The Thomaston Building is on the National Register of Historic Places - (516) 967-0823

The Thomaston Building has stood in the heart of Great Neck for more than 85 years.

The Thomaston Building has stood in the heart of Great Neck for more than 85 years. Most of the people that pass by this nationally recognized landmark know little about its history. William Russell (WR) Grace commissioned the building. Grace was born in Ballylinan, County Laois, Ireland on May 10, 1832. He married Lillius Gilchrist, the daughter of a well-known ship builder from Thomaston, Maine. This is where the building gets its name. WR Grace left Ireland during the potato famine and moved to Peru where he founded the WR Grace company. This company went on to become one of the largest and most powerful shipping and industrial conglomerates in the world. Grace commissioned one of his favorite architect's James W. O'Connor to build the Thomaston building. After its construction the building served as the world headquarters for Grace Real Estate. Later in its history the Thomaston building was the Great Neck NY City Hall.


National Register Plaque
The Thomaston building is a handsome brick building that has classical colonial features such as a slate gable roof, period showroom windows and wood belt course with dentil molding above the first story. In its gable ends are classic round oculus windows. The building was constructed in 1926 and is an excellent example of Georgian Revival architecture. The Building's original materials have been maintained and restored where necessary. They look as they did when the building was erected. Styled with patriotic flags used during revolutionary times this building is the perfect blend of the old and the new.

Today the Thomaston Building is owned by 8 Bond Street Corp whose president Patrick Silberstein loves the building as much as the men responsible for building it. Unlike many buildings from this era the Thomaston Building is in pristine condition and has been updated for the 21st century. This historic building is fully furnished with fiber optics from two internet providers. When modernizing the building great care was taken to minimize the building's impact on the environment. Every light inside and outside the building are LED to maximize efficiency. The air conditioning units on the roof are state of the art and require as little energy as possible. The roof of the building is also painted white increasing the "albedo" or reflectivity to help reduce energy usage when running the air conditioning during the summer months.

Please stop by when you are in the neighborhood and see this wonderful work of architectural art and glimpse into the past of the Great Neck community. You'll be glad you did!

The Thomaston Building is comprised of a diverse group of local businesses.

Tags: Commercial Real Estate