Not your Average City Block

The 84 William Street building was built in 1907 by Architects Howells & Stokes, who founded their company in 1897 by John Mead Howells and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes.  The building was originally the headquarters for the Royal Insurance Company, who still sells insurance globally and are listed on the London Stock Exchange.  The current market total value is two million dollars and the land value is roughly $4.6 million. 

Recently,121 apartment rooms were added to the original 17 floors during the renovation to the building in 2001 which The New School now leases from Metro Loft management, LLC.  The original exterior was kept, giving the building a 19^th-century-gothic-like appearance.  However, the renovations did remove the first two stories of the building’s original three story white marble base, as well as the original two story entrance.


"There are actually a lot of cool things left from the original building, like a beautiful staircase," said Susan Lee, 21, a resident of the William Street dorm, referencing a spiral, light blue and white staircase that is located on the North end of the building.  As well as the staircase, the paint in the stairways are original as well, according to maintenance staff at William Street.  


Lee isn't the only student nostalgic for older buildings.  "I'm sort of a nerd about building history," said Ivette Ceser, 22, a Parsons student at William Street.  "There are so many historic buildings to explore in the financial district and we don't take the time to appreciate them."  Ceser is right; With Wall Street two blocks south and Manhattans oldest standing building only blocks away, the 84 William Street building sits on a land of dense history.  Castle Clinton, the Alexander Hamilton U.S Custom House and the famous Trinity Church are all close by as well.

Although the Castle Clinton was originally built to keep the British out of New York in the war of 1812, it became famous after millions of immigrants passed through its halls to become U.S citizens.  The Castle has had many identity changes over the years; from 1840-1855 the building was an opera house, later in immigration station and finally the New York Aquarium from 1896-1941 which is now housed at Coney Island.

The Alexander Hamilton U.S Custom House was built in 1902 by the federal government to hold duty collection operations for the port authority of New York.  Inside the building houses several well known sculptures and paintings by artist such as Albert Jaegers and Louis St. Gaudens.  The building is also well known for its dome-shaped interior making it a distinguished building in the Beaux- Arts style area.    

Trinity Church was built in 1698 and approved by Governor Benjamin Fletcher but was destroyed in a fire that flattened 500 other buildings, as well, driving many New Yorkers into homelessness.  In 1788 construction for a new Trinity Church began but was torn down due to bad snow storms in the mid 1800s.  Finally in 1846, the gothic-revival church we see today was finished, making it the highest point in New York City at the time.  The church houses many famous deceits, most notably Alexander Hamilton.


"If anythings for sure, students should simply take advantage on where they are living," concluded Lee, noting that she was planning on attending Castle Clinton this weekend.