Look Up

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• 60 Mercer

  

  

  

  As a part of our Look Up series highlighting the architecture of SoHo, we set our gaze on 60 Mercer Street, and it took our breath away. This stunning structure (also listed as 443–449 Broome Street and 487 Broadway) was erected between 1895–1896, and its architect, John Townsend Williams, was also the owner.

  The building was landmarked in 1973, and the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District Designation Report described it as “a late 19th-century extravaganza in stone, brick, terra cotta and iron, stretching along the entire blockfront of Broome Street for an impressive 29 bays.” It went on, “The most elaborate decorative treatment is reserved for the upper three stories. The pilasters dividing the windows as well as the spandrel arches contain elaborately florid Baroque terra-cotta ornamental details. Finally topping the entire creation is the broad entablature; its cornice is supported by elaborately molded brackets.”

  These pictures capture the intricate ornamentation on the facade and just how slender the footprint of this building is.

  The full report can be found here, and it’s a delight to read: SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District Designation Report

• The Gunther Building

  

  The Gunther Building at 469 Broome (on the corner of Greene Street) is a prominent property in SoHo’s Cast Iron Historic District. Designed by Griffith Thomas, who designed several other of SoHo’s cast iron buildings, the Gunther Building was completed in 1872 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

  Click here to view the 1940 tax photographs of 469 Broome Street from the NYC Municipal Archives

• 109 Prince Street

  

  109 Prince Street (at the corner of Prince and Greene Streets) is a landmarked French Renaissance-style cast-iron building designed by architect Jarvis Morgan Slade, who according to New York Architecture, died at the age of 30 before the building’s completion around 1883. It is one of SoHo’s most notable cast-iron buildings. 

  A plaque commemorating the manufacturer of the cast-iron remains at the base of the building.

  It now houses The Ralph Lauren store which opened in 2010.

  Click here to view the official 1940 tax photograph of 109 Prince Street via the NYC Municipal Archives.

• 351 Canal Street / 2 Wooster

  

  351 Canal Street is a landmarked cast iron building erected in 1871, located in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District. When you visit the property, be sure to look down and as well as up! Beneath your feet you’ll find an abundance of glass spheres known as vault lights. These were installed to serve as portals for natural light to illuminate basement factories.