{"nrhp_refnum":"80002702","name":"Municipal Asphalt Plant","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Between 90th and 91st Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Manhattan","state":"NY","lat":40.778297982000026,"lon":-73.94371733699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-05-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A reinforced concrete mixing plant building with a parabolic arch form, located between East 90th and 91st Streets at the East River in Manhattan. It was built in 1941-44 and designed by architects Ely Jacques Kahn and Robert Allan Jacobs for the Manhattan Borough President's office.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it was an innovative and radical design, the first of its kind in the United States, using reinforced concrete in a parabolic arch at a time when the material was still somewhat novel. It was praised by the Museum of Modern Art and Architectural Forum, and reflects international design trends through the work of a major architectural firm. It is also described as one of the most notable and unique examples of modern architecture in New York City.","narrative":"Rising beside the East River Drive in Manhattan, this reinforced concrete mixing plant was built in 1941-44 to produce asphalt for city streets. Architects Ely Jacques Kahn and Robert Allan Jacobs designed it for the Borough President's office, and Borough President Stanley M. Isaacs wanted an industrial building that would blend with the drive and nearby housing. Four arched ribs, each 84 feet 6 inches high with a 90-foot clear span, support concrete barrel vaults. Steel ribs served as both formwork and reinforcement. The parabolic form suited the equipment and avoided interior columns. Described as the first design of its kind in the United States, it drew criticism from Robert Moses, who called it a \"Cathedral of Asphalt,\" but was shown by the Museum of Modern Art in 1944. Asphalt production ended in 1968, and the surrounding site became the Asphalt Green recreation area, with plans to convert the building into an indoor sports and arts center.","period_of_significance":"1941-44","architect_builder":"Ely Jacques Kahn and Robert Allan Jacobs","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Unoccupied and vacant; plant operations ceased in 1968 and the mixing equipment was removed. Plans were underway to convert it into a community sports center as part of Asphalt Green.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:41.309215-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/80002702.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80002702/c1e07e1f3c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80002702/c1e07e1f3c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jim.henderson","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asphalt_Green_arches_jeh.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Jim.henderson</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asphalt_Green_arches_jeh.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75319752","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_Asphalt_Plant","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6936130"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/manhattan/municipal-asphalt-plant-80002702/"}