Park and Tilford Building
Why it's listed
Rising three stories at the corner of Lenox Avenue and West 126th Street in Central Harlem, this Classical Revival building was completed in 1908 for the Park & Tilford grocery chain. Architect B. Hustace Simonson clad it in beige brick with marble, limestone and terra cotta ornament, including ionic pilasters, a dentiled cornice and elaborate window surrounds. Park & Tilford, a New York grocery business operating from 1840 to 1923, usually leased its stores. This was the only building it ever built and owned, a move meant to earn rent from the upper floors. The Harlem branch served Harlem and the Bronx but closed in 1919, a result of Prohibition and a changing neighborhood. Later occupants included Masonic lodges, a bakery and the United Mutual Life Insurance Company, a Black-led firm founded in 1942. The building recently underwent a tax-credit rehabilitation and remains in office and retail use. It is recognized for its role in the history of commerce and the grocery trade.
Significance in brief: The building is significant under Criterion A in the area of Commerce. It was the first and only building owned and constructed by the Park & Tilford grocery chain, and it illustrates the shift from small independent grocers toward chain operations. The Harlem branch closed in 1919, reflecting Prohibition and neighborhood change.
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 09000258, listed May 1, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 310 Lenox Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | May 1, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000258 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1919 |
| Architect / builder | Simonson, B. Hustan |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In good condition and retains integrity; recently rehabilitated using federal historic tax credits. Ground floor has retail spaces and upper floors hold offices. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.81010, -73.94435 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 09000258.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7138155
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.