Photo courtesy NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The Otis Elevator Building, built in 1911-1912
Comprising 30 Buildings, District Recognized for Its Distinctive Architecture and Role
as a Major Center of Manufacturing, Warehousing and Freight Handling.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the designation of the West Chelsea Historic District, a collection of 30 architecturally distinctive buildings that recall New York City's standing as the leading manufacturing center in the United States during the last half of the 19th
century.
Several of the nation's most prestigious manufacturers had a presence in West Chelsea at the end of the 19th century and during the first decades of the 20th century including the famed Otis Elevator Company the John Williams Ornamental Brass and Iron Works -- and the Reynolds Metal Company (521-537 W. 25th St.), a maker of tin foil wrappers and bottle caps that was founded by the nephew of tobacco maker R.J. Reynolds.
The West Chelsea Historic District is one of the few remaining industrial areas associated with Manhattan's once-thriving port and waterfront. The three large properties between 11th and 12th Avenues are directly tied to waterfront business, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company Freight Warehouse, the Starrett-Lehigh Building, and the New York Terminal Warehouse Company's Central Stores.
The long blocks of West 26th and West 27th Streets between 11th and 12th Avenues form one of the city's most impressive industrial streetscapes. The remaining structures centered around the presence of rail facilities. The R. C. Williams building, for example retains a second-floor loading dock opening directly onto the High Line.
Several buildings were constructed for companies that had a notable impact on the city's development: the Otis Elevator Company, the Cornell Iron Works and the Reynolds Metal Company. Ranging in date from 1885 to 1930, most of the structures are brick-faced with stone trim and intended for manufacturing or storage.
Styles include classical revival, Beaux Arts, Moderne and modern. Many of the buildings are designed by significant architects including Cass Gilbert, Clinton & Russell, Cory & Cory, Schickel & Ditmars, and the noted industrial architect, William Higginson.
This district joins the High Line in preserving industrial architecture and infrastructure. West Chelsea is New York City's 92nd Historic District.
From the LPC Press Release
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