[1] The building was built in art deco and neo-Gothic style by John H. Carpenter and designed by his brother, architect J.E.R.

The station was one of the few television channels that continued to broadcast through World War II.

After the war, the network and WABD moved to bigger studios - first at the Wanamaker's store at Ninth Street and Broadway in Greenwich Village,[5] then the Adelphi Theatre, the Ambassador Theatre, and in 1954 to the Central Turn-Verein Opera House at 205 East 67th, which was renamed The DuMont Tele-Centre and today is the Fox Television Center, home of WABD's descendant, WNYW.

In June 1951, the WABD antenna was moved to the top of the Empire State Building, consolidating all New York television stations at one location.

In 1958, WKCR-FM, the radio station of Columbia University, began transmitting from the former WABD antenna on the roof of the building, remaining there until 1977, when it became the first radio (or television) station to transmit from the antenna atop the World Trade Center, the move necessitated by the construction of other surrounding skyscrapers which started interfering with the station's signal.