Brown Building

The ten story neo-renaissance loft building, designed by New York architect John Wooley, was built in 1900-01 for Joseph J. Asch. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory occupied the building's top three floors. In 1909, Triangle employees initiated the first large-scale strike of women workers in the country, but workers' demands for increased fire safety were not met. On March 25, 1911, a fire swept through the factory, claiming the lives of 146 garment workers. Prompted by the outrage of reformers and labor unions, notably the ILGWU, New York State enacted legislation to safeguard the health and safety of workers. These laws subsequently served as models for national labor and safety reforms. The building facade was largely undamaged by the fire. In 1929 Frederick Brown donated the building to New York University, which named it in his honor, and has used it ever since as an academic building.

New York, New York · United States