On September 16, 1848, The Literary American reported that Dr. Cornelius Calvert Walke had married Hannah E. Hitchcock ten days earlier. The groom was 26 years old and his bride was 22. Walke, whose first American ancestor arrived in Virginia in the 17th century, came from a distinguished family. Among his six siblings were statesman Anthony Walke, Rear Admiral Henry Walke, and Judge Thomas Walke.
Hannah was the daughter of Cyrus and Caroline M. Sleight Hitchcock. The wealthy family lived at 116 Second Avenue. The neighborhood, slightly north of the exclusive Bond Street district, was lined with brick and stone mansions. Around the time of his daughter's wedding, Cyrus Hitchcock purchased 213 Second Avenue. And while the newlyweds moved into the handsome new residence, Hitchcock retained title to the property.
The Walkes' new home, on the northwest corner of East 13th Street, left no question about their social position. Four stories tall above a high English basement, it was 26 feet wide and stretched back 77 feet. Its Italianate design included prominent, molded cornices above the windows. The front facade was faced in brownstone, while the side was brick. A bracketed cornice with a paneled fascia crowned the design.
In addition to his private practice, Dr. Walke was a censor of the New York Medical College. (The Board of Censors examined the qualifications of students before their graduation and receiving medical degrees.) The erudite physician was a member of the American Geographical Society. He and Hannah (who would have no children) maintained a summer home at Cornwell Landing on the Hudson River.
By 1869, when the Walkes left 213 Second Avenue, the neighborhood had begun to change. The mansions along the avenue were being converted for business as recently arrived immigrants swarmed into the area. The basement level of the Walke house was converted to two shops--a pharmacy and a cigar store--while the upper portion was operated as a rooming house. An advertisement in the New York Herald on November 22, 1869 offered, "To Let--Furnished, six rooms with kitchen, 213 Second avenue, corner of Thirteenth street. Inquire in the drug store from 10 to 4 o'clock." Importantly, the ad did not offer board, but rather the use of the kitchen, meaning that tenants had to fend for themselves for meals.
Among the residents of the spacious apartments that year was Professor Giulio Posi and his wife, the former Elinor Bellinger. Born in Italy, The Morning News of Savannah, Georgia said he was a "somewhat conspicuous figure in Charleston during the days which preceded the war."
In December 1869, the cigar store was offered for sale or lease, "with or without stock." The owner noted, "good reason for selling." Henry Newport took over the lease, opening his saloon in the space. He remained until January 1873, when he advertised, "For Sale Cheap--Corner Thirteenth Street and Second avenue, a neatly fitted Liquor Saloon; first rate stand for grocery or oyster saloon. Apply at 213 Second avenue."
The house was owned by Michael and Juliana Kunzenman at the time. They rented the store to Jacob Schloeder who re-established a cigar store in the space. He operated the shop through 1880, when Henry Schmitz took over the business.
Early on the morning of January 8, 1881, Police Officer Martin Boylaton was walking his beat when he "discovered three young men in the cigar-store of Henry Schmitz," as reported by the New York Evening Express. Boylaton arrested 18-year-old Peter Clark, while his accomplices escaped. The Daily Graphic said they had "packed up $200 worth of cigars ready to carry away from Henry H. Schmitz's cigar store." The value of the potential heist would equal about $6,150 in 2024 terms.
Exactly one month later to the day, Officer Boylaton passed the store and again discovered a burglar. He nabbed 27-year-old Charles Brown "in the act of preparing for removal of a quantity of cigars," said the New York Evening Express. The article noted, "Brown, a few days since, was arrested for carrying burglars' tools, but was discharged for want of evidence."
The two close-calls may have prompted Schmitz to close his cigar store. Later that year he transferred the lease to Mina Herman, who briefly operated a restaurant in the space. It did not last long, and in 1883 Peter Doelger signed a lease. His Peter Doelger Brewery operated several saloons throughout the city which served only Doelger products.
While the beer saloon was apparently respectable under Doelger's management, it became less so when Edward McMahon took over the lease. On March 6, 1888, the New York Press reported that neighbors had testified before the Excise Commissioners, objecting to the renewal of McMahon's license. The article said they "testified that the saloon had been a resort for loose characters of both sexes."
The neighbors won and in February 1889 Michael Kunzenman hired contractor W. O. Willis to install show windows for the new tenant, John Nydes's drugstore. Although he personally mixed almost all of his medicines, he gave a testimonial to The Evening World on April 18, 1895, saying, "I do not sell any quantity of prepared medicines, but of all that I handle Paine's celery compound seems to go the best."
Nydes remained in the space until 1897, when he sub-leased the store to Henry Walter, who ran the C. & L. Walter drugstore.
The Kunzenmans' sons, Joseph and Jacob liquidated their parents' real estate holdings, including 213 Second Avenue, in January 1901. Brothers David, George and Harry Lippman purchased the property, which continued to house the Walter drugstore in the lower level. The upper portion was still operated as a rooming house by a Mrs. O'Rourke.
In 1906, Henry and Lena Walter purchased the building. They immediately made renovations, hiring architect Louis C. Maurer in May to alter the interior walls and redo the storefront. The changes cost the Walters the equivalent of $70,000 in today's money. It was most likely at this time that the stoop was removed and the residential entrance moved to the side street.
In 1913, the Schick test was developed to determine if a person was susceptible to diphtheria. On August 12, 1922, the Weekly Bulletin of the Department of Health noted that the Schick test was available at the H. Walters drugstore.
The drugstore was still in the ground floor space in 1941, the lintels were intact and the façade was unpainted. image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.
The second half of the 20th century saw drastic change in the East Village neighborhood. Henry Walter's drugstore became Nightingale by the early 1980s. In his 2016 New York Rock, Steven Blush describes it as:
...the East Village dive where Deadheads and High Times types hung out. There was a long bar on one side, a small stage a foot off the floor on the other, and a pool table in the back. The likes of Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, and Joan Osborne blared nightly, with a cover charge of $5 max.
On June 8, 1990, Karen Schoemer, writing in The New York Times said, "Nightingale is every bit as basic as the band. Except for a devil mask above the bar and a few album covers by regular performers, there is no decoration on its weathered, wood-paneled walls."
After nearly four decades in the space, Nightingale closed in 2013. Today a restaurant-tavern occupies the ground floor.
photograph by the author
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