New York Architectural Terra Cotta Works Building, Long Island City NY I

Tucked under the bridge on Vernon Boulevard is the last remnant of the New York Architectural Terra Cotta Works, a once thriving company that supplied architectural terra cotta for projects throughout the United States and Canada, including over 2,000 buildings. Of the forty-eight major terra cotta manufacturers in the United States, the NYATCC was the only company that operated its plant in New York City. Among their most prominent commissions are Carnegie Hall and the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Terra cotta became popular as a building material in the United States beginning in the 1870s and alongside bricks, enjoyed a long tenure due to its flexibility, versatility and durability. The New York Architectural Terra-Cotta Company was in operation at 401 Vernon Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, New York, from 1886 to 1932. Its headquarters were designed by Francis H. Kimball, a prominent New York City architect best known for his work on early skyscrapers in lower Manhattan. The building was designed as a showcase for the brick and terra cotta work for which the company was famous.