History and architecture
The Haskins & Sells building, designed by architect Frederick C. Zobel, was originally constructed in 1912 as a speculative venture of the Brunswick Realty Company, a real estate enterprise headed by Zobel's brother Robert. The building, located at 35-37 West 39th Street in Midtown Manhattan, was adjacent to the renowned Engineers' Club and Engineering Societies' buildings, and was initially referred to as the Commercial Engineers Building in hopes of attracting engineering-related businesses.
From the beginning, however, the building was home to a variety of tenants. From 1920 to 1930, the building served as the principle location for the accounting firm of Haskins & Sells, recognized as the first major auditing firm founded by American accountants. Haskins & Sells was started in 1895 by Charles Waldo Haskins, nephew of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Elijah Watt Sells. Although the company only owned the building for five years, an indelible reminder of their presence has been left in the form of a first-story frieze bearing the inscription 'Haskins & Sells', the years of the firm's founding and acquisition of the building, and the name of the architect.
The 12-story Renaissance Revival-style building is an imaginative and graceful combination of architectural elements and details.
The tripartite design features an arcaded base characterized by two-story round-arched openings and elaborate terra-cotta ornament inlaid with marble details. The door and window openings of the first and second stories are further articulated by cast-iron details featuring intricate grillwork, elongated baluster columns, and semi-circular foliated pediments. From the base, the structure ascends to a canted tower constructed primarily of blonde brick and crowned by even more exuberant terra-cotta and marble detailing, including a modillioned cornice. A balustraded terra-cotta balcony is located at the fourth story, where the tower begins its canted ascent.
Architect Frederick C. Zobel was particularly active in the first decade of the 20th century. Zobel primarily designed commercial structures, including several buildings designated as part of the Tribeca East, Soho Cast-Iron, Ladies' Mile, and Greenwich Village Extension II historic districts. Zobel was also considered an expert in the field of building engineering, particularly with respect to skyscraper construction techniques.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.