Excelsior Power Company Building at 33-38 Gold Street, between Fulton and John.
This one is literally right across the street from our apartment.
“Excelsior” is not just an expression made famous by the late Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee. It is also on the state seal of New York.
Another use was the name of a power company which
took steam and changed it to electricity: The Excelsior Power Company. In 1888 they move their headquarters to 33-38 Gold Street. A cast metal sign with the company’s name was placed over the terra cotta date. This was originally the main entrance of the building.
Gold Street was originally designed for pedestrians and horse carts. It is too narrow to do much construction so the building with Romanesque and Queen Anne design, along the street itself has remained pretty much untouched. There is also a very good taco place called Casa Taqueria right across the street. The scaffolding has been here pretty much since we’ve lived here so the sign, along with one of the last 1920s-era Type G bracket lamps is covered. These were the best pictures I could get.
Read more about it here: http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/…/1888-excelsior-powe…