26 Centre Street, Gilbert Russell Building, circa 1822, Federal Style*

26 Centre Street, Gilbert Russell Building, circa 1822, Federal Style*

Built circa 1822 by Gilbert Russell, a birthright Quaker and prominent whaling merchant, the Russell Warehouse is a three-story Federal style brick commercial building with barn styled doors on each floor. Originally used by Gamaliel Bryant for his grocery store, the building was later leased to Mark Palmer, a manufacturer of tin, sheet iron, and copperware. The Gilbert Russell Warehouse was later used as a warehouse by the successful whaling merchants Lawrence and Joseph Grinnell. One of the principal architectural features of this once commercial property is the three stacked centrally located loading doors, one per story. They have granite headers and sills with hoist apparatus at the roof level. This unit would have been used to maneuver large goods in and out of the warehouse and its various floors. The front façade is brick clad with granite rubble forming the shell of the structure. The windows at the ground level have brownstone headers and sills and are 6 over 6 hung wooden sash. Today the building houses residences and a commercial business on the first floor.