240 Centre Street

The imposing structure you are approaching was once known as the Big White Castle, serving as the official headquarters of the New York City Police Department from 1909 until 1973. Architect Francis Hoppin designed the building to project the majesty of the law, intentionally modeling its dignified, Beaux-Arts appearance after City Hall rather than a typical precinct station. Beyond its grand limestone facade, the building functioned as a high-tech nerve center, housing everything from the city's first bomb squad to the Italian Squad, a specialized unit tasked with dismantling early organized crime rings.