The Edward and Catherine Van Winkle House - 25 West 9th Street

 

The architraves around the windows would have originally looked much like those of 23 West 9th Street, at the right. photograph by Richard Korchak

Dr. Samuel T. Hubbard completed two identical, four-story-and-basement homes on Ninth Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, in 1855.  (The "West" would be added to the address later, and the homes would be numbered 25 and 27 in 1868.)  It is possible that they were designed by James Renwick Jr., who had previously owned the vacant lots.  

Two bays wide, their Anglo-Italianate style forewent the high stone stoops that were so popular at the time.  Instead, visitors climbed just four steps to reach the arched entranceways flanked by engaged, square Corinthian columns. 

Above a rusticated base, the upper floors were faced in planar stone.  Most likely a cast iron balcony fronted the floor-to-ceiling second floor windows, and molded architraves would have originally graced the segmental-arched openings.  While the shared bracketed cornice was otherwise not unusual, its fascia was.  The architect decorated it with an elaborate guilloche-carved pattern of flower-filled rosettes.

photograph by Richard Korchak

Dr. Samuel Hubbard may have been acquainted with the purchaser of 25 West 9th Street--another physician, Edward Henry Van Winkle (his surname was often spelled Vanwinkle).  

Born in Aquackanorick, New Jersey in 1814, The New York Times would later recall, "Dr. Van Winkle was a member of one of the oldest New York families, his ancestry dating back to the Dutch Van Winkle family which settled here in 1636."  Edward grew up in New York City and graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons "and began to practise [sic] in 1838," according to the Medical Record.  He and his wife, the former Catherine Stanford, had three sons: Isaac, Edward Jr., and John S.

Perhaps surprisingly, none of the Van Winkler boys followed their father's professional lead.  All three graduated from Columbia University--the eldest, Isaac, going into law.  Around 1867, Edward Jr. and John S. Van Winkle opened a private banking firm at 27 Wall Street.  Their venture was extremely short-lived and the following year, on August 19, 1868, they declared bankruptcy.

City directories described John as a "merchant" in the 1871.  But neither of his brothers was listed here that year.  That was because both had decided on a drastic change of course.  They were living and studying for the priesthood at the General Theological Seminary.

Edward H. Van Winkle Jr. was back home by 1874.  He was now assistant rector at the nearby Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue at West 10th Street.

Catherine Stanford Van Winkle died on February 9, 1879.  By 1886, only Edward Sr. and Jr. occupied the West 9th Street house (Isaac and John had married and moved away).  Later that year, Rev. Edward Van Winkle was made pastor of the Chapel of the Comforter at 814 Greenwich Street, "an offshoot" of the Church of the Ascension, as worded by the New York Herald.  

In 1891, Dr. Edward Henry Van Winkle retired.  Three years later, in October 1894, he became ill.  He died here on December 7 of what the Medical Record described as "paralysis of the heart."  The New York Times called him, "one of the best-known physicians of this city," adding, "His medical career extended over fifty-three years."  The notice said, "He leaves three sons, two of whom are Episcopal clergymen in this city."

Rev. Edward H. Van Winkle was now alone in the West 9th Street house with his small domestic staff.  Earlier that year, after being rector of the Chapel of the Comforter for 15 years, he had been "dismissed" by Rev. Percy S. Grant, rector of the Church of the Ascension.  The move had initiated a firestorm and on March 27, 1894, the New York Herald reported on a protest meeting on the sidewalk outside of the chapel.  The article said, "the Van Winkle faction were determined to put [Rev. Grant] on the defence [sic] in regard to his dismissal of their former pastor."

The clamor eventually died down and within months Rev. Edward H. Van Winkle was made pastor of St. Clement's Church on West 3rd Street.  

(In 1896, Rev. Isaac Van Winkle moved his wife, the former Margaret Kemble Lenta, and their children to France where he became rector of St. Luke's Church in Paris.)

It may have been Edward Van Winkle's willingness to stand up to church authorities that had caused his "dismissal" from the Chapel of the Comforter.  In 1899, Bishop Henry Potter announced the upcoming ordination of Dr. Rev. Dr. Charles Augustus Briggs, who had converted from Presbyterianism.  He had been defrocked after a fiery church trial that convicted him of heresy.  Now, Rev. Van Winkle was aghast and made his opinions public.

On September 20, 1899, The New York Journal and Advertiser reported, "those delegates who are known as the more aggressive opponents of Bishop Potter's policy will meet at the house of the Rev. Edward H. Van Winkle, rector of St. Clement's Church, to agree upon a plan of action."

In February 1900, Rev. Van Winkler sold 25 West 9th Street to Charles D. Fuller for $22,250.  The price would translate to about $880,000 in 2026.

Fuller was the son of Dudley Barber Fuller and Mary Reed.  Both he and his wife, the former Anna Pendleton Rogers, came from old, aristocratic New York families.  The couple had a daughter, Sarah.  Fuller was a partner in Fuller Brothers & Co., "iron and steel commission merchant," and a vice president in the Volta Electric Light and Power Company.

On January 20, 1909, The Evening Telegram began an article saying, "Society attended to-day the marriage of Miss Sarah Fuller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dudley Fuller, to Mr. Veryl Preston, which was solemnized in the Church of the Ascension."  The New York Times remarked, "There was a small reception at the home of the bride's parents."

The newlyweds--the groom was 44 and the bride 33--moved into the West 9th Street house with the Fullers.  Despite their relatively advanced ages in respect to starting a family, they would have nine children (five sons and four daughters), starting with Seymour, born in 1909, and ending with Joseph in 1919.

Charles Dudley Fuller died on November 22, 1928.  His entire estate was left to Anna Fuller.  

The Prestons maintained a country home in Saddle River, New Jersey.  Their affluence was reflected in the announcement of Margaret Preston's engagement to George W. D. Symonds on May 27, 1937.  The New York Times remarked, "Miss Preston was graduated from the Brearley School in 1931 and later studied at Vassar College."  

Anna Pendleton Rogers Fuller died later that year.  A renovation completed in 1939 resulted in two apartments per floor.  It was almost assuredly at this time that the 1855 details  of the upper floors were shaved flat.

In 1940, 25 and 27 (left) had lost the molded window frames.  via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services. 

Interestingly, in 1992 apartment 3-B was used by the Tinker Institute on International Law and Organizations, which was organized that year.  It was "dedicated to research, writing, and education on the development of international law and organizations," according to the agenda of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development published that year.

photograph by Richard Korchak

A subsequent renovation completed in 2005 resulted in a triplex in the basement through second floor, one apartment on the third, and two on the top level.

many thanks to owner Richard Korchak for suggesting this post