image via the Landmarks Preservation Commission
Around 1824, three three-and-a-half story houses were erected at the southwest corner of Thompson and Spring Streets. Clad in red brick and trimmed in brownstone, their Federal architecture featured tall dormers at the peaked attic level. The corner house-and-store, at 162 Spring (renumbered 182 in 1847), had a nearly-windowless facade on Thompson Street. The single centered openings at each floor culminated in a high, arched window in the gable, below dramatic joined chimneys.
The store in 162 Spring Street was home to the shop of Blavet & Boyce, chairmakers, in 1827. It was replaced by John Read's locksmith business by 1836, and in 1840 James Gibson's bakery occupied the space. He remained here until about 1850.
In February 1845, all three houses were sold at auction. Included with 162 Spring Street was the wooden stable in the rear yard. The announcement mentioned, "The house is 19 feet 10 inches in width, by 25 feet 11 inches in depth; the stable is 23 feet 6 inches by 13 feet 3 inches, more or less."
In 1851, the family of Henry Helmcke lived in the upper portion while he and partner Christopher Vonglahn ran the Helmcke & Von Glahn grocery store downstairs. (Why Vonglahn used a space in his surname professionally is puzzling.)
Henry Helmcke was no longer associated with the store in 1859 and the family of Christopher Vonglahn now occupied the upper floors. Unlike the Helmckes, Christopher and his wife, Gesine Margarethe, took in boarders--all of them Germans. In 1858, they included William Stadtler, who ran a saloon at 178 Spring Street; Henry L. Schrader, a cabinetmaker; Gustav Hoeltje, who was a crimper (i.e., a navy recruiter); and tailor Frederick Breitwieser.
On September 12, 1859, Christopher and Gesine had a son, Christopher Henry. The little boy died four years later, on November 22 and his funeral was held in the house the following afternoon.
The couple had a second son, John, on September 22, 1864. In a tragic case of deja vu, the boy died at the age of five on September 30, 1869. Once again, a funeral was held in the parlor.
Christopher Vonglahn rented the building from Ann Marshall for years, and operated his grocery store here at least through 1880. Ann Marshall conveyed the property to her daughters, Caroline E. Marshall and Mary L. Van Ness as a gift in February 1886. It was around this time that James E. Rosasco took over the grocery store.
Among the upstairs tenants in 1891 was Frank Jenkins, a partner in the embroidery firm Jenkins Brothers. He was invited to join "a party of pleasure seekers," as worded by The Sun, on the 46-foot yacht, the Amelia, owned by Dr. William Bahn. The newspaper called the craft, "handsomely finished and furnished." The party left on the morning of June 14 for an excursion to Nyack.
After their day trip and dinner at Nyack, the Amelia headed back at 5:00. The Sun reported that the return trip "was made with light and more or less unfavorable winds, and it was nearly 1 A.M. when the Amelia found herself off 111th street." Frank Jenkins and another passenger had gone below to sleep. It was a fatal decision.
A tugboat, not seeing the luxury yacht, crashed into it. "The bow of the tug struck the Amelia amidships, cutting her nearly in two. She sank almost instantly, leaving her passengers struggling in the water." All those who had been on deck were rescued, but Jenkins and 16-year-old William Bahn, Jr. were drowned.
By the turn of the century, Caroline Marshall had sole ownership of the building, which was deemed unsafe on March 13, 1903. Two weeks later, The Bureau of Buildings took over the title, citing "violation of Building Laws." Caroline apparently did the required repairs and regained the title before the end of the year. James E. Rosasco was still operating the store, and his license "to sell and deliver milk" was renewed that year.
Caroline Marshall also owned 184 Spring Street, next door. She made significant updates in May 1911 when she hired architects Harrison & Sackheim to install "toilets, partitions [and] skylights" to the two buildings at a cost of $2,000 (about $66,200 in 2024 terms).
Since the 1880s, Caroline Marshall had lived in the Barrett House on Broadway and 43rd Street (renamed the Hotel Wallick in 1910). She died there in 1915, The New York Times headlining an article on April 24, "Miss Marshall Hid Cash / Executors Find Envelope Containing $50,000 in Money." The stashed cash alone would equal about $1.56 million today. Her will listed significant real estate holdings, and The Times reported that her brother Edmund "is given the property at 182 Spring Street."
Edmund Marshall quickly sold the property to Angelo Frasinetto. On April 7, 1917, the Record & Guide reported that he had hired architect George J. Casazza to replace it with "a 3-story brick and stone store and lodge room building." For some reason, the plans were scrapped. In April 1920 architect Frank E. Vitalo submitted plans for a "3-story tenement" which, too, were never realized.
image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.
The following year, the properties at 182 and 184 Spring Street were demolished for a two-story Arts & Crafts style structure designed by Louis A. Sheinart. It survived until 2020 when it was demolished for a mixed-use building.
many thanks to Jeff Charles Goolsby for suggesting this post
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