In 1864 William Steinway opened a showroom for his pianos on 14th Street near Fifth Avenue. Owing to their overwhelming popularity, he decided to build a new concert hall as a venue to display and promote his pianos. The original Steinway Hall was constructed at the rear of this white marble building.

Opened in 1866 the hall sat 2,500 guests and was one of the largest auditoriums in the city. Over the next 25 years, it was the home of the New York Philharmonic. The success of Steinway Hall in promoting Steinway's instruments was considerable, so much so that his competitors, the Aeolian Company and Chickering & Sons, felt the need to open concert halls as well.

Following a few decades as a hub of musical and literary performances, in 1890 Steinway Hall ceased live shows. By then the neighborhood had lost its identity as both an upscale commercial district and a hub of entertainment. These areas had long been on the move uptown. For many years the auditorium was used largely for storage. Owing to a desire to have their showroom and a concert venue near Carnegie Hall, Steinway & Sons commissioned a new building on 57th Street in the late 1910s and moved to 111 West 57th Street in 1925.

This photograph was taken just after the move. The sign on the front of the building notes that the building had commercial space for rent. Less than a year later the building was razed, and in its place, the S. Klein Department Store rose.