New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-07
Clothing Firm Will Erect
Eleven Story Building
on the Site.

Broksw Brothers, the well known
mems and boys olothiers, located at
aston Place and Fourth av. for the last
sftv.eicht years, have secured from
Ae Henry phipps estate the old Ross
more Hotel property, on the west side
n Broadway. between 4lst and 42d
sts The pending sale Of the property
rss announced recently in The Trib-
The plot has a Broadway frontage
~ % feet and extends through to
seventh av.. where it has q frontage Of
lao feet. The demolition of the present
structure VIII begin IN February 10
make way for q cOmmodlous eleven
..orv building, which will embody
sverv practical device and store COM
f,rt essential for perfect service. The
new building IS expected TO be ready
fsr occupancy about January, 1916.
when Brokaw Brothers began bust
Ass az Aston Place and Fourth av. in
Iys the city had q population of only
$4,000. and was sparsely settled above
i!-h S. Aston Place was then far be
vord the active retail zone, the main
.lopping thoroughfare being Broad
vsy from City Hall, as far north as
Canal ST.
The Brokaw store was one Of the
first Of the larger retail stores TO in
vaSa the territory so far uptown. In
4be immediate cuvirOns were the fash
;onable Co'oanade dwellings on La
fevette Place tnow Lafayette ST., the
Astor Place Opera House, Cooper I'm
ian the doors Of which were open TO
he public in 1859. the 9TH Regiment
Arnory. the Aston Library and the
Mercantile Library.
About 1862 the prominent retail con-
Germs began moving further uptown, and
In that year a. IT, Stewart opened his
new building. al Broadway, 9th and 10th
SIS. which was looked upon as the
finest 6rycoods emporium IN the world
AZ that time. During the sixties the
reichborho God experienced a boom as a
business centre and gradually became
The recognized retail section Tor
elothiers and drygoods merchants. In
addition 10 the store Of A. 7. Stewart,
adjacent TO Aston Place, were the
store Of James A. Hearn Brooks
B-o,bers. lie Boutillier Brothers, James
NeCreery g. Co., Arnold, Constable q
ca. John Daniel and the Appleton
book publishing house.
5rokaw Brothers have enjoyed rather
antique distinction during their nifty
eight wears Of business activity, never
having changed their location or the
Sunership Of the business.
The active head and president Of the
COMPANY, Howard C. Brokaw, is the son
q the late Isaac Vail Brokaw, founder
Of the business. For several years Mr.
Rrokaw has evidenced q keen interest
n the trans.torv condition Of the city's
business centre and the steady trend
1ortbward. he studied from every
ngle the various uptown locations
with a view Of acquiring a suitable
rie for q new store IN the most &C
esssible and active business centre.
Broadway and 42d ST. made the
strongest appeal. with its present
multitude Of transit facilities, the new
I Seventh av. and Broadway subways
now under construction, and IT'S close
proximity. 20 the two great railroad
terminals. the Pennsylvania and Grand
: Central stations.
The stvle Of architecture Of the new
Broksw building will be Italian Renais-
sanee, the facade Of Indiana limestone
with show windows on store and sec
oad Aoors merging into a continuous
display space. The ceilings on the
main floor and IN the basement will be
eighteen feet high. il IS proposed to
have show windows in the basement
facing the mezzanine floor Of the sub
way, also q direct entrance from the
subway. The main corridor for the use
q the upper portion Of the building
vii also be utilized as an exit and en-
trance for both the Broadway and
Seventh ay. suhways.
william !. Roome & Co. were the