Wizarding World of Harry Potter - New York Store (New York City, New York)

 store / shop, condominiums, 1860s construction, Italianate style (architecture)

6-story Italianate residential building completed in 1862, formerly known as the Mortimer Building. Designed by Griffith Thomas as a store and office building for Richard Mortimer, it is clad in brownstone. A couple of other early tenants were the New York City Business College, O.J. Guide Co. Advertisers, and J. & C. Johnston Dry Goods. Notable turn-of-the-century tenants included photographers, jewelers, and dealers in Oriental goods. In 1919, a 6th story was created by architects Rouse & Goldstone who removed the then-existing roof and enlarged the attic space.

The Broadway facade is organized in five bays which create two slightly projecting end pavilions flanking a center section. A recent grey stone and metal entranceway with a modern metal and glass door appears at the southern end of the ground floor. To the north of this, original fluted black cast-iron columns and pilasters flank modern storefronts.

The window openings in the end bays have pedimented surrounds at the 2nd (rounded) and 3rd (triangular) floors. Window openings in the center bays are similarly treated. Alternating window surrounds have raised lintels. At the 4th floor the end and center bays have window surrounds with projecting shelf lintels. The 5th-floor window surrounds are round-arched with keystones. Projecting string courses mark the divisions between the stories. At the added 6th floor, paired windows cut through a band course. The facade is surmounted by a dentilled and modillioned cornice. A projecting clock is mounted on the 2nd floor near the East 22nd Street corner.

The Fifth Avenue facade, also organized in five bays, is virtually identical to that on Broadway. At the ground floor, black cast-iron columns and pilasters flank modern storefronts. At the 5th floor, the center round-arched window surround is surmounted by a projecting shelf lintel. A clock is placed on the 2nd floor near the East 22nd Street corner. A water tank is visible on the roof above the southern bay.

The East 22nd Street facade is organized into nine bays and repeats the motifs of the avenue facades. Slightly projecting end pavilions flank a wide center section. The ground floor retains its original cast-iron columns and pilasters flanking recent storefronts. At the 2nd and 3rd floors, pedimented window surrounds alternate with raised lintel window surrounds. A center window at the 5th floor has a projecting shelf lintel above the round-arched surround. A fire escape is placed in front of the center windows.

The wall visible above the buildings at 929-933 Broadway is an exposed brick wall punctuated by a couple of window openings. The building was converted to condominiums sometime around 2000. The long-stopped clock on this corner inspired the They Might Be Giants song "Four of Two"-- though it runs now. The ground floor was occupied by Restoration Hardware which vacated for the Meatpacking District.

In 2020, it was announced that Warner Brothers is opening a Harry Potter flagship store in the building which used to house Restoration Hardware's Flatiron location.

daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/06/1862-mortimer-bu...
digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-9abc-a3d9-e0...
www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-biggest-harry-potter-s...