Rogers Peet Building
Encyclopedia
Rogers Peet Building was a five-story structure which was built in Manhattan
in 1863. It was home to the Rogers Peet
clothing store until December 4, 1898. It belonged to the Emanuel Hoffman estate and was one of the historic buildings of New York City
. The edifice, located at Broadway and Warren Street, burned entirely during a fire which accounted for more than $1,000,000 in property losses.
railway ran across Broadway to Mall Street. Its construction was the beginning of the underground railway system concept in New York City. The tunnel was built around 1873. It was used as a shooting gallery after the abandonment of the underground railroad idea.
, and broke into a thousand fragments.
At the time of its destruction the Rogers Peet Building was occupied by Rogers, Peet & Company, clothiers, Brown & Sheehan, lawyers (ex-Judge Brown and John C. Sheehan), John Brien, contractor, L.T. Smith, architect, and the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 1863. It was home to the Rogers Peet
Rogers Peet
Rogers Peet was a men's clothing company founded on November 6, 1874. Rogers Peet introduced several innovations into the men's wear business: they attached tags to garments giving fabric composition, they marked garments with price tags , they offered customers their money back if not satisfied,...
clothing store until December 4, 1898. It belonged to the Emanuel Hoffman estate and was one of the historic buildings of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The edifice, located at Broadway and Warren Street, burned entirely during a fire which accounted for more than $1,000,000 in property losses.
Building history
For twenty-five years the ground floor of the Rogers Peet Building was occupied by Devlin & Company, a business of tailors. They paid an annual rental of $45,000 during their occupancy of the structure. The Rogers Peet Building had a double basement, with a lower cellar which was the opening of a tubular railway company. The Beach Pneumatic TransitBeach Pneumatic Transit
The Beach Pneumatic Transit was the first attempt to build an underground public transit system in New York City, USA.-History:In 1869, Alfred Ely Beach and his Beach Pneumatic Transit Company of New York began constructing a pneumatic subway line beneath Broadway...
railway ran across Broadway to Mall Street. Its construction was the beginning of the underground railway system concept in New York City. The tunnel was built around 1873. It was used as a shooting gallery after the abandonment of the underground railroad idea.
Fire particulars
At the center of the business section of late 19th century New York City, the conflagration spread to a sixteen-story structure occupied by the Home Life Insurance Company. At 2 A.M. on December 4, 1898 bystanders on Broadway watched as another floor of the burnt out Rogers Peet Building collapsed and fell. The outer edge of the structure, which fronted on Warren Street, bulged a foot or a foot and a half outward at its top. Flames first emanated from the basement of the Rogers Peet Building, yet it was uncertain how the fire began. A single pane from the top floor of the edifice fell onto a statue of Nathan HaleNathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British...
, and broke into a thousand fragments.
At the time of its destruction the Rogers Peet Building was occupied by Rogers, Peet & Company, clothiers, Brown & Sheehan, lawyers (ex-Judge Brown and John C. Sheehan), John Brien, contractor, L.T. Smith, architect, and the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Founded in 1851, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company is a leading mutual life insurance company with 1800 offices and 13 million clients worldwide. Mass Mutual is one of the largest Life Insurance companies globally and is currently ranked 93rd in the Fortune 500 list...
.