What am I looking at?
The Lincoln Building, also known as One Union Square West, is a Neo-Romanesque building at 1 Union Square West in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.
The quick answer
The Lincoln Building, also known as One Union Square West, is a Neo-Romanesque building at 1 Union Square West in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is located at the northwest corner of Union Square West's intersection with 14th Street. Erected in 1889–1890 to a design by R. H. Robertson, it has a facade of masonry with terracotta detailing, and contains an interior structural system made of metal. The Lincoln Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and is also a New York City Landmark.
How it came to be
The site of the Lincoln Building was initially part of a farm owned by Henry Spingler (or Springler). Union Square was first laid out in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, expanded in 1832, and then made into a public park in 1839. The completion of the park led to the construction of mansions surrounding it, which were largely replaced with commercial enterprises following the American Civil War. Despite this, the Spingler family continued to own the land under the western side of Union Square until 1958, leasing it out to various people. By the late 1870s, technological advances in elevator technology and steel framework enabled the construction of taller office buildings, such as the Lincoln Building, erected on land owned by the Spinglers.
The detail most people miss
The Lincoln Building was erected on the site of four other structures. According to the construction application submitted to the New York City Department of Buildings, the building was erected for one "Mr. Crawford", who was possibly tied to the Spingler family or the land's lessee. The site, at the northwest corner of Union Square West and 14th Street, was highly sought-out because it was considered to be part of Broadway "for all practical purposes". Ostensibly, the Lincoln Building was named for the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Union Square Park, directly across Union Square West.
Why it still matters
The structure was designed by R. H. Robertson in 1887, being among his earliest works. Some sources cite the starting date as 1885, though this date is incorrect, as indicated by construction records. Initial plans called for a ten-story building, but the Lincoln Building was ultimately completed during 1889-1890 as a nine-story structure. Early tenants were involved in a variety of trades; they ranged from architects, such as Alfred Zucker, to building-trade companies and garment companies. Tenants also included the New York Motion Picture Company, which opened an office in the building in 1910, and the Universal Film Manufacturing Company (later Universal Pictures), which was founded at the building in 1912. In the 2010s, lessees included an online restaurant-reservations company and a denim producer.
