Building at 21 West Street
Also known as: Le Rivage
Why it's listed
Rising 32 stories near the lower tip of Manhattan, 21 West Street is an Art Deco skyscraper built in 1929-31 and designed by Starrett & Van Vleck. It is a steel-frame building faced in yellow, orange and red ironspot brick laid in geometric patterns, with ziggurat setbacks, glazed corner windows and a street-level loggia with bronze panels. Inside, the vestibule, lobby and elevator banks keep travertine walls, terrazzo floors, decorative metalwork and nautical motifs, including a marble mosaic map of lower Manhattan. It was built as a speculative office tower by the 21 West Street Corporation during the downtown redevelopment of the period, drawing tenants from shipping-related trades such as importers, exporters, shipping companies, maritime lawyers and the architectural firm Gibbs & Cox. It is valued as an example of the skyscraper boom and of Art Deco commercial design. The exterior retains a high level of integrity, while the upper floors have been gutted and are being converted to apartments.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant for its link to the 1920s-30s skyscraper boom in lower Manhattan and as an excellent example of Art Deco commercial architecture. It is also an important work of the architectural firm Starrett & Van Vleck. Its tenants included shipping-related businesses and the maritime architects Gibbs & Cox.
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 99000316, listed March 12, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 21 West St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | March 12, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000316 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-31 |
| Architect / builder | Starrett & Van Vleck |
| Architectural style | Moderne Movement: Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior has a high level of integrity and the Art Deco lobby remains; the upper floors were gutted and are being renovated as apartments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70624, -74.01554 (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 99000316.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8772080
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.