Sullivan, Ed, Theater
Also known as: Hammerstein's Theater
Why it's listed
Ed Sullivan Theater occupies an L-shaped site at Broadway and West 53rd Street in Manhattan. Built in 1927 as Hammerstein's Theatre, it combines a thirteen-story brick office building trimmed in glazed terra cotta with a rear auditorium and stage. Producer Arthur Hammerstein built it as a memorial to his father, impresario Oscar Hammerstein I, and hired Herbert J. Krapp, who designed twenty-one theaters in the Times Square area. The exterior is modest, but the interior is lavish, with Gothic plaster vaulting, ornate lobbies, bronze doors, and a ribbed auditorium ceiling. The theater was not a financial success. It became a nightclub in 1934 and a CBS television studio in 1949, home to Ed Sullivan's popular show, and it was renamed for him in 1967. Its listing rests on its place among the 1920s Times Square theaters and on its rare neo-Gothic design. It remains a working television studio today.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative example of the legitimate theaters built in the Times Square area during the 1920s. It is also a rare, architecturally distinguished neo-Gothic theater by prolific theater architect Herbert J. Krapp, with much of its flamboyant Gothic interior detail intact. It is further tied to the Hammerstein theatrical family and to its later use as a CBS television studio for Ed Sullivan's show.
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 97001303, listed November 17, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1697--1699 Broadway, New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | November 17, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001303 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927 |
| Architect / builder | Krapp, Herbert J. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a television studio and office building; the theater was rehabilitated for the David Letterman Show, with modern production equipment installed to minimize impact on historic finishes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.76370, -73.98305 (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 97001303.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3268242
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.