GALLERY
Terra-cotta had never been used in New York before aside from some failed attempts during the 1850’s, since it wasn’t until the 1870’s that Chicago and Boston developed the technique to a point where a whole façade could be made out of terra-cotta. There were no companies that produced it in the 1880’s in New York, so all of it had to be brought from the Boston Terra Cotta Company. Eventually, Potter himself would be so seduced by the terra-cotta the he started his own company, providing with this material other later buildings in New York City.
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James Taylor, superintendent of the Boston Terra Cotta Company during that era, said in 1888 that the Potter Building was “an example of the best use of terra-cotta, both for construc
Its background can be appreciated when you see the ornamented façade of the building as part of the style of the building, which was defined as “a picturesque, flamboyant fusion of Queen Anne, neo-Grec, Renaissance Revival, and Colonial Revival motifs” (Potter Building, NYC.org, Landmarks Preservation Commission (September 17, 1996)) which made it a unique spot among the rest of the buildings in Park Row. As a consequence of the fire, Potter included in his building the latest fireproof advantages that he could find, building it “including the use of rolled iron beams, cast iron columns, brick exterior walls – its walls are 40 inches (100 cm) thick at ground level – tile arches and terra-cotta” (Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopaedia – The Potter Building).
Built between 1883 and 1886, The Potter Building inaugurated as one of the fireproof-constructed pioneers in New York and as a commission from Orlando B. Potter, the owner of not only the Potter Building but also the World Building, which burned down in a fire in 1882, for which the Potter was a substitute. However, is its terra-cotta façade what makes this building a true masterpiece and a unique element in the architecture of the city since it is one of the few buildings that survived from this period.
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As mentioned, in 1882 the infamous fire that burned the World Building caused a series of damages whose cost rose up to $400.000. Potter saw no other option than to construct a new building using the space that the World Building had left, and commissioned the design of a new building to Norris Garshom Starkweather, who had never worked before in New York but had previous experience from other cities like Massachusetts, where he became a contractor, Baltimore and Virginia. Although he was specialized in church designs, he agreed to design the Potter building, one of his only three credited designs in the city since he died in 1885.
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THE POTTER
tive and ornamental purposes. No building yet erected in this country is more solidly constructed, and the weight supported by the piers and arches is simply enormous. If stone had been used in place of terra-cotta, the weight to be supported would have been more than doubled, and the risk and cost of handling would have been greatly increased, to say nothing about the first-cost of stone work, as heavily carved and richly ornamented as the terra-cotta work used in this building.” (Potter Building, NYC.org, Landmarks Preservation Commission (September 17, 1996)
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The Potter Building is located in Park Row, down in the Financial District, next to The Beekman Hotel and The Beekman Tower, so walking down Park Row and visiting the exterior of these buildings and may others that can be found is a really recommendable trip, since as well, the Brooklyn Bridge is located quite near.
TEXT-SOURCES:
Wikipedia - Potter Building
NY Architecture - Potter Building
NYC Official Website - The Potter Designation Report
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IMAGES-SOURCES (Article):
Image 1: CityRealty - The Potter Building
Image 2: © Dan Haneckow (September 12 1999)
Image 3: © Sofia Tjernström - AIC-IAC