Victory Arch at Madison Square ca. 1919 This monument, conceived during World War I both to spur enlistment in and patriotic support for America's military efforts overseas and to memorialize New York City's war dead, became mired in committee politics long enough for the November 1918 armistice to have ended the war. Accordingly, the structure was transformed into a municipal Victory Arch, using temporary material and design by architect Thomas Hastings (1850-1929). The project took form with all the speed earlier denied it, and it was completed in time for the triumphant homecoming of New York's 27th troop division in late March 1919. Subtlety was not the concern of such grand civic gestures. Modeled after the ancient Arch of Constantine, the arch featured tripartite construction and an honor court displaying allegorical figures of Peace, Justice, Power, and Wisdom. Relief panels commemorated important battles, war service organizations, and the contributions of American industries, such as shipbuilding and munitions manufacture. Rising to a stunning height of 100 feet, the white archway's ample form straddled 125 feet of Madison Square at the intersection of Broadway, 24th Street and FifthAvenue. The purposeful siting probably reminded many New Yorkers of a similar arch, also made of plaster and wood, erected at this location in 1899 to salute Admiral George Dewey's victory over the Spanish at Manila Bay in 1898. Like its predecessor, the Victory Arch enlisted volunteer talent from the National Sculpture Society and was constructed with the expectation that it would be rebuilt in some permanent form. However,just as the earlier "imperishable" monument had failed to materialize when subscriptions lagged and Dewey's popularity ebbed, plans for the World War I memorial erupted in controversy over the commission's choice of artist and the proposed iconography. As debate escalated over the necessity of perpetuating this "Altar of Extravagance," as Fiorello La Guardia branded the project in 191 when campaigning for the presidency of the Board of Aldermen, the arch joined New York's City's growing registry of demolished commemorative structures.

Hoffman House Hotel, ca. 1905 Located in what was once an exclusive residential area, the Hoffman House Hotel was considered one of the first hotels/commercial ventures in the Madison Square area. Opened in 1864, the original hotel occupied the building one in from the corner (though this circa 1905 image depicts the original locale with a late 19th-century rooftop addition). In 1870 as Broadway and Fifth Avenue lined with newer and fancier hotels, the Hoffman opened a large annex at the corner The hotel was well known for its cuisine, artworks, and opulent decoration, and was a popular headquarters for Democratic politicians. On January 22, 1870, the New York Herald announced that sisters Victoria C. Woodhull and Tennessee (Tennie) C. Claflin had rented Parlors No. 25 and 26. They established a stock brokerage firm, becoming the first female brokers, before decamping to a Broad Street office with the help of friend Cornelius Vanderbilt. By the middle of the 1890s, the annex had been replaced with the grand Moorish-influenced building seen here at the corner. The original building gained an extra three stories around the same time, only to be completely demolished and replaced with a new gleaming white limestone structure in 1907. Alas, the loss of revenue during the reconstruction and the Panic of 1907 signaled the early death knell for the hotel. After entering bankruptcy in 1910, the hotel closed its doors (both of them) in 1915. Both of these buildings, and its hotel neighbor on the block, the Albermarle, were demolished for a 16-story loft building soon after.

The 51-foot monument to General William Jenkins Worth near Madison Square Park is the second oldest monument in NYC. (The oldest is the statue of Washington in Union Square.) It is also one of only two New York monuments that serve as a mausoleum. (The other is Grant’s Tomb.)

The men and women of the New York City Department of Sanitation are vital first responders. History has thrown many challenges the agency’s way and each time DSNY has risen to the occasion.

Madison Square Arch, 1918. The Madison Square Arch, also known as the "Victory Arch," was built in 1918 to commemorate New York City's war dead. Conceived by Mayor John F. Hylan and designed by Thomas Hastings, the arch was made of temporary materials and modeled after the Arch of Constantine in Rome. Although the intent was for arch to be rebuilt out of permanent materials, the plan was scrapped over arguments about the cost and the design of the monument.

Arches are everywhere in New York. From bridges, to memorials, and many a Beaux-Arts facade, the arch is a motif that can blends seamlessly into the city’s architectural fabric or stand out — triumphally — in a place of honor. Take a look: