March 2, 2004

Statement of the Historic Districts Council
Before the Landmarks Preservation Commission

Re: Hecla Iron Works Office Building, 100-118 North 11th Street, Brooklyn

The Historic Districts Council is the city-wide advocate for New York City’s historic districts and for neighborhoods meriting preservation. HDC is pleased to have the opportunity to testify in support of the proposed designation of the Hecla Iron Works Office Building, 100-118 North 11th Street in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

The Historic Districts Council commends the Landmarks Preservation Commission for turning its attention to this wonderful remnant of Brooklyn’s industrial history. The Hecla Iron Works building is significant not for its own architecture but also for the role the company and its building played in providing architectural and ornamental ironwork for some of New York’s most beloved buildings. The Hecla company was a renowned metalwork producer in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company provided ornamentation for such famous architects as Henry Hardenbergh and McKim Mead & White, and it produced the original IRT subway kiosks. The building at 100-118 North 11th Street was Hecla’s showroom, in addition to being an office, a school to train metalworkers and a design studio.

The story of the Hecla Iron Works company and its building enhances the history of the New York City’s architectural development. However, what is more significant is the exterior of the building itself, which is an early forerunner of Modernist architecture. Built in 1881, the building’s façade is a clear predecessor to the modern curtain wall. By repeating four basic elements – a spandrel, a window, a small pilaster and a large pilaster, the façade shows with unprecedented honesty the structure of the building. At a time when cast iron facades were emulating stone, the Hecla building’s façade is formal and minimalist. Moreover, it appears as if the original finish of the cast iron façade was not painted but was allowed to rust as a sealant. This would indicate a progressive treatment of the metal since such a treatment would be later used in Modern steel structures. We ask that the Landmarks Preservation Commission research this aspect further.

Lastly, the windows on the Hecla Iron works building also add to its importance as a precursor to Modernist expression. The multi-paned steel casement windows seem to be some of the oldest extant steel casement windows in New York City. Extremely rare and indisputably significant, the windows are a key reason why this building is so deserving of landmark status.

The Historic Districts Council urges the Commission to designate this building, as it is one of the most significant industrial buildings in Brooklyn and is an important ancestor of the Modern movement.