55 Hudson Street

 office building, school, Romanesque (architecture), 1891_construction

10-story Romanesque-revival cooperative apartment building completed in 1891 as a factory and warehouse for the American Express Company. Designed by Edward Hale Kendall, the building has a 2-story base faced in coursed brick with stone trim; the identical Hudson and Jay Street facades each have six bays of large openings at the base. The ground-floor openings originally loading bays, retain their cast-iron lintels. The midsection of the building, faced in brick with stone and terra-cotta trim, is enhanced on each facade by a four-bay arcade culminating in arched window openings at the 7th floor. The 9th and 10th floors have have double-height paired bays terminating in arches.

The building is crowned by a terra-cotta cornice and an arcaded brick parapet. The western elevation, visible on Staple Street, is faced in brick with segmental window openings and retains its cast-iron lintels on the 1st floor. Remnants of hardware at the windows suggests that the openings originally had iron shutters. The American Express Company occupied the present building through the mid-twentieth century. It now houses the Washington Market School and offices.