Liberty Tower
Why it's listed
Liberty Tower is a thirty-three story steel-frame skyscraper at 55 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan, completed in 1909-10 to designs by Henry Ives Cobb. It fills its small lot and is visible from three sides. White terra cotta covers the main elevations, shaped into Gothic pointed arches, pinnacles, bracketed cornices and grotesque figures, and a copper-clad roof rises 64 feet above the thirtieth floor. The building sits on water-proof caissons on a site once occupied by William Cullen Bryant's New York Evening Post building. It was built as a speculative office building for the financial district. Cobb, trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition and experienced with the Chicago School, paired modern construction with historic styling, and his full terra-cotta cladding was among the earliest in New York. The building served as offices until 1979, when it became co-operative apartments, and its ground level is being restored to its original storefront arrangement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an exceptional example of the early twentieth century romantically inspired skyscrapers that changed New York's skyline. Cobb combined modern steel-cage construction on water-proof caissons with traditional Gothic decoration in full terra-cotta cladding, one of the first such uses in New York. Its prominent site and picturesque roofline make it one of lower Manhattan's most distinctive 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 83001734, listed September 15, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 55 Liberty St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 15, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001734 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909-10 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Ives Cobb |
| Architectural style | Gothic style decoration on a steel-frame skyscraper with a traditional three-part (base-shaft-capital) composition |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as commercial offices until 1979, then converted to co-operative apartments; the ground level is being restored to its original configuration, with a public restaurant on the second level. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70870, -74.00934 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 83001734.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q538076
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.