For four decades, the New York Telephone Company was headquartered in the Art Deco building at the corner of Vesey and West Streets. Now the Verizon building, it withstood dual impacts on 9/11 - the North Tower collapsed on its Vesey Street facade, and Number Seven World Trade Center damaged its eastern side. Huge holes were gouged out of the Art Deco landmark's sides, and many of the building's steel columns were damaged - but the structure held. The magnificent lobby, recognized as a separate interior landmark, also suffered severe damage, and its beautiful ceiling murals were blackened.

After the Damage
In the aftermath, the Conservancy provided technical advice. For the exterior restoration, we discouraged the use of coatings and advised them on the best way to prepare for submission to the Landmarks Commission a complex master plan governing the future installation of mechanical louvers and exterior mechanical equipment.

For the lobby, the Conservancy recommended a cleaning and restoration plan and provided a referral to EverGreene Painting Studios. The subsequent $9,500 grant from the Lower Manhattan Emergency Preservation Fund funded a survey of the damage by the mural conservation firm, who recommended a protocol for the cleaning, conservation, and restoration.

The restoration efforts were completed in 2003. The south and east facing walls were reconstructed with 5,000 cubic feet of limestone and granite chiseled by master carvers in Mount Vernon, 520,000 bricks, 22,500 cinder blocks, and 93 tons of structural steel. Because only four twisted chunks of the frieze on the eastern facade survived, the new materials were copied from the undamaged western frieze. A team of 30 conservators, technicians, and artists restored the lobby to its original beauty. Using lost-wax casting, a 5,000 year-old technique, a foundry in Brooklyn restored the intricate bronze detailing.

Applauding the Results
The Conservancy recognized Verizon with two of our most prestigious awards in 2004: a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award for the restoration of 140 West Street and the Chairman’s Award.

For this work, Paul Crotty was presented with the Chairman's Award, an annual recognition of a business leader who has shown commitment to preservation in New York City. Crotty was honored with a dinner cruise aboard the Forbes yacht, the Highlander, in May. "Paul Crotty has demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving the character of this city while shaping policy as both a public servant and a corporate leader," said John J. Kerr, Chairman of the Conservancy.

After that ceremony, Conservancy donors toured the restored lobby and original, wood-paneled executive offices on the 26th floor. Led by Ray Nemchick from William F. Collins Architects, Tom Dunne of Verizon, and Jeff Greene of EverGreene Painting Studios, many were impressed with the artistry of the lobby and the magnificence of the restoration.