Adams Express Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adams Express Building |
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A 1914 postcard featuring the Adams Express Co. Building
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| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Palazzo |
| Location | Financial District, Manhattan |
| Address | 61 Broadway |
| Town or city | New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°42′25″N 74°00′46″W / 40.70694°N 74.01278°W |
| Construction started | 1912 |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Cost | $60,648,276 |
| Owner | RXR Realty |
| Height | 443 ft (135.0 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel |
| Material | Terracotta facade |
| Floor count | 32 |
| Floor area | 670,000 sq ft (62,245 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Francis H. Kimball |
| Main contractor | Robert E. Dowling |
The Adams Express Building is a tall office building located at 61 Broadway in the Financial District of New York City. This area is in Manhattan. The building faces Broadway, and also has a side along Trinity Place.
A famous architect named Francis Kimball designed this 32-story building. It was built for the Adams Express Company. Construction started in 1912 and finished in 1914. When it was completed, it was the seventh tallest building in Manhattan! Today, the building is owned by RXR Realty.
Contents
Building Design: What Makes It Special?
The Adams Express Building is made with 3,300 tons of steel. It also has over a million square feet of architectural terracotta on its outside. Terracotta is a type of baked clay used for building.
The building's style is called "palazzo." This means it looks like a grand Italian palace. There was once an entrance from the building to the New York City Subway's Wall Street station. This entrance was later closed.
History of the Adams Express Building
Early Days and Plans
Before this building, the Adams Express Company used part of another building nearby. In the early 1900s, there were talks about building a huge building for Adams Express and other companies. But this plan did not happen.
In 1904, a fire started in a nearby building. It damaged many buildings on the block, including the one Adams Express was using. Even though the fire department said the Adams Express building was destroyed, the company kept using the site. By 1906, Adams Express wanted a new, fireproof building.
Building It Tall
At first, plans were made for a smaller, 10-story building. But Adams Express decided they needed something much bigger. So, in 1912, Francis Kimball was hired to design a huge 32-story building.
When this tall building started going up, people became worried. Buildings like the Adams Express Building were so big they cast long shadows. These shadows covered streets and smaller buildings. This made people think about how new buildings should be built.
Because of these concerns, a new rule was made in 1916. It was called the 1916 Zoning Resolution. This rule said that new tall buildings had to be "stepped back" at certain heights. This would allow more sunlight to reach the streets below. However, the Adams Express Building was finished before this rule was made.
Later Events and a Fun Secret!
In 1916, the building was damaged in a big explosion called the Black Tom explosion. About 300 of its windows were blown out!
Many years later, in 1988, something surprising was found. When the building was bought by a new company, an engineer discovered goldfish! They were living in a pool of water under the basement heating system. Since then, the building's engineers have kept feeding the fish as part of their job.
See also
In Spanish: Adams Express Building para niños
