P.F. Collier & Son Building (New York City, New York)

 office building, Neoclassical (architecture), 1902_construction

3-story Neo-Classical office building completed in 1902. Designed by Trowbridge & Livingston in the Neoclassical style as a factory (printing plant)/office building. It was financed by the Astor family, and leased to publishing house P.F. Collier & Son. The building has two full facades, spanning from Little West 12th through to West 13th Street. The plant employed some 700 people and produced up to 20,000 books a day.

The center of the facade has orange brick pilaster with stone bases. Between the pilasters are six bays of large cast-iron framed windows. The two end bays of the facade are clad in rusticated limestone, with the eastern one on West 13th Street having a monumental entrance portico with four Ionic columns supporting an entablature with the carved words "P.F COLLIER & SON". Above this is a carved globe flanked by wings, with a feather quill on the left and an ink pen on the right, and topped by a stone torch. The roof of the building has a paneled brick parapet. The rear facade on Little West 12th had numerous loading docks on the ground floor.

In 1929, this building was leased to the General Electric Co., and was used as warehouse for the General Electric Appliance Co. A narrow 3-story annex was built next door at 414 West 13th Street in 1929-30. General Electric used both facilities until at least 1970. It was also the home of a number of textile and handbag firms, as well as miscellaneous businesses not associated with the produce or meatpacking trades.

The building was completely renovated in 2012 with new ground-floor windows and interior office space. The ground floor is occupied by Fig & Olive restaurant.

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