319 Broadway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 319 Broadway |
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| General information | |
| Type | Commercial |
| Location | 319 Broadway at Thomas Street, TriBeCa, Manhattan, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°42′57″N 74°00′19″W / 40.71596°N 74.00521°W |
| Construction started | 1869 |
| Completed | 1870 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 55.38 ft (16.88 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | David and John Jardine |
| References | |
| Designated: | August 29, 1989 |
| Reference #: | 1650 |
319 Broadway, also known as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Home Office, is a five-story office building. You can find it on the corner of Broadway and Thomas Street in the Tribeca area of Manhattan, New York City. This building is special because it's made of cast iron and designed in the Italianate architecture style. It was built between 1869 and 1870 by D. & J. Jardine.
It was once part of a pair of buildings, 317 and 319, known as the "Thomas Twins." The cast iron for both buildings came from Daniel D. Badger's Architectural Iron Works. On August 29, 1989, 319 Broadway was named a New York City landmark.
Contents
History of 319 Broadway
The land where 319 Broadway stands used to belong to the New York Hospital. In 1869, a general and real estate developer named Thomas Alfred Davies rented two plots of land. These plots were on either side of Thomas Street. He hired the company D. & J. Jardine to design a cast-iron building for each plot.
The "Thomas Twins" Buildings
The two buildings, 317 and 319 Broadway, faced each other for many years. However, in 1971, the building at 317 Broadway was torn down. This left 319 Broadway as the only "Thomas Twin" still standing.
Early businesses that used 319 Broadway included the Security State Bank. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Corporation also had offices there.
Changes Over Time
Most of 319 Broadway still looks like it did when it was first built. One big change happened in 1912 when the front steps were removed. Also, the basement level was then called the first story. This made the building officially a five-story structure. Today, the building still has offices and a restaurant.
What 319 Broadway Looks Like
This Italianate-style building is about 25 feet (7.6 m) wide along Broadway. It stretches about 105 feet (32 m) along Thomas Street. Its outside is covered in cast iron. You can still see many of its original wood sash windows with two panes of glass on the top and two on the bottom.
The Broadway Side
The Broadway side of the building originally had steps at the north end. It also had two openings with flat arches and a corner pillar. This design continued onto the Thomas Street side.
Today, large plate glass windows have replaced the old arched openings on Broadway. The first floor of the Thomas Street side has been mostly covered by a new addition. However, you can still see the original arched openings.
On the second through fifth floors facing Broadway, each section has three windows. The north window on the second floor has a small, slightly sticking-out porch. This porch has columns and a triangular top. It also has cool designs that look like neo-Grec art. This part was likely added later. This window has one large pane of glass and a fancy metal fanlight above it.
Window Details
All the windows on the upper floors are arched. They have a fancy, curved keystone at the top. On each side of the windows are Corinthian columns. A flat column, called a pilaster, marks the south corner.
Floors three through five each have three windows. These windows get smaller as you go up the building. They are also flanked by Corinthian columns. The columns end at pillars on each side that hold up a decorative ledge called a cornice.
The middle window on the fourth floor now has two glass doors. These were added recently and lead to a fire escape. This fire escape has fancy wrought-iron designs and goes from the second to the fifth floor. The roof has a sticking-out cornice with small block-like decorations called dentils and curved brackets.
The Thomas Street Side
The Thomas Street side looks similar to the Broadway side. It has three main sections. The two outer sections have five windows on each floor. The middle section has four windows. Each section is separated by Corinthian pillars.
Most of the first floor has been changed since the building was built. However, you can still see the original flat-arched openings at the two western windows and the eastern window. Near the service entrance, there's a metal sign that says "Architectural Iron Works / 14th Street between / A B & C NY." Above the service entrance, each window has an arched transom (a window above a door or window) with two wood sash windows. The back wall, next to the Thomas Street side, is covered with gray stucco.
See also
In Spanish: 319 Broadway para niños
