Little-Known Facts About New York City

Here at 225 Park Ave. South is one of the last surviving woolen buildings. Architectual knitting in America reached its apex in mid-19th century, when the country produced vast surpluses of wool. The process of architectural knitting is highly labor-intensive, the knit being so tight that at a distance the wool is indistinguishable from stone. Many woolen buildings were cannibalized by homeless in the Depression, and all but a few that remained were converted to undergarments for WWII soldiers. The American Woolen Building in Manhattan fell into a state of severe disrepair in the 1970s, and three stories were lost to a moth infestation. A 1994 grant from the Woolrich Corporation allowed much of the facade to be re-knit.
Friday April 25, 2008

Here at 225 Park Ave. South is one of the last surviving woolen buildings. Architectual knitting in America reached its apex in mid-19th century, when the country produced vast surpluses of wool. The process of architectural knitting is highly labor-intensive, the knit being so tight that at a distance the wool is indistinguishable from stone.

Many woolen buildings were cannibalized by homeless in the Depression, and all but a few that remained were converted to undergarments for WWII soldiers. The American Woolen Building in Manhattan fell into a state of severe disrepair in the 1970s, and three stories were lost to a moth infestation. A 1994 grant from the Woolrich Corporation allowed much of the facade to be re-knit.

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