150 Nassau Street

Residential building in Manhattan, New York September 2025 March 2020 150 Nassau Street Amer Tract Society sunny jeh.jpg American Tract Society Building Park Place Tower Office and residential Romanesque Revival and Renaissance Revival 150 Nassau Street New York City United States yes 40 42 41 N 74 00 21 W type:landmark inline,title 1894 1895 291 ft granite, brick, terracotta 23 6 R. H. Robertson American Tract Society William Williams Crehore John Downey Park Place Tower - The Skyscraper Center The Skyscraper Center April 7, 2016 http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/new-york-city/park-place-tower/11375/ March 5, 2020 August 20, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200820053117/http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/new-york-city/park-place-tower/11375/ live yes American Tract Society Building cp Fulton–Nassau Historic District 05000988 150 Nassau Street, Manhattan, New York 1894–1895 R. H. Robertson Romanesque Revival, Renaissance Revival September 7, 2005 yes June 15, 1999 NYCL 2038 150 Nassau Street, also known as the Park Place Tower and the American Tract Society Building, is a 23-story, 291 ft m on building in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is located at the southeast corner of Spruce Street and Nassau Street, next to 8 Spruce Street, the former New York Times Building, and New York City Hall. 150 Nassau Street was built in 1894–1895 as the headquarters of the American Tract Society (ATS), a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization that distributed religious tracts. Designed by the architect R. H. Robertson, it is one of the first skyscrapers built from a steel skeleton and was among New York City's tallest buildings when it was completed. 150 Nassau Street is located near Park Row, which contained several newspaper headquarters. The building failed to make a profit during ATS's occupancy, and the New York Life Insurance Company foreclosed on the building in 1914. After ATS moved out, the New York Sun occupied the building from 1914 to 1919. The building's 10th through 23rd floors were converted into condominiums between 1999 and 2002. In 1999, it was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The American Tract Society Building is also a contributing property to the Fulton–Nassau Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places district created in 2005. Site 150 Nassau Street is located in the Financial District of Manhattan, just east of New York City Hall and the Civic Center. The building is located on a parallelogram-shaped plot that abuts Nassau Street to the west for 100 ft 7 in and Spruce Street to the north for 94 ft 6 in.https://www.nytimes.com/1915/07/24/archives/the-real-estate-field-negotiations-pending-for-1400000-american.html The Real Estate Field; Negotiations Pending for $1,400,000 American Tract Society Building -- Nordica Home Sold at Auction -- Builder Buys Long Island City Block Front -- $500,000 Bedford Estate Deal. 1915-07-24 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211208/https://www.nytimes.com/1915/07/24/archives/the-real-estate-field-negotiations-pending-for-1400000-american.html liveMay 26, 1894 American Tract Society's Building https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101080161308&view=1up&seq=210 American Architect & Building News 44 92 HathiTrust March 23, 2020 April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424002506/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101080161308&view=1up&seq=210 liveLandau Condit 1996 . 228 The Morse Building is immediately to the south, while a public plaza and 8 Spruce Street are located to the east. The Potter Building and 41 Park Row are located across Nassau Street; 5 Beekman Street is one block south; and Pace University is located across Spruce Street.http://maps.nyc.gov/ NYCityMap NYC.gov New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications 2020-03-20 June 10, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150610011753/http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/ live Architecture 150 Nassau Street was designed by Robert Henderson Robertson in the Romanesque style.Gray Christopher https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/realestate/07scape.html A Starter Sanctuary 2009-06-04 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321212132/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/realestate/07scape.html liveLandmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 4 The building is 291 ft m tall with 23 stories.https://www.emporis.com/buildings/115440/park-place-tower-new-york-city-ny-usa Park Place Tower EMPORIS March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231816/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/115440/park-place-tower-new-york-city-ny-usa usurped. Landau Condit 1996 226 150 Nassau Street was one of New York City's first skyscrapers to employ a steel skeletal frame.. National Park Service 2005 31 It is designed with elements of Romanesque Revival and Renaissance Revival architecture. Form left|thumb|Looking south from the Brooklyn Bridge entrance; 150 Nassau Street is to the left, and 41 Park Row to the right|alt=Looking south from the Brooklyn Bridge entrance; 150 Nassau Street is to the left, and 41 Park Row to the right Much of the building is 20 stories high, except for its northwestern corner, which contains a small three-story tower with a pitched roof. The top of the main roof is 261 ft m tall, but the top of the pitched roof is 291 ft m.Engineering News 1894 . 526 The floors above the first story are U-shaped, with a small light court facing south. Two water towers were located above the main roof, but were removed.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 11 The Nassau Street side consists of a three-story arcade, meant to complement 41 Park Row to the west, with an open-air top story. Facade At the time of 150 Nassau Street's construction, the facades of many 19th-century early skyscrapers consisted of three horizontal sections similar to the components of a column, namely a base, midsection, and capital. 150 Nassau Street contains six horizontal layers, divided by band courses and cornices: of these, two are in the base, three in the midsection, and one at the capital. Both principal facades contain five vertical bays. The main entrance, located in the center bay on Nassau Street, consists of a double-height archway supported by two pairs of columns, one on each side. Underneath the arch is an elaborate entablature and a semicircular transom. The windows are mostly sash windows. The principal facades are the northern and western facades, which are made of self-supporting masonry on the ground through fifth floors, and brick and terracotta supported by the building's box girders on the upper floors. The basement on the Spruce Street side is visible due to the downward slope of the lot from west to east. On the lowest two floors of both principal facades, each bay contains an arched window. On each of the third through 20th floors, there are two sash windows in each bay. The 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th floors are framed by cornices on their tops and bottoms, and divide the midsection into three distinct horizontal segments. The 19th through 23rd floors form a "capital"; the 19th and 20th floors cover the entire lot area and are similar in design to the lower floors, but the 21st floor contains an arched, open-air arcade measuring two bays wide on Spruce Street and five bays wide on Nassau Street. The 21st through 23rd stories constitute the building's tower: 21st and 22nd stories contain tile walls and rectangular windows, while the 23rd floor contains a pitched roof with dormers. The southern and eastern facades are made of self-supporting brick below the 13th floor and are supported by lattice girders above that point. These facades mostly lack ornament. The lower five stories of the eastern facade served as a party wall to a now-demolished building on Spruce Street.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 9 Terracotta, possibly created by the New York Architectural Terra-Cotta Company, was used for decorative detail on the facade. When built, the top story contained further ornamentation such as a flagpole and finials, which caused the building to stand out on the skyline. The winged figures on the facade's uppermost portion were similar to that of Robertson's previous Corn Exchange Bank building at William and Nassau Streets. Foundation The ground directly underneath 150 Nassau Street was made of a layer of fine red sand extending 36 ft deep, then a 7 to 8 ft on layer of clay, followed by another layer of fine sand. The layer of bedrock was located 100 ft underground, and the builders decided against digging to the depth of the bedrock using pneumatic caissons. During construction, the foundation was excavated to a depth of 35 ft. The builders then drove pilings into the ground. Each piling was made of spruce tree trunks between 20 and 25 ft long and 10 to 14 in wide. Atop each piling was granite blocks, then vertical brick piers, and finally cast-iron footings for the building's columns. Along portions of the south and west walls, the builders could not install pilings to provide foundations for the columns. These columns were instead supported by cantilevers made of trusses; six pairs of cantilevers were used. Several neighboring buildings, including the Morse Building, were underpinned while the foundation was being built. The columns are generally spaced 18 to 19 ft apart. Features 150 Nassau Street uses some 2665 ST LT t of metal. Generally, each floor is supported by pairings of I-beams, with each pairing spaced about 6.3 ft apart. The I-beams under the basement through third floors are 12 in thick, while the I-beams under the remaining floors are 15 in thick. Box girders are also located under the 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th floors, and plate girders are under the 19th floor. The floors themselves are made of flat brick arches 12 in deep. The columns were wrapped with 4 in of brick to provide fireproofing. 150 Nassau Street features six elevators arranged around a semicircular space in the northwest corner of the building. Of these, two were originally "express elevators" running non-stop to the upper floors.Engineering News 1894 . 527 The building's only fire staircase is located on the opposite side of the semicircular elevator lobbies on each floor. Upon the building's completion, the ATS described the new facilities as "convenient or necessary for an office of the highest standard". These included radiators under every window, as well as steam, electric and gas services. Two storefronts were located at ground level and there was space for four additional stores in the basement; the 22nd floor also contained a restaurant. The rest of the building had space for more than 700 offices.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 6. Annual Report 1896 124 As built, each floor had 36 offices, which could be rented either as singular units or as part of a multi-unit suite. The corridors in the building were built to a relatively narrow width to maximize office space. Since the building's 2002 renovation, the lowest nine floors contain 80 corporate offices. The 10th through 23rd floors contain 45 luxury condominiums, most of which are two- or three-bedroom units.https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/09/realestate/condos-and-corporate-apartments-a-new-use-for-landmark-near-city-hall.html Condos and Corporate Apartments; A New Use For Landmark Near City Hall 2001-09-09 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321212345/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/09/realestate/condos-and-corporate-apartments-a-new-use-for-landmark-near-city-hall.html live The top three floors contain a penthouse unit with 6400 ft2 of space, an outdoor deck, a private terrace on the roof, and ceilings 18 ft m tall.Barbanel Josh https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/realestate/28deal1.html Few Views Are Forever 2007-01-28 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321212134/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/realestate/28deal1.html live The penthouse, dubbed the "Skyhouse", was designed by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas, and includes features such as geometrical designs and an 80 ft on slide.https://ny.curbed.com/2013/2/15/10272848/mindboggling-skyhouse-features-tube-slide-45-foot-ceilings Mindboggling Skyhouse Features Tube Slide, 45-Foot Ceilings Dailey Jessica February 15, 2013 Curbed NY March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211212/https://ny.curbed.com/2013/2/15/10272848/mindboggling-skyhouse-features-tube-slide-45-foot-ceilings deadhttps://www.interiordesign.net/projects/9547-high-floor-heaven-ghislaine-vinas-and-david-hotson-s-whimsical-downtown-penthouse/ High-Floor Heaven: Ghislaine Viñas and David Hotson's Whimsical Downtown Penthouse Heintz Molly December 2, 2012 Interior Design March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211211/https://www.interiordesign.net/projects/9547-high-floor-heaven-ghislaine-vinas-and-david-hotson-s-whimsical-downtown-penthouse/ live As originally planned, the 23rd story was to be used as condominiums. History Planning thumb|Drawing (1895) The American Tract Society, or ATS, was established in 1825 as a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization. It was the first organization in the U.S. formed specifically to give out religious tracts.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 2Twaddell Elizabeth June 1946 The American Tract Society, 1814-1860 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/american-tract-society-18141860/E9CD44EF57129BE2FD68B1DFE5B2566A Church History en 15 2 116–132 10.2307/3160400 3160400 1755-2613 March 23, 2020 June 9, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180609070242/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/american-tract-society-18141860/E9CD44EF57129BE2FD68B1DFE5B2566A live ATS bought land in 1825 at the southwest corner of Nassau and Spruce Streets, completing its four-story Tract House the next year. The house's addresses were subsequently changed to 144 Nassau Street in 1827, and then to 150 Nassau Street in 1833.Thompson Lawrance 1941 The Printing and Publishing Activities of the American Tract Society From 1825 to 1850 The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 35 2 91–92 10.1086/pbsa.35.2.24296559 24296559 0006-128X A five-story Tract House was built on the same site in 1846–1847.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 3 ATS subsequently went into financial decline after the Panic of 1873. By 1886, the society had voted for a "thorough examination of all [its] affairs and business".Slocum 1975 . 170–171 In 1894, ATS's executive committee proposed relocating uptown to Madison Square Park, stating that most of New York City's commerce had relocated further north.1894 Annual report https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89077177186&view=1up&seq=17 American Tract Society 69 9 HathiTrust March 23, 2020 April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424002505/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89077177186&view=1up&seq=17 live Two years later, ATS decided instead to build a new speculative skyscraper on its current land, calling the site "a safe and remunerative investment".. Annual Report 1896 122 During the late 19th century, the surrounding area had grown into the "Newspaper Row", as several newspaper headquarters had been built on the adjacent Park Row, including the New York Times Building, the Potter Building, the Park Row Building, and the New York World Building.893 Meanwhile, printing was centered around Beekman Street, less than one block south of 150 Nassau Street.May 14, 1836 Paternoster Row of New-York https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015014128451&view=1up&seq=371&q1=paternoster New York Mirror 13 363 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200715190918/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015014128451&view=1up&seq=371&q1=paternoster live Construction ATS bought two nearby lots in March 1894https://www.nytimes.com/1894/03/08/archives/in-the-real-estate-field-a-days-large-dealings-at-auction-and.html In the Real Estate Field; a Day's Large Dealings at Auction and Otherwise 1894-03-08 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231817/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/03/08/archives/in-the-real-estate-field-a-days-large-dealings-at-auction-and.html live and Robertson announced plans for a new 23-story skyscraper on the site the following month.https://www.nytimes.com/1894/04/08/archives/gossip-of-real-estate-men-the-presence-of-investors-indicated-sole.html Gossip of Real Estate Men; the Presence of Investors Indicated 1894-04-08 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231814/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/04/08/archives/gossip-of-real-estate-men-the-presence-of-investors-indicated-sole.html live Robertson submitted these plans to the New York City Department of Buildings in May 1894.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 5May 12, 1894 Buildings Projected https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_013_19.pdf The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide 53 770 columbia.edu 1365 March 23, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231816/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_013_19.pdf live The structure was expected to cost $1 million. ATS financed the project by mortgaging its existing property. Construction began almost immediately afterward. William Williams Crehore was the engineering consultant, John Downey was the general contractor, and George R. Read served both as construction supervisor and managing agent. Keystone Bridge Works was the steel supplier, Atlas Iron Construction was the steel contractor, and Louis Weber Building was the masonry contractor. The structure was erected with the largest derrick utilized in the city at the time, completing two stories per week. Two double-drum engines were installed on the seventh floor of the light court to bring up the material: one with 30 hp and the other with 50 hp.Engineering News 1894 . 528 There were fears that the adjacent Morse Building was structurally unstable when a crack appeared in the facade due to 150 Nassau Street's construction, though engineers said it was not serious.1894-10-16 All Gazed at the Long Crack; It Appeared in the Morse Building -- Nothing Serious, Engineers Say. en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1894/10/16/archives/all-gazed-at-the-long-crack-it-appeared-in-the-morse-building.html 2020-07-11 0362-4331 July 12, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200712044056/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/10/16/archives/all-gazed-at-the-long-crack-it-appeared-in-the-morse-building.html liveOctober 14, 1894 A Crack in the Wall of the Morse Building 9 New-York Tribune https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55184949/ July 11, 2020 newspapers.com April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424001440/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55184949/a-crack-in-the-wall-of-the-morse/ live During the new building's construction, ATS was exempt from real-estate taxes. In early 1895 the under-construction building was assessed at $300,000, of which $6,000 of taxes would have normally had to be paid.https://www.nytimes.com/1895/09/27/archives/escaped-taxes-for-1895-tract-society-exempt-while-its-building-was.html Escaped Taxes for 1895; Tract Society Exempt While Its Building Was Going Up 1895-09-27 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231812/https://www.nytimes.com/1895/09/27/archives/escaped-taxes-for-1895-tract-society-exempt-while-its-building-was.html live The New York Life Insurance Company offered ATS a $1.25 million mortgage loan on the property that July.https://www.nytimes.com/1895/07/11/archives/in-the-real-estate-field-matters-of-interest-reported-by-the.html In the Real Estate Field; Matters of Interest Reported by the Brokers 1895-07-11 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231819/https://www.nytimes.com/1895/07/11/archives/in-the-real-estate-field-matters-of-interest-reported-by-the.html live The project was completed by September 1895. At that point, it was among the city's tallest buildings, behind only the Manhattan Life Insurance Building, the World Building, Madison Square Garden, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. However, 150 Nassau Street contained usable space up to its top story, while the other structures' top sections were composed mainly of spires or domes. 150 Nassau Street was largely a speculative development, relying on businesses from the nearby Civic Center neighborhood to occupy the structure. Upon the building's completion, the New York City Department of Public Works leased the basement, 17th floor, and one of the two ground-level storefronts. American Tract Society use alt=Looking east from New York City Hall in 1906; 150 Nassau Street is in the background at right, behind 41 Park Row. The former New York World Building (left) and New York Tribune Building (center) are also visible|thumb|Looking east from New York City Hall in 1906; 150 Nassau Street is in the background at right, behind 41 Park Row. The former New York World Building (left) and New York Tribune Building (center) are also visible The construction of the new headquarters caused ATS to go into debt.https://www.nytimes.com/1896/05/14/archives/american-tract-societys-work-a-change-in-the-system-of-manage-ment.html American Tract Society's Work; A. Change in the System of Management 1896-05-14 The New York Times 2020-03-23 en-US 0362-4331 March 23, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200323222847/https://www.nytimes.com/1896/05/14/archives/american-tract-societys-work-a-change-in-the-system-of-manage-ment.html live From its opening, 150 Nassau Street was beset with "painful disappointments", in part because of its inability to attract tenants.Slocum 1975 . 173Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 7 Several major elevator accidents also occurred at the building. In one such accident, a cab dropped from a lower floor to the cellar, and in another, a cab dropped from the eighth to the fifth floor without slowing down; however, no serious injuries were incurred in either incident.https://www.nytimes.com/1897/09/11/archives/fell-nineteen-stories-awful-descent-of-an-elevator-in-the-building.html Fell Nineteen Stories; Awful Descent of an Elevator in the Building of the American Tract Society 1897-09-11 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231812/https://www.nytimes.com/1897/09/11/archives/fell-nineteen-stories-awful-descent-of-an-elevator-in-the-building.html live The third such incident occurred in November 1896, when a cab dropped from the 10th floor to the basement, injuring three people.https://www.nytimes.com/1896/11/17/archives/car-falls-ten-stories-three-persons-injured-in-a-passenger-elevator.html Car Falls Ten Stories; Three Persons Injured in a Passenger Elevator 1896-11-17 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211209/https://www.nytimes.com/1896/11/17/archives/car-falls-ten-stories-three-persons-injured-in-a-passenger-elevator.html live ATS replaced the Otis elevators with Crane elevators in early 1897. Despite this, in September 1897, another elevator dropped 19 floors, killing the two occupants.1897 The Fall of an Elevator in the Building of the American Tract Society https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101061104343&view=1up&seq=258 Engineering News-Record 38 202 HathiTrust March 23, 2020 April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424002509/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101061104343&view=1up&seq=258 liveLandau Condit 1996 . 230–231 The coroner's jury did not find anyone culpable in the 1897 incident, but highlighted a need for a "competent" elevator maintenance engineer. The elevator accidents, which were covered intensively by the media, were among the reasons why tenants were reluctant to rent space in the building.. Annual Report 1896 125 By 1900, 150 Nassau Street had over 3,000 employees.October 6, 1900 Skyscraper Mail-Service https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_026_18.pdf The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide 66 XII columbia.edu 1699 May 26, 2020 August 20, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200820060438/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_026_18.pdf live In subsequent years, 150 Nassau Street was occupied by ATS's publishing and administrative offices, as well as several "tenants of questionable character", which in turn led to accusations of mismanagement. ATS defaulted on the mortgage in 1913, and after unsuccessfully attempting to raise funds, gave the structure to the New York Life Company the following year.Slocum 1975 . 175 Later history In August 1914, it was announced that the New York Sun would move into 150 Nassau Street and demolish its former headquarters nearby at Nassau and Frankfort Streets.https://www.nytimes.com/1914/08/01/archives/the-sun-to-move-from-old-home-newspaper-will-occupy-quarters-in.html The Sun to Move From Old Home; Newspaper Will Occupy Quarters in American Tract Society's Building 1914-08-01 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321212130/https://www.nytimes.com/1914/08/01/archives/the-sun-to-move-from-old-home-newspaper-will-occupy-quarters-in.html livehttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/47229331/ Fine Modern Quarters for 'The Sun' After Fifty Years in the Historic Brick August 25, 1914 New York Sun February 2, 2020 14 newspapers.com April 24, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220424002505/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47229331/fine-modern-quarters-for-the-sun/ live The Sun started moving into the building in July 1915, taking space in the basement and the second through fifth floors. Around the same time, 150 Nassau was placed for sale.24 Jul 1915 Deal Pending for Skyscraper: American Tract Society Building in Nassau St. May Be Sold Buys at Auction Old Nordica Home Property in West 9th St.--convent Av. Apartment Figures in Trade 11 New-York Tribune 575403222 The New York Life Insurance Company filed a lawsuit to foreclose on the building's $1.25 million mortgage. In 1916, a New York Supreme Court judge appointed a referee to oversee the foreclosure,https://www.nytimes.com/1916/11/18/archives/the-real-estate-field-banking-firm-of-andrews-co-buys-twelve-story.html The Real Estate Field; Banking Firm of Andrews & Co. Buys Twelve Story Pine Street Building Held at $1,000,000 -- Referee Appointed to Sell American Tract Society Building. 1916-11-18 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211211/https://www.nytimes.com/1916/11/18/archives/the-real-estate-field-banking-firm-of-andrews-co-buys-twelve-story.html live and New York Life took over the building.17 Aug 1919 Sun Building on Nassau St. Involved in Realty Deal: Syndicate Reported to Have Closed Contracts With New York Life Insurance Co. for Purchase of Tall Building Built by American Tract Society A8 New-York Tribune 576140736 The building was damaged the same year by a fire at a nearby low-rise building on Beekman Street.1916-04-04 Nassau St. Towers Swept by Flames; Throngs in City's Most Crowded Way See Fight to Save Three Skyscrapers en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1916/04/04/archives/nassau-st-towers-swept-by-flames-throngs-in-citys-most-crowded-way.html 2020-07-12 0362-4331 July 14, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200714084255/https://www.nytimes.com/1916/04/04/archives/nassau-st-towers-swept-by-flames-throngs-in-citys-most-crowded-way.html live The Sun moved to 280 Broadway during 1919, the same year that 150 Nassau was sold to the 150 Nassau Street Corporation.2 Oct 1919 Transfer of Sun Building 6 Wall Street Journal 0099-9660 129767842 Tenants during this time included the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, founded in 1921.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3873199/the_woodrow_wilson_foundation/ The Woodrow Wilson Foundation Reidsville Review August 23, 1921 4 2020-03-23 newspapers.com March 22, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160322105540/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3873199/the_woodrow_wilson_foundation/ live 150 Nassau Street Corporation defaulted on the building's mortgage in 1936, and New York Life took back the building. New York Life retained ownership of 150 Nassau until January 1945, when David S. Meister bought the building.1945-01-18 Old Sun Building in Nassau St. Sold; David S. Meister Buys Offices From the New York Life-- 5th Avenue Deal Closed en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1945/01/18/archives/old-sun-building-in-nassau-st-sold-david-s-meister-buys-offices.html 2022-08-29 0362-433118 Jan 1945 Meister Takes Office Building In Nassau Street: Operator Buys 23-Story Structure at Spruce St. From Life Insurance Co. 23 New York Herald Tribune 1941-0646 1283042787 Meister then resold the property in November 1946 to a group of investors represented by Ralph Freidus.1946-11-05 Nassau St. Corner is Sold by Meister; Group of Investors Take Old Sun Building--Lofts Among Other Downtown Deals en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1946/11/05/archives/nassau-st-corner-is-sold-by-meister-group-of-investors-take-old-sun.html 2022-08-29 0362-43315 Nov 1946 Operator Sells 23-Story Tower In Nassau Street: D. S. Meister Conveys Old Sun Building at Spruce St. to Investing Group 41 New York Herald Tribune 1941-0646 1287178425 The New York World and Tribune buildings immediately to the north were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, and Pace College (later Pace University) built 1 Pace Plaza on the site of the latter.Porterfield Byron 1966-05-20 'Newspaper Row' Shrinking Again; The Old Tribune Building on Nassau Is Giving Way to Pace College Center en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1966/05/20/archives/newspaper-row-shrinking-again-the-old-tribune-building-on-nassau-is.html 2020-03-23 0362-4331 March 23, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200323222844/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/05/20/archives/newspaper-row-shrinking-again-the-old-tribune-building-on-nassau-is.html live Pace also acquired 150 Nassau Street and other nearby buildings in 1967, with plans to destroy them and build an office tower. These plans did not proceed and Pace University sold 150 Nassau Street in 1982. Nassau Equities bought the building in 1998 and proposed renovating the upper stories with offices and residences. A controversy ensued when Nassau Equities' executive Jack Lefkowitz attempted to evict all the tenants at once.Stamler Bernard https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/19/nyregion/neighborhood-report-lower-manhattan-tenants-see-craters-landlord-just-potholes.html Neighborhood Report: Lower Manhattan; Tenants See Craters, Landlord Just Potholes 1999-09-19 The New York Times 2020-03-21 en-US 0362-4331 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321212347/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/19/nyregion/neighborhood-report-lower-manhattan-tenants-see-craters-landlord-just-potholes.html live The next year, on June 15, 1999, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as an official city landmark.Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 1 Renovations took place during 2001 and were completed the next year.https://ny.curbed.com/2013/6/7/10235248/fidi-co-op-residents-file-10m-suit-to-keep-a-dennys-out FiDi Co-op Residents File $10M Suit To Keep A Denny's Out Alberts Hana R. June 7, 2013 Curbed NY March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211208/https://ny.curbed.com/2013/6/7/10235248/fidi-co-op-residents-file-10m-suit-to-keep-a-dennys-out dead On September 7, 2005, the building was designated as a contributing property to the Fulton–Nassau Historic District,National Park Service 2005 . 21 a National Register of Historic Places district.2005 National Register of Historic Places 2005 Weekly Lists https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2005-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf July 20, 2020 National Park Service 242 September 1, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200901115418/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2005-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf live The penthouse unit went unsold until 2007 when it was purchased by Google engineering director Craig Nevill-Manning and his wife. By 2013 the penthouse was on sale for $20 million.https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/rich-guy-20m-15-park-row-penthouse-article-1.1509133 Right rich guy needs just $20M to own potential dream penthouse at 15 Park Row Chaban Matt November 7, 2013 nydailynews.com March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211208/https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/rich-guy-20m-15-park-row-penthouse-article-1.1509133 live That same year, residents filed a lawsuit to prevent a Denny's restaurant from opening in the building.https://therealdeal.com/2013/06/06/150-nassau-condo-board-grand-slams-dennys-in-10m-lawsuit/ 150 Nassau board (grand) slams Denny's in $10M lawsuit Jones David June 6, 2013 The Real Deal March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200321211211/https://therealdeal.com/2013/06/06/150-nassau-condo-board-grand-slams-dennys-in-10m-lawsuit/ live The restaurant moved to 150 Nassau Street anyway, but closed permanently in 2018.https://ny.eater.com/2018/1/11/16879424/luxury-dennys-nyc-closes The Fancy Denny's That Served $300 Grand Slams Has Closed Upadhyaya Kayla Kumari January 11, 2018 Eater NY March 23, 2020 March 23, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200323224717/https://ny.eater.com/2018/1/11/16879424/luxury-dennys-nyc-closes live Critical reception Lower Manhattan's late-19th century skyscrapers generally received mixed reception. Negative criticism focused mainly on the layered design of the facade. A writer for the Architectural Record said that 150 Nassau Street had a "repetition of motif".May 1904 The High Art of Building https://www.architecturalrecord.com/ext/resources/archives/backissues/1904-05.pdf?-2072372400 Architectural Record XV 462 5 March 23, 2020 November 7, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201107081145/https://www.architecturalrecord.com/ext/resources/archives/backissues/1904-05.pdf?-2072372400 live Sarah Landau, summarizing critics' general sentiments toward the building, said that "detractors object[ed] to the breaking up of the street elevations into six horizontal divisions and to the considerable diversity of treatment from top to bottom", but that the layers were typical of Robertson's designs.. Landau Condit 1996 230 Montgomery Schuyler praised the design of the building's top, but was critical of the facade's six-part horizontal division, saying that it was "arbitrary" and failed to "correspond to any actual requirement, mechanical or aesthetic".Schuyler Montgomery October 1896 The Works of R. H. Robertson https://www.architecturalrecord.com/ext/resources/archives/backissues/1896-10-12.pdf Architectural Record 6 2 217 March 23, 2020 December 10, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191210192202/https://www.architecturalrecord.com/ext/resources/archives/backissues/1896-10-12.pdf live The building also received praise because of the facade's layering, rather than in spite of it. An Engineering News article stated that, as a result of the inclusion of details such as belt courses, "the general treatment of the building by its designer is very good and the appearance is quite pleasing". Robertson himself found skyscrapers to be "uninteresting architecturally", but that despite the many restrictions that he felt to be a hindrance to skyscraper design, "something monumental could be made out of the building".June 23, 1894 More Views on High Buildings https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_013_25.pdf The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide 53 1009–1010 columbia.edu 1371 March 23, 2020 March 23, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200323021026/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/pdf_files/ldpd_7031148_013_25.pdf live The Landmarks Preservation Commission wrote that the building was architecturally notable as the result of a "contemporary search for an appropriate solution for the architectural expression for a skyscraper".Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 . 8 See also Architecture New York City List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan below 14th Street References Citations Sources https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2038.pdf American Tract Society Building 1999-06-15 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Landmarks Preservation Commission 1999 December 1894 American Tract Society's 20-Story Office Building, New York City https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101061104285&view=1up&seq=622 Engineering News 32 526–528 Engineering News 1894 1896 Annual report American Tract Society 71 121–124 Annual Report 1896 September 7, 2005 Fulton–Nassau Historic District https://catalog.archives.gov/medialz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/05000988.pdf National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service National Park Service 2005 The American Tract Society, 1825-1975 Slocum Stephen E. Jr. 1975 New York University doctoral dissertation External links https://www.emporis.com/buildings/115440 https://web.archive.org/web/20200820053226/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/115440 usurped August 20, 2020 Park Place Tower Emporis 20100 Park Place Tower Category:1895 establishments in New York City Category:Apartment buildings in New York City Category:Civic Center, Manhattan Category:Historic district contributing properties in Manhattan Category:Financial District, Manhattan Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan Category:Residential buildings completed in 1895 Category:Residential skyscrapers in Manhattan Category:Robert Henderson Robertson buildings Category:Romanesque Revival architecture in New York City Category:Renaissance Revival architecture in New York City Category:1890s architecture in the United States