In 1855, Henry H. Butterworth and Washington A. Cronk completed construction of six narrow homes along the south side of East 35th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues--each slightly different than its fraternal siblings. Butterworth owned the plots and Cronk, who was a builder, erected the residences. Four stories tall, their Anglo-Italianate design featured short stoops that led to the double-doored entrances. Floor-to-ceiling windows graced the second floor levels and individual cornices completed their designs.
Among them was 58 East 38th Street (renumbered 110 in 1868). Its first owner was Charles Harvey, a dealer in furnaces on Sixth Avenue. In 1863, his son Willard went into the paper business on Maiden Lane. The Willard family moved far uptown to 120th Street and Second Avenue the following year.
The John Colton family next occupied the house. Colton did not list a profession in directories, suggesting he had retired. Henry Colton, however, was most definitely employed. In 1856 he opened the Fashion Course on Long Island--a modish race track. On June 18, 1856, The New York Times commented, "The Club stand opposite to that of the Judges' is fitted up in a fancy style. To the left of the Club stand is that for ladies and strangers. Saloons, a reception room, dressing rooms, &c, have been abundantly provided."
Currier & Ives captured "The Celebrated Trotting Horse John Stewart" on Fashion Course around 1868. from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum
Eventually, it seems, Colton was forced to liquidate. An advertisement in the New York Herald on March 1, 1870 read, "$7000--To Rent or Lease, Fashion Course, or for sale, with all the improvements. For further information apply to D. C. Grinnell, on the premises, or to H. Colton, 110 East Thirty-fifth st."
The Colton family remained through 1872, after which 110 East 35th Street became home to Kenney Couillard, Jr. and his wife, the former Clara Cole. Born in Bucksport, Massachusetts in 1814, Captain Couillard was a member of the Council of American Shipmasters' Association, and a member of the Finance Committee of the Seamen's Fund and Retreat on Staten Island.
Captain Kenney Couillard, Jr. died on April 28, 1874. His funeral was held in the house on March 2 at 4:00. Clara Couillard left the following year. On September 5, 1876, an announcement in The New York Times read, "Miss M. A. Clark will reopen her school for young ladies and children, at No. 110 East 35th st., Sept. 25. Applications, personally or by letter, will be received at the above place from 12 to 6 P.M."
Miss M. A. Clark's English and French School for Young Ladies and Little Girls did not last especially long at the address. On August 22, 1878, an advertisement in the New York Herald offered, "Murray Hill--To Lease to private family, small brown stone House, beautiful order throughout."
In 1880, the family of Frank H. Norton occupied the house, possibly leasing it from James P. Cloherty. Norton was an editor, playwright and author.
James P. and Susan Cloherty and their adult daughter Lizzie occupied the house the following year. Interestingly, while the family was involved in education--Susan and Lizzie Cloherty were teachers and James as assistant principal of Evening School No. 38--they were obviously affluent. An inventory of the house in 1887 included, "rich household furniture, made by Marcotte, Roux and other celebrated makers," and in 1894 James P. Cloherty loaned the portrait of Princess Charlotte by Thomas Gainsborough to an exhibition at the National Academy of Design for the benefit of the St. John's Guild and Orthopaedic Hospital.
By then, however, Susan Cloherty had died and in 1888 James had sold the house to attorney Charles Howland Russell. He was a partner in Stetson, Jennings & Russell. Born in 1851 to Caroline Howland and Charles H. Russell, he graduated from the Columbia Law School in 1874. A bachelor, he shared the house with his unmarried brother, S. Howland Russell.
Like the Clohertys, the brothers filled the house with fine art. In 1890, S. Howland Russell donated the emotionally moving painting Heart's Ease, painted by William Parsons Winchester Dana in 1863, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Heart's Ease. from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
In 1890, Charles married Jane Brinsmade Potter, the daughter of Bishop Henry C. Potter. Two years later, on April 19, 1892, S. Howland Russell died at the age of 39. Charles and Jane sold 110 East 35th Street in 1899.
The house became the center of social attention in 1900. Mrs. Pauline F. Baring was living here on October 8 when her engagement to Baron F. Ortmans de Senechal of Paris was announced in The New York Times. The article might have raised the eyebrows of neighbors on East 35th Street when it mentioned, "Mrs. Baring, whose first husband was a relative of the English bankers of that name, came here from London three years ago and bought a house at 110 East Thirty-fifth Street, where she has since resided."
The Times said, "Baron de Senechal is a bachelor, thirty-nine years old, and comes from an ancient French house...This is his first visit to the United States, and he met his bride-to-be in this city only a few months ago."
Two days later, The New York Times published a follow-up article, which said the announcement...
has created something of a sensation among the members of the Calumet Club, where the Baron has been received as a guest for several months past. According to several members the announcement caused apparently as much surprise to the Baron himself as to his friends in the club. It was said at the club last night that the Baron had in a rage stated that the announcement was made by Mrs. Baring entirely without his authorization; that no engagement existed; and that no marriage would take place.
The article added further mystery by saying, "Little was known about Mrs. Baring, except that she was known for a time as Mrs. Blackmar." It mentioned, "The Baron was inaccessible to reporters last night. Mrs. Baring refused to see reporters who called." The wedding, not unexpectedly, did not take place and the enigmatic Pauline Baring quickly moved on.
The house was purchased by Charles Clerc Deming. Like Charles Howland Russell, he was a bachelor and an attorney. And like Russell, he married soon after moving in. On June 4, 1902, he married Mabel Frances Wilson in Hartford, Connecticut.
Deming earned his law degree at Columbia Law School in 1875. In 1892 he was elected vice-president of the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railroad Company. He was a partner in the law firm of Alexander & Green.
It was not uncommon for monied New Yorkers to lease their homes occasionally during the winter social season. But it appears that the Demings never occupied the East 35th Street house in the winter. Year after year they leased it. Robert Van Cortlandt and his wife, for instance, occupied the house every winter season from 1902 through 1905. Samuel Milbanks and his wife leased the house each winter from 1916 through 1921 when they moved into their newly-built house at 117 East 65th Street.
It was not only during the winter season that the Demings traveled. On June 17, 1922, The New York Times reported, "Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Deming of 110 East Thirty-fifth Street, are sailing today on the Lapland for a three months' tour of England, Scotland and Germany."
The house was purchased by Alfred W. and Anna E. Erickson around 1926. Erickson was the owner of an advertising agency. He would later co-found the agency McCann-Erickson, one of the largest advertising firms in the world. The couple hired the architectural firm of Delano & Aldrich to make interior and exterior alterations.
Delano & Aldrich's alterations did not greatly effect the exterior. image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.
The house where a Thomas Gainsborough once hung was about to receive an even greater masterpiece. On November 12, 1928, Alfred Erickson purchased Rembrandt's Aristotle with a Bust of Homer from the Duveen gallery. According to Joseph Heller in his article "The Last Laugh" in the September 1988 issue of The Connoisseur, "The price was $750,000." (That amount would translate to about $1.9 million in 2024.)
According to Heller, Duveen lamented, "I am really losing money by selling it so cheaply now, for certainly it soon will be worth very much more."
Erickson could not have foreseen the Stock Market crash that was to come the following year. Exactly two years to the day after buying the painting, Erickson was back at Duveen's on November 12, 1930 to sell it. When Duveen offered $500,000--a quarter of a million less than Erickson had paid--the ad man complained, "You assured me that the work would increase in value."
Joseph Heller wrote, "'These are difficult times now, Mr. Erickson,' responded Duveen. 'We are living in the Great Depression.'"
Erickson reportedly answered, "I think I know that."
Rembrandt's Aristotle with a Bust of Homer was the centerpiece of the Erickson collection. from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The masterwork never was far from Erickson's thoughts. He returned to Duveen in February 1936, having recovered financially, and re-purchased the Rembrandt for $590,000, "the difference of $90,000 representing charges for interest and the New York sales, tax," according to Heller.
Alfred W. Erickson died on November 2, 1936. He left the house and its magnificent collection of art--the highlight of which, of course, was the Rembrandt--to Anna.
Anna E. Erickson died in the East 35th Street house in 1961. A public sale of the art collection was held later that year at the Parke-Bernet Galleries. The 24 paintings were expected to "bring at least $3,000,000." Rembrandt's Aristotle with a Bust of Homer was sold within four minutes to the Metropolitan Museum of art for $2.3 million.
After having been home to monied families for more than a century, in 1963 the basement and first floor of 110 East 35th Street were converted to classrooms for the Adams School. The top three floors were "to be occupied by owner exclusively," according to the Department of Buildings. One of the school's three locations, 110 East 35th Street was the "lower school" for children aged 6 through 12. An advertisement in 1974 explained the classes focused on "learning disabilities, perceptual problems" and "the emotional or unmotivated."
Another renovation completed in 1984 replaced the school portion of the house with a private club. Then, in 2002, it was returned to a single family home.
photograph by the author
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