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notes
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Along
the west side of West Broadway between Spring and Broome Streets stand
three handsome five–story, iron–front structures. Designed by three
different architects for three different owners, they were built as
warehouses providing backup services to the retail stores on Broadway.
Of particular interest among these three is the building numbered
392–394 West Broadway, which was designed by John Whitenack. The
warehouse rises four stories above a tall ground floor. Six bays across,
its 24 enormous double–hung windows are framed by attached columnettes
with stylized capitals from which spring segmental arches over each
window.
The middle windows are
now partially obscured by a fire escape. Scrolled brackets support the
assertive roof cornice that has an arched pediment over the middle two
windows.
The facade was recently painted in two colors – forest green on the
ground floor and medium gray on the upper floors. The cornice is gray and
green paint redefines the once faded date of construction, 1872, in the
center of the arched roof pediment.
Little is known about the tenants who occupied 392–394 West Broadway in
the past. A 1973 photograph showed a printing firm occupying the second
floor and an art gallery on the ground floor. For the last four years
Smith & Hawken’s garden supply store has filled the spacious ground
floor.
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