Terra Cotta Building

The Terra Cotta Building is a historic structure in New York with exterior surfaces made from shaped clay tiles. The facade features elaborately designed cornices, window surrounds, and decorative embellishments that cover the outside walls.

The structure was built in the early 1900s when terra cotta became increasingly popular in American building design. This material allowed architects to add more decoration while keeping the building strong and lasting.

The building shows how craftspeople valued decorative details in early 20th century New York and what mattered to them in design. The ornaments visible on the exterior still reveal the skilled techniques they used to shape and finish clay elements.

The building is visible from the street and shows its original facade clearly from ground level. The best view of the terra cotta ornaments comes from a distance so you can see all the details across the entire surface.

Each terra cotta element on the facade was hand-crafted with individual patterns that differ slightly from its neighbors. This makes the building a visual mosaic where even repeated designs are never exactly alike.

Location: New York

GPS coordinates: 42.25750,-77.78861

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:15