I don’t have too much to say about this 5-story walkup building at #105 Broad Street, corner of Water, in the Financial District except to say it’s unusual for the area. The Financial District is a land of either glass towers built from the 1970s to the present, or large masonry buildings built in the 1910s and 1920s where large amounts of money are moved around. This building is a survivor of a rather old stretch of residential walkups on Water and Pearl, and likely housed people who worked the waterfront, on boats or servicing boats. This building dates as far back as 1746, with renovations and additions in 1882; it hasn’t changed much since then.
Looking at this in 1940, nothing much has changed with the brick building since then; it still has its stone exterior from that year, and the eaves over the entrances remain, too. A lunch place called Rockwell’s is on the ground floor; it hasn’t been reviewed well in Yelp. When I need lunch in this part of Manhattan, George’s Restaurant on Greenwich and Rector is my usual choice.
I mention this building since I am rereading “The Power Broker” and 105 Broad (which Robert Caro calls “105 South Broad Street”) is where Robert Moses’ brother Paul lived for the final years of his life (Robert Moses sabotaged his brother’s employment opportunities, even though he was an excellent engineer).
The ever-reliable Tom Miller, the Daytonian in Manhattan, has thoroughly researched the property.
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1/16/23
6 comments
The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Fraunces Tavern Block Historic District Report tells us this about the building (see pages 7-8 of http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0994.pdf):
105 Broad Street (aka 22 Water Street)
Construction Date: 1882 – 1883
Architect / Builder: George F. Pelham
Owner / Developer: Berthold G. Gaedeke
Major Alteration(s): None
Alteration Architect(s): None
Style(s): Not determined
Material(s): Brick, Stone, Metal Cornice
Building Type: Tenement
Original Use: Residential, multi-family
Tax Block: 7 Tax Lot: 31
Interestingly, the report says that building’s construction date, 1882, appears twice in its metal cornice.
Back in the late 1970’s and 1980’s I was doing a bit of business with some the major firms in the financial district. I
was in Rockwells (Wasn’t named that then) several times and the food wasn’t too bad. Quick and easy.
Good burgers.
However, I used to take clients to Fraunces on the next corner to impress. Impress because I never needed a
reservation. I knew one of the Maitre ‘d’s and always was moved to the head of the list and got a good table. At night my pal was a bartender at a joint in Woodside. I’d go there and take care of him for his favors. I’d put a couple of
twenties on the bar and drink bottles of Bud all night. When it was time to leave there would be about seventy bucks
in front of me. Of course, that was Bobby’s tip.
I got these niceties because I once helped Bobby’s loser brother get a job as a porter in a one of the huge office
buildings in the area.
Must read this history of 105. http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-altered-1746-ye-olde-coffee-house.html
I worked down here from the early 70s to late 80s. Love these old buildings. Happy that it’s still there.
The building on the left seems to have been shortened.
I worked in the building across the street (1 NY Plaza) from 1974 to the late 1980s and never paid much attention to 105 Broad.
After all these years it is very nice to know that the building has a history to it.