Wiss Building, 665-671 Broad Street, Newark, NJ

In 1887, when the factory moved to Littleton Ave and retail stayed behind, a third division was established: Wiss Realty Corporation, a real estate holding company. In 1910 it built the first skyscraper north of the Morris Canal [now Raymond Blvd] on Broad Street across from Military Park. That is what is pictured here.


Postcards and Pictures from Before and After the Building was Built
Click on the web-size image to see full-size image.

Before the Wiss Building was built

Circa 1902-06. This one is from before the Wiss Building was built. It is mostly a picture of Military Park. See History of The Park. The postcard has an undivided back, making it pre-1906. The Hahne & Company store (large floor plate five-story building in upper left), built 1901, is present. There are no cars. There is also the back.

E-1115-Front


Labeled Armory Park, which apparently is an earlier name for Military Park. This is the same picture as the above, but has different and better coloring. It has a split back, making it printed 1906 or later. Postmarked 1908. But it is the same picture as the previous, so the picture is older. There is also the back.

Armory-Park-front


Labeled "The Square, Broad St., Newark, N.J." This is the same picture as the above. See roof at right was given a different color. There is also the back.

The-Square-Broad-St-front


The building is still not built. When was the flag staff erected? Picture taken from a tower in the Prudential Building.

Miltary Park with new flag staff


Pre-1910, as the building is not yet built. Postmarked 1911. This is now the third postcard scene. Nearly every store now has an awning sheltering part of the sidewalk.

Broad St postmarked 1911


In 1911 the Wiss Building was completed

Circa 1913. Now the building has appeared. This one is unused. I also have one postmarked 1913. Has P-63574 in lower right. Its title is on the left and the coloring is different.

P-63574


Circa 1913. Postmarked 1914. Assumed that the scene is from the same time as the previous. The Prudential Building is at your left.Has P-63563 in lower right. There is also the back. This same scene also appears on a card with a chunk of the building missing: Front and Back.

Broad-St-North-from-Market-front


Postmarked 1920. Taken some years before that as can be seen from the lack of cars. Another painted sign has been added below the original sign on the building's side. The clock at the corner is not the Wiss clock. It has a different profile, and appears on postcards from before the building was built. It looks like the clock that is now across the street in Military Park. There is also the back.

BroadSt1920


Postmarked 1918, but scene is from a few years before. The 1912-1914 Goerke Store does not yet appear.

Broad-MilitaryPark-1918


Circa 1915-1922. The Wiss Building now has a billboard on the rooftop. And painted signs on side have changed. The Goerke Store, the white building in the center left, was built 1912-1914. The 1923 S. Klein On The Square store has not yet been built. It was between the Goerke Store and the Wiss Building. There is also the back.

26-Front


Circa 1922-1923. Postmarked 1924. The Loew's State Theater, in the picture middle, with 2,589 seats, was opened December 12, 1921. The Wiss clock has now appeared. The clock top is different from what it was like in later years. Clock story: At one time the city wanted to remove the clock, but Jerome Wiss persuaded the US Postal Service to install a postal box on the clock base which then prevented any action by the city because of the federal connection. The box can be seen in photos on the NPL photos page. In 1961 the clock was taken to The Short Hills Mall and put in front of that branch. When the mall was converted from an outdoor to an indoor mall, the clock was put in storage. The works were then stolen, so it was never put back. Original postcard was bought, but not received. This is a scan provided by the seller. There is also the back. [If I get an original, I will be able to read what movie is playing at the Loew's.]

Wiss Office Building facade with clock


Circa late 1910s up to 1921 (a postmark). The 1923 S. Klein On The Square store has not yet been built. What was the billboard on the rooftop advertising? Postcard is unused. There is also the back.

BroadStNewark25


Circa early 1920s. The 1923 S. Klein On The Square store has not yet been built. There is also the back.

1920s-Broad-St-and-Military-Park-front


From a Keystone View Company stereographic card. Titled "From Corner of Commerce and Broad Sts." After 1927. There is a clock in front of the building. [I have not been able to read what movie is showing at the Loew's State.]

stereo-view-22

Picture taken late 1920s or early 1930s. The 15 story Griffith Building, built 1927, appears at the right. Most of the flagpole has been edited out of the picture. The park plantings have been reconfigured.

postcard-229


1944 Photo. From eBay. Reprints can be bought from there.

1944-5-photo


This one seems to fit in about here. The park now has trees on the sides of the apex. There is also the back.

22-Military-Park-And-Broad-Street


1953 postmark.

1953-Broad-St-at-Military-Park


Dated April 13, 1956 in lower left of photo. From Newark Association of Commerce & Industry, 605 Broad St, Newark, NJ. From Newark Library.

Bldg-1956-04-13


Circa 1956. Picture taken from 1172-1182 Raymond Blvd, now known as Eleven 80. Probably from a corner window. Has old street lights. Picture by Lloyd Thompson. From Old Newark.

wissbuilding1956lloydthompson


Circa October 24, 1958. Looking south. Torpedo Run has just opened at the Lowes. Lots of people out front. The skyscraper at the far left is 1172-1182 Raymond Blvd. Built in 1930. Now known as Eleven 80. New street lights have appeared. The building under construction is Prudential Plaza, opened 1960. Picture by Lloyd Thompson. From Old Newark.

wissbuilding1958lloydthompson


Circa 1960 on back. Wiss Building is on right side. The painted sign on the building is new. This is likely 1966, after Military Park was redone that year for the 300th Anniversary celebration. J Wiss & Sons donated a new rose for the park. From Newark Library.

Bldg-1960+


Taken June 5, 1972. Wiss Building appears at lower bottom right. From Newark Library.

Bldg-1972-06-05


Christmas 1976. The Wiss Building is on the right in the middle.

Military-Park-Christmas-1976


Aerial photo taken November 1985. The Wiss building is dead center. This is a current card and like the trend these days, the front is emblazoned with the location. I prefer the era when the front was only the picture, and you either looked at the back to see where it was taken, or it was stamped on the picture in small type. This card can be purchased at Pendor Natural Color. The back.

Newark-blue-border