Slivers of History

New York, NY - Franny Wentzel - Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 : goo

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Of the NY real estate terms 'sliver' is probably the only one that was sufficiently 'evil' enough to title a horror movie. In modern parlance a 'sliver' is one of those high rise apartment buildings set on an extremely thin lot - something like 20 storeys on the footprint of a brownstone.

It's not exactly a new phenomenon...

The very first steel frame skyscraper - the optimistically named 'Tower Building' went up on lower Broadway in 1889. The architect Bradford Gilbert was oblidged to take an office on the top floor to calm fears that it would topple over. It didn't stay a sliver for long...

By the time of the 1905 {Kings View of New York} edition it was all but buried by new construction. Was replaced in the 1920s by the Standard Oil Building.

Another building replaced by the Standard Oil building was the Produce Exchange Bank which sat at the foot of Broadway.

In the 1890s this wee beastie was built across from St Pauls church.

Called imaginatively enough the St Paul Building, it stood a good long time but was replaced in the 1960s.

Wall Street saw an amazing turnover of skyscraping slivers including this tower which stood next to the Stock Exchange.

Known as the Commercial Cable Building, it stood next to the Stock Exchange - both versions of the building - till the late '50s when it was replaced.

The Gilender Building replaced a low-rise structure of the same name.

It didn't last for more than a dozen years or so before the Bankers Trust building replace it and the building that wrapped around it.

Sadly it's well-matched neighbour was replaced in the 1930s by an undestinguished 'wraparound' that took up most of the rest of the lot in a consolidated blob building

One of the more spectaculars slivers was this spindly number at Number One Wall Street.

From the Kings View entry - 18 storeys, 217 feet height. Floor plates were 39' 10" by 29' 10". The ground floor and basement rented for $37 grand a year (1910 dollars)

It stood till the late 1920s when it was replaced with the magnificent Irving Trust building.

Other financial district slivers include.

The American Exchange Natl Bank. Replaced in the 1960s by the Marine Midland tower.

The Liberty Tower, corner of Liberty & Nassau, 31 storeys at 401 ft tall on a 57'9" by 82'1" lot.

Still standing and now a condominium.

The Shoe & Leather National Bank was built in time for the 1896 edition of Kings View.

It stood across the street from City Hall Park till the late 1920s saw its replacement with an uindestinguished loft tower.

Midtown saw its share of early slivers included the Decker Building on Union Square.

In the mid to late 1960s Andy Warhol's 'Factory' was located here - this was where he was shot by some nutsack loser who I won't give the dignity of a name.

It's still standing minus its cupola.

This terra-cotta gem was built on 40th Street near Bryant Park. 30 storeys on a two brownstone lot, its builder proposed to launch and land aeroplanes on the roof.

Known as the World Tower, it still stands though it's been pretty well buried by new construction.

Last but by no means the least is my favourite and the fairest 'sliver' of them all, the Bush Tower. Located a couple blocks north from the World Tower this 30 storey Gothic lovely still turns heads.

There were plans to tack on a 25 storey addition that seem to have gone nowhere.

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