National Register of Historic Places

Knickerbocker Hotel

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
April 10, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80002697

About this property

The Knickerbocker Hotel is a hotel at Times Square, on the southeastern corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Built by John Jacob Astor IV, the hostelry was designed in 1901 and opened in 1906. Its location near the Theater District around Times Square was intended to attract not only residential guests but also theater visitors. The hotel is designed largely in the Beaux-Arts style by Marvin & Davis, with Bruce Price as consultant. Its primary frontages are on Broadway and 42nd Street. These facades are constructed of red brick with terracotta details and a prominent mansard roof. The Knickerbocker Hotel also incorporates an annex on 41st Street, built in 1894 as part of the St. Cloud Hotel, which formerly occupied the site. The 41st Street facade contains a Romanesque Revival designed by Philip C. Brown. The hotel contains 300 rooms, a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a roof bar. The original interior design was devised in 1905 by Trowbridge & Livingston, scattered remnants of which include an entrance that formerly led from the New York City Subway's Times Square station to the hotel's basement. The original hotel housed Enrico Caruso and George M. Cohan until it was shuttered in 1920 due to a decrease in business. The building was then converted to offices, becoming the Knickerbocker Building; it was the home of Newsweek magazine from 1940 to 1959 during which it was called the Newsweek Building. After major renovations in 1980, it became known as 1466 Broadway and was used as garment showrooms and offices. Following another renovation in 2001, it was known as 6 Times Square. The Knickerbocker was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and was designated a New York City Landmark in 1988. It was converted back to a hotel from 2013 to 2015 under its original name.

Location

142 W. 42nd St.
New York, New York County, New York
40.75544, -73.98625

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Times Square-42nd Street Subway Station
Industrial
0 mi
New Amsterdam Theater
Industrial
0.1 mi
Candler Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lamb's Club
Industrial
0.1 mi
Town Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kip's Bay
1776Revolutionary War
1.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Knickerbocker Hotel listed on the National Register?

Knickerbocker Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Knickerbocker Hotel?

Knickerbocker Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Knickerbocker Hotel?

The period of significance for Knickerbocker Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Knickerbocker Hotel?

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