{"nrhp_refnum":"99001425","name":"Insurance Company of North America Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"99 John St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Manhattan","state":"NY","lat":40.70839546000008,"lon":-74.00591876099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-11-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 28-story Art Deco steel-frame skyscraper at 99 John Street in Lower Manhattan, built in 1932-33 to designs by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon for the Insurance Company of North America.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a leading example of the last group of New York skyscrapers built before the Depression and World War II, praised by critic Lewis Mumford for its restrained design. It is also an outstanding work of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and is tied to the insurance industry's cluster of office towers on John Street.","narrative":"Rising 28 stories at 99 John Street in Lower Manhattan, this Art Deco office tower was completed in 1932-33 for the Insurance Company of North America. Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, the firm best known for the Empire State Building, designed it with a steel frame, five setbacks, granite base, fluted limestone piers and chrome-nickel steel strips running the full height. Inside, the cross-shaped lobby retains marble walls, terrazzo floors and stainless steel details, and the cellar offices keep their distinctive plan. The building was listed for its architecture and its place in commerce. Critic Lewis Mumford judged that the skyscraper had nearly reached its peak with this design, which avoided ornament. It was one of few major office buildings begun in the early Depression years, and it anchored the John Street insurance district. A recent rehabilitation converted the former offices to apartments while keeping the exterior and principal interiors largely intact.","period_of_significance":"1932-1949","architect_builder":"Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Architects","architectural_style":"Modern Movement / Art Deco","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Formerly offices; a major rehabilitation to convert it to residential use was nearing completion at the time of the form.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.360999-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/99001425.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001425/54684b6bf3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001425/54684b6bf3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Americasroof","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:99_John_Street.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Americasroof</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:99_John_Street.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75319642","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_John_Street","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5818141"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/manhattan/insurance-company-of-north-america-building-99001425/"}