Studebaker Building (Midtown Manhattan)
40°45′36.66″N 73°59′4.13″W / 40.7601833°N 73.9844806°W
Studebaker Building | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Manhattan, New York City |
Completed | 1902 |
Demolished | 2004 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | James Brown Lord |
The Studebaker Building is a former structure at 1600 Broadway on the northeast corner[1] at 48th Street in Manhattan, New York City.[2] It was erected by the Juilliard Estate,[3] in 1902, between Broadway and 7th Avenue, in the area north of Times Square.[4] It was demolished in 2004 to make room for an apartment tower,[5] a twenty- five story, 136 unit, luxury condominium designed by architect Einhorn Yaffee Prescott.[6]
The Studebaker Building was ten stories high and occupied the entire block front between Broadway and 7th, facing Broadway for 113 feet (34 m).
Architecture
The Studebaker Building was designed by
In 1979 the edifice appeared on a list of more than two hundred recommended for landmark consideration by the staff of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. However the panel never acted on this. The 1979 report omitted the Studebaker identification and regarded the establishment as a standard office building. Its construction date was listed erroneously as 1912 and its design was falsely attributed as the work of a minor architectural firm.[9]
In July 2000 the former Studebaker showroom was the Texas Texas restaurant. The building lost its cornice in 1988 but was still a fixture of Times Square. Its chamfered corners and broad arched windows were still evident to observers.
Ownership
The Studebaker Company obtained a 21-year lease on the property in 1903.[3] for use as both a factory and office.[1] It maintained offices and sales rooms on the first floor. A huge elevator moved cars between battery-charging rooms, storage areas, assemble finishing, and repair rooms on the other floors.
The corporation announced that it would remove its carriage and automobile business from the Studebaker Building in September 1910.
They leased the building for a period of years to a single tenant, at first rumored to be Bustanoby Freres, which owned the Cafes des Beaux Arts at
In April 1911 the Bustanobys transferred their lease of the property to a new syndicate for nine years for a price of $7,000,000.
The Bustanoby brothers retained the ground floor and basement for their restaurant, the Palais des Beaux Arts, planned to open in November 1911. The remaining ten stories were designated for commercial use which would be restricted to offices and non-manufacturing business.[10] While the edifice was being renovated for the restaurant, its roof was leased by a breakfast food company for $25,000 a year, with the intention of placing an electric sign there. This was the highest price ever paid in New York City for sign privileges on the top of a building. The lease stipulated that the roof could be used for no other purpose.[14]
When the Bustanobys gave up their idea to open a restaurant, an eatery in the Studebaker Building was opened by Henry D. Morton and John S. Keiser. The two men operated another restaurant in the Folies Bergere on 46th Street. The ground floor and basement was leased to Morton & Keiser by Mark Rafalsky & Co. for twenty-one years for a price in excess of $1,000,000. The restaurant was called the Folies after $200,000 was spent on alterations and decorations, following the design of Henry B. Herts of
John McGraw leased the second floor of the building in January 1912 to open a new billiard and pool room. His partner in this venture was Mike Donlin, an outfielder for the New York Giants baseball team.[17]
A notable tenant was
Another notable tenant was George Blake Enterprises, a commercial producer and documentary film maker, George Blake, 1917-1955.References
Notes
- ^ a b c Street Of Automotive Dreams, New York Times, July 7, 2000, pg. E27.
- ^ a b c d In The Real Estate Field, New York Times, September 8, 1910, pg. 16.
- ^ a b c d In The Real Estate Field, New York Times, September 9, 1910, pg. 16.
- ^ a b Broadway Blocks North Of Times Square, New York Times, August 7, 1904, pg. 13.
- ^ Change as It Does, Returns to Times Square, New York Times, November 8, 2004, pg. B6.
- ^ Wired New York retrieved on 2-7-08.
- ^ In The Real Estate Field, New York Times, September 14, 1907, pg. 15.
- ^ Christopher Gray (January 1, 1989). "STREETSCAPES: The Studebaker Building; Just Off Times Square, A Car Factory With Offices". New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ a b c Streetscapes: The Studebaker Building, New York Times, January 1, 1989, pg. R4.
- ^ a b c The Real Estate Field, New York Times, April 26, 1911, pg. 17.
- ^ a b In The Real Estate Field, New York Times, December 15, 1910, pg. 15.
- ^ a b Review Of Week's Important Deals, New York Times, April 30, 1911, pg. XX2.
- ^ a b Pierre J. Bustanoby, Of Cafe Fame, Dies, New York Times, December 14, 1933, pg. 23.
- ^ a b Roof Sign, $25,000 A Year, New York Times, October 4, 1911, pg. 1.
- ^ Mrs Juilliard's Gifts, New York Times, September 21, 1917, pg. 9.
- ^ The Real Estate Field, New York Times, October 19, 1911, pg. 18.
- ^ Changes In Big Billiards Rooms, New York Times, January 7, 1912, pg. C8.
- ^ "History". Fleischer Studios.
- ^ "1600 Broadway". 9 November 2004.
External links
- Studebaker Building at Wired New York Forum.
- 1909 Studebaker building in background From NYPL 1909.
- "Studebaker Building". New York Architecture.