United Office Building

United Office Building, now known as the Giacomo, is a historic Mayan Revival,[2] a subset of art deco, skyscraper in Niagara Falls, New York, US.

United Office Building
United Office Building, June 2009
Location220 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls, New York
Coordinates43°5′14″N 79°3′45″W
Built1929
ArchitectJames A. Johnson; Amsterdam Building Co.
Architectural styleArt Deco
NRHP reference No.05001537 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 18, 2006

History

The United Office Building was designed by architect James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Johnson, one of the most successful architectural firms in Buffalo at the time. It was built by Frank A. Dudley, president of the United Hotels Company of America (later United Hotels of America),[3] and completed in 1929 on the eve of the Great Depression. The building is one of the most important landmarks in downtown Niagara Falls. It is constructed of steel and brick with a terra-cotta facade. The building's Mayan Revival art deco elements of sculpture and pressed terra-cotta brick draw inspiration from the iconography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures.[4]

The upper five stories of the building include two floors of approximately 3,000 square feet and three top floors of approximately 1,000 square feet each, which were constructed to house mechanical and elevator equipment.[5]

The United Office Building, at 20 stories, was the tallest building in Niagara Falls until 2005, when it was surpassed in height by the nearby Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel. The top floors have views of the American and Horseshoe Falls of Niagara Falls.

Renovation

The building was abandoned in the 1980s and was vacant for over 15 years.[5]

In 2004, the USA Niagara Development Corporation, a subsidiary to the State's Economic Development Agency, purchased the building for one dollar. Carl Paladino's Ellicott Development Co. undertook extensive renovations of the building, totaling $10 million (equivalent to $11,875,000 in 2019). In 2010, after the renovation, the building was renamed The Giacomo Hotel and Residences, and now houses 27 apartments, office space, and a 38-room hotel, the Giacomo.[2]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[1]

  • United Office Building front entrance
  • Architectural detail front entrance.
  • Mayan decorative elements on facade.
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See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Giacomo Hotel & Residences (former United Office Building)". usaniagara.com. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  3. Hewitt, Tom (April 1958). "Historic Lewiston is Home of Falls Leaders" (PDF). Niagara Falls Gazette. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-07-01. Note: This includes Claire L. Ross (August 2005). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: United Office Building" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-07-01. and Accompanying six photographs
  5. LaChiusa, Chuck. "United Office Building". buffaloah.com. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
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