Part 2 - First World Building and Potter Building

It was at the fantastic nyc-architecture website, when I first read about the New York World Building (1890). Such a amazing gone building! And because there were no other informations in the internet I always thought, the 1890s World Building was the first building in New York City with this name.

While collecting pictures in last February for a longer portrait of the World Building at my own German website I suddenly found a picture with this description:

Oh - there has been another earlier World Building! But where? The French's Hotel stood on the Park Row / Frankfort Streets lot, where the 1890s World Building was constructed. So the first World Building must have been on another place. After checking a lot of pictures, especially those of the Park Row Fire 1882, I found the place of the old World Building. Now I will lead you to this place, step by step.

We start with some stereo cards from the 1860s to get a feeling of the old times at the Park Row.

Remember the first picture of part one, the 1816 picture? The next photo must have been taken nearly from the same place while watching in the same direction.

1865 - from north to south. On the right side is the City Hall Park, topped by the tower of the St. Paul's Chapel. There is a new impressing building at the left center of the picture. The "Brick Presbyterian Church", before on that lot, was torn down in 1856.

The New York Times was founded in 1851, first newspapers were published in September 1851. After three years the Times took place in another building on Nassau Street.

Soon the Times needed more space again and decided to leave the Nassau Street and build a new house at the Park Row. The third Times Building appeared on the lot of the Brick Church in 1857.

The New York Songlines told me, that the first World Building, also named "Potter Building" had been the directly south neighbour of the Times Building:

"Potter's earlier building, completed in 1857, was known as the World Building, after the New York World which was based there. (This was before Joseph Pulitzer bought the paper.) It also housed the offices of Scientific American, where on December 7, 1877, Thomas Edison gave the first public demonstration of his phonograph. N.G. Starkweather extensively used terra cotta detail, helping to popularize the material for office buildings; Potter later launched the New York Press."

http://www.nysonglines.com/parkrow.htm

Before we start searching for pictures, I try to explain all the old and new houses again.

There is the lot at the corner Park Row / Frankfort Street.

Here stood the French's Hotel and after that the 1890's World Building.

There is the Park Row lot south of the second Times Building:

Here stood the old World Building (1857), also named "Potter Building".

After it burned down in 1882, there was erected a new building,

the better known present "Potter Building", covered in red terracotta.

Ok? Good, now we keep on searching for a better look on the old World Building.

I don't know the date of this picture, but it's possible to get a first impression of the early World Building. I don't know the name of the two buildings on the total left, the third one is the old building of the Tribune. In the middle left background the building of the Tract Society and in the middle the new building of the New York Times (1857). The next building, the south neighboor, is the old World Building. It had a flag pole and a flat roof. There are 5 stories, separeted by some kind of lighter ornaments ("white stripes") but nothing more memorable. The last house in the right background may be the building of the Evening Mail.

It seems, that the old World Building wasn't spectacular enough to get the photographers attention like the other buildings around. The picture above was taken 1875. We identify the old post office on the right side, which was opened in 1875 too. I' m not really sure about the building with the small tower shown in the middle background. I think, it's the Western Union Building on corner Broadway / Dey Street and also finished in 1875. The two buldings left on the "island" are the New York Times building in the foreground and the early World Building behind that (the one with the "white stripes").

Same problem on the next picture (date unknown): The New York Times Building detailed in the foreground, the old World Building at the borders of the picture, viewable only a small stripe, the rest cutted.

So I was really lucky after finding this picture from the 1870s, which gives an real impression of the old World / Potter Building for the first time:



On the total left the old Tribune Building, not as spectacular as the later versions. Next to it on the other side of the road the Building of the Tract Society. Next building left - we are on the "island" again now - is the New York Times Building and then on the right side of the picture the "World Building" (1857). On the total right a part of the "Evening Mail"-Building. That's why this area was nicknamed "Newspaper Row".





I would like to know, if the big WORLD sign on the roof was there in reality or only added by the one who made this scetch. The other signs on the house front tell you, that the "Scientific American" and the "Observer" also took place in the building. Since I finished my text in German language last March, there was no other picture of the first World Building. Until now. One of the visitors of my German blog send me this Stereo Card last week with a rare view, showing the complete old World Building. Thank you so much Andy Frieder.



A few hours after finishing the text of Part 2, I just found another really good picture of the first World Building, shot in the time of the years 1865-1870:

I think, the house on the total left is the French's Hotel, the later side of the famous second "World Building". Next house is the new building of "The Sun". Then - this time a small stripe - the Times Building. The structure in the middle is the old World Building again. Next building in right direction on the other side of the street is the Evening Mail Building. I dont't know the name of the house on the total right, but a sign tells about the "Real Estate Agency" beeing inside. 

Sources: Google and friends, NYPL Digital Gallery, NY Songlines, nyc-architecture, Andy Frieder

Part 3

The Park Row Fire

http://theworldbuilding.blogspot.com/2010/10/part-3-park-row-fire-1882.html