This ten-story loft building was constructed in 1896 by architect Albert Wagner, designer of the nearby landmarked Puck Building.

Albert Wagner, c. 1893 Wagner received this commission from fellow German immigrants Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale, the founders of Bloomingdale’s Department Store, for which this building served as the corporate offices.

Joseph Benjamin Bloomingdale, c. 1893 One of Bloomingdale’s great innovations was the introduction in 1898 (while located at this building) of “inclined elevators” into their store -- what we would now call escalators -- which became a standard feature of department stores. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

In 1896 Louis L. Lorillard (1849-1910) purchased 72 Fifth Avenue. He was one of four sons of Pierre Lorillard III (1796-1867), real estate speculator and heir to the New York-based P. Lorillard Tobacco Company.

Louis L. Lorillard was touted as one of the wealthiest young men in New York upon his father’s death. Pierre Lorillard I was the first man to make snuff in North America. His company would become one of the largest tobacconists in the United States.

Lorillard logo, 1789 Considered pioneers of marketing, the Lorillard logo of a Native American smoking a pipe beside a hogshead or barrel of tobacco was said to be the best known trademark in the world, and in fact became the basis for the “Cigar Store Indian” which proliferated throughout the world. According to the Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising, “some historians credit the Lorillard Brothers…with creating the earliest known advertising campaign in 1789.”

Philip Morris advertisement In 1915 Philip Morris & Co. Ltd. leased the building, which became known as the Philip Morris building. Philip Morris would eventually become the largest tobacco seller in the United States. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

Our research indicates that this 5-story building was constructed in 1838-40 as a 4-story house with a raised basement by John H. Cornell. Records show a John H. Cornell at this time who was a high-ranking officer at the Mechanic’s Banking Association on Wall Street. Before 68 Fifth Avenue was completed it was sold to N.H. Wolfe, indicating he was probably the first owner of the house. This appears to likely be the same N.H. Wolfe who was the owner and namesake of the oldest flour and grain company in New York, N.H. Wolfe & Company. So prominent was Wolfe’s firm that its failure in 1857 was largely responsible for precipitating the Panic of 1857, one of the first multi-national global financial crises. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

59 Fifth Avenue was home to several members of a family who were among the most important figures in the field of business in the 19th century: Jonathan Sturges and his son-in-law William H. Osborn. Born in Southport, Connecticut, Jonathan Sturges (1802-1874) came to New York City in 1821 and soon went to work for the man who would eventually become his business partner, Luman Reed (1787-1836), owner of a mercantile business at 125 Front Street. Sturges would become very successful, purchasing 5 East 14th Street c. 1850, retiring from the mercantile business by 1868, and subsequently founding and running The Bank of Commerce of New York and the Illinois Central Railroad.

Jonathan Sturges, c. 1840 William H. Osborn (1820-1894), born into humble beginnings, proved as successful in business as his father-in-law Jonathan Sturges, becoming one of the country’s most prominent and successful railroad tycoons. In addition to turning around the fortunes of several of the nation’s largest railroads. Starting his business career early, Osborn joined a merchant company at the tender age of 13, and made partner by 21. By the age of 30 he was a wealthy man, subsequently moving to and settling in New York City. He came to know Jonathan Sturges and married his daughter Virginia Reed Sturges Osborn (1830-1902) in 1853. In 1854, Osborn took over the presidency of the Illinois Central Railroad. Under Osborn’s leadership, the Illinois Central Railroad was saved from bankruptcy and scandal stemming from stock fraud. Also during his tenure with the Illinois Central, Osborn worked with Abraham Lincoln, then general counsel for the railroad, as well as Ambrose Burnside, its treasurer, and George McClellan, its chief engineer and Vice President. The latter two served as generals in the Union Army during the Civil War, while Osborn directed the movement of Union troops and supplies on the Illinois Central.

William Church Osborn, c. 1910-1915 The Osborns’ son, William Church Osborn (1862-1951), who grew up and lived at 59 Fifth Avenue, also had a prominent and successful career in business. He served as director of Phelps Dodge (his mother’s family’s Business), the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and the Picacho Mining Corporation, and was the chairman of the executive board of the Texas and Pacific Railroad. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

Forbes Inc. purchased 60-62 Fifth Avenue in 1962. B.C. Forbes, the son of a Scottish tailor, founded Forbes business magazine in 1917, and the company grew exponentially in the 1920s, before suffering significantly throughout the Depression.

"Forbes" logo In 1945, B.C. Forbes’ son Malcolm Forbes joined the company and began hiring full-time editorial staff, shifting the company away from its previous reliance on freelance work. He also started the weekly newsletter The Forbes Investor, which brought the company significant success. In 1949, Forbes launched what would come to be its annual report card on industries and companies. Then in 1982, it introduced its special annual issue ranking the 400 richest Americans, further solidifying the publication’s stature in the business world. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

10 East 14th Street is located within the 14th Street corridor, which underwent enormous shifts in the 1870s, transitioning from a high-end residential neighborhood to a center of commerce. This change was largely influenced by developer, businessman, and politician W. Jennings Demorest, who altered fourteen private residences in this neighborhood into stores, most of them high-end specialty shops.

Page from Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly Magazine and Mme Demorest’s Mirror of Fashions, 1865 Along with his wife, Ellen Demorest, W. Jennings Demorest was responsible for building a fashion empire, which included “Madame Demorest’s Fashion Emporium” and the publication Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly Magazine and Mme Demorest’s Mirror of Fashions. Demorest also ran for Mayor of New York City as the Prohibition Party candidate in 1892, and almost earned the party’s nomination for President.

Demorest Advertisement, 1860s By 1884, Demorest purchased the building at 10 East 14th Street, as he had so many along 14th Street, inserted a show window in the parlor floor, and converted the upper stories into offices and studios. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

28 East 14th Street was built in 1881 by Joseph J. Little (1841-1913) of 4 Van Nest Place (today’s 57 Charles Street) in Greenwich Village. Little had an impressive and varied career, including as a partner of a printing and publishing firm, president of the New York City Board of Education, a congressman, and a real estate speculator. He hired William Wheeler Smith, who had recently made his mark on Fourteenth Street with his design for the (still-extant) cast-iron building at 40-42 West 14th Street, to design 28 East 14th Street. Known as an architect who embraced the latest technologies in his designs, Smith employed many details that made this building cutting-edge at the time. The commercial and artistic nature of the building converged with several tenants in the building connected to the burgeoning piano industry, which was centered around 14th Street (Steinway & Sons was located just a block away at 109 East 14th Street). Early in the building’s life, the ground floor was occupied by the store of prominent piano dealer Jeremiah M. Pelton. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

This striking 7-story store and loft Beaux Arts Belle Époque structure at 24-26 East 13th Street housed and was built for G. Gennert, a significant innovator in the field of photographic supplies and materials.

Imperial Plates advertised by G. Gennert, 1917 In 1892 a new building permit was filed for 24-26 East 13th Street. Gennert Brothers Photo Supply was founded in 1856 by German immigrant Gottlieb Gennert and his brother. It was one of the first photo supply houses in America, and became famous for its daguerreotype mats, cases and other supplies. By 1869 Gottlieb broke out to start his own firm, G. Gennert, and soon his business was the third largest photo supply business in the country.

The Sylvar Camera advertised by G. Gennert, 1911 Gennert expanded to have shops not only in New York but Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, introducing innovative new types of cameras including the ‘Montauk’ and the ‘Penny Picture.’ By 1892, Gennert had outgrown his business’ home at 54 East 10th Street (at Broadway, within this area but demolished), and two of his sons, Maurice G. and Gustav C. had taken over the daily operations of the business. They hired the architectural firm of DeLemos & Corden to construct the building at 24-26 East 13th Street. G. Gennert also operated out of 30 East 13th Street. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

30 East 13th Street was once the home of G. Gennert, also located down the block at 24-26 East 13th Street. Gennert Brothers Photo Supply was founded in 1856 by German immigrant Gottlieb Gennert and his brother. It was one of the first photo supply houses in America, and became famous for its daguerreotype mats, cases and other supplies. By 1869 Gottlieb broke out to start his own firm, G. Gennert, and soon his business was the third largest photo supply business in the country. Gennert expanded to have shops not only in New York but Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, introducing innovative new types of cameras including the ‘Montauk’ and the ‘Penny Picture.’ By 1892, Gennert had outgrown his business’ home at 54 East 10th Street (at Broadway, within this area but demolished), and two of his sons, Maurice G. and Gustav C. had taken over the daily operations of the business. They then hired the architectural firm of DeLemos & Corden to construct 24-26 East 13th Street. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

2 and 4 East 12th Street were built for John Schermerhorn Bussing (1802-1864). 4 East 12th Street was constructed in 1845-1846 and 2 East 12th Street was constructed in 1857-1858. Scion of a prominent New York family, Bussing began business as a wholesale dry goods merchant in 1823 under the firm name of E. & J. Bussing with his brother, Edmund Kingsland Bussing. After his brother died, John became the head of John S. Bussing & Company, iron and nail merchants. He resided at 4 East 12th Street for nearly 20 years until his death. He was a director in the Niagara Fire Insurance Company, president of the Northern Dispensary, and treasurer of the Board of Domestic Missions of the Reformed Dutch Church. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

German immigrants Bernhard and Emma A. Mittelstaedt purchased No. 86 University Place in 1889 for both their family residence and to house their business, E. Mittelstaedt, Inc., which sold women’s hair products. Emma filed a patent for a new and improved women’s front hair piece. The patent was filed in November of 1881 and issued in February of 1882 for “an improved construction of hair-fronts for ladies’ use, whereby they can be finished in a neater and more durable manner, more easily secured to the hair, and worn with or without parting, as desired.” In 1889, according to the Real Estate Record and Builders Guide, the Mittelstaedts purchased the property at 86 University Place. The initial conveyance was in Emma’s name as were some of the subsequent alteration permits. Presumably at some point after the Mittlestaedts bought the building in 1889, the elaborate cornice and pediment that we still see today on the building which proudly boasts “E. Mittelstaedt, Established 1867” appeared. The 1900 Federal census shows that the Mittelstaedts rented part of No. 86 to tenants, a tradition that would continue through the 20th century by their heirs. In 1905, an approximately 40 foot rear extension was added at the first floor, which at that time was being used as a store.

By 1937, Barney Gallant opened a restaurant in the raised basement level of 86 University Place called “The Royalist.” By the early 1940s, the establishment expanded to the first floor with a cabaret. Gallant, a lifelong bachelor, was an opponent of Prohibition and had gained celebrity as the first person in New York to be prosecuted under the Volstead Act in 1919 for serving alcohol. When police prepared to arrest several of his waiters for serving alcohol, Gallant took full responsibility, refused to comply with the law, and was sent to the Tombs for thirty days. Following this, Gallant opened a series of successful speakeasies and cafes throughout the neighborhood that earned him the name “The Mayor of Greenwich Village.” Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

German immigrants Bernhard and Emma A. Mittelstaedt purchased No. 86 University Place in 1889 for both their family residence and to house their business, E. Mittelstaedt, Inc., which sold women’s hair products. Emma died in 1908 and Bernard in 1917, but shortly before Bernard’s passing, New York City directories show the firm expanded its operation into the still-extant commercial loft building next door at No. 84 University Place. Patents and advertisements illustrate the company continuing to operate at No. 84 under the leadership of his children after Bernard’s death. Meanwhile Bernard and Emma’s daughters, Emma and Harriet, continued to live at No. 86 while renting some floors to tenants. The last Mittelstaedt to occupy No. 86 was Harriet, who donated the family home to New York University in 1958 with the condition that she could live there for the rest of her life, which she did until her death in 1964. For over 90 years and four generations, 84 University Place also housed Charles Cheriff Galleries, antique dealers specializing in 19th century furniture and fixtures. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

The ground floor of 36 East 12th Street is occupied by the 80 year old family-owned business Seidenberg Antiques. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

Richard E. Thibaut’s Art Wallpapers, the “world’s largest manufacturer of wall paper,” was one of the first tenants of 35 East 12th Street, remaining for 15 years. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

One of the first tenants of 837 Broadway was the American Ball Nozzle Company, which was famous for inventing a new, more effective nozzle for fire hoses. Another early technologically innovative tenant was the Porter Air Lighter Company. But most of the building’s early tenants were clothing manufacturers, and during these early decades the primary tenant was Hackett, Carhart & Co. The building was so tied to this company that until 1910 it was referred to by many as the Hackett, Carhart Building.

William Kennedy Dickson, 1891 The building is also historically significant for housing the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, founded by William Kennedy Dickson, from 1896-1906. Later renamed the Biograph Company, it was famous for its early advances in filmmaking technology and was one of the first and most recognized American film studios. To accommodate their presence in the building, brick piers supporting a track were installed on the building roof, allowing the early cameras to follow the sun and optimize natural light for filming. In addition to early cameras, this company developed the Biograph projector, allowing the film industry to shift from solitary viewers to a group audience. This projector was the beginning of the commercial motion-picture industry. The Union Square department store Ohrbach’s was the building’s primary tenant from 1937 through the late 1950s, a period of decline for the area south of Union Square. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

James Lidgerwood, inventor of widely-used and innovative machinery for processing coffee, was once located at 835 Broadway. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

833 Broadway was owned in the 1880s by Gilded Age barons Robert and Ogden Goelet.

Wheeler & Wilson four motion feed sewing machine, 1853 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing were located here. Allan Wilson invented some of the first successful sewing machines and revolutionized clothing manufacturing. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

827-831 Broadway were constructed by Pierre Lorillard III, grandson of Pierre Abraham Lorillard, who started the family tobacco business with a factory in Lower Manhattan and eventually expanded to locations throughout New York City.

Lorillard logo Pierre I was the first man to make snuff in North America. His company would become one of the largest tobacconists in the United States. Considered pioneers of marketing, the Lorillard logo of a Native American smoking a pipe beside a hogshead or barrel of tobacco was said to be the best known trademark in the world, and in fact became the basis for the “Cigar Store Indian” which proliferated throughout the world. According to the Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising, “some historians credit the Lorillard Brothers…with creating the earliest known advertising campaign in 1789.”

A.A. Vantine & Co. advertisement in "American Homes and Gardens," 1912 Vantine was the number one purveyor of imported Japanese arts in the United States, and opened what was known as “Vantine’s Oriental Store” at this location. As reflective of the popular and working-class nature of the area, especially as the 19th century wore on and turned to the 20th, Vantine’s Japanese wares were geared towards the masses, as opposed to its competitors Yamanaka Co., which targeted upper- and upper-middle-class women. In the late 20th century, 827-831 Broadway was located in the heart of what became New York’s antique district. But even within this milieu, Howard Kaplan’s Antiques, located here for thirty-five years, stood out as perhaps New York’s most prominent and sought-after antiques dealership. Mr. Kaplan was considered an “antiques mogul and designer” who came to be known as “antiques dealer to the stars.” Noted patrons included Faye Dunaway, Robert De Niro, Jacqueline Onassis, Woody Allen, Roone Aldridge, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, among many others. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

James McCreery & Co. Dry Goods opened its doors in 1869. Mr. James McCreery, an Irish immigrant, was employed by Ubsdell, Pierson & Lake, a department store located on Broadway and Grand Streets. He worked his way up to become a partner in the company. Upon Lake's retirement in 1867, the company was renamed James McCreery & Company. McCreeery then commissioned a new store at 801-807 Broadway/67 East 11th Street, responding to the area's growing population of wealthy New Yorkers who were moving north of Washington Square. The building was designed in 1868-1869 by architect John Kellum, known for his work in the new medium of cast-iron. Kellum incorporated into the design a new kind of show window with extensive glazing. The opulent Italianate/French Second Empire style provided an appropriate setting for the extravagant goods housed inside, namely the luxurious silks unavailable elsewhere.

Silk Department of James McCreery & Co., 1893 Focusing on the female shopper, the store catered to the monied carriage trade. Before long the New York Times would deem it "one of the most highly esteemed dry goods establishments in America." In 1872 the newspaper commented on the store's goods: "Shawls, silks and furs, of good quality, and especially suited to the season, may be obtained at McCreery & Co.'s establishment, Broadway and Eleventh-street. They have recently added largely to their stocks, and now offer a fine selection of goods intended for ladies' use."

James McCreery & Co., 1893 Around 1895, McCreery followed the department store trend up to "Ladies' Mile," 6th Avenue between 14th and 23rd Streets, when he opened his second store on 6th Avenue and 23rd Street. According to CastlronNYC.org, "McCreery sold the \[11th Street] building to the Methodist Book Concern and Missionary Society and leased back space in the lower floors; McCreery repurchased the building in 1889. James McCreery & Co. remained in the building until 1902. By 1910 the original mansard roof had been replaced .... and the storefront housed Fleischman's Restaurant." The upper floors were occupied by factories that produced suits, shoes, and leather wares. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

In May of 1877, the St. Denis Hotel was the site of Alexander Graham Bell’s first public demonstration of the telephone in New York. He had already patented the telephone and showcased it in Boston the week before, but he was looking for more financial backers. He demonstrated the model in the hotel’s second-floor “gentlemen’s parlor,” while two hundred invited guests observed.

Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patent drawing, 1876 In the 1970s, the St. Denis building became the home of a number of antiques dealers. Metro Antiques, one of the better known businesses residing here, was opened by Maurice “Moe” Margules on the ground floor facing 11th Street. Margules, who had a famously cranky temper, is remembered for his Jacobian furniture, and for the fancy dinners he served in front of the building using the furniture from his store. Prior to opening his business at the St. Denis, Margules operated the antique furniture store and coffee house Café Le Metro at 147-149 Second Avenue. Margules moved out of the St. Denis in 2017.

In late 2018, after plans were announced to demolish the historic building to make way for another tech-related development, Village Preservation staged a protest outside the building attended by hundreds of local residents. Nevertheless the city refused to act, and in 2019 the building was demolished, with the new office tower replacing it. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of extant historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .

43-37 East 10th Street was commissioned by fur manufacturers and importers Louis and Samuel Sachs and designed by Richard Berger in 1891. Around this time, the brothers had started working in real estate development, constructing 112-114 Prince Street, 124 Greene Street, and 21-29 West 4th Street.

Samuel Sachs & Co. (then at 83 Mercer Street) advertisement, 1896 By the turn of the century, dry goods and clothing firms were dominant in the area, a trend already seen earlier along 14th Street, and now made itself felt at 43-47 East 10th Street. One of the first firms located at this address was Northrop & Curry, maker of boys’ clothes. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of this and other historic buildings south of Union Square. . . .