59 East 4th Street; 61 East 4th Street | Block : 460 | Lot #56

Description & Building Alterations

These two twin buildings were constructed in 1911 as lofts over stores. The seven story brick, stone, and metal commercial building is in the Renaissance Revival style. It features round-arch fenestration on the seventh story, grouped fenestration interspersed with cast-iron columns, patterned brickwork, paneled spandrels, molded crown above the sixth story, molded architraves at the seventh story, and molded cornice. Alterations include replacement storefronts, security gates, and standpipe.

WOW Café Theatre, begun as an 11-day international women’s festival in 1980, found its first permanent space at 330 East 11th Street eighteen months later. In 1984, the group moved to its present location, the 1400 foot loft space at 59-61 East 4th Street. Here WOW became the massive organization it is today: a year-round festival of women’s, lesbians’ and transgender peoples’ performance. As part of the downtown theater scene of East 4th Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, called “Theater Row,” WOW centers women, lesbians, and/or transgender folks as the central creative impetus behind every one of its shows.