O'Neill Building

The O'Neill Building is a former department store in Chelsea at 655 6th Avenue, featuring neo-Grec architecture, cast-iron facades, and four gilded domes at its corners. The structure spans an entire block and displays the elaborate craftsmanship of the late 1800s.

The building was constructed between 1887 and 1890 and initially served as Hugh O'Neill's Dry Goods Store. Financial pressures led to its merger with Adams Dry Goods Store in 1907.

The building sits within the Ladies' Mile Historic District, an area that represented the center of New York City retail fashion in the late 1800s. The ornate gilded domes at its corners still speak to the grandeur that shopping held in that era.

The building is now a private residential property with 49 units across seven floors and is not open to the public inside. The exterior facade with its golden domes can be viewed and photographed from the street.

Construction occurred in two phases while keeping the store operating, an unusual approach for such a large project. In 1895, the entire building roof was actually raised to add a fifth floor without disrupting the existing structure below.