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124-598: The Home Life Building , also known as 253 Broadway , is an office building in Lower Manhattan , New York City. It is in Manhattan 's Tribeca and Civic Center neighborhoods at the northwest corner of Broadway and Murray Street, adjacent to City Hall Park . The Home Life Building is made of two adjacent structures at 251–257 Broadway , erected between 1892 and 1894 as separate buildings. The original 16-story Home Life Insurance Company Building at 256 Broadway

248-498: A 12-story building at 80 Pine Street, a 26-story building at 123 William Street, and a few others were built in 1957. By the end of the decade, Lower Manhattan had become economically depressed, in comparison with Midtown Manhattan , which was booming with the continued march uptown . David Rockefeller spearheaded widespread urban renewal efforts in Lower Manhattan, beginning with constructing One Chase Manhattan Plaza ,

372-540: A banking hall for the Merchants' Exchange National Bank. The second floor contained the main offices of the Home Life Insurance Company . The ground floor had a ceiling of 18.5 feet (5.6 m), while the second floor had a ceiling of 23.5 feet (7.2 m). When opened, 256 Broadway was also outfitted with its own electric plant and three hydraulic elevators, located in the two basement levels of

496-489: A building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building. From the engineering perspective, the façade is also of great importance due to its impact on energy efficiency . For historical façades, many local zoning regulations or other laws greatly restrict or even forbid their alteration. The word is a loanword from the French façade , which in turn comes from

620-405: A central bay with three windows. The corner towers contain a window-and-rondel motif. The main entrance to 253 Broadway, on the eastern elevation, is 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and contains a doorway to the main lobby. In the original design, smaller doors flanked either side of the main lobby; the left door led to the ground floor space while the right door led to the second floor. The main entrance

744-536: A colonnade for the five center windows and dormers for the two outermost windows. The 16th floor consists of one aedicule with two windows, similar to on the 3rd floor. Copper dormers with round pediments project from the north and south sides of the roof on the 15th floor. The pinnacle is constructed of tie and angle iron. 253 Broadway uses a metal skeletal frame for its superstructure . The frame includes cast iron columns and steel beams and girders. The front and rear walls of 253 Broadway were load-bearing walls below

868-504: A commercial corridor in the mid-19th century, with four- and five-story commercial buildings. One of the commercial concerns on Broadway was the Home Life Insurance Company, a Brooklyn -based insurance company with a branch on Wall Street , which moved its branch to 258 Broadway in 1866. Home Life acquired the five-story building at 254 Broadway three years afterward, where it occupied the ground story and leased

992-438: A depth of 23 feet (7.0 m). There are structural columns in the center of 256 Broadway's lot as well as on the edges. 256 Broadway's structural beams were laid out so that the floors could carry a total live and dead load of 175 pounds per square foot (850 kg/m). The interiors used wooden floors, and as built, the stairs and elevator screens were of cast iron, wrought iron, and marble. "Costly marbles" were used to decorate

1116-459: A facade of brick. 253 Broadway has eleven windows per floor on Murray Street and five windows per floor on Broadway. The Murray Street elevation contains four vertical ribs that divide the center nine windows into three bays with three windows each; the outermost columns of windows are treated as "towers" with one window per floor. On the Broadway elevation, the single-window-wide towers flank

1240-520: A favorable impression of its operations" in the general public. This had been a trend since 1870, with the completion of the former Equitable Life Building in Manhattan's Financial District . Furthermore, life insurance companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries generally built massive buildings to fit their large clerical and records-keeping staff. Work on 253 Broadway began on November 2, 1892. During construction, Home Life took up space in

1364-505: A ground-floor corner office. Sprague Electric also occupied offices there. Postal Telegraph acquired the ground lease for 253 Broadway in 1897. The buildings were damaged in a December 1898 fire that started at the Rogers Peet Building at 258 Broadway. The New York City Fire Department was unable to reach the top stories of 256 Broadway, although external damage only reached that building's 8th floor. 256 Broadway suffered

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1488-621: A higher percentage than in Philadelphia or Boston . The 1735 libel trial of John Peter Zenger in the city was a seminal influence on freedom of the press in North America. It would be a standard for the basic articles of freedom in the United States Declaration of Independence . By the 1740s, with expansion of settlers, 20% of the population of New York were slaves, totaling about 2,500 people. After

1612-416: A loss worth about 22% of its $ 900,000 estimated value. The floor materials used in the two buildings affected the amount of damage they sustained. The interior of 256 Broadway was completely gutted, except for walls, ceilings, and floor slabs, because the fire had been able to spread through the wooden floors of that structure. 253 Broadway, which featured cement floors, saw comparatively minor damage, with only

1736-615: A mile north of Chambers Street, and 23rd Street , roughly half a mile north of 14th Street. Lower Manhattan's central business district forms the core of the area below Chambers Street and includes the Financial District , commonly known as Wall Street after the name of its primary artery, and the World Trade Center site . At the island's southern tip is Battery Park , near the Bowling Green ; City Hall

1860-552: A new Independence Plaza, Washington Market Park , and other developments. Lower Manhattan retains the most irregular street grid plans in the borough. Throughout the early decades of the 1900s, the area experienced a construction boom, with major towers such as 40 Wall Street , the American International Building , Woolworth Building , and 20 Exchange Place being erected. Many new water crossings into Lower Manhattan were built at this time, including

1984-525: A peace treaty on August 29, 1645. On May 27, 1647, Peter Stuyvesant was inaugurated as director general upon his arrival. The colony was granted self-government in 1652, and New Amsterdam was formally incorporated as a city on February 2, 1653. The first mayors ( burgemeesters ) of New Amsterdam, Arent van Hattem and Martin Cregier , were appointed in that year. In 1664, the English conquered

2108-783: A result of Alexander Hamilton 's policies and practices as the first Secretary of the Treasury and, later, with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, which connected the Atlantic port to the vast agricultural markets of the North American interior. Immigration resumed after being slowed by wars in Europe, and a new street grid system, the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 , expanded to encompass all of Manhattan. Early in

2232-416: A series of fires in 1741, the city became panicked that blacks planned to burn the city in a conspiracy with some poor whites. Historians believe their alarm was mostly fabrication and fear, but officials rounded up 31 blacks and 4 whites, all of whom were convicted of arson and executed. City officials executed 13 blacks by burning them alive and hanged 4 whites and 18 blacks. In 1754, Columbia University

2356-542: A then-new technology that the New York Tribune said eliminated the need for passengers to request elevators by yelling "up" or "down". The original elevators were themselves the first electric elevators commissioned by Frank J. Sprague . The Postal Telegraph Building also had one of the first revolving doors in New York City. Inside 256 Broadway, the northern half of the ground floor originally served as

2480-410: A viable competitor to Western Union . Its headquarters was also overcrowded, and management had to move out to make room for more operations staff. By February 1892, Postal Telegraph had decided to build a new headquarters at Broadway and Murray Street, next to Home Life's building. The Home Life Insurance Company purchased 256 Broadway from Trinity Church on March 16, 1892. It simultaneously sold off

2604-444: Is actually encasing and concealing the older Portico of Glory . In modern high-rise building, the exterior walls are often suspended from the concrete floor slabs. Examples include curtain walls and precast concrete walls. The façade can at times be required to have a fire-resistance rating , for instance, if two buildings are very close together, to lower the likelihood of fire spreading from one building to another. In general,

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2728-416: Is consistent with the 4th floor of 253 Broadway. The center bay of the 3rd floor contains an aedicule with two windows, topped by a pediment and flanked by pilasters . The other windows on the 3rd floor are single arched windows. A sill course separates the 3rd and 4th floors, except at the center bay, which is interrupted by the pediment. The 4th through 12th stories have seven windows on each story: five in

2852-666: Is delineated on the north by 14th Street , on the west by the Hudson River , on the east by the East River , and on the south by New York Harbor . Its northern border is designated by thoroughfares about a mile-and-a-half south of 14th Street and a mile north of Manhattan 's southern tip around Chambers Street near the Hudson River east of the entrances and overpass to the Brooklyn Bridge . Two other major arteries to Lower Manhattan are Canal Street , roughly half

2976-416: Is five bays wide at ground level. The ground floor contains a rusticated arcade topped by an entablature , except in the center bay, which has a balustrade. The northernmost bay of the ground floor contains a window within what was formerly the main entrance, while the southernmost bay is a freight entrance; these doorways have columns flanking either side as well as metal plaques above them. At ground level,

3100-591: Is north of the Financial District. South of Chambers Street are Battery Park City and South Street Seaport . TriBeCa straddles Chambers Street on the west side; at the street's east end is the giant Manhattan Municipal Building . North of Chambers Street and the Brooklyn Bridge and south of Canal Street is the Chinatown neighborhood , home to the largest concentration of Chinese people in

3224-405: Is of Tuckahoe marble . The facade emphasizes its vertical components, with three-part arcades stacked on each other, as well as ornamental details concentrated at the base and top. 256 Broadway's facade is divided into three vertical sections: a three-story base, a nine-story shaft with two transitional stories, and a two-story capital with a steep pyramidal roof. The two interior light courts have

3348-469: Is shaped like an "L", extending west along Murray Street and then north to the Rogers Peet Building. The westernmost portion of the Murray Street arm extends 100 feet (30 m) north and is 50 feet (15 m) wide. 256 Broadway extends 55.5 feet (16.9 m) along Broadway with a lot 109 feet (33 m) deep. 256 Broadway has light courts on the north and south, which were intended to illuminate

3472-516: Is the southernmost part of the New York City borough of Manhattan . The neighborhood is the historical birthplace of New York City and for its first 225 years was the entirety of the city. Lower Manhattan serves as the seat of government of both Manhattan and the entire City of New York. Because there are no municipally defined boundaries for the neighborhood, a precise population cannot be quoted, but several sources have suggested that it

3596-487: Is typically reached within minutes of the start of a fire. Fire stops for such building joints can be qualified, too. Putting fire sprinkler systems on each floor has a profoundly positive effect on the fire safety of buildings with curtain walls. The extended use of new materials, like polymers , resulted in an increase of high-rise building façade fires over the past few years, since they are more flammable than traditional materials. Some building codes also limit

3720-416: Is under a slightly projecting rectangular vestibule that extends to the third story and is supported by two pillars. The entrance was originally capped by bas-reliefs representing light and electricity. A side entrance for Postal Telegraph employees was also provided on Murray Street in the original design. The side entrances on Broadway were removed in a 1937–1938 renovation, as were the small storefronts under

3844-401: The Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan. Municipal governments contained within the boroughs were abolished, and the county governmental functions, housed in Lower Manhattan after unification, were absorbed by the city or each borough. Washington Market was located between Barclay and Hubert Streets, and from Greenwich Street to West Street . It was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by

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3968-574: The Corn Exchange Bank acquired the ground lease for the building. In 1936, Junior Leasing Corporation bought 253 Broadway at an assessed value of $ 1.45 million, as well as took over Corn Exchange Bank's ground lease. A $ 1 million renovation of 253 Broadway, designed by Ely Jacques Kahn , was completed the next year, and 253 Broadway became known as the Paragon Building. The first three floors were refaced in glass blocks;

4092-466: The East Village , and Downtown Brooklyn and on par with Downtown Jersey City and Williamsburg . In June 2015, The New York Times wrote that Lower Manhattan's dining scene was experiencing a renaissance. There are over 400 casual dining and more than 100 full-service dining restaurants in the area. The Village Voice , based at 80 Maiden Lane in the Financial District and historically

4216-629: The Flatiron District , Gramercy , and Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village . The area that would eventually encompass modern-day New York City was inhabited by the Lenape people. These groups of culturally and linguistically identical Native Americans who spoke an Algonquian language now referred to as Unami . European settlement began with the founding of a Dutch fur trading post in Lower Manhattan, later called New Amsterdam ( Dutch : Nieuw-Amsterdam ) in 1626. The first fort

4340-672: The Italian facciata , from faccia meaning 'face', ultimately from post-classical Latin facia . The earliest usage recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is 1656. It was quite common in the Georgian period for existing houses in English towns to be given a fashionable new façade. For example, in the city of Bath , The Bunch of Grapes in Westgate Street appears to be a Georgian building, but

4464-823: The New York Stock Exchange , the Federal Reserve Bank of New York , and other major financial institutions. A center of culture and tourism , Lower Manhattan is home to many of New York City's most iconic structures, including New York City Hall , the Woolworth Building , the Stonewall Inn , the Bull of Wall Street , and One World Trade Center , the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere . Lower Manhattan

4588-496: The New York World Building . The original plans called for Home Life's building to be 12 stories tall, extending 30.5 feet (9.3 m) on Broadway and 107 feet (33 m) deep. Excavations for Home Life's building caused the adjacent building at 257 Broadway, occupied by the Merchants' Exchange National Bank, to tilt 18 inches (460 mm) out of alignment. The 257 Broadway building had shallower foundations, and

4712-659: The Port Authority decided to build the World Trade Center on a site along the Hudson River and the West Side Highway , rather than the East River site. When building the World Trade Center , 1.2 million cubic yards (917,000 m ) of material was excavated from the site. Rather than dumping the spoil at sea or in landfills, the fill material was used to expand the Manhattan shoreline across West Street, creating Battery Park City . The result

4836-608: The September 11 attacks in 2001, two of four hijacked planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center , and the towers collapsed. The 7 World Trade Center was not struck by a plane but uncontrolled fires that were caused by falling debris resulted in the building's collapse; a first in the history of steel framed skyscrapers. The 3, 4, 5, and 6 World Trade Center buildings were damaged beyond repair or destroyed, and soon after demolished. The collapse of

4960-614: The Western Hemisphere . Many court buildings and other government offices are located in this area. The Lower East Side neighborhood straddles Canal Street. North of Canal Street and south of 14th Street are SoHo , the Meatpacking District , the West Village , Greenwich Village , Little Italy , Nolita , and the East Village . Between 14th and 23rd Streets are lower Chelsea , Union Square ,

5084-640: The Williamsburg Bridge in 1903 and the Manhattan Bridge in 1909. The Holland Tunnel to New Jersey opened in 1927, while the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel to Brooklyn opened in 1950 and was the last major fixed crossing to be built to Lower Manhattan. Despite these road connections opening, the economic center of New York City began to shift from Lower Manhattan to Midtown with the opening of many commuter rail terminals at

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5208-653: The Woolworth Building , 40 Wall Street (also known as the Trump Building), 26 Wall Street (also known as the Standard Oil Building), and 70 Pine Street (also known as the American International Building ). In 1966, the commercial district of Radio Row on Cortlandt Street was demolished to make way for construction of the former World Trade Center. Downtown in the context of Manhattan, and of New York City generally, has different meanings to different people, especially depending on where in

5332-409: The World Trade Center area and the Financial District . The phrase Lower Manhattan may apply to any of these definitions: the broader ones often if the speaker is discussing the area in relation to the rest of the city; more restrictive ones, again, if the focus is on business matters or on the colonial and early post-colonial history of the island. Facade In architecture , the façade of

5456-557: The neoclassical style. It is 13 stories high, although the top floor is labeled as the 14th due to the perception of thirteen being unlucky . There are also two basement levels. According to a contemporary news articles, it is 166 feet (51 m) tall. 256 Broadway, the original Home Life Building, was designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons in the Renaissance Revival style, with influences from both Italian Renaissance and French Renaissance designs. The leading architect

5580-442: The party wall between 253 and 256 Broadway, and staircases were built to connect the corridors in the two formerly-separate buildings. By doing this, Home Life more than doubled the amount of usable space it had. The main entrance was relocated to 253 Broadway in 1963, while the ground floor of 256 Broadway became retail space. The entrance to 256 Broadway was replaced with a show window. The ground floor and basement of 256 Broadway

5704-486: The settling caused the top of the bank building to trespass upon Home Life's property. Home Life was already seeking extra space, and it acquired the bank building in early 1893; in exchange, the bank would occupy the ground and basement stories of the Home Life's building. The design was accordingly revised to 16 stories, with 55 feet (17 m) of frontage on Broadway. At the time, the superstructure had already reached

5828-671: The 'blight' of many tenement areas, by demolishing slums, factories, and working-class neighborhoods through public works such as the High line , the West Side Highway and FDR Drive , built housing projects, expanded new parks, rebuilt streets, and zoning controls , especially in Lower Manhattan. The zoning changes were intended to displace the industrial workforce by removing zoning protection for industrial space and incentivizing upscale residential and clerical redevelopment. The port of New York, despite its physical suitability for berthing and its close proximity to Europe, began to deteriorate due to

5952-447: The 13th floor being affected. After the fire, opponents of skyscrapers used the damage at 256 Broadway as an example for their cause, while supporters cited the fact that both structures were still structurally sound. Fire codes had been changed in 1897 so that buildings taller than 75 feet (23 m) had to be fireproof. The lowest eight floors of 256 Broadway's facade, severely damaged by the fire, were rebuilt. Another fire broke out at

6076-401: The 19th century, the landfill was used to expand Lower Manhattan from the natural Hudson shoreline at Greenwich Street to West Street . In 1898, the modern City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then an independent city), Manhattan and outlying areas. The borough of Brooklyn incorporated the independent City of Brooklyn, recently joined to Manhattan by

6200-436: The 3rd through 11th floors have ceilings of 11 feet (3.4 m). The 12th floor had a ceiling of 19 feet (5.8 m) and contained Postal Telegraph's switchboards, transmitters, and receivers. Iron stairways with marble steps extended from the ground floor to the roof, and four elevators were provided: two elevators serving all floors and two others running from the lobby to the four upper floors. The elevators used call buttons,

6324-478: The 6th floor and carried by girders above that story. 253 Broadway's floors are built upon steel beams infilled with flat terracotta arches and covered with cement. 253 Broadway's structural beams were laid out so that the floors could carry a total live and dead load of 175 pounds per square foot (850 kg/m). All of the interior partitions were made of terracotta or fireproof blocks. The main corridors in 253 Broadway were wainscoted with marble, and mosaic floor tile

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6448-586: The British in North America for the remainder of the war and a haven for Loyalist refugees. Continental Army officer Nathan Hale was hanged in Manhattan for espionage. In addition, the British began to hold the majority of captured American prisoners of war aboard prison ships in Wallabout Bay , across the East River in Brooklyn . More Americans died from neglect aboard these ships than died in all

6572-566: The Downtown Lower Manhattan Association contributed to a city plan calling for the revitalization of Lower Manhattan. The plan included recommended zoning changes, tax incentives to encourage new tenants, and the conversion of commercial buildings into apartments. It also called for the creation of a business improvement district, called The Alliance for Downtown New York, to help spur the area's renewal. Between 1995 and 2014, 15.8 million square feet of office space

6696-488: The Home Life Building for $ 26 million. The Home Life Building was split vertically into two condominiums in 1989. The basement through second floor was owned by 253 Broadway Associates and used as retail space, while the upper floors were owned by the New York City government and used as offices; parts of the third floor were jointly owned. Among the agencies that had taken space in the city-owned portion of

6820-566: The Home Life Building, with New York City government offices on the upper floors. A private owner controls the basements and ground level. The Home Life Building is one of the few remaining major insurance company "home office" structures in New York City. 253 Broadway, also known as the Postal Telegraph Building or the Commercial Cable Building, was designed by George Edward Harding & Gooch in

6944-695: The Postal Life Building's construction, there were at least two worker deaths: one in February 1893 when a derrick fell, and another that May when a worker fell off the roof. Additionally, the Postal Life Building's project superintendent was seriously injured in October 1893 when he was shot by a homeless man looking for work. Home Life held a design competition for its planned headquarters, with six architecture firms competing. The judge, William Robert Ware , selected Napoleon LeBrun & Sons as

7068-612: The Postal Telegraph Building ;looks dull but inoffensive." The Real Estate Record writer from 1894 said that "the obstreperousness of commerce fairly protrudes" from 253 Broadway, and that "its defects are gross". Three years later, the Architectural Record published an article that criticized 253 Broadway's shaft as "honestly ugly", but less bad compared to the base and capital, which the unnamed critic derided as "goocheries". 256 Broadway

7192-638: The Twin Towers also caused extensive damage to surrounding buildings and skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan. A total of 2,753 people, including those on the planes, were killed in New York. About 400,000 people, including rescue workers and residents of the area were exposed to toxic dust and debris; many developed serious respiratory illnesses, cancers, and other harms arising from the attack, and 3,496 died. Following September 11, Lower Manhattan lost much of its economy and office space but has since rebounded significantly. Private sector employment reached 233,000 at

7316-747: The World Trade Center, brought many new residents to the area. Gateway Plaza, the first Battery Park City development, was finished in 1983. The project's centerpiece, the World Financial Center , consists of four luxury highrise towers. By the turn of the century, Battery Park City was mostly completed, with the exception of some ongoing construction on West Street. Around this time, Lower Manhattan reached its highest population of business tenants and full-time residents. These developments struggled to become fully occupied at desirable rents, with relatively high vacancy rates. In 1993,

7440-578: The appearance is only skin deep and some of the interior rooms still have Jacobean plasterwork ceilings. This new construction has happened also in other places: in Santiago de Compostela the three-metre-deep Casa do Cabido was built to match the architectural order of the square, and the main Churrigueresque façade of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral , facing the Plaza del Obradoiro ,

7564-529: The area and renamed it " New York " after the Duke of York and the city of York in Yorkshire. At that time, people of African descent made up 20% of the population of the city, with European settlers numbering approximately 1,500, and people of African descent numbering 375 (with 300 of that 375 enslaved and 75 free). While it has been claimed that African slaves comprised 40% of the small population of

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7688-556: The area of Manhattan south of Canal Street. Within business-related contexts, many people use the term Downtown Manhattan to refer only to the Financial District and the corporate offices in the immediate vicinity. For instance, the Business Improvement District managed by the Alliance for Downtown New York defines Downtown as south of Murray Street (essentially South of New York City Hall ), which includes

7812-602: The battles of the war. British occupation lasted until November 25, 1783. George Washington triumphantly returned to the city that day, as the last British forces left the city . Starting in 1785, the Congress met in New York City under the Articles of Confederation . In 1789, New York City became the first national capital of the United States under the new United States Constitution . The Constitution also created

7936-655: The building were the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. In 1991, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the building as a landmark. The LPC started renovating six floors in the Home Life Building in 2016, intending to move its offices there the next year. However, the renovation's expected completion date

8060-664: The building. 256 Broadway also contained brass plumbing and iron elevator grillwork. Historically, the land was part of the farm holdings of Trinity Church . The surrounding area was developed as the Civic Center by the 19th century, with the construction of New York City Hall , the Tweed Courthouse , and the City Hall Post Office in City Hall. In addition, the adjoining stretch of Broadway became

8184-578: The buildings stated that there were many tenants coming into the Home Life Building, and that the Postal Telegraph Building was seeing high profits from leasing. One of the early tenants in the Home Life Building was the New York City Rapid Transit Commission, forerunner to the New York City Board of Transportation . At 253 Broadway, Postal Telegraph took the top three floors, a section of the basement, and

8308-421: The center and one on either of the outer bays. The windows of these stories are rectangular, except on the 4th floor where they are arched. The 5th and 13th stories have marble balconies supported by brackets and decorated with classical motifs. Ornamental shells are located above the tops of the center windows on the 12th floor. Band courses separate each of the shaft floors, and there are bracketed sills underneath

8432-455: The center bay projects slightly and has a glass door. On the 2nd floor, there is another arcade with elaborate columns. The three center bays on the 2nd story have large arched openings, with mullions supporting an entablature below the top of the arch, while the two outer bays contain smaller arches underneath the entablature as well as circular windows above it. There are elaborate reliefs on the second-story arcade. The 3rd floor of 256 Broadway

8556-413: The city at that time, this claim has not been substantiated. During the mid-1600s, farms of free blacks covered 130 acres (53 ha) where Washington Square Park later developed. The Dutch briefly regained the city in 1673 , renaming the city " New Orange ", before permanently ceding the colony of New Netherland to the English for what is now Suriname in November 1674. The new English rulers of

8680-468: The city they reside. Residents of the island or of The Bronx generally speak of going "downtown" to refer to any southbound excursion to any Manhattan destination. A declaration that one is going to be "downtown" may indicate a plan to be anywhere south of 14th Street —the definition of downtown according to the city's official tourism marketing organization —or even 23rd Street . The full phrase Downtown Manhattan may also refer more specifically to

8804-552: The city's unwillingness to invest or modernise the port and the deindustrialization zoning policy. However a large number of small scale, dynamic, and highly specialized industries persisted despite the city's efforts such as the garment industry which was closely tied to the fashion industry in Midtown, or the printing industry; linked with the publishing industry. In the 1950s, a few new buildings were constructed in Lower Manhattan, including an 11-story building at 156 William Street in 1955. A 27-story office building at 20 Broad Street,

8928-520: The colonies. After the major defeat of the Continental Army in the Battle of Long Island , General George Washington withdrew to Manhattan Island , but with the subsequent defeat at the Battle of Fort Washington the island was effectively left to the British. The city became a haven for loyalist refugees, becoming a British stronghold for the entire war. Consequently, the area also became

9052-428: The current Congress of the United States , and its first sitting was at Federal Hall on Wall Street. The first United States Supreme Court sat there. The United States Bill of Rights was drafted and ratified there. George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall. New York City remained the capital of the U.S. until 1790, when the role was transferred to Philadelphia. New York grew as an economic center, first as

9176-426: The demolition of existing buildings on the site, and build a structure at least 10 stories tall. The lease prohibited serving of alcoholic beverages below the third story of Postal Telegraph's new building. Harding and Gooch were selected as architects for the Postal Telegraph Building, apparently through an architectural design competition . Construction on that Postal Telegraph Building began on June 14, 1892. During

9300-447: The discussion of constructing seawalls and other coastal barriers around the shorelines of Manhattan and the New York City metropolitan region to minimize the risk of destructive consequences from another such event in the future. Lower Manhattan has been experiencing a baby boom , well above the overall birth rate in Manhattan, with the area south of Canal Street witnessing 1,086 births in 2010, 12% greater than 2009 and over twice

9424-592: The end of 2016, the highest levels since the end of 2001. This was largely due to growth and diversification in the local workforce with gains in employment sectors like Technology, Advertising, Media and Information, as well as Hotel, Restaurants, Retailing, and Health care. As of 2016, Lower Manhattan's business district is home to approximately 700 retail stores and 500 bars and restaurants. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has consummated plans to rebuild downtown Manhattan by adding new streets, buildings, and office space. The National September 11 Memorial at

9548-472: The façade systems that are suspended or attached to the precast concrete slabs will be made from aluminum (powder coated or anodized) or stainless steel . In recent years more lavish materials such as titanium have sometimes been used, but due to their cost and susceptibility to panel edge staining these have not been popular. Whether rated or not, fire protection is always a design consideration. The melting point of aluminum, 660 °C (1,220 °F),

9672-415: The first four stories, and of light-gray brick and terracotta on the remaining stories. The design of 253 Broadway emphasizes horizontal layering, with sill courses between each story, three intermediate cornices , and a large bronze cornice at the top. The lowest levels are recessed behind the main facade, while the loggia on the twelfth story is taller than on 256 Broadway. The facade of 256 Broadway

9796-487: The first half of the 20th century, New York became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication . Interborough Rapid Transit , the first New York City Subway company, began operating in 1904. The area's demographics stabilized, labor unionization brought new protections and affluence to the working class, the city's government and infrastructure underwent a dramatic overhaul under Fiorello La Guardia , and his controversial parks commissioner, Robert Moses , ended

9920-481: The focal point for Washington's espionage and intelligence-gathering throughout the war. In 1771, Bear Market was established along the Hudson River shoreline on land donated by Trinity Church , and replaced by Washington Market in 1813. New York City was greatly damaged twice by fires of suspicious origin during British military rule. The city became the political and military center of operations for

10044-677: The formerly Dutch New Amsterdam and New Netherland renamed the settlement back to New York. As the colony grew and prospered, sentiment also grew for greater autonomy. In the context of the Glorious Revolution in England, Jacob Leisler led Leisler's Rebellion and effectively controlled the city and surrounding areas from 1689 to 1691, before being arrested and executed. By 1700, the Lenape population of New York had diminished to 200. By 1703, 42% of households in New York had slaves,

10168-421: The freewheeling iconoclasm, pioneering spirit, and do-it-yourself mentality that characterized the pre-gentrification era, still draw patrons from throughout the city and the surrounding region. In the early 21st century, the Meatpacking District , once the sparsely populated province of after-hours BDSM clubs and transgender prostitutes, gained a reputation as New York City's trendiest neighborhood. During

10292-472: The interior space. The light courts give the structure an "H" shape, with two rectangular sections connected by a corridor adjacent to the light courts. The deeper section of the "H" faces east toward Broadway, while the shallower section faces west. The westernmost part of 256 Broadway abuts the L-shaped forms of 253 Broadway and the Rogers Peet Building. The facade of 253 Broadway is made of light stone on

10416-474: The largest alternative newspaper in the United States, announced in 2017 that it would cease publication of its print edition and convert to a fully digital venture . On October 31, 2017, a man drove a pickup truck into the Hudson River Park 's bike path between Houston Street and Chambers Street , killing eight people and injuring at least 15. Most of those who were hit were bicyclists. It

10540-438: The loggia on either side of the entrance. The storefront on the left, at the Murray Street corner, was restored between 1990 and 1991. The 2nd and 3rd stories on Broadway are clad with glass bricks and recessed within a loggia supported by four columns. Above the 6th through 11th floors, there are terracotta courses with alternating classical motifs. The courses above the even-numbered floors contain floral forms, while those above

10664-515: The lot at 254 Broadway, which had 20 feet (6.1 m) of frontage on Broadway. One week later, Postal Telegraph signed a 99-year lease agreement with Trinity Church to lease the adjacent lots at 251–254 Broadway. The two companies applied for their building permits three months apart: Postal Telegraph in May 1892 and Home Life in August 1892. The terms of Postal Telegraph's lease required Mackay to pay for

10788-510: The lower floors' corridors. The southern half of 253 Broadway's ground floor is a 100-by-25-foot (30.5 by 7.6 m) room, which housed Postal Telegraph's shipping, messenger, delivery, and warehouse operations. The 2nd through 9th floors were intended for use by other tenants; the 2nd floor had a banking space while the 3rd through 9th floors contained offices. The 10th and 11th floors were used as Postal Telegraph's main offices. The ground and 2nd floors have ceilings of 15 feet (4.6 m), while

10912-505: The mid-1970s largely at two Lower Manhattan venues, CBGB on Bowery in the western edge of the East Village, and Max's Kansas City on Park Avenue South . At the same time, the area's surfeit of appropriated industrial lofts, played an integral role in the development and sustenance of the minimalist composition, free jazz , disco , and electronic dance music subcultures. The area's many nightclubs and bars, though mostly shorn of

11036-534: The new headquarters for his bank. He established the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association (DLMA) which drew up plans for broader revitalization of Lower Manhattan, with the development of a world trade center at the heart of these plans. The original DLMA plans called for the "world trade center" to be built along the East River , between Old Slip and Fulton Street . After negotiations with New Jersey Governor Richard J. Hughes ,

11160-593: The northwest corner of Broadway and Murray Street, south of the Rogers Peet Building . The Home Life Building is composed of two formerly separate structures: the Postal Telegraph Company Building on 253 Broadway, at the corner with Murray Street, and the original Home Life Insurance Company Building at 256 Broadway, immediately to the north. The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services administers most of

11284-434: The number born in 2001. The Financial District alone has witnessed growth in its population to approximately 43,000 as of 2014, nearly double the 23,000 recorded at the 2000 Census. There are currently 61,000 residents in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan south of Chambers Street and more than 62 percent of the population is between 18 and 44. Lower Manhattan is home to more young professionals than Greenpoint ,

11408-430: The odd-numbered floors contain rinceau friezes. A loggia extends across the 12th story on Broadway, with Ionic -style capitals atop the loggia's square columns, as well as Doric -style antae. The 13th story contains balconies between the corner bays, facing both Murray Street and Broadway. There is a small copper cornice above the 12th story, and a larger copper cornice above the 13th story. The facade of 256 Broadway

11532-588: The original Five Points neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, was born in the 1850s and continues to be the epicenter of culture for the Chinese diaspora . Lower Manhattan contains many more historical buildings and sites, including Castle Clinton , Bowling Green , the old United States Customs House (now the National Museum of the American Indian ), Federal Hall National Memorial commemorating

11656-600: The percentage of window area in exterior walls. When the exterior wall is not rated, the perimeter slab edge becomes a junction where rated slabs are abutting an unrated wall. For rated walls, one may also choose rated windows and fire doors , to maintain that wall's rating. On a film set and within most themed attractions, many of the buildings are only façade, which are far cheaper than actual buildings, and not subject to building codes (within film sets). In film sets, they are simply held up with supports from behind, and sometimes have boxes for actors to step in and out of from

11780-643: The remaining space. Records showed that Home Life had intended to acquire the neighboring property at 253 Broadway instead. By 1890, Home Life's headquarters were overcrowded. Another commercial concern on Broadway was the Postal Telegraph Company , formed in the 1880s by John William Mackay , who built the Postal network by purchasing existing telegraph firms that were insolvent. By 1890, the Postal Telegraph Company had become

11904-580: The seventh floor, and the roof was not significantly changed. The Postal Telegraph and Commercial Cable companies had held a dinner in May 1894 to celebrate the completion of 253 Broadway. Work on both buildings was formally completed that August, with a city building inspector approving occupancy certificates for both buildings on the same day. Upon the structures' completion, the Real Estate Record and Guide stated that both buildings had "a good deal of unoccupied space", but that leasing agents for

12028-648: The site was opened to the public on September 11, 2011, while the National September 11 Museum was officially inaugurated by President Barack Obama on May 15, 2014. As of the time of its opening in November 2014, the new One World Trade Center , formerly known as the Freedom Tower , is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the sixth-tallest in the world , at 1,776 feet (541 m); while other skyscrapers are under construction at

12152-634: The site where George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. President, Fraunces Tavern , New York City Hall , the Museum of American Finance , the New York Stock Exchange Building , South Street Seaport , the Brooklyn Bridge , South Ferry (the embarkation point for the Staten Island Ferry ), and Trinity Church . Lower Manhattan is home to some of New York City's most spectacular skyscrapers, including

12276-746: The site. The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park , formerly known as Liberty Plaza Park, began in the Financial District on September 17, 2011, receiving global attention and spawning the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide. On October 29 and 30, 2012, Hurricane Sandy ravaged portions of Lower Manhattan with record-high storm surge from New York Harbor, severe flooding, and high winds, causing power outages for hundreds of thousands of Manhattanites and leading to gasoline shortages and disruption of mass transit systems. The storm and its effects have prompted

12400-490: The skyline of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the former World Trade Center site has become a popular draw for visitors. New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world, and the epicenter of LGBT culture and its catalyst as a continuing cultural force in modern society has been the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village . Similarly, Chinatown , which was spawned just east of

12524-399: The spaces above the ground-floor stores were recessed; the windows were replaced; five new elevators were installed; and new air conditioning, plumbing, and wiring systems were installed. Postal Telegraph moved back to 253 Broadway in 1939, signing a long-term lease for six floors in the building. Four years later, Postal Telegraph merged with Western Union. The space vacated by Postal Telegraph

12648-822: The strife is one [that] time can not mitigate". The writer concluded that "either would be better were the other away". Later critics did not view the different designs as conflicting. Architectural writers Sarah Landau and Carl W. Condit stated in 1996 that "it is hard to understand what seemed in 1894 so egregious", with the "only jarring discordance" being the glass blocks on 253 Broadway. In 2011, architectural critic Christopher Gray wrote in The New York Times that Postal Telegraph's "precise gray brick" building and Home Life's marble structure "almost civic in character" contrasted with each other. According to Gray, 253 Broadway initially received heavy criticism from architectural critics, even though "to 21st-century eyes

12772-431: The top floor of 253 Broadway in 1900, but as with the fire two years earlier, only the 13th floor was affected. A high-pressure fire-suppression system was also activated in Lower Manhattan in 1908, providing protection to both buildings. Home Life moved its headquarters from Brooklyn to 256 Broadway in 1906. The company gradually expanded its presence in 256 Broadway; it only occupied the 2nd through 6th floors in 1916, but

12896-609: The turn of the 20th century. The original Penn Station opened in 1910, the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (now PATH) extension to 33rd Street was completed in 1910, and Grand Central Terminal opened in 1913. On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Greenwich Village took the lives of 146 garment workers, which would eventually lead to great advancements in the city's fire department, building codes, and workplace regulations. Throughout

13020-459: The two buildings were joined internally to form a single structure, and became collectively known as the Home Life Building. The Home Life Company occupied the building until 1985. It was made a New York City designated landmark in 1991. The Home Life Building is in the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Manhattan , just west of New York City Hall and City Hall Park . It is on

13144-452: The windows of each floor, the center sills being continuous with each other. The windows on the 13th through 15th stories are arched. The five center windows on the 14th story are recessed behind a colonnade with a balustrade, creating a loggia , although the two outer windows have their own slightly-projecting balconies. The 15th and 16th floors are situated within a steep copper-bronze pyramidal roof, and contain dormers . The 15th floor has

13268-435: The winning architects. The plan called for a 208-foot-tall (63 m) building with three stories at the base, eight stories in the shaft, and a dormer and pediment under a peaked roof. At the time, life insurance companies generally had their own buildings for their offices and branch locations. According to architectural writer Kenneth Gibbs, these buildings allowed each individual company to instill "not only its name but also

13392-469: Was a 700-foot (210-m) extension into the river, running six blocks or 1,484 feet (452 m), covering 92 acres (37 ha), providing a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) riverfront esplanade and over 30 acres (12 ha) of parks. Through much of its history, the area south of Chambers Street was mainly a commercial district, with a small population of residents—in 1960, it was home to about 4,000. Construction of Battery Park City , on landfill from construction of

13516-659: Was also one of the primary bases of the American folk music revival of the 1960s. Many art galleries were located in SoHo between the 1970s and early 1990s; today, the downtown Manhattan gallery scene is centered in Chelsea. From the 1960s onward, Lower Manhattan has been home to many alternative theater companies, constituting the heart of the Off-Off-Broadway community. Punk rock and its musical derivatives emerged in

13640-472: Was better received, albeit with fewer reviews until the early 20th century. One critical review came from the Real Estate Record , which in 1894 wrote that 256 Broadway gave a "festal" impression "that contradicts the grim commercialism of the actuary". Montgomery Schuyler wrote in 1910 that 256 Broadway's facade was "skillfully and tastefully expressed". Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan , also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City ,

13764-433: Was built at The Battery to protect New Netherland . In approximately 1626, construction of Fort Amsterdam began. The Dutch West Indies Company subsequently imported African slaves to serve as laborers; they helped to build the wall that defended the town against English and native attacks. Early directors included Willem Verhulst and Peter Minuit . Willem Kieft became a director in 1638 but five years later

13888-504: Was converted to residential or hotel use. As a result, Lower Manhattan's residential population rose from 14,000 to 60,000. Since the early-20th century, Lower Manhattan has been an important center for the arts and leisure activities. Greenwich Village was a locus of bohemian culture from the first decade of the century through the 1980s. Several of the city's leading jazz clubs are still located in Greenwich Village, which

14012-472: Was designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons in the Renaissance Revival style . The 13-story Postal Telegraph Building , immediately to the south at 253 Broadway, was designed by George Edward Harding & Gooch in the neoclassical style. The original Home Life Building is clad with marble, while the Postal Telegraph Building's facade consists of limestone at its base and brick on its upper stories. Ornamental details are used on both structures. 256 Broadway

14136-590: Was embroiled in Kieft's War against the Native Americans. The Pavonia Massacre , across the Hudson River in present-day Jersey City , New Jersey resulted in the death of 80 natives in February 1643. Following the massacre, Algonquian tribes joined forces and nearly defeated the Dutch. The Dutch Republic sent additional forces to the aid of Kieft, leading to the overwhelming defeat of the Native Americans and

14260-495: Was erected for the Home Life Insurance Company , while 253 Broadway was erected for the Postal Telegraph Company . Both buildings were constructed simultaneously between 1892 and 1894. Although 256 Broadway was intended as a 12-story building, it was expanded to 16 stories mid-construction, making it one of the tallest buildings in the city when it was completed. After the Home Life Company bought 253 Broadway in 1947,

14384-633: Was filled by the federal government of the United States during World War II , including a unit of the United States Treasury . During this time, the ground floor space was occupied by Wallach's Inc. and the basement housed a branch of the Longchamps restaurant chain. Home Life acquired 253 Broadway in November 1946, paying Trinity Church $ 1.7 million in cash. The agreement was finalized in January 1947. Openings were created in

14508-486: Was founded under charter by George II of Great Britain as King's College in Lower Manhattan. The Stamp Act and other British measures fomented dissent, particularly among the Sons of Liberty , who maintained a long-running skirmish with locally stationed British troops over Liberty Poles from 1766 to 1776. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York City in 1765 in the first organized resistance to British authority across

14632-426: Was leased in 1964 by women's shop Plymouth Shops, Inc. Sapolsky & Slobodien installed air conditioning and replaced the windows between 1963 and 1969. A subsequent renovation was undertaken by Ira Greenburg in 1984, and the following October, 253 Broadway Associates bought the combined building. In 1988, the New York City Board of Estimate approved a plan for the government of New York City to rent and later buy

14756-563: Was likely Pierre Lassus LeBrun. It is 16 stories tall, counting a dormer in its gable roof , and reaches 256 feet (78 m) tall above the curb, including its gable roof. There are also two basement levels. Although 256 Broadway did not break any height records, it was one of the tallest buildings in the city at the time of its completion, and one of fifteen office buildings in the city taller than 250 feet (76 m) in 1900. 253 Broadway extends 70.5 feet (21.5 m) north along Broadway and 155.5 feet (47 m) west along Murray Street. It

14880-487: Was one of the fastest-growing locations in New York City between 2010 and 2020, related to the influx of young adults and significant development of new housing units. Despite various definitions of Lower Manhattan, they generally include all of Manhattan Island south of 14th Street . Anchored by Wall Street and the Financial District in Lower Manhattan, New York City is the leading global center for finance and fintech . The Financial District houses Wall Street,

15004-402: Was subsequently delayed to 2021, and the renovation cost increased from $ 29 million to $ 62 million. The city government announced in 2017 that it would renovate the Home Life Building with an estimated budget of $ 18.5 million. When the buildings were completed in 1894, a writer for the Real Estate Record and Guide stated that they "war violently with one another, and the pity is,

15128-474: Was the first deadly terrorist attack in Manhattan since 9/11. Since 2010, a Lower Manhattan community known as Little Australia has emerged and is growing in the Nolita neighborhood. Before the September 11 attacks , the Twin Towers were iconic of Lower Manhattan's global significance as a financial center . The new office towers built since the attack (including One World Trade Center ) have transformed

15252-423: Was used in the halls and other areas. 256 Broadway uses a skeletal frame made almost entirely of wrought steel, with self-supporting outer walls made of marble. Terracotta and brick was used to enclose the interior steel frame. The curtain walls ranged in thickness from 28 inches (710 mm) in the two basement levels to 12 inches (300 mm) on the upper stories. The foundations of 256 Broadway were excavated to

15376-595: Was using fifteen full floors by the 1940s. The ground floor and basement of 256 Broadway contained the First National City Bank from 1936 to 1964. Next door, Postal Telegraph continued to be the main occupant at 253 Broadway until 1928, when it moved to the International Telephone Building at 67 Broad Street. Despite having moved out, Postal Telegraph extended its lease of 253 Broadway with Trinity Church in 1929. In 1930,

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