Grace Building (Great Neck Plaza, New York) | NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic landmark, English Gothic (architecture), office/offices

 NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historic landmark, English Gothic (architecture), office/offices

In 1913 William R. Grace completed 11 Middle Neck Road, also known as the Grace Building which housed offices and stores across from the train station. Designed by architect James O’Connor, the building reflects English style building traditions including a hip roof, red brick exterior, ground floor stores and upstairs offices. Through the years, the 'Grace Block' as it came to be called, would undergo various transformations, including upstairs residential apartments. The English style would dominate the Village, including its building and street names and public and private gardens. The large scale of the building also symbolized Grace’s power in the community. On the exterior is a 1978 site-specific sculptural installation by Howard Goldberg entitled "The Jester".

It is told that W. R. Grace was a rail passenger one day, and that he had to use the washroom en route. Unfortunately, the washroom on the train was locked, which caused the future Mayor of New York considerable discomfort and embarrassment and for which he successfully sued the railroad for $2,400. But the railroad happened to be broke even then and, in settlement, gave him all of what is now Great Neck Plaza, which he later subdivided.

www.greatneckplaza.net/historic/vsurvey.php?p=11middlen...
archive.org/details/architecturalfo1921unse_0/page/n169...
books.google.com/books?id=t-A-AQAAMAAJ&newbks=1&...'Connor%22%20architect&pg=RA2-PA66-IA1#v=onepage&q=%22james%20W.%20O'Connor%22%20architect&f=false
nebula.wsimg.com/77c46a0a53c469e1c73051c110b70550?Acces...
digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/browse/great-neck-rai...
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1913-10-19/e...
bklyn.newspapers.com/image/59856415/