Year Built: 1871
Developer: D. Appleton & Company, publishing company.
Architect: Stephen Decatur Hatch
Style: Second Empire
American Waltham Company manufactured watch cases in this building for decades. Though the watch company stopped manufacturing watches in 1957, watches can still be purchased for $1,000 to $4,000 through vintage dealers. President Lincoln was given a Waltham watch as a gift after his Gettysburg address.
On March 6th, 1877 a massive fire destroyed the building that was there prior to the Robbins & Appleton Building. The building was built by Stephen Hatch in 1871 and after the fire Robbins & Appleton hired Hatch again to build the current structure, a beautiful ornate cast-iron building featuring large windows and a mansard roof. 7-9 Bond Street was built to emulate this magnificent building and bring a sense of architectural harmony to the block, though when it was constructed it was considered a poor imitation.
The Robbins & Appleton Building was designated a NYC Landmark in 1979; it 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Currently, the building is home to lofts and Blick Art Materials.
