Collection of architectural drawings of the Surrogate's Courthouse and other facilities used by the Department of Records and Information Services, 1897-1998, undated

Accession ACC-2023-006. Unprocessed - RG 027. Department of Citywide Administrative Services

Description

Consists of architectural drawings, mostly of the Surrogate's Courthouse, originally called the Hall of Records, at 31 Chambers Street in Manhattan, circa 1897-1998. There is also a small amount of drawings of other facilities used by the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), including Bush Terminal (6th Floor Archives Offices and Building 19 Section B, now part of Industry City), and the Queens Record Center shelving. Drawings of the building at 31 Chambers Street include different types of architectural plans, such as floor plans, site plans, cross sections, and detail drawings. The formats of the drawings include but are not limited to blueprints, diazotypes, computer print outs, and a small amount of photocopies. A significant portion of the 31 Chambers Street plans are of DORIS facilities, including the Municipal Reference and Research Center, Archival Storage and Record Preservation Laboratory, Research Room, and administrative offices, circa 1970s-1980s. These plans include: security system installation; electrical and detection schematics; power and lighting; drain pan layout; furniture and demolition (e.g. library); plumbing; HVAC (e.g. unit enclosures, cooling tower); structural details; aluminum and glass partition; cellar west pump room; fire protection; and various floor, roof, and cellar plans. A significant number of the plans in one folder are of various floors, from November 1980, and marked "Preliminary." Drawings of the Hall of Records date from 1897-1964, and include plans from 1897 by the building's original architect, John R. Thomas. Plans by Thomas include numbered ones for different stories, and the attic, of the Hall of Records. Two plans from 1904, for the Office of the Register of the County of New York, and a basement plan for the storage of records for the Department of Finance, Department of Taxes and Assessment, are by architects Horgan and Slattery, who oversaw the completion of the building. Drawings of the first and third floors of the Hall of Records by the Work Projects Administration from 1941 may have been made for a space survey. Plans by the US Works Progress Administration from July 13, 1938 are of various floors of the Hall of Records. Blueprints by the Department of Public Works from 1964 are of various floors of the Hall of Records, mostly for alteration of the water supply system. The drawings were mostly created by different agencies, prominently: the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and predecessors or divisions including, Department of General Services, Department of Public Works, Department of Real Estate Services (DCAS-DRES); the U.S. Works Progress Administration (also known as the Work Projects Administration); and the Bureau of Public Buildings and Offices, Borough of Manhattan. They appear to have been made as building alteration or informational drawings, and have been used when renovations have been made in the buildings. Architects and engineers for the plans include but are not limited to: John R. Thomas, A.L. Beineix, Horgan and Slattery, Pomerance and Breines, Irwin G. Cantor, and The Switzer Group, Inc.

Extent

2.6 cubic feet : approximately 274 architectural drawings, including but are not limited to blueprints, diazotypes, computer print outs, and a small amount of photocopies.

Dates

1897-1998, undated

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Access to Unprocessed Archival Collections

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