What was the original window design of the Merchants Refrigerating Warehouse?

The Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse is an 11-story industrial building in Manhattan designed by John B. Snook & Sons and developed between 1916 and 1918. Originally built with a minimal amount of windows, its facade incorporates buff brick, cast stone, granite, and terracotta. Following a 1983 sale and subsequent renovation into office space, additional windows were added to the building.

What we know

• The Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse is an 11-story industrial building located at 501 West 16th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. [2]
• The building was developed between 1916 and 1918 and was designed by the architectural firm John B. Snook & Sons. [2]
• The exterior facade was constructed using buff brick, cast stone, granite, and terracotta, featuring a minimal amount of windows originally. [2]
• The Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [1, 2]
• After being sold in 1983, the building was renovated into office space and new windows were added. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho designed the Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse?
• whereWhat is the history of the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan?
• how it workedHow are historic industrial warehouses converted into modern office spaces?
• a case in pointWhat other historic warehouses are located in Manhattan?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the National Register of Historic Places criteria for industrial buildings?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a refrigerated warehouse compare to department store architecture of the same era?Both represent massive multi-floor commercial blocks developed in the early 20th century that later underwent major adaptive reuse after periods of vacancy or structural obsolescence.

Sources

• [1]Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse (Wikidata Q2891541) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Warehouse · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]R. C. Williams Warehouse · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Shepard Company Building · CC BY-SA 4.0