Built in 1896 for piano dealers M. Steinert & Sons, Steinert Hall is a magnificent six-story limestone and brick building tucked 40 feet below the street level.  Appropriately nicknamed “The Little Gem”, it was designed by Winsell&Weterell and incorporated a Beaux Arts-style facade with terra-cotta ornament and a copper cornice.

Until the 1940s the space functioned as a grand venue for performances—its curved walls bounced compositions performed by many iconic musicians including Polish pianist and former prime minister of Poland, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and pianist/composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. 

Now in ill-repair, the concert auditorium has not been used since its closure in 1942 due to fire code restrictions and the prohibitive cost of upgrading the hall. However, in May of 2015, it was announced that the hall would be renovated in an attempt to open it again for performances.

Paul Murphy, who formerly owned Steinert Hall, noted, “people walk by here every day and they don’t know what’s below their feet.”