Daytonian in Manhattan

The stories behind the buildings, statues and other points of interest that make Manhattan fascinating.

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Thom & Wilson's 1884 142 East 79th Street

James A. Frame was a prolific real estate developer in the later decades of the 19th century. On December 1, 1883, the Real Estate Recor...

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

The Skinny 144 First Avenue

photograph by Anthony Bellov In the 1830s, the eastern blockfront of First Avenue between Eighth and Ninth Streets was lined with low Fede...

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

The 1889 John and Catharine Brosnan House - 146 West 74th Street

Real estate was one of the few businesses in which women would thrive in the 19th century. In 1888, Mary J. Coar hired architect Edward L...

Monday, September 21, 2026

The Lost Eldridge Street Jail - 22 Eldrige Street

22 Eldridge Street is the three-story building, second from left . Close inspection of the single unshuttered window reveals iron bars. ...

Saturday, September 19, 2026

G. Fred. Pelham's 1891 110 Eighth Avenue

Real estate developers Weil & Mayer embarked on an astonishingly ambitious project in 1891, demolishing all the vintage structures on th...

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About Me

Tom Miller: Born in Dayton, Ohio, I relocated to New York city in 1978. An author, blogger, lecturer and historian, I have written the histories of more than 5,000 locations in Manhattan (as of March 2025). I am the author of "Seeking New York" and "Seeking Chicago," and contributed to several other books, and consulted for pieces in Architectural Digest, The New York Times, and similar publications..

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