MAS Proposed Downtown Landmark #4
Where: 418-434 Fulton Street When: 1870s Why: Abraham & Straus was founded as Joseph Wechsler & Company in 1865. In 1883, the owners purchased the recently constructed, mansarded French Second Empire style cast iron “Wheeler Building” on Fulton Street, converting it into their fashionable emporium. In 1884, a handsome Romanesque Revival style warehouse of golden…
Where: 418-434 Fulton Street
When: 1870s
Why: Abraham & Straus was founded as Joseph Wechsler & Company in 1865. In 1883, the owners purchased the recently constructed, mansarded French Second Empire style cast iron “Wheeler Building” on Fulton Street, converting it into their fashionable emporium. In 1884, a handsome Romanesque Revival style warehouse of golden brick and stone was added on Livingston Street.
Architecturally Significant Buildings [Municipal Arts Society] GMAP
NS – what is your email address – I can provide a photo for your book if you need.
Michael.
516-662-1927. I work right near the store and my wife’s uncles were VPs there. I can provide any information as needed.
mlettera@aol.com
I have a photo of the tree from the late 50s early 60s – it was a post card issued by A&S.
Can anyone tell me if there are any pictures around of the elevator bank and suspended christmas tree that you are talking about.
Is the store still open? Has it changed?
I have been long since gone from there and need to find some information for a book.
Please write me at my email address if anyone can help.
thank you NS
The funny thing about the preservation discussin for this building is that those cast iron columns were frowned upon in the late 1800’s as the “prefab construction” of their day. They were created in two-column and an arch at a time and (usually in Brooklyn) sent to the site. Lots of downtown Manhattan buildings have the same columns. The book Gotham has a great discussion on it.
That explains it then! 🙂
I was…..for 30 days 🙂
David, the era I’m talking about for A&S was the 1960s…maybe you weren’t born yet….
The building is great but I dont know what era of A&S you are talking about b/c at least since the 80’s, that A&S (and probably all) was a crappy store, with crappy merchandise and crappy sales people – and Federated kept the tradition with the current Macy’s
I can’t believe this hasn’t been landmarked already. I thought the elevator court was landmarked years ago, which is the only reason it’s survived thus far…