254 Canal Street
Encyclopedia
254 Canal Street, a New York City landmarked building, is one of the most notable buildings by James Bogardus
, the pioneer of Cast-iron architecture
.
Built in 1856-7 for George Bruce
, an prosperous printer and inventor of new technologies in the printing industry which was then one of New York's leading industiries. The use of cast iron columns in the large, five-story tall building enabled the installation of large windows that improved manufacturing conditions and efficiency. The lot had become available because a lumber mill standing on the site had recently been destroyed by fire, making fire-retardant cast iron construction attractive.
The mildly Italinate
style of the building, makes it a particularly handsome example of nineteenth century industrial architecture.
James Bogardus
James Bogardus was an American inventor and architect, the pioneer of American cast-iron architecture, for which he took out a patent in 1850...
, the pioneer of Cast-iron architecture
Cast-iron architecture
Cast-iron architecture is a form of architecture where cast iron plays a central role. It was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era when cast iron was relatively cheap and modern steel had not yet been developed.-Structural use:...
.
Built in 1856-7 for George Bruce
George Bruce (industrialist)
George Bruce was an American printer, industrialist and inventor.Bruce, who was born in Scotland, immigrated to America in 1795 and served his apprenticeship in Philadelphia. After first apprenticing to a bookbinder, his brother David arranged for him an apprenticeship with Thomas Dobson, printer...
, an prosperous printer and inventor of new technologies in the printing industry which was then one of New York's leading industiries. The use of cast iron columns in the large, five-story tall building enabled the installation of large windows that improved manufacturing conditions and efficiency. The lot had become available because a lumber mill standing on the site had recently been destroyed by fire, making fire-retardant cast iron construction attractive.
The mildly Italinate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style of the building, makes it a particularly handsome example of nineteenth century industrial architecture.
External links
- photo of 254 Canal Street (A Journey through Chinatown).