Image via Complex Original
With such a ‘Generican’ street address, One Main Street is like no other building to be found in the rest of this country. Considered the crown jewel of the Walentas’ empire, this building was once the tallest in Dumbo and certainly still the most prominent. Built in 1914 it is part of a series of buildings developed by Robert Gair, a Scotsman who came to the US at the age of 14 and grew to immense success with his paper and packaging industry.
Why is this one of Dumbo's most coveted pieces of real estate? Read on.
Home to the Stars
Situated in what became in 2007 the 90th historic district designated by NYC’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, it is certainly a truly fantastic luxury residence. It is just off the water and the newly finished (and newly refinished) Brooklyn Bridge Park and a stone’s throw away from Jane Walentas’ Carosel (that tragically got flooded during Sandy). Glamorous celebs like Jane Hathaway are rumored to reside there, and several TV shows have been shot there. The Walentas’ themselves used to briefly call the penthouse home, but these days it sits vacant waiting for its final sale. Maybe you'll be the next one to call it home?
A Moment as the Tallest Building in the World
When built, 1 Main was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world with over 275,000 square feet of interior space. The building was leased to Charles Williams Stores, who ran a mail order firm comparable to Sears Roebuck from offices in the building. In 1998, it was converted into 124 luxury condominiums. The building was purchased along with several others as part of a 2 million square foot deal from Harry Helmsley for just $12 million back in 1979. Street Easy is currently listing the penthouse at 1 Main for over $18 million and at the peak of the last reception, had it priced at as high as $25 million.
Meet Gair, Shipping Man Extraordinaire
Gair is credited with having invented machines for folding corrugated cardboard, flat bottomed paper bags, and boxes. With the rise of Brooklyn’s shipping and trading industries, Gair’s skills with packaging were critical to all and he quickly became the largest manufacturer of boxes in the United States, employing over 1,700 people in his factories in Dumbo.