ithiel who? read on history & da vinci code fans:

 

 

"NEW YORK’S HISTORIC WORLD TRADE CENTER - PEARL STREET c. 1830”

 

 

1832 SYMBOL WILL BE RESCUED AFTER DEMOLITION

 

FOUNDING AMEICAN ARCHITECT BELIEVED BEHIND WORK

 

The party wall between 209 and 211 Pearl Street containing the intriguing brickwork symbol is over half demolished will be removed after demolition work is complete at 205-209 Pearl Street. City Council Member Alan J. Gerson’s office and Community Board 1 are working to arrange a meeting with John McMillan, a project coordinator at Rockrose Development, headed by Henry Elghanayan, who owns the building and its historic symbol.

 

Above photo: Interior of 211 Pearl Street. Demolition of the party wall between 209 and 211 Pearl St. is at the third floor - just 20’ away from the brickwork symbol. Demolition crews should reach the symbol by mid-week.

 

The recent demolition work at 215 Pearl Street, which proceeded after dark in the last stage and prevented cracks from being spotted in the wall of 213 Pearl Street, has raised concerns that similar neglect could jeopardize the valuable and mysterious installation at 211 Pearl Street.   

 

There is now strong evidence to suggest that the symbol is the work of Ithiel Town, founder of the country’s first architectural firm. Although research on the obscure symbol has been well received by scholars in the U.S. and Europe, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and other influential parties remained non-committal - so this extraordinary relic of American architectural and cultural history was left in the hands of the developer and the demolition contractor, who now plan to rescue the relic.

 

 

THE SYMBOL AT 211 PEARL STREET

 

Breaking the code? The diagram outlines the organization of the symbolic brickwork. A precise arrangement of 2:1 ratios converge into a bold center scalene triangle - with the movement of the formation, its proposed, transforming into a spiral motion. One interpretation of the design at William Colgate’s warehouse points to an expression of natural Greek philosophy and Alchemy. See blog link for further images/information.

 

 

Ithiel Who?

by Richard D. Carreno

 

Despite his obscurity outside scholarly       circles, Ithiel Town was a Nineteenth century Wunderkind. An engineer, inventor and architect - he also founded the country’s first architectural firm and the National Academy of Design. His library of 12,000 volumes, prints and art objects was a worldwide marvel - made available to the public in hopes of nurturing an independent American art and architecture.

 

edit i forgot the link:

http://www.historicpearlstreet.com/

 

 

very interesting story...can't believe I hadn't heard about it yet.  Thanks a lot for sharing the info!!