271 North Avenue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 271 North Avenue |
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Location | 271 North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801 |
| Coordinates | 40°54′42.8″N 73°46′56.3″W / 40.911889°N 73.782306°W |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Cost | $1,000,000 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 247.0 feet (75.29 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 13 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Schwartz & Gross |
| Main contractor | Harry Schiff & Sons |
271 North Avenue is a tall, 13-story office building in New Rochelle. It's also known by other names like the Schiff Building, Pershing Square, or the Kaufman Building. This building has a cool Art Deco style, which was popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
Building Design and History
This impressive building was finished in 1930. It was designed by the architects Schwartz & Gross and built by Harry Schiff & Sons. Back then, it cost about $1 million to build!
The building is made from brick, limestone, and terra-cotta. It looks like a classic column, with three main parts:
- The bottom part, or "base," has three stories with shops.
- The middle part, or "shaft," has 10 stories of offices.
- The top part, or "capital," is a decorative cornice with cool designs like medallions and dentils.
In 1936, another floor was added to the building. When it was first built in the 1920s, it was the tallest building in all of Westchester County!
A Place with a Past
The building was first called the "Pershing Square Building." This name came from its location at Pershing Square, where North Avenue and Huguenot Street meet.
Before this building stood here, there was an old place called "Besley's Tavern." This tavern was important during the Revolutionary War! Town meetings were held there between 1773 and 1776. Even George Washington stayed at the tavern once when he was traveling through New Rochelle.
The Schiff family, who were famous builders in New York, developed and owned this building. Later, it was renamed "Kaufman" by a new owner who also owned Kaufman Studios in Queens, New York.
Home to Famous Cartoons
Did you know that famous cartoon characters were created right here? In 1934, a company called Terrytoons set up its animation studio in 271 North Avenue. They created beloved characters like Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle! Terrytoons stayed in the building until 1949 before moving to another spot nearby.
For many years, a local radio station, WVOX-AM 1460, also had its studios and offices in this building.
