{"nrhp_refnum":"03001179","name":"Decker Building","other_names":["Union Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"33 Union Square W.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Manhattan","state":"NY","lat":40.73684952100007,"lon":-73.99096397699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-11-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An eleven-story early skyscraper at 33 Union Square West, between West 16th and 17th Streets in Manhattan, built in 1892-93 and originally home to the Decker Piano Company.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an intact late 19th-century skyscraper attributed to architect John H. Edelmann, designed while he worked for Alfred Zucker. It is an important example of Moorish style with Venetian touches and abundant terra-cotta ornament. It also shows the exchange of ideas between New York and Chicago architects, given Edelmann's friendship with Louis Sullivan.","narrative":"Rising eleven stories on Union Square West, this narrow building was completed in 1892-93 for the Decker Piano Company. Its three-bay facade of limestone, brick and terra cotta combines Moorish and Venetian touches with flat, plant-based ornament, including sunflowers, artichokes, horseshoe arches and a tenth-story loggia. Construction combines masonry bearing walls with a cast-iron and steel frame. The design is attributed to John H. Edelmann, who prepared it while working for architect Alfred Zucker. Edelmann was a mentor and friend of Chicago architect Louis Sullivan, and the facade shows similarities to Sullivan's work, linking New York and Chicago design. The ground story and the domed tower top have been altered, yet most of the terra-cotta decoration remains. Offices on the upper floors became apartments in 1997, and a store remains at street level. It was listed for its architecture and as Edelmann's most significant surviving work.","period_of_significance":"1892-93","architect_builder":"Edelman, John H.","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century American Movements: Sullivanesque; Moorish Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The ground story and top of the building have been substantially altered, but most of the terra-cotta ornament survives. The upper floors were converted from offices to apartments in 1997, and a specialty store occupies the ground floor.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.776437-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/03001179.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03001179/e4966ef47f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03001179/e4966ef47f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Dmadeo","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Decker_Building,_33_Union_Square_West,_NYC_(2008).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Dmadeo</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Decker_Building,_33_Union_Square_West,_NYC_(2008).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75319439","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decker_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5249293"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/manhattan/decker-building-03001179/"}