From Tariffs, to Archives, to Bedrooms: a History of the Archive Building .
Steaming along Christopher Street, the Archive Building looks like a huge red ship, as well it should. In more than proximity, it has a connection with the nearby waterfront.
The Archive Building rises according to the irregularly shaped plot of land that it sits on; the lot measures more than an acre. Most of the lot was purchased from Trinity Church at $4 per square foot. The building fills the entire block bounded by Barrow, Greenwich, Washington, and Christopher Streets, making it the largest structure in The Village. Unlike the boring blocks above 14th Street, none of this lot’s sides are parallel to their opposites. Construction began in 1892 and was completed seven years later. Willoughby J. Edbrooke (1843–1896), the supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury, designed the hulking structure in the Romanesque Revival style. The dense red bricks, round Roman arches and rusticated gray granite blocks at the base contribute to the weighty look. The massive building signaled a change in the neighborhood. The commercial and industrial buildings of the West Village were growing in size, a trend that would continue into the first quarter of the 20th century. These structures would push out some residences by the river, changing the neighborhood’s character.
Originally called the U.S. Appraisers’ Warehouse, it was here that the U.S. Customs Service assessed goods arriving in New York by ship for the purpose of levying tariffs. If not for the lobbying efforts of ship owners, the Archives Building would not have been built here, but near the U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green at the tip of Manhattan. The ship owners wanted to have the building closer to the piers. Such a location would keep the goods close to the docks, avoiding the need to cart their wares through the narrow streets of lower Manhattan. This convenience would save the owners time and money.
The building’s tariff-assessment function soon began to decline. In 1913 the Federal income tax was implemented. Revenue generated by import tariffs no longer comprised as a crucial a component of the Federal budget. The property was converted into a general federal warehouse; along with its new function came a new name, the United States Federal Building. By the 1930s the building had been reconfigured into office space. The National Archives, a post office, and other Federal agencies would call the building home.
As the various Federal tenants gradually began to vacate, New York City authorities recognized the unique character of the structure. In accord with the growing interest in preserving the City’s historic fabric, in 1966 it was designated a New York City landmark. In 1973 the building was placed on the State and National Registry of Historic Places. Three years later the federal government classified the building as “government surplus property,” throwing its future into question. Thankfully a bargain was struck that transferred ownership to the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC). This arrangement preserved the structure. The UDC leased the property to a private developer who would convert the building to residential use.
By the 1980s, the industries that had been housed in the large structures near The Village’s waterfront had been lost. The area was undergoing a significant transformation into one of the most sought after residential communities in the city. Several large buildings were constructed and existing commercial structures were re-purposed all for residential use by the late 1980s
The renovation was completed in 1988, as 479 loft-like apartments with ceilings up to 20 feet high were created. It was an early example in the city of historic preservation made possible by converting a former warehouse to residences. The 21st-century neighborhood around the Archive Building is almost completely returned to its residential character. Vestiges of its 19th- and 20th-century industrial usage have been replaced. Thanks to creative thinking, the Archive Building still rises above Christopher Street, a block from the Hudson River, a sprawling redbrick ship, and its rounded, prow-like corner at Greenwich Street steams into the future.
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Discover more about Greenwich Village when you and your friends and family participate in a tour with the author during his Greenwich Village Art and History Walking Tour. Go to http://www.walkaboutny.com to book your tour!
