The William Delamano House - 17 Vandam Street

 

While Edgar Harriot and his extended family were involved in the building trade, he had a sideline and was also listed in directories as a baker.  During the flurry of building in Greenwich Village during the 1820s, Harriot erected several brick-faced houses on the block of Vandam Street between Varick Street and Sixth Avenues, including one for himself at 21 Vandam Street.  The houses sat upon land leased from Trinity Church.

Around 1825, he completed a mirror-image pair of homes at 15 and 17 Vandam Street.  Two-and-a-half stories tall, each was 25-feet wide.  Above high stoops, their handsome, single-doored entrances included wooden frames carved to mimic stone behind fluted columns.  The delicately leaded transoms were outlined by egg-and-dart molding.  

The original owner of 17 Vandam Street, Jonathan Bayley, died months after moving in.  An advertisement in The Evening Post on October 6, 1825, noted that it had a "43 years lease unexpired, free from ground rent," suggesting that Harriot had paid the land lease to Trinity Church years in advance.  The ad said, 

The house is roomy, 2 stories high, 6 fire places, lot 25 feet front and rear, and 113 feet deep, a stable for 5 or 6 horses in rear, and a carriage way between it and the adjacent lot.

When Harriet broke ground for a house on the vacant lot at 19 Vandam Street in 1826, the "carriage way" mentioned in the ad was preserved.  The stable would have to be shared, since it straddled the property line of the two homes.

Edgar Harriot sold the land lease of 19 and 17 Vandam Street at auction in January 1839.  The ad noted that the lease came "with the well built brick front house thereon...with the right to use 3 ft of the alley adjoining and sold with No. 19."  The ground rent was $65 per year--about $2,200 in 2024.

In the mid-1830s, 17 Vandam Street was home to John Freeman, and by 1840 it was home to Rebecca Seixas, the widow of Rev. Isaac B. Seixas, who had died the previous year.  Rev. Seixas had been the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel since 1828.  The couple had eight children, six of whom were still alive and at least one of whom, Hillel M. Seixas, lived here.  He was in the "segar" business on Nassau Street.  Rebecca took in a boarder, tailor James E. Hadden, who lived here at least through 1845.  

By 1851, artist William Delamano lived at 17 Vandam Street.  He specialized in painting stage scenery and panoramas from his studio at 468 Broadway.  When Hungarian statesman Lajos Kossuth arrived in New York in December 1851, he was met with a parade, a ball and receptions.  On December 8, The New York Times described "An immense allegorical painting, designed by Delamano, representing a tableau of Turkey defending Kossuth, and Russia and Austria vainly endeavoring to seize him."  Above it was the inscription "Welcome to the Head of Persecuted Patriots."

Delamano had just completed what might have been his most important commission, the Grand Panorama of London's World's Fair.  It was previewed at P. T. Barnum's Stoppani Hall on December 12, 1851.  The New York Herald reported, "The grand panorama of the 'World's Fair' was exhibited at this popular place last evening to the utmost satisfaction of a very large assemblage."  Barnum's advertisement described in vivid detail:

Monster work of art, the World's Fair; or, Mirror of the Exterior and Interior of the renowned Crystal Palace; bird's eye view of the Crystal Palace and the West End of London; the grand opening by Queen Victoria and the British Court; superb view of the whole nave, the nave in all its parts, the American division, the whole transept, the Agricultural court, with McCormick's famous American Reaper, and the yacht America, in her celebrated triumph off Cowes.

In reviewing the opening of Uncle Tom's Cabin at Barnum's Museum in November 1853, The New York Times wrote, "The scenery of this version of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is truly very beautiful.  The diorama of the Mississippi, supposed to be view from the deck of a steamer on her passage down, is a novel and pleasing idea...Delamano never acquitted himself before with so much striking ability."

William Delamano, too, took in boarders.  In 1852 they were Azariah Giffin and Louis Staudinger, both hairdressers; and in 1853 and '54 Solomon S. Kimball and Solomon Jr. boarded with the artist.  One was a bookkeeper, the other in the produce business.

In 1857, Delamano advertised, "To Let--Lower part of house 17 Vandam street--six rooms, rent $275."  The yearly rent would translate to about $825 per month today.  It was leased to the Frost family.  Jesse D. Frost was in the cement business, and William E. Frost was a real estate agent.

William Delamano left the Vandam Street house around 1864.  It then became a boarding house run by Electra Bielby, the widow of Charles Bielby.  Her daughter, Kate T. Beilby, was a teacher in Primary School No. 11 on Greenwich Street.  An advertisement in the New York Herald on November 13, 1870, was typical: "17 Vandam Street--A nicely furnished, large front room and hall bedroom; terms moderate."

The house saw a succession of owners who took in boarders.  The Moran family lived here in the mid-1870s.  Bridge Moran was the widow of Michael, and her son Peter, was in the fruit business.  

It was around this time that the attic floor was raised to full height.  The house next door at 19 Vandam Street was remodeled simultaneously, and almost assuredly by the same contractor.  In both cases the Flemish bond brickwork was carried on into the upper floors, and a continuous cornice now joined the two homes.

By 1878, another widow, Ellen Carrigan was here, taking in boarders.  Her son, John Carrigan Jr. was a butcher on Varick Street.  John's son, John W. Carrigan, died at the age of 31 on December 7 1883.  His funeral was held in the parlor two days later.  The Carrigan family would remain in the house through 1892.

In 1893, William A. and Margaret Wilbur moved in.  William died that year on August 13 at the age of 79.  As had been the case over the years, Margaret, who was known as Mary to her friends, took in boarders.  

Among her first was young Walter F. McGinn.  In June 1892, Joseph Pulitzer had endowed the Board of Education with $100,000 "for the purpose of enabling deserving students who have been graduated from the grammar schools of the city...to prepare for and complete a college course," according to The New York World.  On September 1, 1893, the newspaper listed the "best twenty" students who had taken the examination for the scholarship.  Among them was Walter F. McGinn.

McGinn was still boarding with Mary Wilbur in 1903.  He used his rooms for private instruction.  An advertisement in The New York Times on March 11 that year read, "Stammers and ex-pupils of Stammering Schools wanted to join a society for practice and instruction.  W. F. McGinn.  17 Vandam St. N.Y."

The house continued to see boarders and roomers throughout the World War I years.  In 1924, there was a rapid turnover of buyers.  On July 17, the New York Evening Post reported that Zay Holland had sold it, noting "This is the third sale of this house by the same brokers since last week."

The quick resales may have been related to the condition of the house.  It was deemed an "unsafe building" by the Department of Buildings in 1926 and 1927.

At some point, 17 Vandam Street was converted to a two-family residence.  Outwardly, it is little changed since its attic level was raised to a full third floor in the years following the Civil War.

many thanks to reader Lowell Cochrane for suggesting this post

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