New York Life Building

Designated a National Historic Landmark of New York City on 6/2/1978.

Landmark Description

The New York Life Insurance Company, founded in 1841 as the Nautilus Insurance Company, has played a major role in the development of life insurance policies and practices. One of the nation's most innovative insurance firms, it was the first to establish a branch office system and pioneered a widely copied actuarial method of insuring individuals based on medical studies. In 1928 the firm moved to this 34-story skyscraper designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert. Its Gothic lines and prominent pyramidal tower sheathed in gold leaf make it a prominent architectural presence in midtown Manhattan.

Category: Building-Commercial

Location

Street: 51 Madison Avenue

Borough
: Manhattan

County
: New York

 

map of new york life building

 

For this landmark

Each of the links below provide additional information and insights regarding New York Life Building.

Other landmark references

Utilize the links below to obtain more general and broader topics related to the National Historic Landmarks and the resources available to the public.

  • Library of Congress (LOC) Picture Collection
    Unique in their scope and richness, the picture collections number more than 14 million images. These include photographs, historical prints, posters, cartoons, documentary drawings, fine prints, and architectural and engineering designs. While international in scope, the collections are particularly strong in materials documenting the history of the United States and the lives, interests, and achievements of the American people.
  • National Park Service - National Historic Landmarks Site
    National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Today, just over 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction. Working with citizens throughout the nation, the National Historic Landmarks Program draws upon the expertise of National Park Service staff who guide the nomination process for new Landmarks and provide assistance to existing Landmarks.
  • LOC Historic American Building Survey
    The permanent collection of architectural, engineering and landscape documentation at the Library of Congress consists of measured and interpretive drawings, large-format black and white and color photographs, written historical and descriptive data, and original field notes. The collection captures the American experience through approximately 40,000 recorded historic structures and sites, from American Indian cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde to space-age technology at Cape Canaveral.
  • LandmarkHunter.com
    LandmarkHunter.com is a database of historic or notable landmarks in the United States, past and present.
  • Wikipedia - National Historic Landmarks in NYC
    The free encyclopedia's directory of New York City's National Historic Landmarks.
  • Go Historic Site
    Check out Go Historic, the encyclopedic travel guide to history, art and architecture, including places, people, things, photos and topics.



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