What is the oldest building in New York?

On CNewYork, we often tell you about new buildings growing in New York. But what is the oldest building in New York? The answer is twofold …

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The oldest building in New York dates from 1889

You obviously know the famous skyscrapers of New York that are the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the One World Trade Center, the tallest tower in the city. But do you know the name of the oldest building in New York?
Answer: The very first building in New York was called The Tower Building. This building was inaugurated in 1889, the same year as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and it stood at No. 50 Broadway, a stone’s throw from the Wall Street bull. You will have noticed that I am talking about this building in the past tense: The Tower Building was unfortunately destroyed in 1913.
The building has disappeared but historians consider it the first building in New York because it was the first building in the city to be supported by a steel structure. However, we were far from the current peaks: The Tower Building only had 11 floors… To be compared to the 104 floors of One World Trade Center.
Another curiosity: the entrance to the building occupied less than 7 meters on the sidewalk of Broadway. A narrowness that would have pleased the architects of the new giant towers in Midtown, in particular 432 Park.

The Tower Building having been destroyed, what is the oldest building in New York still standing today? This is the Flatiron Building, which is located at the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, opposite Madison Square Park.
The Flatiron Building opened in 1902 and, although towering glass towers have grown around it, it retains the title of the oldest building in New York still standing. You can find more information on this amazing building in my article dedicated to the Flatiron Building.