The Archive Apartments (New York City, New York)

 Romanesque (architecture), interesting place, apartment building, 1899_construction

11-story Romanesque-revival mixed-use building completed in 1899. Designed by James Knox Taylor, William Martin Aiken and Willoughby J. Edbrooke as the U.S. Appraiser's Store, a warehouse for goods awaiting customs inspection. Clad in granite and red brick, it has round Roman arches, wide piers, and massive brick walls that are as thick as three feet at the base. The arched windows soar as high as sixteen feet, providing ample light and breathtaking views in every direction. A wide stone band course separates the 2nd and 3rd floors. Above, the masonry facade is broken by regularly spaced square and arched windows and a heavy cornice.

14 years its completion, the building was taken over by the U.S. government as a general warehouse. During the Great Depression it was converted into the National Archives Record Center which additionally contained a post office and office space for government agencies. Since each floor contained over one acre of square footage, it was highly suitable as storage space for the agency's archival materials. By the 1970s, however, the offices were relocated, the post office closed and the building sat vacant and essentially abandoned. In 1976 the General Services Administration deemed the old building to be Government surplus, much like an extra filing cabinet or metal office desk.

Renovated in 1988, the building was converted into 479 rental apartments, retail and office spaces managed by Rockwell. An interior atrium was carved into the center of the building and the retail spaces were integrated into the base. Retail tenants include Creative Edge Parties, D'Agostino grocery, Archive Cleaners & Tailoring, and Crunch Fitness.

rockrose.com/building/the-archive/