With its eye-catching Art Nouveau copper mansard roof, the New Era Building stands out in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District. You can spot the building a block away.
But up close, it’s even more wondrous: The deeply incised white terra cotta detailing of the sixth floor arches has the appearance of carved ivory. What’s more, the facade has been restored to a pristine white.
Confusion…
There seems to be some confusion over the original owner and architect of this building. The “AIA Guide to New York City” accurately describes the structure, but identifies the New Era Building as 491 Broadway, designed by Buchman & Dreiser. The Daytonian in Manhattan blog gives it the right address – 495 Broadway – but also says the building was designed by Buchman & Dreiser, and was originally owned by Jeremiah C. Lyons. The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission says 495 Broadway was owned by Augustus D. Julliard and designed by Alfred Zucker; 491 Broadway, the larger building next door, was owned by Lyons and designed by Buchman & Dreiser. I’m going with the Landmarks Preservation Commission version.
New Era Building Vital Statistics
- Location: 495 Broadway between Spring and Broome Streets
- Year completed: 1893
- Architect: Alfred Zucker
- Floors: 8
- Style: Art Nouveau
- New York City Landmark: 1973 (included in SoHo Cast Iron Historic District)
New Era Building Suggested Reading
- Wikipedia entry
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report (SoHo Cast Iron Historic District – p. 38)
- Daytonian in Manhattan blog
- Emporis database