The New York Community Trust landmark plaque says of the Schermerhorn Building: “This six-story building, erected in 1888 for William C. Schermerhorn, is one of New York’s outstanding manufacturing structures of the period. It demonstrated that a utilitarian building could have real artistic merit and need not be devoid of ornament. Its particular distinction lies in its rhythmic composition and in the interesting brick and sandstone detail. The architect was Henry Janeway Hardenbergh who also designed the Hotel Plaza, the Dakota Apartments and the American Fine Arts Society Building.”
(And while you’re in the neighborhood, don’t miss the landmark 1898 firehouse on the next block [east].)
Schermerhorn Building Vital Statistics
- Location: 380 Lafayette Street at Great Jones Street
- Year completed: 1888
- Architect: Henry Janeway Hardenbergh
- Floors: 6
- Style: Romanesque Revival
- New York City Landmark: 1966
- National Register of Historic Places: 1979
Schermerhorn Building Suggested Reading
- Wikipedia entry
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report
- Starts and Fits article