Architecture in the pouring rain

The oldest part of the ClockTower was built in 1885-86 when Grover Cleveland, a Democrat from NY was President.

http://clocktowertenants.com/2010/07/richardsonian-romanesque-folks.html

But just a couple years earlier, in 1883, a close architectural relative was going up at Fifth and 23rd in Manhattan. 

1883 was a productive year; The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires was built by Thomas Edison, a telephone line connected New York and Chicago, the Brooklyn Bridge opened after 13 years of construction and Coco Chanel was born. And apparently, the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style was all the rage.

This building right across Fifth Avenue from the Flatiron Building also features the same decorative clay inserts as our ClockTower, the same fancy brickwork, the same round top windows.

Then we came along in the Bronx, 2 years later.