(l. to r.) 74-76 and 78 Fifth Avenue. The former is a 12-story loft building designed in 1910 by Maynicke & Franke for Henry Corn with secessionist-style motifs; it housed a noted venue for film showings, lectures, and other gatherings related to left-wing causes, attracting the likes of not only Paul Robeson but also FBI and House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigations. The latter is a 10-story Neo-Renaissance–style loft building constructed in 1896 by architect Albert Wagner for Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale, Bloomingdale’s Department Store founders, to serve as their corporate offices. The building also housed the offices of civil engineering consulting firm Purdy & Henderson, which employed some of the first female civil engineers in the country, and which was responsible for such notable NYC landmarks as the Flatiron Building and 40 Wall Street.

For more information on the history of these and other buildings South of Union Square, click here.

See all Architecture of South of Union Square photos here.

Photos by Dylan Chandler
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