The Bennett Building is a New York City designated landmark in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. The building is located along Nassau Street, for the entire block from Fulton Street to Ann Street. Having frontage on all three streets, it has three street addresses: 93-99 Nassau Street, 139 Fulton Street, and 30 Ann Street. Its key feature is a fully realized cast-iron facade, the largest known such example. The building's three fully designed facades face Fulton, Nassau, and Ann Streets. The fourth side, facing an adjacent property, has a mostly blank facade.
History and description
The building is a ten-story cast-iron loft building. It was originally seven stories, with a smaller footprint. It was commissioned by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the publisher of the New York Herald newspaper. The architect was Arthur D. Gilman, and is his only remaining work in Manhattan. He designed it in the French Second Empire style. Constructed in 1872-73 at six stories, the mansard roof was removed and three floors and a penthouse were added in 1890-92 by James M. Farnsworth for the building's new owner, John Petit. In 1894, Farnsworth constructed an extension of the building to Ann Street. In both cases, Farnsworth's additions carefully followed Gilman's original design. On November 21, 1995, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building a New York City landmark. The Bennett Building is the tallest building in the world with an entirely cast-iron facade.
Historical marker
In 1916, the Maiden Lane Historical Society erected a plaque on the building that reads:
Nassau Street Known originally as “The Street that Runs by the Pye Woman” And was named in honor of The House of Nassau Whose head at the time was William the Third King of England And sometime Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic Nassau Street became identified with The jewelry trade More than half a century ago.
Layout
The building's vertical layout includes:
Basement, with cast iron facade and pillars mostly hidden by new materials
Six original floors, with detailed cast iron facade, originally topped by a since-removed mansard roof. The original external entrances were up one flight of stairs, to the "first" floor, which gives the appearance of a second floor. The first floor details are different than the other five floors, with wider windows bays that are not recessed.
Three additional upper floors of similar design
Masonry penthouse of two stories, set back and not visible from street level
The second addition, was constructed with all floors at once, from basement to penthouse
