photograph by Ted Leather
Peter Gerard Stuyvesant died on August 16, 1847. By then, the sprawling farm or "Bouwerie" of his great-great grandfather, Governor Peter Stuyvesant, had been portioned off into city lots, and streets already crisscrossed the former farmland.
Stuyvesant’s nephew, the Reverend Peter Stuyvesant Ten Broeck, who lived in North Danvers, Massachusetts, inherited the fifteen lots on the south side of 18th Street between First and Second Avenues. In 1852, Ten Broeck's daughter, Cornelia Stuyvesant Ten Broeck, leased the land to developers. The Ten Broeck family was specific on the type of construction it wanted on its land. Building was restricted to “good and substantial dwelling houses…being three or more stories in height and constructed either of Brick or Stone.”
The house at 201 East 18th Street (renumbered 322 in 1867), was completed in 1854, one of three similar homes. Three stories of red brick sat upon a brownstone English basement. Its Italianate design included an arched doorway within an impressive stone frame of scrolled brackets and a substantial molded cornice. Each of the three residences had identical, cast metal cornices with foliate brackets and paneled fascias.
photograph by Ted Leather
The house seems to have been operated from the beginning as a boarding house. Living here in 1854 were the families of three craftsmen involved in the construction industry: Henry Berger, a carver; Samuel Myers, a moulder; and Philip Riley, a plasterer.
Boarders in the pre-Civil War years were middle-class and held white collar jobs. In 1856, for instance, they were Michael Callagy, who operated a feed business; attorney Henry Z. Hayner; and Thomas T. Lavall, a clerk.
Henry Dix, who listed his profession as "merchant" at 25 Park Row, moved into the house around 1859. He and his family would remain until about 1866, when Henry Beckwith and his family occupied the house. William H. Beckwith had recently returned safely from the war. The family was still living here on October 11, 1871 when William was promoted to Second Lieutenant in the 22nd Regiment of Infantry.
By 1876, O. P. Clarke was leasing 322 East 18th Street. It was the scene of the funeral of Clarke's sister-in-law, Marion Marshall, on March 31, that year. The unmarried 30-year-old had lived with the family.
On December 18, 1877, Mayor Smith Ely sent a letter to Police Commissioner Joel B. Ehrhardt, which said in part that he was responsible for the "inefficiency and maladministration of the Police Department." Ely gave the commissioner until noon of December 20 "to show cause, if any exist, why you should not be removed from office."
O. P. Clarke and dozens of other "merchants, bankers, property-owners and tax-payers," signed a "remonstrance" to the mayor in support of Ehrhardt. After pointing out his accomplishments, such as "raising the discipline of the force, weeding out faithless and incompetent officers, preserving the public peace," and such, the group insisted, "the general welfare of the public and the best interests of the people of this city will not be subserved by the removal of the present Commissioner of Police." (The petition, at least in part, was successful and Ehrhardt retained his position.)
The Clarke family took in one boarder at a time. In 1877, it was Anna Metz Byland, the editor and publisher of the German-language weekly Fortschritt. The American Newspaper Directory noted, "the 'Fortschritt' is the only paper in the United States which is edited and published in the German language by a lady."
Less respectable was the Clarkes' next boarder, Harry Gulagy, alias Harry Somers. The 21-year-old native of Albany was a driver of a United States mail wagon, according to the New York Herald.
Samuel Pilser slept in the rear room of his clothing store at 202 East 31st Street. On the night of February 3, 1878, he woke to noises at the front door. The New York Herald reported, "He lit the gas at once, and was somewhat astonished to see a man standing in the front window and coolly passing out clothing to two confederates outside." Pilser rushed into the store and grabbed Harry Gulagy, holding him until a policeman arrived. (The other burglars fled.) Gulagy was held in $2,500 bail awaiting trial. It was a significant amount, equaling more than $81,000 in 2025.
Perhaps the untidy Gulagy incident prompted the Clarkes to more carefully choose their boarders. Gulagy was followed in 1879 by Rev. Anselan Buchanan, the assistant rector of St. George's Church. By 1883, Rev. J. Stanley D'Orsay and his wife, Lucy, lived with the Clarkes. Lucy C. D'Orsay contracted pleuro-pneumonia, according to the New-York Tribune that year. She died on December 26 and her funeral was held in the parlor two days later.
After leasing 322 East 18th Street for nearly two decades, the Clarkes left in 1893 when the house was purchased by Richard F. and Mary E. July.
Like the Clarkes, the Julys took in boarders. In 1896, the Thomas J. Cunningham family took rooms here. Thomas and Catherine Cunningham's adult daughter, Jennie, taught in Grammar School No. 71 on East 7th Street near Avenue C. That year, Jennie was accused of a horrific crime--murder.
In March 1896, 11-year-old Philippine Armauer asked Jennie permission to go to the restroom. When the girl went home that afternoon, she told her mother "that she did not feel well. She said her teacher had refused to allow her to go to the toilet," reported the New-York Tribune. Philippine continued to complain of pains in her lower right side and on April 21, "went to bed ill."
Philippine Armauer died on April 26. Her doctor said the cause was "peritonitis, following colitis, or inflammation of the lower passages of the bowels, brought on by the teacher refusing to allow the child to go to the toilet," as reported by the New-York Tribune. Corner Hoeber announced, "the teacher was criminally responsible for the child's death."
Happily for Jennie Cunningham, an autopsy cleared her of guilt. While the girl did die of peritonitis, it was caused from appendicitis. Had her doctor diagnosed the condition when she first complained of the pains, according to Coroner Hoeber, "The child's life could have been saved by an operation."
Despite the findings, it seems that Jennie Cunningham lost her job. An advertisement in the New-York Tribune on September 21, 1897, read, "Kindergartner, 12 years' experience, wishes position as visiting teacher, school or family. Kindergarten and German. Best references."
The exterior shutters were all tightly closed on the summer day of 1941 when this photo was captured. image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.
Thomas J. Cunningham died here on November 23, 1902, and Catherine Cunningham died on June 20, 1911.
In the meantime, Richard F. July worked for the city. On December 1, 1901, he was appointed a stenographer for the State Courts earning $3,600 per year (a comfortable $137,000 in 2025 terms).
In 1912, the Julys' son, Robert H, graduated from the College of the City of New York with a law degree. Three years later in February 1915 (and still living with his parents), he founded the Herilhy Hull Co., a foodstuffs corporation, with Ross McCombe and Harry C. Wing.
Richard F. July was still working as a court stenographer in 1920, now earning an annual salary of $4,200. Robert was still living here in 1924 and practicing law. The family left 322 East 18th Street in the early Depression years, when Carl W. and Hilda Lenner occupied the house. Lenner was a structural iron worker employed by Mason & Henger.
photograph by Ted Leather
A renovation completed in 1971 resulted in a doctor's office in the basement level. That was converted to a two-bedroom apartment by 1991. Externally, little has changed to the venerable building.
many thanks to reader Ted Leather for suggesting this post.
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