Rogers Peet Building

Rogers Peet Building was a five-story structure which was built in City Hall Park, Manhattan, New York City, in 1863. It was home to the Rogers Peet clothing store until December 4, 1898.[1] It belonged to the Emanuel Hoffman estate[2] and was one of the historic buildings of New York City. The edifice, located at Broadway and Warren Street, burned entirely during a fire which accounted for more than $1 million in property losses.[3] Today, the site is occupied by part of the Home Life Insurance Company Building.

Building history

For 25 years the ground floor of the Rogers Peet Building was occupied by Devlin & Company, a business of tailors. They paid an annual rental of $45,000 during their occupancy of the structure. The Rogers Peet Building had a double basement, with a lower cellar which was the opening of a tubular railway company. The Beach Pneumatic Transit railway ran across Broadway to Mall Street. Its construction was the beginning of the underground railway system concept in New York City. The tunnel was built around 1873. It was used as a shooting gallery after the abandonment of the underground railroad idea.[1]

Fire particulars

At the center of the business section of late 19th century New York City, the conflagration spread to the sixteen-story structure occupied by the Home Life Insurance Company. At 2 A.M. on December 4, 1898 bystanders on Broadway watched as another floor of the burnt out Rogers Peet Building collapsed and fell. The outer edge of the structure, which fronted on Warren Street, bulged a foot or a foot and a half outward at its top. Flames first emanated from the basement of the Rogers Peet Building, yet it was uncertain how the fire began. A single pane from the top floor of the edifice fell onto a statue of Nathan Hale, and broke into a thousand fragments.[3]

At the time of its destruction the Rogers Peet Building was occupied by Rogers, Peet & Company, clothiers, Brown & Sheehan, lawyers (ex-Judge Brown and John C. Sheehan), John Brien, contractor, L.T. Smith, architect, and the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.[1]

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References

"ROGERS, PEET & CO.'S BUILDING.; Part of the Hoffman Estate and a Historic Structure". The New York Times. 1898-12-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
"New Buildings and Alterations". The New York Times. 1894-05-02. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
"DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN SKY-SCRAPERS; Flames Wreak Havoc in the Home Life Building. POSTAL STRUCTURE AFIRE Edifice Occupied by Rogers, Peet & Co. in Utter Ruin. LOSS OVER $1,000,000. High Wind Fans the Blaze While Firemen Work -- Large Throng Watches and Cheers the Spectacular Sight". The New York Times. 1898-12-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-17.

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[rogers-1] "ROGERS, PEET & CO.'S BUILDING.; Part of the Hoffman Estate and a Historic Structure". The New York Times. 1898-12-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-17.

[2] "New Buildings and Alterations". The New York Times. 1894-05-02. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-17.

[hale-3] "DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN SKY-SCRAPERS; Flames Wreak Havoc in the Home Life Building. POSTAL STRUCTURE AFIRE Edifice Occupied by Rogers, Peet & Co. in Utter Ruin. LOSS OVER $1,000,000. High Wind Fans the Blaze While Firemen Work -- Large Throng Watches and Cheers the Spectacular Sight". The New York Times. 1898-12-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-17.