Thomas Kelly Co. Building (New York City, New York)

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5-story residential building completed in sections. It is L-shaped, wrapping around the corner lot. The oldest section is the building fronting Sixth Avenue, dating from the 1870s. By 1881 it was leased by Thomas Kelly from John G. Sauter, to house a dry goods business. At the end of his lease Thomas Kelly purchased the building. His business was successful enough that in March of 1891 he hired architects Boekell & Son to make interior renovations, and within two years he had expanded into the corner building with his own furniture and carpet firm, the Mutual Furniture Co. Kelly improved the store in the summer of 1898 by hiring architect P. F. Brogan to design new ground floor show windows. By the turn of the century, the Thomas Kelly store took up the entire corner, including Nos. 104 and 106 West 17th Street.

In 1920 new owners converted the Sixth Avenue address to lofts connected internally with the 17th Street buildings. In 1957 the corner building was demolished for a parking lot, and in 1978 the upper floors of No. 585 and Nos. 104-106 West 17th Street were converted to "joint living/work quarters for artists."

The north facade on 17th Street is split into two halves, each four bays wide. It is clad in white-painted brick above a black metal-and-glass storefront. At the upper floors, the center and end piers project slightly and have simple geometric decorations. The windows have black stone sills above dentil courses, and continuous lintel courses. A small black metal cornice caps the roof line. The ground floor is occupied by Pippin Vintage Jewelry, and New York Cleaners/Tailors.

The narrower east facade on the avenue is three bays wide, clad in brown brick over a modern storefront. The windows are recessed, with continuous sill courses and rounded top corners. Stone rosettes decorate the piers at the top of each window. A green metal fire escape runs down this facade, which is crowned by an ornate green roof cornice with bracket and modillions, and a carved frieze. The ground floor is occupied by The Hummus & Pita Co. The walls facing the empty corner lot are windowless, clad in brown brick that is partially painted. There is a round water tower on the narrow wing, atop a rather tall concrete cylinder.

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