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75-772: The Kingsbridge Armory , also known as the Eighth Regiment Armory , is a decommissioned armory at Jerome Avenue and West Kingsbridge Road in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City . It was built in the 1910s, from a design by the firm of then-state architect Lewis Pilcher to house the New York National Guard 's Eighth Coast Defense Command ( 258th Field Artillery Regiment after November 1921),

150-570: A former governor and U.S. Senator, ceremonially reviewed 10,000 troops there at a 1942 event. It was one of the few registration sites in the city for immigrants from enemy nations. After the war the city offered it to the United Nations General Assembly as a temporary meeting place until the main UN building was finished. In 1957 the two rear buildings were constructed. It was designated a city landmark in 1974. At that time

225-696: A growth in popularity beginning in the 1980s when a resurgence in interest in historic preservation led to demand for architectural terracotta for restoration purposes. Historic manufacturers of terracotta such as Gladding, McBean , Ludowici-Celadon , and newer companies such as Boston Valley Terra Cotta all manufactured pieces used in the restoration of landmarks. Architects became interested in newer uses for terracotta and companies developed products such as rainscreen and wall cladding to allow for dynamic installations that retained terracotta's unique and distinct qualities while working with modern architectural styles. Terracotta can be made by pouring or pressing

300-505: A homeless shelter in the other annex building, a move perceived as retaliation. Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo named Diaz to his transition team on economic development, which was also seen as a message to Bloomberg. Efforts to plan a redevelopment of the armory continue. In fall of 2010, Diaz's office retained graduate students and faculty in the Capstone Program at New York University 's Wagner School of Public Service to develop

375-496: A plan for reuse and redevelopment. It was estimated that structural repairs alone would cost as much as $ 40 million. Proposals ranged from the school plan to one from City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell to develop it into an amateur athletic center. A BOEDC official likened the process to "dealing with several buildings in one." The armory had always been available for temporary uses. Over the years it had hosted dog and boat shows, as well as boxing matches. In 2006 Warner Bros. rented

450-708: A plan. Diaz later skipped a meeting with Bloomberg's deputies as a protest against the mayor's plan to use the armory as one of several new homeless shelters. In 2012 a new redevelopment proposal was announced. A Deutsche Bank group proposed what it claimed would be the world's largest indoor ice rink complex, called the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC), with nine ice rinks and 5,000 seat ice hockey arena in. Two New York skating stars, New York Rangers icon Mark Messier and Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes , served as spokespeople. Diaz has given it his endorsement as well, although residents of

525-511: A redevelopment plan that did not include schools. Afterwards, they persuaded the city to spend $ 31 million replacing the armory's roof and making other repairs. After all Guard units save the 258th Field Artillery Regiment , the descendant of the original Eighth Regiment, left, the city gave a grant to a local nonprofit, the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), to come up with

600-472: A regiment-sized unit which relocated from Manhattan in 1917. It is possibly the largest armory in the world. In addition to its military function, it has been used over the years for exhibitions, boxing matches, and a film set. After World War II the city offered it to the United Nations as a temporary meeting place. In 1974 it was designated a city landmark, and eight years later it was listed on

675-420: A reputation for being a fireproof, lightweight cladding material that could protect metal from melting. Holes were bored in the hollow blocks in choice locations to allow for metal 'J' or 'Z' hooks to connect the blocks to the load bearing steel frame and/or masonry walls. The metal could be hung vertically or anchored horizontally. Pins, clamps, clips, plates, and a variety of other devices were used to help secure

750-556: Is a place of temporary storage or carrying of weapons and ammunition, such as any temporary post or patrol vehicle that is only operational in certain times of the day. The term in English entered the language in the 16th century as a loanword from French : arsenal , itself deriving from the term Italian : arsenale , which in turn is thought to be a corruption of Arabic : دار الصناعة , dār aṣ-ṣināʿa , meaning "manufacturing shop". A lower-class arsenal, which can furnish

825-618: Is done in the Colonial Revival style, with engaged columns, fielded panel walls and an Adamesque fireplace mantel . Architect Lewis Pilcher 's design was an engineering feat, probably inspired by the large trainsheds of contemporary railroad stations. Six years after its 1917 completion, the Architectural Record described it as epitomizing "simplicity, directness, convenience, and adaptation to special requirements". The Record quoted Pilcher himself as saying it

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900-403: Is heated slowly to around 500°C to sweat off the loose or macroscopic water between the molecules. Then the temperature is increased to close to 900°C to release the chemically bonded water in gaseous form and the clay particles will begin to melt together or sinter. If the kiln reaches 1000°C then the clay particles will vitrtify and become glass like. After the maximum temperature was reached then

975-461: Is offering." Some said they felt the neighborhood needed schools more than malls. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. , made the defeat of Related's plan the starting point of a campaign to get living-wage legislation enacted citywide for taxpayer-subsidized projects. Bloomberg later blocked plans to move the Guard unit still at the armory to another facility in the borough, and advocated for opening

1050-440: Is plastic and moldable. During the firing process the clays lose their water and become a hardened ceramic body. Fluxes add oxygen when they burn to create more uniform melting of the silica particles throughout the body of the ceramic. This increases the strength of the material. Common fluxing materials are calcium carbonate, alkaline feldspars, manganese, and iron oxides. Grog is used to prevent shrinking and provide structure for

1125-462: Is stronger than stoneware . It can be unglazed, painted, slip glazed, or glazed . Usually solid in earlier uses, in most cases from the 19th century onwards each piece of terracotta is composed of a hollow clay web enclosing a void space or cell. The cell can be installed in compression with mortar or hung with metal anchors; such cells are often partially backfilled with mortar. Terracotta can be used together with brick, for ornamental areas; if

1200-459: Is the main entrance, a round arch with heavy iron gates and paneled double doors with stone steps and walls. They are topped with a stone projection on corbels and a crenellated parapet. In the brick above the entrance is the regimental motif in terra cotta , a shield over an eagle with draped flags. Inside is a 180,000-square-foot (17,000 m) drill hall and an 800-seat auditorium . A four-centered double truss 100 feet (30 m) high spans

1275-399: Is very strong in compression but weak in tension and shear strength. Any anomalous material expanding (ice, salts, incompatible fill material, or corroding metal anchors which cause rust jacking ) inside the clay body will cause it to crack and eventually spall . Inherent faults can severely impact the performance of the material. Improper molding can cause air pockets to form that increase

1350-476: The Bauhaus School and International Style further harmed the industry, despite attempts by manufacturers to create products suited to these styles. Structural problems of earlier terracotta resulting from incomplete waterproofing, improper installation, poor maintenance, and interior corroding mild steel provided bad publicity for terracotta and further harmed its reputation for architects. For much of

1425-474: The National Register of Historic Places . Its military use ended and it was turned over to city management in 1996. Since then it has remained vacant as various proposals to redevelop it have failed. One such proposal, by the administration of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg , turned into a dispute over living wage policies. In 2013, a new plan to redevelop it as the world's largest indoor ice center

1500-424: The materiel and equipment of a small army, may contain a laboratory, gun and carriage factories, small-arms ammunition, small-arms, harness, saddlery tent and powder factories; in addition, it must possess great storehouses. In a second-class arsenal, the factories would be replaced by workshops. The situation of an arsenal should be governed by strategic considerations. If of the first class, it should be situated at

1575-501: The public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Arsenal ". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. Architectural terracotta Architectural terracotta refers to a fired mixture of clay and water that can be used in a non-structural, semi-structural, or structural capacity on the exterior or interior of a building. Terracotta is an ancient building material that translates from Latin as " baked earth ". Some architectural terracotta

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1650-516: The 1850s, New York City architects like Richard Upjohn and James Renwick used it on some of their projects, but the material failed to gain widespread popularity and many American architects falsely believed it couldn't endure the North American climate. The Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed many of the wood and stone-constructed buildings of Chicago, Illinois , and spurred greater interest in fireproof building materials that could enable

1725-458: The 1890s most blocks were slip glazed or coated with a watered-down version of the clay mix. Liquefying the clay increased the amount of small silica particles that would be deposited on the surface of the block. These would melt during firing and harden. By 1900 almost all colors could be achieved with the addition of salt glazes. Black or brown were made by adding manganese oxide. The kiln firing process could take days, up to two weeks. The clay

1800-502: The 1901 Squadron C Armory in Brooklyn, also designed by Pilcher's firm, the first armory in which the steel drill hall is a prominent element when seen from the outside. "It points toward a moment when historical ornament will be stripped away," writes David Bady of Lehman College, "leaving engineering to be admired as architecture." The Eighth Regiment, New York State Militia traces its lineage from units constituted in 1786. Since it

1875-568: The 20th century the American terracotta industry was a fraction of its earlier scale and the few surviving companies largely subsisted on jobs producing less complex products like machine-produced ceramic veneers. Detailed architectural terracotta remained in use through the 1950s and 1960s, however it was often overlooked or misidentified. Architects during this time period did not embrace terracotta's natural properties and instead tended to use it to imitate other materials. Terracotta experienced

1950-571: The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) to pressure the city for a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) as part of the project. A CBA would have required living wage provisions and union representation not only for any construction work but for jobs with any tenants. KARA also sought to have schools included in the plan, which city officials said was impossible. The winning bidder, The Related Companies, pledged to invest $ 310 million in redeveloping

2025-622: The NYCEDC was again soliciting proposals for the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory. Local community groups advocated for the NYCEDC to allow them to become more involved in the armory's redevelopment New York City Council speaker Adrienne Adams allocated $ 5 million for the site's development to Pierina Sanchez , the councilperson for the City Council's 14th District , which included the armory. Another plan for redevelopment

2100-678: The Register listing. On the north are public schools 86 and 340, with Jerome Park Reservoir to the northwest and Lehman College of the City University of New York about a block north. On the other three sides is dense urban mixed-use development . St. James Park is a few blocks to the southeast, and the James J. Peters VA Medical Center , overlooking the Harlem River and Major Deegan Expressway ( Interstate 87 ), two blocks to

2175-568: The area were less enthusiastic. After review by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Bloomberg and Messier appeared at a press conference in April 2013 to announce the city and the developers had reached a deal, which still required the approval of council. The ice center was approved in 2013, but because KNIC did not have sufficient financing, the NYCEDC did not agree to transfer

2250-570: The armory for six months to make the Will Smith film I Am Legend . It was used for both preproduction and principal photography , with sets built for scenes set in Washington Square Park . The music video for the song " Just Tonight " by rock band The Pretty Reckless was filmed at the armory in 2010. In 2008, as the city prepared to announce the winning bidder, local activists, community groups and labor unions formed

2325-422: The armory into a shopping mall complex. The company already had negotiated a CBA for its Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market , but never reached any agreement with KARA for the armory, saying its wage demands would have made it impossible to attract tenants. Concerns were also raised about traffic issues a mall might create. In 2009, opposition was strong enough that when the city's Planning Commission approved

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2400-529: The authority and power of the military of an earlier time. By the early 1910s, the Guard was more integrated with the Army, and their units became more focused on national defense purposes, training and equipping for the battlefield instead of the streets. The design of the drill shed reflects this changing function, its steel and glass making the whole a stylistic hybrid similar to the Brooklyn Bridge and

2475-439: The base of operations and supply, secure from attack, not too near a frontier, and placed so as to draw in readily the resources of the country. The importance of a large arsenal is such that its defences would be on the scale of those of a large fortress . In the early 21st century, the term " floating armoury " described a ship storing weapons to be supplied to merchant vessels in international waters subject to piracy , so that

2550-421: The blend through a sieve. An artist makes a negative plaster mold based on a clay positive prototype. 1–1¼" of the clay/water mixture is pressed into the mold. Wire mesh or other stiffeners are added to create the web, or clay body that surrounds the hollow cell. The product is air dried to allow the plaster to suck the moisture out of the green clay product. It is fired then slowly cooled. Mechanized extrusion

2625-485: The blocks. The joints would then be mortared and the block would be partially backfilled. Terracotta is made of a clay or silt matrix, a fluxing agent, and grog or bits of previously fired clay. Clays are the remnants of weathered rocks that are smaller than 2 microns. They are composed of silica and alumina. Kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, illite and mica are all good types of clays for ceramic production. When mixed with water they create hydrous aluminum silica that

2700-424: The ceiling. Two cellar levels, which used to house military vehicles, also provide space for storage, lecture halls, and fitness rooms, that included a basketball court and a 400-foot (120 m) shooting range . In the office wing, the entry hall has square brick piers supporting the segmental arches that frame the groin vaults . Brick quoins decorate the piers and intrados . The commander's office, upstairs,

2775-454: The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission called it "an outstanding example of military architecture." Over the years following, the main armory building was neglected, and by the 1990s, the Guard units who called it home were running most of their operations from the annex buildings on West 195th. For a period in the 1980s it was used as a homeless shelter . In 1994, one of the community school districts proposed that new schools be built on

2850-1189: The clay mix. Plaster casts have been found in several ancient sites in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Similarities in motifs and manufacturing processes have caused scholars to note cross cultural pollination between the Hellenic and Indus River Valley sculptural terracotta traditions. Famous early examples include the Bhitargaon temple and the Jain temple in the Mahbubnagar district . Chinese, Korean, and Japanese terracotta making traditions were focused on non-architectural uses such as statuary or cookware but various forms of terracotta tiles were popular roofing materials. Greeks used terracotta for capitals, friezes, and other elements of their temples like at Olympia or Selenius. Domestically they used it for statuary and roof tiles. The Etruscans used terracotta for roof tiles, encased beams, and enclosed brick walls with it. The Roman terracotta innovation

2925-443: The clay was slowly cooled over a few days. During firing a fireskin is created. A fireskin is the glass-like "bread crust" that covers the biscuit or interior body. Various kilns were used as technology developed and capital was available for investment. Muffle kilns were the most common kiln. They were used as early as 1870. The kilns burned gas, coal, or oil that heated an interior chamber from an exterior chamber. The walls "muffled"

3000-401: The custody, issue and receipt of stores. Frederick Taylor introduced command and control techniques to arsenals, including the U.S.'s Watertown Arsenal (a principal center for artillery design and manufacture) and Frankford Arsenal (a principal center for small arms ammunition design and manufacture). [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from a publication now in

3075-434: The drawings were turned into a plaster reality by sculptors who would create the mold for the craftsmen. Clay selection was very important to manufacture of terracotta. Homogenous, finer grain sizes were preferred. The color of the clay body was determined by the types of deposits that were locally available to the manufacture. Sand was added to temper the process. Crushed ceramic scraps called grog were also added to stiffen

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3150-410: The east. The terrain slopes slightly toward the river. The building is a nine-story red brick edifice with a curved, sloping metal roof, with corrugated fiberglass panels in the field at either end. Its brickwork has been considered among the city's finest. Stone is used for trim, especially around the slit windows at regular intervals. A corbeled stone string course runs below the parapeted roof

3225-735: The elaborate construction of the era. James Taylor , an English-trained ceramicist , played a key role in establishing effective widespread terracotta production in the United States through his work for various firms such as the Chicago Terra Cotta Company, the Boston Terra Cotta Company, and the New York Architectural Terra-Cotta Company . The American architectural terracotta industry peaked during

3300-531: The end of the 1920s and the onset of the Great Depression further harmed the industry: the number of terracotta companies dropped from eighteen in 1929 to eleven in 1933. This was largely attributed to architect's increasing preference for building with cheaper metal, glass, and cement. The time-intensive process of terracotta manufacture put it at a disadvantage compared to newer products. Changing fashions towards more minimalist, modern styles such as

3375-401: The fine clay matrix. The most common reasons for terracotta to fail are: poor manufacturing, improper installation, weathering, freeze/thaw cycling, and salt formation from atmospheric pollution. The porosity of terracotta greatly impacts its performance. The ability or inability for water and pollutants to enter into the material is directly correlated to its structural capacity. Terracotta

3450-464: The first decade of the 1900s. Architects began to employ combinations of colors to achieve dynamic designs and appearances. This usage diminished as time went on, especially after the success of Cass Gilbert 's Woolworth Building increased demand for monochromatic terracotta. Trends in the 1920s favored setbacks in skyscraper towers, leading to increasing demand for sculpted forms in low relief. Usage of terracotta in architecture had diminished through

3525-433: The gaps by rains water. The pollution creates a mildly acidic solution that eats at the clay body or a salt crust forms, causing similar issues as ice. With the majority of terracotta buildings being over one-hundred years old, failing terracotta has become a problem in many cities such as New York . Regular inspections and maintenance and repair programs are required by law, but nonetheless well-publicized incidents such as

3600-429: The heat so the greenware was not directly exposed to the flames. Down-draught kilns were also widely used. The interior chamber radiated heat around the terracotta by pulling in hot air from behind an exterior cavity wall. Like the muffle wall, the cavity wall protected the greenware from burning. The earliest terracotta elements were laid directly into the masonry but as structural metal became more popular terracotta

3675-501: The ice center was still being planned, but the work had not yet begun. The plan to redevelop the Kingsbridge Heights site fell through at the end of 2021 when New York City finally terminated its contract with Kingsbridge National Ice Center. A New York Supreme Court ruling gave the NYCEDC full ownership of the armory after KNIC failed for eight years to secure proper funding for the space's development. By October 2022,

3750-450: The late 1800s and helped enable the construction of skyscrapers by allowing for more lightweight construction on top of tall metal-framed structures. The fire-resistance of terracotta protected structural steel on many buildings constructed during this period, such as New York City's Flatiron Building . There was an increase in popularity of architectural terracotta made with colored, or polychrome, glazed architectural terracotta during

3825-566: The lease until May 2017. By 2018, KNIC had raised $ 35 million of private funds and Citibank was planning to provide the rest of the $ 170 million needed for the project. During the time that the armory has stood empty, it has been used as an emergency supply and food distribution center during disasters. The armory was used for such purposes after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020. By March 2021,

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3900-456: The length of the building. Above the corbels, and at the corners, are turrets . In the middle of the south elevation is the two-story office wing and main entrance, a section known as the headhouse. Two semi-engaged towers with conical roofs rise at its front above the roofline. The transition to the office wing from the main wall is marked by angled walls, two low round towers with conical roofs and cupolas and two square towers. Between them

3975-409: The material. If the mortar used around and inside the blocks is too strong then the stress will be translated to the terracotta block which will fail over time. Corroding interior metal anchors expand at a faster rate than the surrounding ceramic body causing it to fail from the inside out. Improper loading of the hollow terracotta blocks can create stress cracks. Imperfect repair work often exacerbates

4050-454: The mix into a plaster or sandstone mold, clay can be hand carved, or mix can be extruded into a mold using specialized machines. Clay shrinks as it dries from water loss therefore all molds are made slightly larger than the required dimensions. After the desired green-ware, or air dried, shape is created it is fired in a kiln for several days where it shrinks even further. The hot clay is slowly cooled then hand finished. The ceramics are shipped to

4125-406: The planned eastern basin for Jerome Park Reservoir . Some military artifacts were unearthed, probably from the nearby sites of Revolutionary War forts Independence and Number Five, but no formal archeological survey was done. The firm of Lewis Pilcher , who became state architect two years later, was commissioned. During World War II the armory was active in the war effort. Herbert Lehman ,

4200-415: The product and help reduce shrinkage. Weathering the clay allowed pyrites to chemically change to hydrated ferric oxide and reduced alkali content. This aging minimizes the potential chemical changes during the rest of the manufacturing process. The weathered raw clay was dried, ground, and screened. Later, it would have been pugged in a mill that would mix the clay with water using rotating blades and force

4275-422: The project site where they are installed by local contractors. The hollow pieces are partially backfilled with mortar then placed into the wall, suspended from metal anchors, or hung on metal shelf angles. Academically trained artists were often the designers of the terracotta forms. Their drawings would be interpreted by the manufacturer who would plan out the joint locations and anchoring system. Once finalized,

4350-528: The project, the vote by the usually unanimous body split 8-4 with one abstention, with representatives appointed by the Manhattan and Queens borough presidents joined their Bronx counterpart and the Public Advocate 's representative. In 2010 the full City Council rejected the plan by 45-1, with one abstention. Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed disappointment that the proposal had failed, one of

4425-443: The rare redevelopment proposals from his administration to suffer that fate. The mayor's veto was overridden 48-1, with an abstention, a week later. Related blamed its failure on KARA's wage demands. The activist group said it was "one step closer to achieving a redeveloped Armory that truly benefits the community." Residents of the area were defiant. "We're not suckers in the Bronx," one said. "We're not going to take whatever somebody

4500-410: The rate of deterioration. If the block is not fired or cooled properly then the fireskin will not be uniformly adhered to the substrate and can flake off. Likewise, if a glaze is not fired properly it will crack, flake, and fall off. Discolorations can result from mineral impurities such as pyrites or barium carbonates. A fair amount of damage comes from clumsy transportation, storage, or installation of

4575-447: The site. The state Division of Military and Naval Affairs transferred title to the armory and its property to New York City two years later, whereupon the city began trying to find a new location for two of the three units that trained at the armory. As early as 1994, community activists had advocated for all or some of the armory to be adapted for school use, due to overcrowding of other nearby schools. Local opposition in 2000 stopped

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4650-560: The source of the clay is the same they can be made to harmonize, or if different to contrast. It is often a cladding over a different structural material. Terracotta was made by the ancient Greeks , Babylonians , ancient Egyptians , Romans , Chinese , and the Indus River Valley and Native American cultures. It was used for roof tiles, medallions, statues, capitals and other small architectural details. Indian terracotta manufacturers hand pressed, poured, and double-molded

4725-399: The survival of terracotta. Different types of air pollution can cause different types of surface problems. When it rains, water and salts get sucked into the voids in and around the terracotta through capillary action. If it freezes then ice forms, putting internal stress on the material, causing it to crack from inside. A similar problem happens with atmospheric pollutants that are carried into

4800-399: The underlying problems, speeding up the decay of surrounding elements as well. Making penetrations in terracotta units to attach objects to the outside walls also allows moisture to enter the system, and often crack the terracotta as well. Installing sealant rather than mortar, or applying impervious coating, will trap moisture within the terracotta. The environment also plays a large role in

4875-475: The weapons do not enter territorial waters where they would be illegal. The branches in a great arsenal are usually subdivided into storekeeping , construction and administration : In the manufacturing branches are required skill, and efficient and economical work, both executive and administrative; in the storekeeping part, good arrangement, great care, thorough knowledge of all warlike stores, both in their active and passive state, and scrupulous exactness in

4950-557: The west. Above Jerome Avenue is the Kingsbridge Road station on the New York City Subway 's 4 train, from which the armory is visible. An empty moat runs across the front entrance of the building. There are parking lots and sidewalks along the side. At the center of the northern side are two smaller buildings: a garage, as well as a locker room and classrooms. Both are considered non-contributing to

5025-521: Was "perhaps the most interesting of all the armory designs in the country. The necessities of mobilization ... were successfully met." Subsequently, it has been described as "schizoid", appearing as "two distinct and incongruous buildings." The medieval architecture of the office wing echoed social concerns of the 1880s, when the National Guard was frequently called out to suppress civil unrest such as strikes. The towers and crenellation suggested

5100-689: Was announced in August 2023, when governor Kathy Hochul and mayor Eric Adams announced that the city and state would give $ 200 million in grant funds for unspecified renovations of the armory. Amid concerns from local business owners who feared being evicted after the armory was redeveloped, the city began soliciting proposals from investors. The bids included a proposal by the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition to construct spaces for manufacturing, food service, and live performances. Notes Arsenal A sub-armory

5175-485: Was announced, called the Kingsbridge National Ice Center , but this plan failed in 2021. One National Guard unit has continued to use an annex in the rear until a new headquarters can be found. The armory complex occupies almost the entire 5-acre (2.0 ha) block between West Kingsbridge Road on the south, Jerome Avenue on the east, West 195th Street on the north, and Reservoir Avenue on

5250-454: Was fairly successful at making small architectural ornaments. Their company was taken over by George and Eleanor Coade in 1769. [See Coade stone , See Eleanor Coade ] George died a year later, leaving the company to his wife and daughter, both named Eleanor Coade. The Coade ladies popularized the grey mix of terracotta as an alternative to stone with the help of architects like Horace Walpole and Sir John Soane. Georgian architectural style

5325-545: Was in vogue and demand for repetitive, classically inspired décor was very fashionable. The Victoria and Albert Museum (1867–1880) and the Natural History Museum of London (1879–1880) buildings ushered in an era of mass-produced architectural terracotta. The earliest manufacturer of architectural terracotta in the United States was started by Henry Tolman Jr. in Worcester, Massachusetts , around 1849. In

5400-623: Was part of the honor guard at George Washington 's inauguration, it later acquired the informal name of the Washington Greys. The Eighth Regiment now has descendants in the 258th Field Artillery. Since 1895, it had been based at the old Squadron A Armory on Park Avenue in Manhattan . In 1911 the New York State Legislature authorized the construction of a new armory using what had already been excavated as

5475-478: Was suspended by metal anchors. The development of cast and later wrought iron as a structural material was closely linked to the rise of terracotta. Cast iron was first used as columns in the 1820s by William Strickland. Over the course of the 19th century metal became more incorporated into construction but it was not widely used structurally until the late 1890s. A series of disastrous fires ( Chicago, 1871 ; Boston, 1872 ; and San Francisco, 1906 ) earned terracotta

5550-431: Was the underfloor or hypocaust heating system that they used for their bath houses. Medieval European architecture did not expand terracotta use beyond the ancients. The manufacture of tile roofs diminished with low cost thatch roofing widely available. Southern German , Italian and Spanish city states kept the tradition alive. Richard Holt and Thomas Ripley patented an artificial stone recipe in 1722. The business

5625-429: Was used for the mass-production of terracotta blocks, popular in the 1920s. Prepared clay was fed into a machine that would then push the mix through a mold. The technique required the blocks to be made with simple shapes, so this process was often used for flooring, roofing, cladding, and later hollow clay tiles. The last step before firing the greenware was glazing . True glazes are made from various salts but prior to

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