New York City Buildings: Research Guide: Buildings

Another excellent place to start your research is the House History Research at The New York Public Library, which includes helpful tips on finding information about both residential and nonresidential buildings.

Books

For books, look up the buildings in CLIO, Columbia University Libraries online catalog using one or more of the search strategies below:

  • Search under the full name of the building in direct order.
    Ex: CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE (NEW YORK, N.Y.)
  • If not found, look for the name under "New York (N.Y.)" plus name of building.
    Ex: NEW YORK (N.Y.). CHRYSLER BUILDING.
  • If the building has had more than one name, try all possibilities.
    Ex: FLATIRON BUILDING (also known as the FULLER BUILDING)
  • If the building is known only by its address, try the spelled-out form of the address.
    Ex: 154 EAST 89TH STREET (NEW YORK, N.Y.)
    i.e., filed in the card catalog as if spoken aloud and then spelled out as One Fifty-Four East Eighty-Ninth Street.
  • If it is unlikely that the building is the subject of an entire book, try a broader subject category to find books that might have a chapter or section on your building.
    Ex: NEW YORK (N.Y.)--CHURCHES
    or APARTMENT HOUSES--UNITED STATES--NEW YORK (N.Y.)

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