anemone carpet green::Designed by william schickel and built in 188081, it has been a major presence in union square for over a century anemone carpet green

anemone carpet green

anemone carpet green

anemone carpet green::Designed by william schickel and built in 188081, it has been a major presence in union square for over a century.
Schickel, a germanborn architect who practiced in new york, rose to prominence as a leading late19th century designer of churches and institutional buildings in the united states.
He designed the century building as a speculative venture for his major clients, the owners of the arnold constable department stores.
Schickel designed the century building in the queen anne style, an english import defined by a picturesque use of 17thand 18thcentury motifs.
More usually associated in this country with residential architecture, the queen anne was also used in commercial buildings, but few of these survive in new york city.
For over three decades the building housed the century publ ishing company, publishers of the century and st.
The century was considered by many critics to be one of the finest general periodicals in the world during the last two decades of the 19th century.
Accordingly in 1807, the new york state legislature appointed a commission to survey the city north of presentday houston street and to lay out streets, roads, and public squares.
Although the new streets were generally planned in a rectangular grid, certain established roads were allowed to retain their traditional orientation.
Then, as the city expanded northward and land use intensified, the need for open spaces became apparent.
In 1831, at the urging of local residents, union place was set aside as a public space.
Three years later it received its first principal adornment, a fountain supplied by the waters of the newly opened croton aqueduct.
Within ten years, the square was surrounded by fashionable residences including some of the most splendid mansions in the city.
On 17th street, north of the square, in the block where the century building now stands, were the homes of henry parish, henry young, daniel miller and dr.
All of these were fourstory italianate houses, built between 1847 and 1851 on lots at least 28 feet wide that extended through the block to 18th street.
Soon a number of hotels followed and these in turn brought shops and theaters.
By the end of the civil war, many of the mansions on the square had been converted to firstclass boarding houses or stores.
It was during this transitional period, in spring 1867, that aaron arnold, founder of the arnold constable department store, acquired the two properties west of the everett house which were to become the site of the century building.