The Woolsey G. Sterling House - 27 Oliver Street

 

The change from Flemish bond to running bond brickwork and the slight difference in color testifies to the additional third floor.

Oliver Street was named for Oliver de Lancey and although he remained loyal to the King and died in exile, the name of the street remained.  When John McLane died on September 21, 1791 at 27 Oliver Street, he was listed as a "matross of the artillery" and the "commissionary of military stores."  By the mid-1830s, McLane's house had been replaced by a prim, brick-faced residence.  Built by Robert Swanton, it was two-and-a-half stories tall and originally had a peaked roof with two dormers--one of a row of similar homes.

As early as 1840, merchant Woolsey G. Sterling and his wife, the former Eliza C. Quackenbos, occupied 27 Oliver Street, renting it from Robert Swanton.  Sterling's father, Daniel Sterling, had earned his fortune as a sea captain, and in 1837 was elected mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

On January 10, 1843, an announcement in the New York Shipping & Commercial reported that Robert Swanton was selling the row of "2-story" houses, including 27 Oliver Street.  It was next occupied by William Lyons.

The Lyons family had not yet moved in on the night of May 20, 1843 when the house "was burglariously entered," as reported by the Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer a week later.  The thief made off with "17 brass keys."  On May 26, police discovered ten of the keys in a junk shop run by John Davis.  They also found four brass kettles, "worth $12, which had been stolen on the 9th from Mrs. Mary Ann Silvey of 193 Chatham st."  The reporter editorialized about the fate of John Davis and other repeat offenders, saying, "And it is sincerely to be desired that he will not be again liberated, as too many others have been, to prey upon the community with impunity as well as creating and engendering crime."

Lyons's residency would be short-lived and in 1845 Charles Mills lived here.  Mills was one of four New York City harbor masters, each having a distinct district.  He also ran a porterhouse at 13 James Slip.  (A porterhouse was a tavern and restaurant where malt liquor, such as porter, was served.)

The turnover of residents continued as Timothy O'Brien and his family moved into 27 Oliver Street as early as 1852.  O'Brien was a builder and on January 3, 1853 was appointed to the Board of Alderman.  The 40-year-old died here on September 11, 1855 and his funeral was held in the parlor two days later.  It was an impressive event, the New York Herald announcing, "members of the Montgomery and Emmet Guards, also the officers and members of the Ninth and Sixty-ninth Regiments, are respectfully requested to attend his funeral."

Several families occupied the house until 1868, when Judge Thomas Kivlen moved in.  Kivlen had been a policeman until 1857 when he was elected to Officer of the Marine Court.  He had lived "as one of the family" with the family of William P. Power for 13 years at the time, and according to William Power Jr. years later, "my father [spent] large sums of money to secure his nomination and election."  In December 1869, Kivlen was elected a justice of a district court.

Living with Kivlen and his wife, Margaret, was Ann M. Power, Margaret's widowed mother.  (William P. Power died in June 1866.)  Shortly after Power's death, Kivlen married Margaret--the groom being over 50 years old and the bride just 15 "and just from school," according to her brother.

Ann M. Power died here on April 17, 1872 at the age of 61.  Her funeral was not held in the house, as would have been expected, but at St. James Church.  Margaret's brothers, William and Peter J., immediately filed suit against Kivlen for usurping their father's and mother's estates.  (William Sr. had died intestate, leaving a estate of $75,000, or about $1.5 million in 2025.)  They accused him of quickly marrying their sister and gaining control of Ann's money.  The suit claimed Ann "was weak-minded at the time of her death."  The defense claimed that the boys, who were in their early 20s at the time of their father's death, were drunkards.

Thomas Kivlen died in the fall of 1873 and on December 27 the Oliver Street house was purchased by Jeremiah and Ann Murphy for $12,000 (about $331,000 today).

It was almost assuredly the Murphys who raised the attic level to a full floor.  Molded cornices and diminutive sill brackets were installed at the openings, and the new third floor was given a handsome Italianate cornice.

As with the Kivlens, living with the Murphys was Ann Quinn, the widowed mother of Ann.  On May 8, 1874, only five months after the family moved in, Ann Quinn at the age of 84.  Her funeral was held in the parlor before a solemn requiem mass at St. James Church.

Jeremiah Murphy was a well-to-do meat dealer, with operations at 43 Catherine Street and 45 Cherry Street.  He was, as well, highly involved in Tammany politics.  He was a former alderman and a member of the Tammany Committee on Organization for the Second Assembly District.

Amazingly, by 1883 Murphy had installed a makeshift saloon in the basement of his home.  On April 25 that year, Bernard Callahan dropped in.  The Sun reported that Murphy prompted him to "stand the whole house up" (i.e., give everyone a round of drinks).  "He says that he got back only $3 change out of a $10 note, and when he remonstrated Murphy struck him."  Callahan had Murphy arrested.

Murphy's friends found Callahan and told him that Murphy wanted to apologize.  Callahan was admitted into the station house's holding cell.  The Sun reported, "he approached the cell, and Murphy whispered to him to come closer."  When Callahan was near, "Murphy stabbed him through the bars on the side of the face."

Despite his ties to Tammany Hall, the publicity made it impossible for officials to continue to ignore Murphy's illegal saloon.  On November 17, 1883, The New York Times reported that Murphy had been sentenced "to the penitentiary for 30 days for selling liquor without a license at No. 27 Oliver-street."

A month in prison did not dilute Murphy's rowdy nature.  On April 24, 1887, The New York Times said, "Ex-Alderman Jeremiah Murphy...who is called 'Butch' from his apparent fondness for raw [meat], spends the great part of his time in McHall's saloon, at Catharine and Madison streets."  He was there on April 5 when he and Daniel O'Connell Mulvey got into a spat.  Murphy was praising Mulvey's namesake, Daniel O'Connell, called by Irishmen as "the Liberator."  Mulvey made a remark that Murphy construed as disparaging O'Connell and a fight ensued.  (The New York Times noted that Jeremiah Murphy "weighs 240 pounds" and Mulvey was about "120 pounds, overcoat and all.")

Murphy landed a blow on his opponent's forehead, dazing him.  "Then the 'butcher' tried to repeat the blow and tripped over a stove and fell.  The little finger of Mulvey's left hand fell into Murphy's mouth."  Murphy bit off Mulvey's finger.

Once again Murphy was arrested, but his Tammany ties saved him for further incarceration.  In court, he pleaded that Mulvey struck him first.  The barkeeper testified that was true.  Justice Duffey dismissed the case.

In July 1891, Ann and Jeremiah Murphy sold 27 Oliver Street to the Church of St. James.  The church rented rooms in the upper floors and converted the basement (once the site of Jeremiah Murphy's illegal saloon) and the parlor level to the St. James Union.  It was described by The New York Times as the "pioneer Catholic club of this city," and The Evening World called it, "one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the city."

On January 6, 1883, The Evening World reported, "The new club-rooms of the St. James Union, at 27 Oliver street, will be formally opened to the public for inspection Monday evening."

In a part of the basement level was a stage, used by the St. James Literary Union.  The group used the space in April 1893 to stage The Confederal Spy here.  The next month, on May 3, the ladies who participated in the play were guests of a reception.  The Evening World reported, "The brilliantly lighted parlors and billiard rooms held a jolly assemblage of merry dancers.  Supper was served in the gymnasium, specially decorated for the occasion."

Following the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the St. James's Union reacted by hoisting an American flag.  A band played The Star-Spangled Banner and when the flag was raised, "a wildly enthusiastic shout went up from a great crowd that blocked the street."

Assemblyman Alfred E. Smith had grown up next door at 25 Oliver Street.  On January 30, 1904, The Tammany Times reported that he "took the role of an actor last night in the play, 'Gloriana,'" at the St. James' Union.  Surprisingly, the article said this was not the first time Smith had acted here.  Sitting in the audience that night were Tammany heavy-hitters like Thomas F. Foley, Senator Daniel J. Riordan and Congressman Timothy D. Sullivan.

Smith was a frequent visitor to the St. John's Union.  Two years later, on April 24, 1906, the club launched a bazaar.  (Bazaars were common methods of raising funds.)  The New York Times remarked, "Among those in charge of booths at the bazaar will be Assemblyman Alfred E. Smith."  The article added, "There will be a beauty contest among the girls."

Somewhat surprisingly, a Republican leader, Mike Hines, and his family lived upstairs at the time.  On Saturday night, July 21, he was out late "to make some needed repairs on political fences in his district," according to The Sun.  He got home about an hour after midnight and was "nearly overpowered by the stench of illuminating gas."  He clasped his handkerchief over his nose and mouth and hurried up to the family's rooms.

He found his wife, three daughters and two sons unconscious.  The article said, "Making sure that they were still alive, he threw up all the windows, and then he woke up Drs. Manning and Shannon, who live in Oliver street."  After an hour's work, the physicians succeeded in resuscitating all the victims.

Hines investigated and found that someone who thought he was turning off the jets in the billiard room had inadvertently turned them to full open. 

On October 13, 1908, The Sun began an article saying, "The latest of the old downtown organizations to surrender to the conditions brought about by a change of population is St. James's Union...The club has been in existence thirty-four years and its affairs are now being adjusted prior to disbandment."  The article explained that membership had gradually declined over the past few years.  "The chief cause of this seemed to be the influx of Italians and Jews into the neighborhood," it said.

Occasional Tammany figures continued to occupy apartments  here over the years.  In 1917, 27 Oliver Street was the Manhattan home of U. S. Representative Daniel J. Riordan.  Elected in November 6, 1906, he would hold his office until his death in Washington D.C. on April 28, 1923.

image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

A charismatic resident was Julia Drumm, who knew Alfred E. Smith from his youth.  In 1918 he was elected Governor of New York.  On November 5, 1919, the New-York Tribune reported, "Mrs. Julia Drumm, one of the Governor's neighbors, at 27 Oliver Street, followed him to the polls.  She is seventy-three years old, and it was her first vote."   (It was Julia's first vote because New York women had not been allowed to do so until 1917.)

It may have been the first time for Julia Drumm to cast her ballot, but it was not her last.  She voted for her neighbor again in November 1922 and she and her husband were rewarded with tickets to the Gubernatorial Inauguration Ball.  On December 30, the Times Herald reported, "Mrs. Thomas Drum [sic] of 27 Oliver street, next door neighbor to the governor-elect, is delighted to go.  Mrs. Drum [sic] is 86 and her praise is high for woman suffrage."  The article said the suffrage movement "gave her the chance, four years ago, to vote for the boy she used to see scurrying around the crowded streets in the old fifth ward nearly thirty years ago."

Fannie Jafumy purchased 27 Oliver Street in 1931.  It continued to be operated as rooming house until 1989 when it was converted to the Temple of the Heavenly Mother, a Taoist temple.  The Department of Buildings noted, "entire building to be used as a church."

In 1992, the church was closed after a drug raid.  Five years later, on June 25, 1997, The Villager reported that the Justice Department had seized the building after "members of a group known as the Temple of the Heavenly Mother were arrested for dealing heroin out of the building about five years ago."

The following year, the house was converted to two duplex apartments.  

photographs by the author