Heritage
Lexington Armory has long been a setting for cultural events in NYC.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE
Since 1850, the 69th Regiment has been the official military escort of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, marching at the very front of the procession, both in wartime and peacetime. The regiment famously begins the day with a 6 a.m. toast of Irish whiskey. March 17th is also celebrated as Unit Day, with a celebration at the Armory following the parade.
69th Regiment Leading the St. Patricks Day Parade
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1913 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF MODERN ART
Organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, this was the first large exhibition of modern art in the United States. A pivotal moment in modern art history, the show introduced contemporary artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, and more to the American public. The controversial event served as a catalyst for American artists to embrace the experimental European avant garde and pursue independent artistic languages.
International Exhibition of Modern Art, held in the Lexington Armory Drill Hall (1913)
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HISTORIC EVENTS
NBA FINALS (1953)
The Armory hosted various New York Knicks home games from 1946 to 1960. These included the 1953 NBA World Championship Series game between the Minneapolis Lakers and the New York Knicks. The three final games in the seven game championship series were played in the Armory's Drill Hall, with the Lakers winning the tournament 4-1 on the fifth game.
CULTURAL VENUE
The Armory has continued a rich history framing prominent cultural events from concerts, conventions, and art exhibitions, to sporting events and film productions.
NY Knicks vs. LA Lakers (1953)
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The Armory served as the venue for The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show nine times.
Beaux Arts Ball 2013 at the 69th Regiment Armory, NYC.
Photo: Fran Parente.
VICTORIA’S SECRET RUNWAY SHOW
To mark the centennial of the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art, the Architectural League of New York staged it’s annual Beaux Arts Ball at the Armory.
BEAUX ARTS BALL (2013)
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Architecture
An early 20th Century feat of engineering.
ARCHITECT & CONSTRUCTION
Armory Construction (1904-1906)
The administration building extends the full length of the block along Lexington Avenue. A three-story brick structure with limestone trim, it is topped by a high two-story mansard roof. The main elements of the building’s essentially symmetrical composition are two slightly projecting quoined end pavilions articulating the building’s corners and a massive, deeply recessed arched entry way in the center bay. The arch is formed with concentric rows of brick headers. A sculptured winged eagle forms the keystone of the entry arch.
As there are no structural columns in the armory, the floors are carried by unusually thick walls, their massiveness
emphasized by the contrasting smallness of its fenestration and by the depth of their reveals. A stone string course forts the lintels and sills of the first floor windows and continues to wrap both the administration building and drill hail providing a strong horizontal accent. At the second story, the facade is punctuated with transomed windows set in groups of three, alternating with projecting polygonal gun bays or eyries. A large, bracketed limestone cornice tops an entablature pierced with attic windows on the Lexington Avenue facade. The cornice of the main building continues along the roof of the drill hall. A brick parapet
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rises above the cornice line abutting the high, two-story mansard roof that crowns the headhouse. The slate-covered roof was originally one story with circular dormer windows. In 1926 the roof was raised and windows altered. The new rectilinear and round-headed windows have classical surrounds of copper.
A small four-story wing designed to house a hospital at the southwest corner of the lot is identical in detailing to the administration building.
The great arched drill hall of the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory is nearly 130 feet in height. The hall, measuring 200feet 11½ inches by 168 feet 10inches, has an arched roof carried by six pairs of three-hinged riveted steel trusses each with a span of 189 feet 8 inches. The steelwork was executed by Milliken Bros. of New York).13 The innovative fea¬ture in the design of the drill hall is the method by which the trusses are car¬ried on the exterior of the hall giving the interior a large clear
span of open space. The arched roof of the shed rests on a base of brick trimmed with limestone. A skylight, now boarded over, extends the full length of the drill hall with total dimensions of 80 feet by 202 feet. The 90 foot arch in the east gable wall of the drill hall was the largest brick arch in the country at the time of construction.14 Originally sheathed in metal, the exterior of the drill shed roof has recently been covered with an aluminum fabric.
Today the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory serves its original function as the headquarters of and training center for the National Guard’s “Fighting Sixth-Ninth” and continues to lend its drill hall for exhibition purposes. The new sheathing on the drill shed and the one-story addition to the administration building are the only major changes to the original appearance of the building. Architect George M. McCabe incorporated the additional story into the mansard roof of the
main building in a style consistent with the original Hunt & Hunt design. The alteration, completed in 1929, raised the mansard from one to two stories giving the regiment additional storage space. At the time of its construction in 1904, the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory was praised by the press as one of the finest structures of its character in the country16 and in retrospect it is viewed by historians as representative of: the first step toward a modern or twentieth-century concept, more simple, restrained and honest in its exterior reflection on interior organization than any earlier example clearly points to the newer, more rational trends which at that time were beginning to develop in all phases of art.9
The administration building extends the full length of the block along Lexington Avenue. A three-story brick structure with limestone trim, it is topped by a high two-story mansard roof. The main elements of the building’s essentially symmetrical
composition are two slightly projecting quoined end pavilions articulating the building’s corners and a massive, deeply recessed arched entry way in the center bay. The arch is formed with concentric rows of brick headers. A sculptured winged eagle forms the keystone of the entry arch.
As there are no structural columns in the armory, the floors are carried by unusually thick walls, their massiveness emphasized by the contrasting smallness of its fenestration and by the depth of their reveals. A stone string course forts the lintels and sills of the first floor windows and continues to wrap both the administration building and drill hall providing a strong horizontal accent. At the second story, the façade is punctuated with transomed windows set in groups of three, alternating with projecting polygonal gun bays or eyries. A large, bracketed limestone cornice tops an entablature pierced with attic windows on the Lexington Avenue façade. The cornice of the
main building continues along the roof of the drill hall. A brick parapet rises above the cornice line abutting the high, two-story mansard roof that crowns the headhouse. The slate-covered roof was originally one story with circular dormer windows. In 1926 the roof was raised and windows altered. The new rectilinear and round-headed windows have classical surrounds of copper.
A small four-story wing designed to house a hospital at the southwest corner of the lot is identical in detailing to the administration building.
The great arched drill hall of the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory is nearly 130 feet in height. The hall, measuring 200feet 11½ inches by 168 feet 10inches, has an arched roof carried by six pairs of three-hinged riveted steel trusses each with a span of 189 feet 8 inches. The steelwork was executed by Milliken Bros. of New York). The innovative feature in the design of the drill hall is the method by which the trusses are carried on
the exterior of the hall giving the interior a large clear span of open space. The arched roof of the shed rests on a base of brick trimmed with limestone. A skylight, now boarded over, extends the full length of the drill hall with total dimensions of 80 feet by 202 feet. The 90 foot arch in the east gable wall of the drill hall was the largest brick arch in the country at the time of construction.14 Originally sheathed in metal, the exterior of the drill shed roof has recently been covered with an aluminum fabric.
Today the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory serves its original function as the headquarters of and training center for the National Guard’s “Fighting Sixth-Ninth” and continues to lend its drill hall for exhibition purposes. The new sheathing on the drill shed and the one-story addition to the administration building are the only major changes to the original appearance of the building. Architect George M. McCabe incorporated the additional story
into the mansarded roof of the main building in a style consistent with the original Hunt & Hunt design. The alteration, completed in 1929, raised the mansard from one to two stories giving the regiment additional storage space.15
At the time of its construction in 1904, the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory was praised by the press as one of the finest structures of its character in the country16 and in retrospect it is viewed by historians as representative of: the first step toward a modern or twentieth-century concept, more simple, restrained and honest in its exterior reflection on interior organization than any earlier example clearly points to the newer, more rational trends which at that time were beginning to develop in all phases of art.
From report prepared by Cassie Murray, Landmarks Preservation Specialist, Landmarks Preservation Commission, 1983.
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NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) are historic properties that illustrate the heritage of the United States. The over 2,600 NHLs found in the U.S. today come in many forms: historic buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts. Each NHL represents an outstanding aspect of American history and culture. "Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources."
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Lexington Armory was added to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1994.
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NYC LANDMARK DESIGNATION
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation. It is responsible for protecting New York City’s architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites by granting them landmark or historic district status, and regulating them after designation.
Lexington Armory, NYC
Housing NY's 69th Regiment for over a century
There are more than 37,000 landmark properties in New York City, most of which are located in 149 historic districts and historic district extensions in all five boroughs. The total number of protected sites also includes 1,439 individual landmarks, 120 interior landmarks, and 11 scenic landmarks.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Historic St. Patrick's Day Image from https://www.irishcentral.com
2. Image of 1913 Exhibition of Modern Art from https://www.6sqft.com
3. Image of 1953 NBA Finals from https://www.nytimes.com
4. Image of 2013 Beaux Arts Ball from https://archinect.com
5. National Register of Historic Places text from https://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/
6. Image of front of Armory from https://www.newyorkitecture.com
