International Mercantile Marine Company Building
Also known as: United States Lines Building
Why it's listed
Rising twelve stories across from Battery Park, One Broadway is an office building whose present look dates from 1919-21. It began in 1882 as the Queen Anne style Washington Building, designed by Edward Kendall for Cyrus W. Fields. After the International Mercantile Marine Company bought it, architect Walter B. Chambers redesigned it, building a new steel frame and a buff Indiana limestone facade with chamfered corners and a copper mansard roof. Venetian-mosaic port shields line the second floor, and relief figures of Mercury and Neptune flank the main entrance. Inside, the former booking office for the United States Lines evokes an eighteenth-century ballroom, with marble walls, black marble columns and inlaid ship compasses. The building is recognized as an intact example of the move toward restrained Neoclassicism in 1920s New York office design and as a major late work of Chambers. It also occupies a site tied to early Dutch Manhattan.
Significance in brief: It is presented as an intact example of a large post-World War I New York office building showing the shift from opulent, eclectic skyscraper design to restrained Neoclassicism. It is also valued as a major late work of Walter B. Chambers and for its grand ground-floor public spaces. The site is among the most historic in the city.
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 91000108, listed March 2, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Broadway, New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | March 2, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000108 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919-21 |
| Architect / builder | Walter B. Chambers (architect) |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical / restrained Beaux-Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The exterior is largely original apart from window alterations. The former booking office has been converted to a bank branch, and the office floors have been renovated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70469, -74.01448 (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 91000108.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q282931
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.