- September 3, 2025
- Denali Lasko
Located at 50 Journal Square in Jersey City, NJ, the Universal Building was recently placed on Preservation New Jersey’s 2025 edition of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list. Once part of a vibrant hub of activity in Journal Square, the Universal Building is now in desperate need of renovations and faces extreme pressure due to the imminent threat of condemnation and demolition by the city.
The Universal Building and Surroundings ca. 1950. Image courtesy of Dan McNulty Collection, Jersey City Free Public Library.
Built between 1925-1926 and designed by architect and Jersey City resident J. Hollis Wells, the Universal Building is an early member of Journal Square’s “colony of skyscrapers.” In the early 1920s, Henry W. Runyon, a local developer, dreamed of transforming the Square into a bustling commercial district. With the help of the prestigious Clinton & Russell architectural firm and Wells as lead architect, this dream became a reality. The area consists of commercial buildings that serve many purposes, including residences, warehouses, shops, movie theaters, and houses of worship. The Universal Building was a unique addition to the Square due to the engineering prowess required to create such a tall and narrow structure. Its unusually shaped lot also lent itself to the creation of a shared alley walkway between the Universal Building and Loew’s Jersey Theatre, its neighboring structure. Standing in contrast to the Loew’s extravagance, the Universal Building is a simple, 8-story flatiron building covered with a tapestry of brick and stone trimmings. Interestingly, it was also one of Wells’ last architectural designs before his death, which occurred on the eve of the building’s dedication in 1926.
The Universal Building has historically supported a variety of local businesses and was an early lessor to Black political organizations. Other political organizations, including anti-Mayor Frank Hague groups beginning in 1928 and Mayor John V. Kenny’s headquarters beginning in 1951, also took residence in the upper floors of the building. In the 1980s, one of its storefronts, Charles Men’s Shop, was a proponent of early hip-hop culture through its sale of popular sneakers and other contemporary fashions.
Portrait of Frank Sinatra, Liederkranz Hall, New York, N.Y., ca. 1947. Image courtesy of William P. Gottlieb Collection, Library of Congress.
Beginning in 1931, the 8th floor of the Universal Building was also home to WAAT, one of Jersey City’s prominent radio stations which provided listeners with 24-hour news in addition to live music programming. WAAT’s musical segment is most notable for helping to kickstart Frank Sinatra’s career as he was a frequent guest on the show during the 1930s. It was also at WAAT that Frank Sinatra met Frank Mane, an alto saxophonist who played with Sinatra during his first experience singing solo in a recording studio. The version of “Our Love” that Mane saved from this studio session is thought to be the only original vinyl of this recording in existence. In 1927, WAAT’s C.J. Ingram began the “Star Dust Program,” which is considered radio’s first regularly hosted interview series. In its ten years on the air, stars such as Fred Allen and Kate Smith, known as the “first lady of radio,” were broadcast in part from the Universal Building. On occasion, WAAT also partnered with artists who were being featured in the Loew’s Jersey Theatre, the Universal Building’s neighboring business.
Next door, the Loew’s Jersey Theatre hosted many films and live musical events from its opening in 1929 to its closure in 1986. With grassroots volunteer help, it was renovated and partially reopened in 2001. The walking alley between Loew’s and the Universal Building was an integral design choice during the development of Journal Square and further ties the history of the two buildings together.
These days, the Universal Building is in very poor condition. However, echoes of the Universal Building’s positive impact on the culture in Journal Square still exist today. The now-vacant Universal Building is well-remembered by Facebook users in the “WE GREW UP IN JERSEY CITY” Facebook group. On a 2013 post by Ira Ginsburg reflecting on Charles Men’s Shop and other locations in and around the Universal Building, Kevin Stinson exclaimed he “LOVED JOURNAL SQUARE !” and Barbara Sawicki Chandler stated, “Journal Square was ‘the place’ back then.” A successful effort to reestablish business in the Universal Building would help return Journal Square to its former glory.
Loew’s is currently being restored with plans to reopen in 2026. Though this is an exciting update for the cultural community in Jersey City, the neighboring Universal Building is still in dire need of repair. Expanding the scope of restoration to include the Universal Building is vital to preserving the history of Journal Square and giving the building a chance to be an active part of the community once again. Together, a preserved Universal Building and renovated Loew’s Jersey Theatre could provide a much-needed boost to the Square’s vitality while honoring the history of Journal Square’s “colony of skyscrapers.”
