280 Broadway
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
, between Chambers and Reade streets, in the
Civic Center A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains of one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, ...
neighborhood of
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Built from 1845 to 1846 for
Alexander Turney Stewart Alexander Turney Stewart (October 12, 1803 – April 10, 1876) was an Irish Americans, Irish- American entrepreneur who moved to New York and made his multimillion-dollar fortune in the most extensive and lucrative dry goods store in the world ...
, the building was New York City's first
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
commercial building and the first
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
in the United States. The building also housed the original ''
Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
'' newspaper from 1919 to 1950 and has served as the central offices for the
New York City Department of Buildings The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is the department of the New York City government that enforces the city's building codes and zoning regulations, issues building permits, licenses, registers and disciplines certain construction ...
since 2002. It is a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
and a
New York City designated landmark The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and c ...
. 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" in 1872 and Edward D. Harris in 1884. The facade is made of
Tuckahoe marble Tuckahoe marble (also known as Inwood and Westchester marble) is a type of marble found in southern New York and western Connecticut in the Northeastern United States. Part of the Inwood Formation of the Manhattan Prong, it dates from the Late ...
and is divided into multiple sections, allowing the various expansions to be designed in a similar style. The ground level contains
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s 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 Henry Hilton (October 4, 1824 – August 24, 1899) was an American jurist and businessman. He became best known for the so-called "Hilton–Seligman Affair" in 1877, his refusal to admit financier Joseph Seligman to the Grand Union Hotel in ...
bought the building from Stewart's widow in 1882 and converted the building to offices. Hilton sold the building in 1908 to
Felix Isman Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
, 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

280 Broadway is in the
Civic Center A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains of one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, ...
neighborhood of
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. It occupies the western section of the
city block A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. In a city with a grid system, the block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are th ...
bounded by
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
to the west, Reade Street to the north, Elk Street to the east, and Chambers Street to the south. The
land lot In real estate, a land lot or plot of land is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the sam ...
is rectangular, running along Broadway, Reade Street, and Chambers Street. Nearby buildings and locations include
Tower 270 Tower 270 (also known as 270 Broadway, Arthur Levitt State Office Building, 80 Chambers Street, and 86 Chambers Street) is a 28-story mixed use building in the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City. Completed in 1930 ...
to the southwest; the
Broadway–Chambers Building The Broadway–Chambers Building is an 18-story office building at 277 Broadway, on the northwest corner with Chambers Street, in the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. Completed by 1900 to designs by archite ...
and
287 Broadway 287 Broadway is a residential building at the southwest corner of Broadway and Reade Street in the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The six-story, cast iron building was designed by John B. Snook in ...
to the west; the
Ted Weiss Federal Building The Ted Weiss Federal Building, also known as the Foley Square Federal Building, is a 34-story United States federal building at 290 Broadway in the Civic Center neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1994, the building ...
to the north; the
African Burial Ground National Monument African Burial Ground National Monument is a monument at Duane Street and African Burial Ground Way (Elk Street) in the Civic Center section of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Its main building is the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway ...
to the northeast; 49 Chambers and the
Surrogate's Courthouse The Surrogate's Courthouse (also the Hall of Records and 31 Chambers Street) is a historic building at the northwest corner of Chambers Street (Manhattan), Chambers and Centre Street (Manhattan), Centre Streets in the Civic Center, Manhat ...
to the east; and
Tweed Courthouse The Tweed Courthouse (also known as the Old New York County Courthouse) is a historic courthouse building at 52 Chambers Street (Manhattan), Chambers Street in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center of Manhattan in New York City, New Y ...
,
New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...
, and
City Hall Park City Hall Park is a public park surrounding New York City Hall in the Civic Center of Manhattan. It was the town commons of the nascent city of New York. History 17th century David Provoost came to New Netherland as early as 1638, probab ...
to the south. The lot covers , with a frontage of about on Broadway and about on Reade and Chambers Streets. The site was expanded in four phases. It originally measured on Broadway and on Reade Street. The first expansion, in 1850–1851, comprised a rectangular plot on Broadway and Chambers Street. An L-shaped plot measuring wide on Chambers Street and wide on Reade Street was built in 1852–1853; it wrapped around a parcel on Chambers Street that was not acquired until 1872. The fourth and final expansion, in 1884, was a rectangular parcel on Chambers and Reade Streets, extending through the entire block.


Previous uses

Prior to the settlement of
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...
(now New York City) in the 17th century, the site was largely a ravine that drained into
Collect Pond Collect Pond, or Fresh Water Pond,, p. 250. was a Body of water, body of fresh water in what is now Chinatown, Manhattan, Chinatown in Lower Manhattan, New York City. For the first two centuries of European settlement in Manhattan, it was the mai ...
in the northeast. The surrounding area contains evidence of the interments of individuals, mostly of African descent. Interments may have begun as early as the 17th century. These corpses were part of a cemetery called the Negros Burial Ground, which operated until the 1790s. During the next two centuries, historians were aware of the burial ground's existence but had believed that the corpses were destroyed. 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 , and subsequent buildings' foundations were relatively shallow, thus preserving this section of the cemetery. 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 The Federalist Party was a conservativeMultiple sources: * * * * * * * * and nationalist American political party and the first political party in the United States. It dominated the national government under Alexander Hamilton from 17 ...
. The red-brick building was built from 1809 to 1812 on the site of the African Burial Ground. Designed by
John McComb Jr. John McComb Jr. (1763–1853) was an American architect who designed many landmarks in the 18th and 19th centuries. Between 1790 and 1825, McComb was New York city's leading architect. Early life and education McComb Jr. was born on October ...
, the building was converted to a hotel in 1828. Washington Hall became less prominent during the mid-19th century, as the oyster bar in its basement became more important than the hotel itself. The hotel burned down in July 1844 and was replaced by the original section of the current building. The rest of the site contained residences, which were all demolished by 1884.


Architecture

280 Broadway was originally a dry-goods store operated by
Alexander Turney Stewart Alexander Turney Stewart (October 12, 1803 – April 10, 1876) was an Irish Americans, Irish- American entrepreneur who moved to New York and made his multimillion-dollar fortune in the most extensive and lucrative dry goods store in the world ...
and was designed in five stages by four architects. 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 of the firm Trench & Snook. The third annex was designed in 1872 by a person who is named in planning documents as "Schmidt". The fourth annex was designed in 1884 by Edward D. Harris. The building was originally only four stories tall 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. The sculptor Ottaviano Gori likely carved much of the building's stonework, while Signor Bragaldi was responsible for the frescoes and other decorations. The building's design was inspired by that of the
Travellers Club The Travellers Club is a private gentlemen's club situated at 106 Pall Mall in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest of the surviving Pall Mall clubs, established in 1819, and is one of the most exclusive. It was described as "the quintess ...
in London and
Frances Trollope Frances Milton Trollope, also known as Fanny Trollope (10 March 1779 – 6 October 1863), was an English novelist who wrote as Mrs. Trollope or Mrs. Frances Trollope. Her book, '' Domestic Manners of the Americans'' (1832), observations from a ...
's Bazaar in Cincinnati. 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. 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, likely under pressure from Bragaldi himself. By the 1970s, evidence from historian Mary Ann Smith indicated that the original building and the early-1850s expansions were designed by Trench & Snook. 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.


Facade

280 Broadway's facade is made primarily of
Tuckahoe marble Tuckahoe marble (also known as Inwood and Westchester marble) is a type of marble found in southern New York and western Connecticut in the Northeastern United States. Part of the Inwood Formation of the Manhattan Prong, it dates from the Late ...
, although
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
columns were added on the first floor in 1850. Stewart had planned to expand the building since before it opened. As a result, Trench and Snook designed the facade so that its design could be copied easily. The first story initially contained plate-glass windows imported from France. 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 window A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass. History ...
s with plate-glass panes separated by
mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...
s.


Broadway

From north to south, the Broadway
elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
of the facade is divided vertically into five sections, each with three
bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...
on the first five stories. The northern three sections are part of the original building, while the southern two sections were completed in 1851. The southern two sections differ slightly in width from the northern three sections. The second and fourth sections, as counted from north, project slightly from the facade by about . At ground level, the bays are flanked by either flat engaged
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s or fluted freestanding columns, both of which are placed atop pedestals and capped by Corinthian-style
capitals Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
. There are recessed windows or doorways between each set of pilasters and columns. An
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
, as well as a
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...
with
modillion A modillion is an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel. They are often seen underneath a Cornice (architecture), cornice which helps to support them. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally transl ...
s, run above the ground story. The upper stories are all made of marble, and each section is delineated by vertical
quoin Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th-century encyclopedia, ...
s. The second through fifth stories all contain rectangular windows, which gradually decrease in height on upper stories. A
band course A course is a layer of the same unit running horizontally in a wall. It can also be defined as a continuous row of any masonry unit such as bricks, concrete masonry units (CMU), stone, shingles, tiles, etc. Coursed masonry construction arranges un ...
extends under all of the second-story windows. 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 Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...
above each of these windows. Within these sections, there are eared
architrave In classical architecture, an architrave (; , also called an epistyle; ) is the lintel or beam, typically made of wood or stone, that rests on the capitals of columns. The term can also apply to all sides, including the vertical members, ...
s 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. In all bays, each
window sill A windowsill (also written window sill or window-sill, and less frequently in British English, cill) is the horizontal structure or surface at the bottom of a window. Window sills serve to structurally support and hold the window in place. The ...
on the third through fifth stories is supported by two
corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal keyed into and projecting from a wall to carry a wikt:superincumbent, bearing weight, a type of bracket (architecture), bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in t ...
s; the sills below the third-story and fifth-story windows are linked by band courses. A cornice with dentils runs above the fifth story. 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 The Tuscan order (Latin ''Ordo Tuscanicus'' or ''Ordo Tuscanus'', with the meaning of Etruscan order) is one of the two classical orders developed by the Romans, the other being the composite order. It is influenced by the Doric order, but wit ...
while those on the seventh floor are in the
Scamozzi Vincenzo Scamozzi (2 September 1548 – 7 August 1616) was an Italian architect and a writer on architecture, active mainly in Vicenza and Republic of Venice area in the second half of the 16th century. He was perhaps the most important figure t ...
style. There are cornices above both stories. A balustrade runs on the roof above the seventh story, but the projecting pavilions have
parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...
s instead of balustrades. At the corner of Broadway and Chambers Street is a four-sided clock. It was installed in 1917 when the ''
New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American conservative news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) online-only publisher of political and economic opinion pieces, as we ...
'' moved into the building. Designed by Gerald A. Holmes and manufactured by the
International Time Recording Company The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) was a holding company of manufacturers of record-keeping and measuring systems; it was subsequently known as IBM. In 1911, the financier and noted trust organizer Charles R. Flint, called the ...
, the clock consists of a bronze case measuring across, tall, and weighing . 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'' motto. , the clock has been maintained by the city's "clock master", Marvin Schneider, since 1992. 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 and contains dials measuring across. The triangular hands measure long and indicate the temperature in increments of , from . The words "The Sun / It Shines for All" is also inscribed on this thermometer.


Chambers Street

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. The fourth section from the west was constructed in 1872, since Stewart was unable to acquire a holdout plot for more than two decades. 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. 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. 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.


Reade Street

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. 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. 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. Drawings suggest that there was originally an areaway in front of these grilles. 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. The section above the first floor is made of marble. 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 on the basement through fifth stories. 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.


Features

There are few written accounts of the building's original interior, and no images exist. The building's main entrance on Broadway led to an oval rotunda, capped by a dome measuring tall, with a circumference of . The main floor of the rotunda contained mahogany sales counters and maple drawers. 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". This motif was used throughout the store, with various frescoes symbolizing commerce. The western end of the rotunda connected with the main entrance, while the eastern end contained a flight of stairs leading to the balcony. The walls of the rotunda were originally decorated with mirrors measuring wide and tall. 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. The rotunda was turned into a rectangular hall, which measured tall and across. The store was New York City's largest at the time of its opening, with slightly more than of space devoted to sales. The second, third, and fourth stories were used for wholesale operations and were divided into several spaces, each for a different department. 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. Next to the store, on Reade Street, Stewart constructed a boardinghouse and private library for the store's clerks. After 1853, the store's basement contained carpets, the first floor included retail items, and the upper floors were for wholesalers. When the building was converted into offices in 1884, the dome was replaced with an open courtyard measuring , which was surrounded by gray brick walls. Following the renovation, the building had five passenger elevators and one freight elevator. 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".


History

Irish-born merchant
Alexander Turney Stewart Alexander Turney Stewart (October 12, 1803 – April 10, 1876) was an Irish Americans, Irish- American entrepreneur who moved to New York and made his multimillion-dollar fortune in the most extensive and lucrative dry goods store in the world ...
opened his first store at 283 Broadway, on the western sidewalk between Chambers and Reade streets, in 1823. At the time, even the largest stores were generally housed in small buildings, and the surrounding neighborhood was largely residential. As his business expanded, Stewart moved to 262 Broadway, then to 257 Broadway, during the late 1820s and early 1830s. Stewart's store featured a number of marketing innovations. For instance, he was among the first merchants to set fixed prices for his goods; he bought inventory with cash, rather than on credit; and he allowed customers to browse his shop without employee supervision. By 1837, at the age of 34, Stewart was a millionaire, having sold expensive merchandise at low prices during the
Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that began a major depression (economics), depression which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages dropped, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment rose, and pes ...
.


A. T. Stewart store


Development and opening

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. These included Washington Hall on the southeast corner of Broadway and Reade Street, which measured on Broadway and on Reade Street. Most of the site was inadvertently cleared when the hall burned down in July 1844. Stewart hired Joseph Trench and John Snook to design a new dry-goods store on the site, and construction had begun by April 1845. During the store's construction, some skeletons from the old Negros Burial Ground were found on the site. Critics objected that the building was too far "uptown", in spite of the fact that three major competitors (Hearn Brothers,
Lord & Taylor Lord & Taylor was an American department store chain founded in 1826 by Samuel Lord. It had 86 full-line stores in the Northeastern United States at its peak in the 2000s, and 38 locations at the time of its liquidation in 2021. The Lord & Tay ...
, and Arnold Constable & Company) were all located further north. 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. At the time, no dry-goods stores existed on the eastern side of the avenue. The original store ultimately cost $150,000 (). Stewart's new store opened on September 21, 1846, and was initially known as the Marble Palace. The Marble Palace was New York City's first commercial structure designed in the Italianate style, and it was one of the first structures in the U.S. designed in a Romano-Tuscan style. It was also the first store in the city to contain a marble facade. At the time, most buildings in New York City were generally clad in brick, but public buildings including
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
, the Subtreasury, and the Merchants' Exchange had marble facades. Inside the Marble Palace was a grand rotunda, the second one to be built in a commercial building in the United States. The first story included plate-glass windows, which had never before been used in a store in the U.S. Merchandise was sold in multiple departments across several floors, in contrast to competing stores, which generally had only one selling floor. The building was the United States' first
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
, leading historian Harry E. Resseguie to refer to it in 1964 as the "cradle of the department store". The ''
Herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...
'' and the ''
Evening Post ''Evening Post'' or ''The Evening Post'' may refer to the following newspapers: United Kingdom * ''Evening Post'' (London) (1710–1732), then ''Berington's Evening Post'' (1732–1740) * ''London Evening Post'' (1727–1797) * '' ...
'' reported that the store was popular on and after opening day. 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. Anticipating that he might need to expand the store, Stewart bought seven land lots on Chambers Street and Broadway in 1847. The store was increasingly prosperous by 1850;
James Gordon Bennett Sr. James Gordon Bennett Sr. (September 1, 1795 – June 1, 1872) was a British-born American businessman who was the founder, editor and publisher of the ''New York Herald'' and a major figure in the history of American newspapers. Early life Ben ...
had observed that the store had done four times as much business in January 1850 than in January 1849.


Initial expansion

From 1850 to 1851, the store was expanded south, measuring wide on Broadway and on Reade and Chambers Streets. Trench and Snook designed these modifications. Work on the foundations began in May 1850, and the annex had been constructed to the fourth story by that October. The dome was also relocated, and Stewart added a fifth story above the original building. The expanded store was decorated with Corinthian columns and pilasters on Broadway, Reade Street, and Chambers Street; there were entrances on all three streets. To deliver the granite and marble, masonry contractor James Hall built temporary railroad tracks on Chambers Street. In addition, the
New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the Bicameralism, two houses that act as the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assem ...
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. The project cost $200,000 in total (). The expanded structure had about seven times more selling space, or approximately . As work on the southern annex was proceeding, Stewart bought four lots on Chambers and Reade Streets during 1850 and 1852. The owner of the lot at 61 Chambers Street refused to sell his building, so Stewart decided to build around it. Stewart was able to extend the Reade Street frontage eastward; plans indicate that he either demolished or remodeled the boardinghouse to the east of his original store. This expansion was completed by 1853. 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 (). In addition, the store had 300 clerks after the expansions were completed, compared with 100 clerks at the store's opening seven years earlier. 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.


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. By the end of the decade, wealthy residents had started to move uptown, and Stewart began planning a new location for his retail business. He started developing a building on Broadway between 9th and 10th Streets in 1859, occupying a full city block, and the store's retail department moved to the new building in 1862. 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. The wholesale department continued to operate at the Marble Palace, and Stewart maintained an office on the second floor. Stewart leased the lot at 61 Chambers Street in 1872, allowing him to build an annex on that site. 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. 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. An architect, known only as "Schmidt", designed the annex in a similar style to Trench and Snook's original building. Also in 1872, Stewart acquired four lots on Chambers and Reade Streets, adjacent to the store building. Stewart continued to maintain his offices at the Marble Palace until his death in 1876.
Henry Hilton Henry Hilton (October 4, 1824 – August 24, 1899) was an American jurist and businessman. He became best known for the so-called "Hilton–Seligman Affair" in 1877, his refusal to admit financier Joseph Seligman to the Grand Union Hotel in ...
, the executor of Stewart's estate, took over the store's operation. The Marble Palace's sales suffered because of the executor's mismanagement, and the wholesale department moved uptown to 9th Street in January 1879. Subsequently, the building was vacant for over a year.


Use as offices


Hilton ownership

After the Stewart store relocated uptown, there were rumors that the building would be converted into a hotel. Instead, Hilton hired Edward D. Harris in September 1882 to renovate the building and convert the interior into offices. The building was expanded eastward, and two floors were added. The main facade on Broadway remained intact, but Harris rebuilt the rear of the building on Reade and Chambers Streets. 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. The store's rotunda was removed and replaced with an open courtyard. Hilton bought the property from Stewart's widow for $2.1 million in February 1884. 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. The Marble Palace was renamed the Stewart Building when it was remodeled. The
New York City Department of Finance The New York City Department of Finance (DOF) is the revenue service, taxation agency and recorder of deeds of the government of New York City. Its Parking Violations Bureau is an administrative court that adjudicates parking violations, while its ...
leased space there after the renovation was completed. 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. By 1897, the city government was paying over $85,000 (approximately $ in ) per year to rent space at the Stewart Building. Meanwhile, in August 1893, financier
Hetty Green Henrietta "Hetty" Howland Robinson Green (November 21, 1834 – July 3, 1916) was an American businesswoman and financier known as "the richest woman in America" during the Gilded Age. Those who knew her well referred to her admiringly as th ...
loaned $1.25 million (approximately $ in ) 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 Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...
. ''The New York World'' described the loan as a "great blow to Henry Hilton's pride". Shortly after the loan was placed, elected officials questioned whether Green was using the loan to commit
tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...
. Hilton, Hughes & Co. went bankrupt in 1896, but the loan was paid off before Green died two decades later. By the early 1900s, the city government was considering erecting a municipal building on the site. 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. The city government filed plans for a $10 million (approximately $ in ) courthouse on the Stewart Building's site in January 1904. The courthouse plans were dropped that September, as the site would have been too costly, and the surrounding neighborhood was too noisy.


Isman ownership and foreclosure

Felix Isman paid $4.5 million (approximately $ in ) in April 1906 for an option to acquire the building. Isman would be able to purchase the Stewart Building from Hilton's estate after one year. According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', a few minutes after signing the purchase agreement, Isman refused an offer to make a $1 million profit from the purchase. Isman was subsequently injured in a railroad accident in 1907 and was unable to exercise his option at the time; he received a further extension following the
Panic of 1907 The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic or Knickerbocker Crisis, was a financial crisis that took place in the United States over a three-week period starting in mid-October, when the New York Stock Exchange suddenly fell almost ...
. Despite reports that Isman planned to renege the deal, he ultimately bought the building in June 1908 from Hilton's executors, Horace Russell and Edward Harris. Isman received a mortgage loan of $3.7 million for the property, although his wife at the time, actress Irene Fenwick, officially held the mortgage. The next year, Isman's architect Charles G. Jones filed plans to renovate the building at a cost of $50,000. The alterations included rebuilding the sidewalk, lowering the first story to ground level, and dividing the first story into multiple storefronts. The Hilton estate sued in June 1912 to foreclose on a $4 million mortgage that had been placed on the Stewart Building. Isman owed $3.838 million on the mortgage by that December. By January 1913, there were rumors that the building would be sold to make way for a skyscraper. The city government opened a municipal reference library in the building in April 1913. 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. 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. In February 1917, a state judge announced that the building would be sold at a foreclosure auction that April.


Sun Building

Frank Munsey Frank Andrew Munsey (August 21, 1854 – December 22, 1925) was an American newspaper and magazine publisher, banker, political financier and author. He was born in Mercer, Maine, Mercer, Maine, but spent most of his life in New York City. The v ...
, publisher of the New York ''
Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
'', purchased the Stewart Building in October 1917 for $4 million. He also acquired the fee ownership to a small portion of the site from Martha A. Andrews; the building's previous owners had never been able to buy that plot. Munsey initially planned to raze the Stewart Building and erect a skyscraper for his newspaper. The next year, he leased part of the basement and first story to
Frank Winfield Woolworth Frank Winfield Woolworth (April 13, 1852 – April 8, 1919) was an American entrepreneur, the founder of F. W. Woolworth Company, and the operator of variety stores known as "Five-and-Dimes" (5- and 10-cent stores or dime stores) which featured ...
, who opened a Woolworth five-and-ten-cent store there. The ''Sun'' moved into the second floor, a portion of the ground floor, and two basement levels in 1919. 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. 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. The building had 2,000 workers by the mid-1920s. When Munsey died in 1925, the building passed to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
. The museum sold the building in 1928 to Dewart, who renamed the edifice the Sun Building. Although Fenwick had long since divorced Isman, she still held the mortgage on the property, and she was obligated to pay $2.5 million (approximately $ in ) as a result of a
default Default may refer to: Law * Default (law), the failure to do something required by law ** Default (finance), failure to satisfy the terms of a loan obligation or failure to pay back a loan ** Default judgment, a binding judgment in favor of eit ...
judgment against her in 1926. Two years afterward, Fenwick sued to have the default judgment vacated. The building's tenants in the mid-20th century included insurance brokerage Davis, Dorland & Company (which leased much of the fourth floor), as well as the Publishers' Association of New York City. After World War II, businessman Henry Modell opened a store in the building, selling surplus wartime material. The ''Sun'' continued to be a major tenant until January 1950, when the ''
New York World-Telegram The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...
'' acquired the ''Sun''. Afterward, all ''Sun'' staff either lost their jobs or were transferred to the offices of the ''World-Telegram''. The sale of the newspaper did not include 280 Broadway. 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 of space. At the time, the building could not be demolished due to temporary restrictions placed by the city government. 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. The owners refinanced the building in 1955 with a $1.3 million (approximately $ in ) first mortgage loan from the Charles F. Noyes Company. Tenants at this time included the
Better Business Bureau The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an American private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1912. BBB's self-described mission is to focus on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 92 independently incorporated local BBB organizati ...
. Part of the ground-story facade was replaced with aluminum and glass in 1959, after
Modell's Sporting Goods Modell's Sporting Goods Online, Inc. is an American online sporting goods and related apparel retailer. Modell's began with operating retail stores between the late 1880s and the late 2010s. In 2020, Modell's became a brand owned by the private ...
leased a storefront at the base of the building.


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". 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. At the time, the New York City Rent and Rehabilitation Association occupied the structure.
Edward Durell Stone Edward Durell Stone (March 9, 1902 – August 6, 1978) was an American architect known for the formal, highly decorative buildings he designed in the 1950s and 1960s. His works include the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City; the Parliament H ...
had been hired to design the new building. After receiving negative criticism, the city presented a revised proposal in April 1964. Later that year, the
government of New York City The government of New York City, headquartered at New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan, is organized under the New York City Charter and provides for a mayor-council system. The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the ...
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. The New York City government filed plans for a new building on the site in January 1965, and the city government acquired the site through condemnation the same year. The clock faces on the building's exterior had stopped operating by 1966. A local group advocated for the clock's restoration after the city acquired the building. The clock was reactivated in June 1967 after a restoration costing $1,350 (approximately $ in ). The redevelopment plans were ultimately scrapped due to the
1975 New York City fiscal crisis It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, but the city retained ownership of the Sun Building. 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. The Sun Building's ground story contained Modell's, while the upper stories contained city government offices.


Restoration and 21st century

The Sun Building was severely dilapidated by 1981, with large cracks, broken windows, falling ceilings, malfunctioning lights, and extensive leaks. The building was also inaccessible to disabled guests and lacked modern fire-safety features. 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. The ''New York Daily News'' wrote that the building's offices were "reviled by generations of city workers". The clock outside the Sun Building was restored again in 1988, but the structure was still dilapidated in 1994, when the city government considered selling it to a private developer under a
leaseback Leaseback, short for "sale-and-leaseback", is a financial transaction in which one sells an asset and leases it back for the long term; therefore, one continues to be able to use the asset but no longer owns it. The transaction is generally done fo ...
agreement. 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. The administration of mayor
Rudolph Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General fr ...
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 (approximately $ in ). In November 1995, the Giuliani administration announced that the
Starrett Corporation Starrett Corporation, formerly known as Starrett Brothers, Inc. and Starrett Brothers and Eken, is a real estate development and construction firm known for having built the Empire State Building, Stuyvesant Town, Starrett City and Trump Tower in ...
would renovate the building's garage and storefronts, leasing the retail space from the city government for 49 years. Beyer Blinder Belle was hired to design a renovation of the building, which commenced in 1995. As part of a
public–private partnership A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sectors, private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Revie ...
, the building was renovated in two phases: one funded by the city and the other by Starrett. The city spent $15.7 million (approximately $ in ) to restore the facade, replacing the Tuckahoe stone with Italian marble. In the second phase, Starrett would renovate the basement, first floor, and second floor for $21.5 million, then lease out the retail space. During the renovation, the Modell's store at the building's base was closed around 1998. The
New York City Department of Buildings The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is the department of the New York City government that enforces the city's building codes and zoning regulations, issues building permits, licenses, registers and disciplines certain construction ...
(DOB) moved its offices to 280 Broadway in 2002, relocating from
MetroTech Center Brooklyn Commons, formerly MetroTech Center, is a business and educational center in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City. Location Brooklyn Commons lies between Flatbush Avenue Extension and Jay Street, north of the Fulton Mall, Fulton Street Mall ...
and 60 Hudson Street. Modell's store on the first floor reopened the same year. Dance Space Center (later renamed Dance New Amsterdam, or DNA) leased on the lower stories in 2004. The group had expressed interest in revitalizing Lower Manhattan after the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. With some funding from the city government, DNA spent $5.5 million (approximately $ in ) renovating the space into seven studios, a cafe, and offices, moving into its new space in 2006. Due to cost overruns relating to the renovation, DNA fell behind on rent payments in 2010 and was in danger of eviction. The group renewed its lease in 2012 and started renovating the lower floors, but it filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Gibney Dance leased a space at the building's base in 2014, taking over both the old DNA space and a former bank location. Gibney Dance then refurbished its space with $3 million from the
Agnes Varis Agnes Varis (''née'' Koulouvaris; January 11, 1930 – July 29, 2011) was an American businesswoman and philanthropist who was the founder and president of Agvar Chemicals Inc. and Aegis Pharmaceuticals. Early life and family Varis was born ...
Trust. A restoration of the facade commenced in 2017; the project, designed by Urbahn Associates, cost $17.5 million. Prior to the restoration, the building had been surrounded by a sidewalk shed since 2008, but the shed was disassembled in 2019 when the renovation was completed. The project received the 2020 Lucy Moses Preservation Award from the
New York Landmarks Conservancy The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a non-profit organization "dedicated to preserving, revitalizing, and reusing" historic structures in New York (state), New York state. It provides technical and financial skills to owners of historic propert ...
.


Impact


Critical reception

When 280 Broadway opened, it received broad praise. A ''
New York Evening Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost.com; PageSix.com, a gossip site; and Decider.com, an entertainm ...
'' 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". Just before the store opened, former New York City mayor
Philip Hone Philip Hone (October 25, 1780 – May 5, 1851) was Mayor of New York City from 1826 to 1827.Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, 1784-1831. Volume XV, November 10, 1825 to December 25, 1826'. New York: City of New York, 1917. p. ...
wrote: "There is nothing in Paris or London to compare with this dry goods palace". His only concern was that the plate-glass windows were a "useless piece of extravagance" that were prone to breaking. British writer Lady Emmeline Stuart-Wortley said in 1849 that the store was "one of the finest structures I ever saw". Following the first expansion, an observer wrote for ''
Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...
'' in 1854 that the building "rises out of the green foliage of ity HallPark, a white marble cliff, sharply drawn against the sky". British novelist
Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope ( ; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among the best-known of his 47 novels are two series of six novels each collectively known as the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire ...
said in 1861: "I wish we had nothing approaching to it. For I confess to a liking for the old-fashioned private shops." According to Stewart's historian Harry Resseguie, some observers criticized the 1850s expansions for "lacking architectural beauty". Art critic
Clarence Cook Clarence Chatham Cook (September 8, 1828 – June 2, 1900) was a 19th-century American author and art critic. Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Cook graduated from Harvard in 1849 and worked as a teacher. Between 1863 and 1869, Cook wrote a serie ...
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". Cook's objections largely centered around the building's ornamentation, which he felt was too flat; he believed that these details overemphasized the building's height. After the building's final expansion in 1884, Resseguie wrote that the renovations had "wrecked he store'sdistinctive interior and obscured the beautiful facade of the original building".


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 The earliest stage of skyscraper design encompasses buildings built between 1884 and 1945, predominantly in the American cities of New York City, New York and Chicago. Cities in the United States were traditionally made up of low-rise buildings, ...
were built in the late 19th century. Winston Weisman wrote in 1954 that the building "created architectural repercussions up and down the Atlantic seaboard"; after the Stewart Building had been completed, most large commercial buildings were built in the palazzo style for about 25 years. 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. The ''
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...
'' 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". 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 Lever House is a office building at 390 Park Avenue in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Constructed from 1950 to 1952, the building was designed by Gordon Bunshaft and Natalie de Blois of Skidmore, Owings & Merr ...
on the city's mid-20th century architecture. ''The New York Times'' wrote in 2019 that the building raised "a commercial enterprise into a public institution and Stewart into an entrepreneurial prince". 280 Broadway was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
(NRHP) as a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
on June 2, 1978. The LPC designated the building's exterior as a city landmark on October 7, 1986. 280 Broadway is one of several former newspaper headquarters designated as New York City landmarks, along with the
Daily News Building The Daily News Building (also the News Building) is a skyscraper at 220 East 42nd Street in the East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The original tower, designed by Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells in th ...
, the ''New York Times'' buildings at
41 Park Row 41 may refer to: * 41 (number) * one of the years 41 BC, AD 41, 1941, 2041 Art and entertainment * ''41'' (film), a 2007 documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the Station nightclub fire * ''41'', an Australian award-winni ...
and 229 West 43rd Street, and the New York Evening Post Building. 280 Broadway is also located within two historic districts. It is part of the African Burial Ground and the Commons Historic District, which was designated a city landmark district in 1993. The building is also part of the African Burial Ground Historic District, a
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
.


See also

*
List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan below 14th Street The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), formed in 1965, is the Government of New York City, New York City governmental commission that administers the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. Since its founding, it has designated ov ...
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in New York City This article lists the 116 National Historic Landmarks in New York City. One of the New York City sites is also a national monument (United States), national monument, and there are two more national monuments in New York City. In New York (st ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan below 14th Street This is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Manhattan Island below 14th Street, which is a significant portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan Manhatt ...


References


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * * * *


External links

* {{navboxes, list= {{New York City Historic Sites {{National Register of Historic Places in New York {{Broadway (Manhattan) {{Civic Center, Manhattan 1846 establishments in New York (state) Broadway (Manhattan) Civic Center, Manhattan Commercial buildings completed in 1846 Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan Department stores on the National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in Manhattan New York City Department of Buildings New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan Office buildings in Manhattan 1840s architecture in the United States