{"nrhp_refnum":"05001537","name":"United Office Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"220 Rainbow Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Niagara Falls","county":"Niagara County","state":"NY","lat":43.087209261000055,"lon":-79.06221223499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-01-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 20-story Art Deco office skyscraper at 220 Rainbow Boulevard in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York, built in 1928-1929 and designed by James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Johnson of Buffalo.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the most outstanding early twentieth century skyscrapers and Art Deco commercial buildings in Western New York, and the only early skyscraper in Niagara County. It reflects the setback form shaped by New York City zoning rules and has a Mayan-themed terra cotta design. It also served as headquarters of the United Hotels Company of America, the earliest U.S. hotel chain.","narrative":"Rising twenty stories above Rainbow Boulevard in Niagara Falls, this office tower was built in 1928-1929 and remains the tallest historic commercial skyscraper in the city. Esenwein & Johnson of Buffalo designed it, with James A. Johnson handling the ornament, and the Amsterdam Building Company of New York City served as general contractor. A steel frame is clad in brick that lightens from dark brown at the base to buff at the top, above a band of polished marble and a two-story terra cotta base with Mayan-style relief. Setbacks at the upper floors follow the New York City zoning model and carry polychrome terra cotta friezes. Inside, the lobby has terrazzo floors, marble wainscot, coffered plaster ceilings and a gold-leaf staircase. The building housed attorneys, brokers and insurers, and was headquarters of the United Hotels Company of America. It has been vacant since the 1980s, but the exterior and lobby keep a high level of architectural integrity.","period_of_significance":"1929-1955","architect_builder":"James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Johnson of Buffalo, N.Y.; Amsterdam Building Company of New York City","architectural_style":"MODERN MOVEMENT/Art Deco skyscraper","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed current function is vacant; the building was vacated in the 1980s, a 1990s apartment conversion failed, and window replacement plans were approved. Exterior and lobby retain a high level of integrity.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.642578-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/05001537.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05001537/aa8553cd36-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05001537/aa8553cd36-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_Office_Building_Jun_09.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_Office_Building_Jun_09.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75320155","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Office_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7889005"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/niagara-county/united-office-building-05001537/"}