The letter “G” pops up on numerous buildings around town, but when you see a “G” by itself it’s usually accompanied by a compass and a square ruler, and marks the present or former location of a Masonic hall. It’s part of the logo of the Society of Freemasons and represents both geometry, used in architecture, and God. The cartouched G on the tall building on the SW corner of West Broadway and Chambers Street is the building’s initial.
Unlike London’s “Gherkin Building,” the 14-story Gerkin Building at #90 West Broadway doesn’t resemble a pickle. It falls outside of the Tribeca West Historic District, but W.B. Melvin, the company that restored it, has some information:
“Originally known as the Gerken Building, 90 West Broadway was designed by Harding & Gooch and constructed in 1896. It is a 14-story loft building with street frontage along West Broadway and Chambers Street. The base of the building is composed of red brick and terra cotta with ornamental cast iron storefront infill, while the middle and upper portions are composed of beige brick with rich architectural terra cotta detailing, capped by an elaborate sheetmetal cornice with brick parapet above. The Gerken Building derives its name from developer Frederick Gerken and was previously the headquarters of the New York National Exchange Bank. Today, this classic loft building is a cooperative located in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan.”
Kevin Walsh is the webmaster of the award-winning website Forgotten NY, and the author of the books Forgotten New York (HarperCollins, 2006) and also, with the Greater Astoria Historical Society, Forgotten Queens (Arcadia, 2013).