- Prudence Building
The Prudence Building or Prudence Bonds Building was a former fourteen story edifice at the southeast corner of
Madison Avenue (Manhattan) and 43rd Street. It was the headquarters of the Prudence Bonds Corporation, opening in October 1923. Stores on the street level were leased toaffluent shops. The banking floor was a close likeness of theBankers Trust Company building at the southeast corner ofFifth Avenue (Manhattan) and42nd Street (Manhattan) . TheBank of Manhattan was accorded a twenty-one year lease and moved its headquarters from 40Wall Street (Manhattan) .Design
The structure was built on a plot 66.8 by convert|100|ft|m. The building was entered from Madison Avenue via antique bronze doors. The entrance floor opened into a sixteen feet wide marble corridor with elevators leading to the upper floors. An imposing stairway of Italian Travertine marble, ten feet wide with ample landings, led directly to the banking floor. This area was eleven feet above street level. It was composed of marble with a twenty foot ceiling of
Roman architecture classic design. An artistic screen of marble and statuary bronze surrounded the banking space.The former "Charles building" was incorporated into the Prudence Building, which encompassed the area once occupied by several structures. The Charles building space became the loan department of the new edifice, a quiet section constructed of steel."New Prudence-Bonds Building", New York Times, July 8, 1923, pg. RE2.]
Politically important
The headquarters of the
New York State Committee to work for the nomination of GovernorAlfred E. Smith forPresident of the United States opened in the Prudence Building on May 5, 1924. ["250 On Committee To Work For Smith", New York Times, May 5, 1924, pg. 2.] Thecommittee's chairman wasFranklin Delano Roosevelt . ["Smith Headquarters Open", New York Times, May 13, 1924, pg. 3.] Afterretiring from politics in 1929, Smith made his permanent home an apartment at the southeast corner of12th Street and Fifth Avenue. His office was in the Prudence Building. ["Smiths To Lease 5th Av. Apartment ", New York Times, January 5, 1929, pg. 9.] It was the administrative center ofTammany Hall in 1950, ["Tammany District Chief Quits City Job to Back Impellitteri", New York Times, October 1, 1950, pg. 1.] having relocated from their former headquarters at East17th Street (Manhattan) and 4th Avenue (Manhattan) in 1943. Specifically its offices were on the 5th floor of the Prudence Building. ["Tammany Society And Hall Rewed", New York Times, February 4, 1949, pg. 27.]Business locale
C. Klauberg & Bros., Inc., a razor and cutlery firm established in the early 19th century moved its quarters from the Prudence Building to the
Biltmore Hotel at Madison Avenue and 43rd Street, January 1936. By making the change in location the company increased its space by threetimes. ["Firms Are Renting Larger Quarters", New York Times, January 21, 1936, pg. 42.] Hoffritz, Inc., a cutlery interest with a store in theMcAlpin Hotel, leased a unit in the Prudence Building in May 1936. Wheelock, Harris & Company negotiated the rental. ["Expanding Firms Get Quarters In Midtown", New York Times, May 7, 1936, pg. 43.]References
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