As early as 1836, the family of Tobias Ryckman owned the two-and-a-half story house at 27 Charlton Street. It and the neighboring residences had been erected by John Jacob Astor I within the past decade on land owned by Trinity Church. Because Astor had paid the land rent decades in advance, the Ryckmans were free of that obligation.
Living with Tobias and Rachel Ryckman were their unmarried daughter Rachel and their daughter Hannah M., the widow of Benjamin Wiggins. Another widow, Eliza Ives (whose deceased husband was Seth Ives), also lived with the family, and was possibly another daughter.
The population of 27 Charlton Street increased by one following Rachel's marriage to James Burnton, a furniture maker. Burnton was highly involved in public education. Throughout the next decades he would serve as an inspector and a trustee of the common schools.
Almost all the rear yards along the block held small structures like shops, houses or stables, many of them constructed of wood. At around 6:00 on the morning of April 6, 1840, fire broke out in the cabinetmaker's shop behind 19 and 21 Charlton Street. The New-York American reported it, "soon communicated to the two-story brick houses, 19, 21, 23, and 25 Charlton street, which were destroyed."
While those houses seem to have been gutted, the Ryckman house did not escape unharmed. "No. 27 was considerably injured," said the article. Although,"Mr. Rikeman [sic] was insured $1500," the loss was estimated at "probably over $1,000 besides furniture, which, in all the houses, was destroyed." The damage would translate to about $35,000 in 2024.
Tobias Ryckman died later that year. His funeral in the parlor would be the first of three within the next few years. Rachel Burnton died on April 11, 1843, and her sister Hannah Wiggins died two years later on May 30, 1845.
Within only five years, Rachel Ryckman had buried all her immediate family members. James S. Burnton remained in the house with his mother-in-law, and she took in a boarder, Robert M. Lang. Burnton and Lang (who was a carpenter) may have known one another professionally. Lang would board with Rachel Ryckman until her death.
James Burnton dramatically changed his career course in 1852 by switching from furniture making to publishing. His interest in education was reflected in the works he handled, like, Governments of the World: Their History and Structure and Philosophic Reviews.
Rachel Ryckman died in 1854. Her estate sold 27 Charlton Street in January 1855, the advertisement pointing out that the land lease was still paid:
Administrator's Sale of Two-Story House--No. 27 Charlton-st., and lease of lot ten years from May next, without ground rent for the term.
The house was purchased by Benjamin F. Cooper, a produce merchant, and his wife Ann Eliza. Born in 1821, The New York Times described Cooper as being "well known in the business" and having "amassed a considerable fortune." Despite his affluence, however, the newspaper said he "was always noted for his parsimony in financial matters."
Nevertheless, Cooper spent the money to raise the attic level of 27 Charlton Street to a full third floor. His builder closely matched the brick color so that only the change from Flemish bond to running bond brick gives away the alteration. The project included a modified Italianate cornice. The New York Times now described it as "a three-story and basement brick house, handsomely furnished."
The expansion was, perhaps, necessary to accommodate the Coopers' large family. They had a son, George Briggs, and five daughters, one of whom was married and lived here with her husband, Oscar C. Quick. The Quicks had a baby boy in 1861.
On October 16, 1862, the Cooper's eldest daughter, Annie E., was married in the parlor to Samuel Banta, who ran a millinery business on Broadway. The couple moved into the Charlton Street house where in September 1863 they welcomed a baby girl, Annie E. Banta.
Tragically, the parlor that had been the scene of Annie and Samuel's wedding would be the scene of their daughter's funeral nine months later. Baby Annie died on June 5, 1864 and her funeral was held the following afternoon.
Benjamin Cooper retired around 1870. The presence of the two married daughters seems to have caused tensions between Benjamin and Ann Eliza. Despite The New York Times estimating Cooper's fortune at $100,000 in 1871 (around $2.5 million today), the newspaper noted, "It is alleged that he has frequently objected to his wife's expenditures, and especially to the extending any aid to his two married daughters." It came to a terrifying and tragic end in July 1871.
At around 8:00 on the morning of July 29, Cooper went down to the family dining room in the basement level to have breakfast. Ann Eliza was in the kitchen with the cook, Mary Qualon. The New York Herald reported, "He seated himself at the table, and forthwith commenced to sharpen a carving knife. Suddenly he rushed from the table and into the kitchen...He rushed with the fury of a maniac at his unfortunate wife, knife in hand."
The New York Times reported that he tried to slash Ann Eliza Cooper's throat. In fending off his attack, she was seriously slashed in the hand "almost to the bone," according to the New York Herald. Mary Qualon tried to wrest the knife from him. The New York Herald said, "In vain he tried to wrestle with the desperate woman, and seeing that he was foiled rushed from the kitchen up stairs to his own room."
Mary Qualon sent for Dr. Fleet to care for Ann Eliza. After he bandaged her hand, Mary showed him to Benjamin Cooper's room. There, according to the New York Herald, "they found him lying on the floor with his throat cut from ear to ear. The horrible gash was sewn up immediately, but it is the opinion of his physicians that he cannot live."
Later that night, a journalist from the New York Herald went to the Charlton Street house. He reported in part,
The reporter was ushered into the drawing-room on the first floor. This room opens by a folding door to a back room, both of which were magnificently furnished. In the inner room were gathered together the grief-stricken family. A more sorrowful group it would be hard to conceive. In the midst, in a velvet covered arm chair, was seated an old lady, apparently about fifty years old. Her hair was gray, though there remained that in her countenance to show that she must have once been a handsome woman. Around here were gathered a number of young ladies, most of them her own daughters. Each vied with the other in administering to the old lady's wants.
In the meantime, Benjamin Cooper was upstairs, barely alive. Then, on August 1, 1871, The New York Times reported, "At a late hour last night, Benjamin F. Cooper died at his residence, No. 27 Charlton-street, of the wound he inflicted upon his throat in his bedroom, at his residence, on Saturday morning last."
Ann Eliza lived on in the house with the Quicks, the Bantas, and her unmarried daughters Mina Josephine and Mary C. Cooper. Around 1874, the Quicks moved far north to East 121st Street, and Ann Eliza took in two boarders, George F. Meiggs and Millard Fillmore Tompkins.
Ann Cooper Banta fell ill early in 1874, and died on April 6 that year. Her funeral was held in the parlor two days later.
George F. Meiggs was acquainted with the extended Cooper family. On April 5, 1875, the New York Evening Telegram reported that on March 10, "Oscar C. Quick, of 512 East 121st street, invited his friend, George F. Meiggs, of No. 27 Charlton street. to spend the evening with him. Meiggs accepted, but left, as Quick alleges, taking with him a diamond ring, valued at $200." Quick had Meiggs arrested for grand larceny.
Millard Fillmore Tompkins posted the $1,000 bond for Meiggs, then they stormed off to Oscar Quick's office "where they began to abuse the complainant." Now it was Tompkins who was behind bars. On April 4, 1875, the New York Herald said he was "held in $300 bail to keep the peace for six months."
Two weeks later, on April 29, the 22-year-old Tompkins married Mina Josephine Cooper, who was 16. The newlyweds remained in the house with Ann Eliza.
image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services
Tompkins had a fascinating story. Born in Newport, Rhode Island in 1853, he was the grandson of President Millard Fillmore. Despite his august pedigree, he arrived in New York City nearly penniless after running away from home at the age of 14. He found a job in a grocery store on Catherine Street and saved his money. The Goshen, New York Independent Republican later recalled, "It was more than two years before the young clerk had saved enough to buy such a horse and truck as he wanted. When at length he went into the truck business he made money so rapidly that at the end of two years he was enabled to sell out and establish a retail grocery store in Spring street, near Clinton market."
Mina Josephine, although still a teenaged girl, joined her husband's business. The Independent Republican said,
"You go on and extend the business," said young Mrs. Tompkins to her husband. "I can manage the Spring street store while you look after the general matters." And she did. With a school knowledge of figures and bookkeeping she went into the Spring street store, mastered the business in every detail, and alone and unaided has conducted it up to the present time in such a manner as to make it the most successful establishment owned by Mr. Tompkins.
On September 9, 1887, The Morning News of Savannah, Georgia wrote, "Millard Fillmore Tompkins, grandson of Millard Fillmore, once President of the United States lives in New York. He is proprietor of many retail grocery stores and is reputed to be worth at least $500,000." (That figure would translate to about $15.9 million today.)
Despite the extended family's wealth, Ann Eliza seems to have been as parsimonious as her husband had been. She had placed an advertisement a year before that article that read, "A widow lady owning her own house has handsomely furnished rooms for gentlemen, without board; references required."
Millard Fillmore Tompkins died on October 31, 1892 at the age of 39. His personal fortune, according to the Independent Republican, was now $600,000--just under $20 million in today's money.
Having lived in the Charlton Street house for at least seven decades, on April 4, 1902 Ann Eliza Cooper died. Her funeral was held here two days later.
No. 27 Charlton Street soon afterward became a boarding house. Living here prior to 1910 were Augusta Colucci, who obtained a license "to sell milk" in 1906; George H. Brennan, described by The New York Times in 1907 as "an elderly man, who runs a saloon at 172 Varick Street;" and Martin A. Oakley, an inspector "of pipe laying and hydrants" with the Department of Water, Supply, Gas and Electricity.
In May 1920, the house was offered to rent, described as a "charming little house and garden; six rooms and bath, attractively furnished." Unofficial apartments were being rented in the house by 1938, and in 1955 a renovation resulted in official apartments, one per floor. A subsequent remodeling in 1969 resulted in a triplex apartment in the basement through second floors, and one apartment on the third. Finally, in 2014, it was returned to a single-family home.
photograph by the author
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