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The front facade of 144 West 14th Street

Site

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The surrounding stretch of 14th Street, which opened in 1828 from the Hudson River as far east as the Bowery (now Fourth Avenue), was largely residential during much of the 19th century.[1] A house had been built at 146 West 14th Street in 1854, serving as the residence of Richard P. Dana, a prominent merchant,[1][2] Dana had been one of the area's first residents, at a time when 14th Street was considered "far uptown", and had lived there until his death in 1894.[2] Next to Dana's house was the Church of the Annunciation at 142 and 144 West 14th Street,[3] which had occupied the site since 1845,[4] 1846,[1] or 1847.[5] That church ran into financial troubles when members of its congregation moved uptown, and it had to be auctioned in 1895.[5][6] By the 1890s, the adjacent section of 14th Street had become largely commercial, in part because of the presence of the Sixth Avenue elevated line and streetcar routes.[1]

Architecture

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The building is designed in the Renaissance Revival style and is seven stories tall.[7][8] It was designed by the partnership of Arnold William Brunner and Thomas Tryon, who collaborated on various projects in New York City between 1886 and 1897. The building was designed as a commercial loft structure, a contrast to the partnership's other projects, which largely consisted of synagogues and other Jewish institutions.[9]

Facade

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The building's main facade is on 14th Street and is eight bays wide. It consists of three horizontal sections: a two-story base, four-story midsection, and a one-story attic.[10] Five double-height pilasters of rusticated limestone divide the base vertically into three storefronts and a main entrance. The main entrance is in the third-westernmost bay and consists of a portico with double doors flanked by windows. There are pilasters with neoclassical decorations on either side of the double doors, topped by an entablature, as well as a cornice with denticulation. The second story of this bay contains a balustrade and three narrow windows.[7][8] The entrance is flanked by two-bay-wide storefronts on either side. An additional three-bay-wide storefront is located at the far east (left) end of the base.[7]

The third through sixth floors contain eight quadruple-height arches separated by tan-brick pilasters. Within each bay, there are spandrel panels between the windows on each floor, which is made of terracotta and is decorated with vertical lines, reliefs, and a central cartouche with palm fronds. The openings on each story consist of one-over-one sash windows.[10] The top of each arch contains a lion's head with buff-terracotta lion's heads, while the spandrels above the corners of each arch contain medallions with terracotta cartouches.[8][10] A cornice runs horizontally across the sixth floor and is decorated with reliefs of circles.[11] On the seventh story, each of the eight bays contains two narrow arches. These arches contain small windows topped by cartouches, while the pilasters between each bay contain capitals with reliefs. A cornice with rosettes and dentils runs above the seventh floor.[8][11]

The eastern facade is not visible at all, while the remaining two facades are visible to various extents. The western facade is made of red brick and has a chimney, as well as a window on the fifth story. The south facade is also made of red brick and contains sash windows and ventilation grilles. In addition, the roof contains ventilation equipment.[11]

Features

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Documents indicate that the building's frame is made of an iron and steel composite, which in turn enabled the use of a thin, fireproof curtain wall.[12] Cast-iron columns measuring 11 inches (280 mm) across are used on the building's eastern wall, while I-beams and girders are used on the front wall.[13]

History

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Commercial use

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Benedict Cline bought the Church of the Annunciation for $120,400 at a foreclosure auction in February 1895, with plans to build a 12-story commercial building there.[6][11] Cline represented lawyer and real-estate developer Joseph L. Buttenwieser,[14][a] who also acquired the adjacent Dana house.[1] Buttenwieser took title to the church that May,[11][16] and demolition of the church began the same month.[4] Buttenwieser hired architectural firm Brunner & Tryon to develop a seven-story building on the site as a speculative development, catering to the area's growing commercial sector.[1] Brunner & Tryon submitted plans for the structure to the New York City Department of Buildings in June 1895, and work began that July. The building was finished in June 1896.[12] Buttenwieser sold 146 West 14th Street in December 1897[12][17] to Frederick Hill Meserve, a photography collector.[12] At the time, the building was worth $500,000.[17]

Among 144 West 14th Street's first tenants was R. H. Macy & Co., which had a ladies' garment department and a flag department in the building by 1898. The building's other early occupants included suspenders manufacturer Silverman Brothers, diamond merchant Stern Brothers & Co., and silversmith firm Graff, Washbourne & Dunn.[7] In 1899, Meserve transferred the building's title to Seth M. Milliken, his uncle.[12] Through the early 20th century, 144 West 14th Street was used by numerous garment and textile firms.[8][18] The interiors were divided into showrooms, stores, and offices, and some spray rooms and laundry trays were installed to accommodate the garment and textile tenants.[18] Major tenants in the early 20th century included the Improved Sponging and Refinishing Company,[19] as well as millinery store Betty Styles Inc.[20] Midtown Millinery Shops, which described itself as "the world's largest millinery store", opened within the building in 1941.[21]

The Milliken family retained control of 144 West 14th Street until the mid-20th century.[12] Midtown Millinery Shops president Harry Brown paid $500,000 for 144 West 14th Street in 1948, and he began renovating the building.[22] The structure reportedly had 600 employees by 1950.[12]

Pratt Institute use

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Pratt Institute, a private university based in Brooklyn, acquired the building's top six floors in November 1999 for $11.5 million.[23] At the time, the college's existing Manhattan campus was in the Puck Building, which did not have enough space for the college's needs. Pratt had decided to buy 144 West 14th Street after looking for a new building in Lower Manhattan for close to two years. The college cited the building's proximity to transit and to several medical centers as a factor in its decision to buy the structure.[24] Pratt planned to open an art gallery in the building, and it was to move some associate programs, degree programs, and a graduate program to the building.[23] Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Architects renovated the structure extensively.[25]

The Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science relocated to the building in 2002.[26] The next year, independent bookstore Shakespeare & Co. rented a 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) storefront on the building's ground story.[27] The building became a New York City designated landmark in November 2008.[25]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ The World cites Buttenwieser as having bought the lot directly in February 1895.[15] However, records show that the church was first sold to Cline, who resold it to Buttenwieser.[11]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, p. 2.
  2. ^ a b "Death of Richard P. Dana; The Old Merchant Carried Off Suddenly by Heart Failure". The New York Times. February 18, 1894. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "Trinity May Buy It". The World. February 17, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Half a Century Old". The Sun. May 12, 1895. p. 20. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Dr. Seabury Provided For". The Sun. March 27, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Church of the Annunciation Sold". New-York Tribune. February 27, 1895. p. 9. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, p. 5.
  8. ^ a b c d e Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Barbaralee (2011). The Landmarks of New York (5th ed.). Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 356. ISBN 978-1-4384-3769-9.
  9. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, pp. 2–3.
  10. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, pp. 5–6.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, p. 6.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, p. 4.
  13. ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, p. 7.
  14. ^ "In the Real Estate Field; the Church of the Annunciation Property Sold. It Brings $120,400 Under Foreclosure at Auction After More than Two Hundred Bids". The New York Times. February 27, 1895. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  15. ^ "A Church Sold for $120,400". The World. February 27, 1895. p. 8. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "Conveyances". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 55, no. 1418. May 18, 1895. p. 835 – via columbia.edu.
  17. ^ a b "In the Real Estate Field". The New York Times. December 30, 1897. p. 10. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 2008, pp. 4–5.
  19. ^ "Many Store and Loft Leases". New-York Tribune. December 10, 1908. p. 10. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 572203888.
  20. ^ "New Stores". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 50, no. 67. April 5, 1935. p. 21. ProQuest 1653834856.
  21. ^ "Millinery: "World's Largest Millinery Store" Produces Large Story: Harry Brown, Impressario Of 14th Street Emporium, Lays Down Trade Maxims While Revealing Life Of Perpetual Motion". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 62, no. 104. May 27, 1941. pp. 23, 28. ProQuest 1654302147.
  22. ^ "Millinery: Will Open Midtown, Department Store, On 14th St. Here". Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 76, no. 106. June 1, 1948. p. 69. ProQuest 1862382252.
  23. ^ a b "POSTINGS: $11.5 Million for Six Floors; Pratt Buys 14th St. Space". The New York Times. November 28, 1999. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Brozan, Nadine (August 13, 2000). "On 14th Street, Less Grit, More Glamour". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Chan, Sewell (November 18, 2008). "Pei's University Village Tops List of 7 Landmarks". City Room. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  26. ^ "What's happening in...Academic libraries". Library Journal. Vol. 127, no. 17. October 15, 2002. p. 18. ProQuest 196853188.
  27. ^ Croghan, Lore (November 10, 2003). "Books & Brushes". New York Daily News. p. 56. ISSN 2692-1251. ProQuest 305837973.

Sources

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 138-146 West 14th Street.
  • [[Category:14th Street (Manhattan)]] [[Category:1896 establishments in New York City]] [[Category:Renaissance Revival architecture in New York City]] [[Category:Chelsea, Manhattan]] [[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1896]] [[Category:Commercial buildings in Manhattan]] [[Category:Greenwich Village]] [[Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan]] [[Category:Pratt Institute]]
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