An early
commercial denizen of the area, this five-story building was completed
just as cast-iron facades and window shopping were becoming fashionable.
This was due to the fact that the use of cast-iron allowed for large
expanses of ground floor windows. Fourteen foot tall "sperm candle
columns"--so named because their attenuated form resembles sperm
whale oil candles--flank the upper window bays. The thin hollow columns
are an elegant, impressive feature and their iron casting was a technical
tour-de-force. They complement the building's decorative program which
includes an ornamental cornice and articulated keystones. The building now
houses the Canal Jean Company.