Kislak Building

The Griffith Building, also known as the Griffith Piano Company Building, is a historic high-rise complex on Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey, right next to Military Park. Construction began in 1927, and the building opened on June 1, 1928, as the headquarters of the Griffith Piano Company, which Parker O. Griffith had founded in 1911. It was designed by architect George Elwood Jones, whose plans were chosen over the original proposals by William E. Lehman. The fourteen-story building originally served as a combination showroom, workshop, office building, and concert hall. The associated foundation, led by Mrs. Parker O. Griffith, also supported programming at Newark Symphony Hall. In recognition of its architectural, commercial, and musical significance, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and was later incorporated into the Military Park Commons Historic District as a contributing property.

Architecturally, the building stands out for its elaborate facade. The ground floor, mezzanine, and second floor are clad in textured granite and feature a central display window opening with bronze frames. Above it, the name "GRIFFITH" is displayed in Roman block letters, flanked by garland medallions. The upper floors are faced with yellow brick and marked by evenly spaced rows of windows. The roofline is especially ornate, decorated with biforas, a Solomonic column, and four obelisks, recalling Neo-Romanesque style elements. Inside, the ground floor and mezzanine are distinguished by marble floors and bronze coffered ceilings, while the office floors were served by elevators and corridors.

After the piano companies went bankrupt in 1973, the building stood vacant for ten years. Various renovation and reuse concepts, including plans for a hotel or condominiums, failed over the following decades. It was not until 2018 that a new developer acquired the property in order to revitalize it extensively. Today the building houses modern residences, including studios and one-bedroom apartments, along with a penthouse and roughly 20,000 square meters of retail space on the ground and first floors. Residents also have access to a fitness center, a game room, a lounge, and an e-bike charging station.