South of Union Square logo
South of Union Square
Place
Weir's Greenhouse
750 Fifth Avenue

Posts & Stories(3)

Greenhouses Galore image

Greenhouses Galore
Story

Growing plants in the Northeast year-round is no mean feat! Here is a look at greenhouses of all stripes throughout the city.
Weir's Greenhouse image

Weir's Greenhouse
Post

Weir's Greenhouse ARCHITECT: G. Curtis Gillespie DATE: 1895 The Weir Greenhouse is among the rarest of nineteenth-century survivors; it is the only Victorian commercial greenhouse known to be extant in New York City. Although the forms and massing of the greenhouse are bold and impressive, the detailing is simple and straightforward. The greenhouse is a wood- frame structure enclosing glass panes, and has glass and galvanized-iron roof surfaces. The double-entry doors are flanked by wide window expanses with transoms. A frieze and cornice separate the transoms from a narrow clerestory. The sloping roof is capped by an octagonal cupola with a ball finial.
Weir's Greenhouse image

Weir's Greenhouse
Post

"Portion of Weir's Greenhouse at southwest corner of 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, 1960." Weir's Greenhouse is the only 19th century commercial greenhouse structure to survive in New York City. It was in 1895 by James Weir Jr., whose family was in the local horticultural business. The original greenhouse on this site was built in 1880 by a prominent architect named Mercein Thomas, who is better known for his Romanesque Revival Brooklyn homes. The current structure was an 1895 alteration of the original building, though it is believed that very little of the original structure was retained during the construction. This wood, glass, and iron structure served visitors to Green-Wood Cemetery for nearly a century, and likely survived, while other nearby greenhouses disappeared, because of its location directly across the street from the cemetery's main entrance. In February 2012 the cemetery acquired the greenhouse and with a grant from New York State’s Regional Economic Development Council, they plan to restore the structure and use it as a visitors center and exhibition gallery.

Photos(2)

Weir's Greenhouse image

Weir's Greenhouse

Weir's Greenhouse image

Weir's Greenhouse

\[Portion of Weirs Greenhouse.] Portion of Weirs Greenhouse at southwest corner of 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. {J. Ebb Weir Co., Inc., 5th Avenue 25th Street, per 1960 tel. dir.}.
Privacy PolicyTerms of Service