East Village in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Cooper Union
7 E(ast) 7(th Street)
— Built 1852-1859 —
Its famous Greta Hall has been a bastion of free speech and progressivism, presenting great minds, talents and the burning issues of the day. Lincoln’s anti-slavery “Right Makes Might” speech (2/27/1860), propelled him to the presidency. A 1909 speech by Clara Lemich sparked the uprising of 20,000 shirtwaist workers. Other appearances include Mark Twain, Frederick Douglass, Chief Red Cloud, Susan B. Anthony, Emma Goldman, Mother Jones, Nikola Tesla, Clarence Darrow, P.T. Barnum, William Randolph Hearst, Andrew Carnegie, W.E.B. DuBois, Bertrand Russell, Margaret Mead, Orson Wells, Allen Ginsburg, Billy Joel, Philip Glass, Steven Colbert and Presidents Grant, Cleveland, Taft, T. Roosevelt, Wilson, Clinton, and Obama.
Prominent alumni include Nobel physicist Russell Hulse, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Max Fleischer and Freedom Tower’s Daniel Libeskind.
Peter Cooper (1791-1883) was successively a laborer, clerk, mechanic, inventor, manufacturer, financier, philanthropist, philosopher, and presidential candidate. He built America’s first Steam locomotive, invented powdered gelatin and founded the company that laid the first Transatlantic Cable.
Frederick A. Peterson’s design for Cooper Union’s Foundation Building was the earliest to employ rolled iron beams. Built 1854-1859, the stately Anglo-Italianate brownstone is a NYC landmark.
-Michael Zwick, Artist/Tour Guide, Lower East Side History Project (leshp.org)
Erected 2016 by Bowery Alliance of Neighbors.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Architecture • Education • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #18 Ulysses S. Grant, the Former U.S. Presidents: #22 and #24 Grover Cleveland, the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt, the Former U.S. Presidents: #27 William Howard Taft, the Former U.S. Presidents: #28 Woodrow Wilson, the Former U.S. Presidents: #42 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton, and the Former U.S. Presidents: #44 Barack Obama series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.
Location. 40° 43.777′ N, 73° 59.439′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in East Village. Marker is at the intersection of Cooper Square and East 8th Street, on the right when traveling north on Cooper Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7 East 7th Street, New York NY 10003, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named Cooper Union (here, next to this marker); A Tower Of Music (within shouting distance of this marker); City Lore (within shouting distance of this marker); Peter Cooper (within shouting distance of this marker); Peter Cooper Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Astor Place Riot! (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (about 400 feet away); Astor Library (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
More about this marker. One of more than sixty entries in the “Windows on the Bowery” series.
Regarding The Cooper Union. The building is listed in the "AIA (American Institute of Architects) Guide to New York City, Fifth Edition".
Also see . . . The 1859 Cooper Union. "Daytonian in Manhattan" entry. (Submitted on April 12, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 15, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.