American Bank Note Company Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1908 at 70 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan, this five-story granite building served as the headquarters of the American Bank Note Company, a leading maker of bank notes, stamps, stock certificates and other securities. The firm, formed in 1858 from a merger of several engraving companies, wanted to stay near the financial institutions it served and to project prominence among rising skyscrapers. Kirby, Petit & Green designed a freestanding Neo-Classical Revival building on a narrow trapezoidal lot, with a rusticated base, monumental fluted Ionic columns on the Broad Street front, Doric pilasters on the sides and a decorated cornice. Hedden Construction Company built it. The company moved its administrative offices out in 1988, and the building was converted to fast-food restaurants, with original interiors removed. Rehabilitation in 1998-99 followed federal standards. The building is recognized for its link to the city's commercial history and for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The building is significant under Criterion A for its association with New York City's commercial history and under Criterion C as an excellent example of Neo-Classical architecture by the prominent firm of Kirby, Petit & Green. Its overscaled columns and continuous window bays gave a prominent security engraving company a striking corporate image among growing numbers of skyscrapers.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001436, listed November 30, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 70 Broad St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | November 30, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001436 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Kirby, Petit & Green, architects; Hedden Construction Co., General Contractor |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century Revivals: Neo-Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior finishes were removed when the building became a fast-food court in the late 1980s; interior and exterior rehabilitation was carried out in 1998-99. Current functions are commerce/business and restaurant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Wall Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.70477, -74.01206 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001436.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3208373
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.