{"nrhp_refnum":"83001775","name":"Kurtz, J., and Sons Store Building","other_names":["Building at 162-24 Jamaica Avenue"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"162-24 Jamaica Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Queens","state":"NY","lat":40.70443827100007,"lon":-73.79727341799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-09-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A six-story commercial building at 162-24 Jamaica Avenue, at the corner of New York Boulevard in downtown Jamaica, Queens, built in 1931 as a furniture store for J. Kurtz & Sons and designed by Allmendinger & Schlendorf.","why_significant":"It is presented as a fine and rare example of Art Deco commercial architecture in Queens. Its skyscraper and lightning-bolt motifs, vertical pylons and colorful materials express the modern outlook of the 1930s. The clients wanted a modern, colorful design that would be noticed by passengers on the nearby elevated trains.","narrative":"Standing on a corner lot at Jamaica Avenue and New York Boulevard, this six-story steel-frame building was erected in 1931 as a retail store for the J. Kurtz & Sons furniture chain. Architects Allmendinger & Schlendorf, previously known for straightforward industrial work, were asked to produce a modern and colorful design that riders on the nearby elevated trains would notice. They chose Art Deco, borrowing the motifs of skyscrapers such as the Chrysler and Daily News Buildings. Broad plate-glass windows fill the lower floors, framed by cast aluminum bands with lightning-like motifs, while black and white tile pylons rise through the upper stories. Gold and blue terra cotta panels sit below the plain parapet. Some changes have occurred, including new signs, a wider band above the ground floor and the loss of painted skyscraper window designs. The building is considered a rare Queens example of Art Deco commercial design, with a forceful vertical composition for its size.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific date 1931)","architect_builder":"Allmendinger & Schlendorf","architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied commercial use; described as in good condition and altered (signage replaced, mezzanine windows shortened, original silver window designs removed).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:42.220702-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/83001775.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001775/067d997015-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001775/067d997015-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"DanTD","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J-Kurtz_and_Sons;_Top_Floors.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">DanTD</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:J-Kurtz_and_Sons;_Top_Floors.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75321108","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Kurtz_and_Sons_Store_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6106258"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/queens/kurtz-j-and-sons-store-building-83001775/"}