businessman, trader and philanthropist who gained most of his fortune from the China trade, importing teas, porcelains, and silk, and building and operating a ...
, the father of future New York City mayor
Seth Low
Seth Low (January 18, 1850 – September 17, 1916) was an American educator and political figure who served as the mayor of Brooklyn from 1881 to 1885, the president of Columbia University from 1890 to 1901, a diplomatic representative of t ...
, in 1881. The structure, designed by J. C. Cady of the then-separate city of New York, replaced four brick buildings on Court Street and three on Remsen Street. The Garfield Building was eight stories high and measured high, with a clock tower at the corner of Court and Remsen Streets. It was designed in the
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
style, with a facade of brownstone on its first two stories and Philadelphia brick and terracotta on its upper stories, as well as a red-tiled roof. Inside were 279 offices (illuminated by a light court), two elevators, and a law library.
In the late 19th century the structure often served as a meeting place for railroad officials and the Brooklyn Republican Campaign Committee.''The Brooklyn Republicans'', New York Times, October 12, 1883, pg. 2. Colonel Charles L. Fincke, of the 23rd Regiment of the
United States National Guard
The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.''Col. Fincke Resigns'', New York Times, April 22, 1887, pg. 2. It also was home to lawyers.
The Garfield Building was razed after a period of building inactivity following
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. City departments were moved to a new Municipal Building and the Court Remsen Building.''Brooklyn Changes In Business Centre'', New York Times, March 13, 1927, pg. E21. The Chanin Construction Company, led by Irwin Chanin, bought the building from the
Childs Restaurants
Childs Restaurants was one of the first national dining chains in the United States and Canada, having peaked in the 1920s and 1930s with about 125 locations in dozens of markets, serving over 50,000,000 meals a year, with over $37 million in as ...
chain for $1.3 million and announced plans in 1924 to construct a 26-story building on the site for $4 million. The developer, the 26 Court Street Corporation, filed a lawsuit later that year, which sought to overturn an old covenant that banned development within of the sidewalk on Court Street. The dispute was prolonged because many neighboring property owners opposed the proposed annulment of the covenant. By May 1925, the Chanin Construction Company was demolishing the edifice. During demolition, several workers were nearly killed after the building partially collapsed.