Corbin Building

1889

Architect: Francis H. Kimball
Address: 13 John Street, Manhattan

Having been perfectly restored (and wonderfully shot by my friend Pat Cashin) in 2013, it's nice to know that we'll be enjoying the Corbin Building for centuries to come (hey, I can be an optimist if I want!). The basement and most of the ground floor, instead of being retail, now help the inflow and outflow of New Yawkers in and out of the new Fulton Transit Center, pictured at left. Like the Silk Exchange Building, the Corbin is tall, narrow, on a corner of Broadway, and looms over its nearest neighbors, giving us a full sense of the cojones of yet another late-19th century architect. Details abound, from terracotta detailing around its windows to its interior staircase flourishes. It's one of the few instances wherein new construction actually preserved and highlighted the genius of a significantly older--but no less significant--building.