I.L.G.W.U Building

 guildhall, apartment building, labor union

6-story residential building completed in 1921 for the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. Designed by Charles H. Higgins (also reportedly John Caggiano?) as an office building, it is clad in limestone, divided into three bays. Between them a carved panel held the inscription LABOR OMNIA VINCIT, or 'Work Conquers All'.

The 2-story base a square window in the center and twin entrances at the ends - each has a stone surround with egg-and-dart molding and the number 3 inscribed in a circle above the door. Above the center windows is a carved stone panel. The 2nd floor has segmental-arched openings with new modern casement windows, and between them, carved decoration in the form of two interlocking wreaths with ribbons and tools such as scissors and rulers hanging below. These choices of ornament reflected the garment industry.

A dentiled stone cornice forms the base of the 3rd-story windows, each a double-window in a modern aluminum casement. The spandrels between floors have vertical grooves, except for between the 5th & 6th floors, where there are swags. The piers are decorated with various ornament at level, including carved lanterns, floral designs, simple squares, and chalices at the top. In addition to the offices of the I.L.G.W.U, the building housed a number of related organizations like the White Goods Workers Union, the Misses and Children's Dressmakers Union, the Bookkeepers, Stenographers and Accountants Union, and the Waterproof Garment Workers Union.

The building was purchased by the National Council of Young Israel in the 1940s. It housed the Sixteenth Street Synagogue until 2013, when it was evicted from the building after a decade-long legal battle that began when the National Council decided to sell the building in 1999. Since 2005, the building had also been used by Magen David, a Sephardic congregation.

It was sold by in 2006 and gut renovated into residential use in 2013. The bronze letters which had announced the National Council of Young Israel and the stained glass window between the entrances were removed, and the Latin inscription touting the powers of work was covered by a decorative panel. Besides a small lobby, the ground floor is occupied by Skin Laundry skin care clinic.

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