Wall and Hanover Building
Why it's listed
Rising thirty-six stories at the corner of Wall and Hanover streets, this Manhattan skyscraper was completed in 1928-29 as the headquarters of the private bank Brown Brothers & Co. The firm had occupied the site since 1843 and demolished its earlier buildings to make way for a tower designed by Delano & Aldrich. The base is clad in granite and Indiana limestone, while the shaft is faced in tan and gray iron-spot brick, with setbacks, a light court on Hanover Street and a crested copper roof. Inside, a double-height banking hall, a rotunda and a replica of the 1865 partners' room survive. The building is recognized for its role in the bank's long history and as a representative of the 1920s financial-district towers that placed bank space below rented offices. It is also the only New York skyscraper by its architects, who favored restrained Neoclassical design.
Significance in brief: It was built as the headquarters of Brown Brothers & Co., later Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., described as the oldest and largest partnership bank in the country. It is also an example of the 1920s Wall Street skyscrapers that combined a bank's own space with rental offices above. It is the only New York skyscraper by Delano & Aldrich, and its spare Neoclassical styling reflects the firm's interest in traditional forms.
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 05001288, listed November 16, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 63 Wall St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | November 16, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001288 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-1931 |
| Architect / builder | Delano & Aldrich |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Neoclassical |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. vacated the building in 2002; the form describes the building as retaining a high degree of integrity, with the banking hall and partners' room largely intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Wall Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.70569, -74.00871 (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 05001288.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3661607
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.