De Vinne Press Building facts for kids
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De Vinne Press Building
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c. 1886-1895
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 Location in Lower Manhattan
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 393-399 Lafayette Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
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| Built | 1885-1886 |
| Architect | Babb, Cook & Willard |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000955 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 14, 1977 |
The De Vinne Press Building is a historic brick building in New York City. It stands at 393-399 Lafayette Street in the NoHo area of lower Manhattan. It was built between 1885 and 1886.
The building was designed by the famous architecture firm Babb, Cook & Willard. They used a style called Romanesque Revival. A small part was added to the building in 1892.
Contents
History of the De Vinne Press Building
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The building was made for Theodore Low De Vinne. He was a very important typographer and printer in New York. A typographer designs how words look on a page. A printer makes books and magazines.
De Vinne also helped start the Grolier Club. This group was interested in the history of printing. His company, the De Vinne Press, printed many popular American magazines. These included St. Nicholas Magazine, Scribner's Monthly, and The Century.
Theodore Low De Vinne also wrote several books. Some of his books were The Invention of Printing and Correct Composition. He passed away in 1914. His printing company stopped working by 1922.
What People Thought of the Building
In 1904, an architect named Russell Sturgis admired the building. He wrote that photos could not show how big and grand it felt. He said visitors were often surprised by its "large presence."
Later, in 2003, historian Christopher Gray also praised the building. He called it one of New York's best examples of brickwork. He said it was a "tour de force" of simple, honest bricklaying.
Changes Over Time
When it was first built, Theodore De Vinne owned 25% of the building. The rest belonged to Roswell Smith. Smith was the founder of the Century Company, which published The Century Magazine.
After the printing company closed, De Vinne's family sold their share in 1929. The building then became a factory for metalwork. In 1938, the Smith family sold it to a paper company.
In 1982, the building was sold to Edwin Fisher. Today, it is home to the Astor Center. This center has a classroom and a dining area for food and wine events. It is still owned by the Fisher family.
As of 2014, many different businesses were in the building. These included Astor Wines and Spirits, André Balazs Properties, and The Orchard. There was also a photo studio and an architecture firm.
Landmark Status
The De Vinne Press Building is considered very important. It was named a New York City landmark in 1966. This means it is a special building that should be protected.
It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This is a list of places across the country that are important to American history.
See also
In Spanish: De Vinne Press Building para niños
