Niagara Falls - Table of Contents

United Office Building
222 First Street, Niagara Falls, NY

In 2012 the building is known as The Giacomo Hotel
Photos below taken in 2005 before adaptive reuse.

Erected:

1929

Original owner:

United Office Co. built hotels nationally, but not including their name in the names of the hotels

Architects:

Esenwein & Johnson

Style:

Art Deco, with Mayan Revival motif

Height:

20 stories tall

building materials:

Steel, brick, terra cotta trim

Status:

City of Niagara Falls landmark

  TEXT Beneath Illustrations


Two buildings designed by Esenwein & Johnson
At right: Niagara Hotel / Fallsview Travelodge Hotel, 201 Rainbow Boulevard




Ground floor.  Note wreaths flanking windows (detail below).
Note frieze with name "United Office Building" (detail below)


Wreath with pendant shield ("U" for "United") below it.


Art Deco style letters and Mayan imagery


Soffit














Pink granite bas-relief sculpture of Mayan figure


Another pink granite bas-relief sculpture of Mayan figure

Details below.

The United Office Building is located at 222 First Street in the central business district of the City of Niagara Falls. It was built in 1929 and was designed in the art deco style of that era. At 20 stories in height, the building is the tallest structure in the city skyline, and stands as its signature architectural landmark. The upper floors offer commanding views of the Falls and the gorge, as well as the City and surrounding area.

The building consists of 15 lower stories with floor plates of approximately 4,500 gross square feet each. The upper five stories include two floors of about 3,000 square feet and three top floors of about 1,000 square feet each, which were constructed to house mechanical and elevator equipment. Having been vacant for over 15 years, the building has deteriorated and will require extensive renovation and rehabilitation to restore it to occupancy levels. -- New York Business   (online 2005)

See also:

Special thanks to Architectural Historian Martin Wachadlo for his assistance
Photos and their arrangement © 2005 Chuck LaChiusa
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