| 10 East 40th Street | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view, July 2024 | |
 Interactive map of 10 East 40th Street | |
| Alternative names | Mercantile Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Location | Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′06″N73°58′53″W / 40.751592°N 73.981323°W /40.751592; -73.981323 |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Renovated | 2002 |
| Height | 632 feet (193 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 48 |
| Floor area | 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Ludlow and Peabody |
| References | |
| [1] | |
10 East 40th Street or theMercantile Building is a skyscraper on40th Street inMidtown Manhattan,New York City. It is located in the middle of the block betweenFifth andMadison avenues, extending south to39th Street. Designed byLudlow and Peabody and built byJesse H. Jones, it was finished in 1929 and is an example ofRenaissance Revival architecture.[2] When it was built, it was the fourth-tallest tower in the world.[3]
It is 632 feet (193 m) high, with 48 floors, and contains 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m2) of office or mixed-use space.[2]
It was previously known as the Chase Tower, after its first tenant,Chase Brass & Copper. Its owner until his death in 1938 wasFrederick William Vanderbilt.
During the 1970s, the building housed part of theMid-Manhattan Library.[4] In September 2002, the building's lobby was renovated, restoring the 15-foot (4.6 m) ceilings. Current tenants include theMoroccan consulate.
On November 14, 2007, the building became the final site to be removed fromThomas Edison's originaldirect current grid in New York City.[5]
The building was completed in 1929 when 90 percent of the electricity in lower Manhattan was direct current.[6] In that year New York Edison announced plans that it was going to convert the entire system toalternating current. The last 2rotary converter substations generating direct current (at West 26th and West 39th Street) were retired in 1977 and the DC conversions were handled by solid-staterectifier units. The 2007 event shifted the responsibility for providing the conversion from Con Edison to the building via a local converter. Many of the buildings built in 1929 and before still use direct current with the local converter – most notably for elevators. TheNew York City Subway'sthird rail electric system is still direct current (with theMetropolitan Transportation Authority providing the local converters from AC to DC.[7]
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