The 1926 New York Furniture Exchange - 200 Lexington Avenue

photograph by Carole Teller

The newly formed Lexington-32nd Street Corporation acquired all the buildings along the western blockfront of Lexington Avenue between 32nd and 33rd Streets in 1925.  The architectural firm of Buchman & Kahn, in association with architect Maximilian Zipkes, was hired to design a 15-story structure that would house the New York Furniture Exchange.  Although the firm's filings do not specify which architect took the reins in the project, Ely Jacques Kahn is routinely given the credit.

Buchman & Kahn released this rendering in 1926.  from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York

Completed in 1926 at a cost of $2.7 million (nearly $50 million in 2026 terms), the monolithic structure was faced in sandy-colored brick and trimmed in terra cotta.  Its Art Deco design included elements influenced by Celtic, Assyrian and other exotic prototypes.  Above the third floor, a terra cotta frieze of an undulating vine snakes below and above trailing bellflowers (every other example defying gravity).  It is interrupted sporadically by octagonal plaques and rosettes.

The panels on either side of the fluted terra cotta tiles between the third-floor windows reflected Celtic motifs.  photograph by Carole Teller

Above the 11th floor was a complex, striated cornice.  Its contrasting layers mixed modern Art Deco motifs with ancient themes.  Rather than a terminal cornice, the three-story setback was crowned simply with a paneled parapet.

The Furniture Exchange was not a new concept.  It was established in 1891 at the Grand Central Palace at 36th Street and Seventh Avenue.  But it had come a long way since then.  An advertisement in The Decorative Furnisher in January 1927 said the New York Furniture Exchange was "where the country's furniture buying power meets."  Furniture makers and dealers nationwide leased space in the building to market their goods.  A listing of the tenants in the June 1927 issue of Furniture Index filled two full pages.  An article in the May 1928 issue of The Furniture Journal said:

Conceived more than a generation ago by a group of broad-visioned manufacturers, as a manufacturers' outlet...the Furniture Exchange in this city has from the start been a lighthouse on the Atlantic coast for the manufacturers of furniture throughout the country--a spot where they could assemble their choicest products, secure in the thought that they would be inspected here by those who ought to see them, and no others.

Only wholesale buyers were admitted into the building.  The Furniture Journal said it was "firmly barred against cowans and eavesdroppers."  The article reported that there were no fewer than "237 categories of merchandise on display in the building."

photograph by Sigurd Fischer from The Architectural Record, July 1926

While buyers could shop throughout the year, the busiest time for tenants were the winter and summer Furniture Expositions.  The two-week events drew retailers from across the nation.  On January 15, 1929, for instance, Furniture Buyer and Decorator commented, "For the past two or three weeks the big New York Furniture Exchange has been a continuous scene of hustle and bustle, getting ready for the January Semi-Annual Furniture Exposition."

The Furniture Journal, May 1928.

One dealer made history of a sort in 1955 when he leased space in the building.  On January 22 that year, The New York Age reported that Al Thompson, whose principal operation was in Brooklyn, was "the only Negro registered with the New York Furniture Exchange."  The article called Thompson a "sterling example of successful enterprise overcoming real or fancied problems of race."  It also pointed out, "More than 90 percent of Thompson's business is white."

A facade restoration was initiated in 1961.  The building was sheathed in steel and wooden scaffolding to accommodate what The New York Times described as "resurfacing work."  On the night of February 25, the city was hit with a vicious gale with wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour.  At 8:35, Mr. and Mrs. Harris Kanzer stepped out of their car at the curb in front of 200 Lexington Avenue.  The New York Times said that at that moment, "the wind caught at the canvas screening on the two-story scaffolding of tubular steel uprights and horizontal planking."  

In a chain reaction, the scaffolding collapsed, starting at 33rd Street and ending domino-like at 32nd Street.  Eleven cars were damaged and the Kramers were pelted with debris.  Happily, they were only slightly injured.

photos by Sigurd Fischer from The Architectural Record, July 1926

The 73rd New York Winter Furniture Show started on January 14, 1964.  The timing could not have been worse.  That day, what The New York Times called "New York's worst storm of the season" hit.  But despite the blizzard, attendance was only 20 per cent down.  The article said, "Furniture dealers proved themselves a hardy breed yesterday."  More than 3,200 customers battled the blast to examine the 550 manufacturers' offerings.

Over the decades, the furniture manufacturers, of course, adapted with changing tastes.  But perhaps no one was more reflective of that than Quasar Khanh, owner of the Paris-based Quasar Inflatables.  When he arrived in New York in October 1969 with new models, he carried the chairs, poufs and lamps in a suitcase.  The designer's inflatable furniture epitomized 1960s domestic tastes.

Within a decade, the furniture trade gradually moved to Long Island City.  A renovation in 1979 resulted in an adult trade school on the fourth floor.  And in 1981, the building's name was changed to the New York Design Center.  Martin Gottlieb, writing in The New York Times on May 13, 1984, explained, "Several years ago, the 500,000 square foot New York Furniture Exchange at 200 Lexington Avenue decided to convert itself from a wholesale commercial furniture building...to a building that served designers and decorators."

Among the tenants in 1994 was the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.  It was the venue for exhibitions and other events, like the panel that discussed "the impact of empowerment zones and the relationships between public policy, design and planning" on September 19, 1996.  The American Institute of Architects would remain here until 2003.

The New York Design Center established Interior Operations in 1997.  Newsday explained on September 18, "For a one-time fee of $50, clients are paired with designers who either help them complete entire projects with merchandise from the center or merely assist them in selecting a few individual items from some of the 80 showrooms in the building."  The article noted parenthetically, "when it opened in 1926, [it] was the first furniture and design building in New York City."

photograph by Carole Teller

The New York Design Center contains 100 showrooms today.  They exhibit furniture, textiles, lighting and decorative accessories.  Like Interior Operations, the current Access to Design program helps educate consumers "on the value of good design," according to the Center's website.  In the meantime, the upper floors of Buchman & Kahn's striking 1926 building is nearly unchanged a century after its doors opened.

many thanks to artist Carole Teller for suggesting this post

The Charles G. Dean House - 214 East 31st Street

 

In 1867 real estate agent Charles E. Pierce moved his family into the recently built house at 214 East 31st Street.  Three stories of red brick sat upon a rusticated brownstone basement.  A rather spartan version of Italianate, its double-doored entrance had no ornamentation other than a simple lintel.  The 20-foot-wide home featured floor-to-ceiling parlor windows and a bracketed cornice with a paneled fascia.

Charles E. and Esther A. Pierce, born in 1831 and 1825 respectively, had an adult daughter, Lillias Adelaide, known as Lilly.  Lily had an unspecified disability.  In explaining why she could not appear in court in person to testify in 1869, she said, "I am quite lame."

Like many families, the Pierces rented extra rooms in their home.  An advertisement in the New York Herald on July 24, 1869 offered:

Front room and Bedroom, second story, nicely furnished, closets, gas and water, with partial Board, or for light house-keeping at a low price; hall room $2.50; pleasant location.

The $2.50 room rate would translate to $60 in 2026.

The Pierces had bad luck with roomers.  On August 7, Charles Allen died in his room.  Unlike some landlords, the Pierces apparently did not offer their parlor for his funeral.  The 56-year-old was buried from the Church of the Transfiguration.

The following year, on October 22, 1871, 77-year-old roomer Ann Irwin died.  This time the funeral was held in the house.

Following the Pierces was the family of Charles G. Dean, another real estate operator, who moved in in 1874.  Dean and his wife, the former Eliza Reed, had five children: William Matthews, Charles Jr., Hamilton F., Edward B., and Eliza Reed.

Born in 1813, Charles G. Dean was the son of book publisher William E. Dean.  In addition to his real estate business, Charles was an alderman.  

William M. Dean operated a harness business on Third Avenue as early as 1879.  His brother, Charles Jr., however, was listed as a "gentleman," meaning he had no profession.  Charles explained when being interviewed as a juror in 1890, that he "had no business, but was engaged in looking after his own affairs."

Charles G. Dean, Sr. died of pneumonia at the age of 68 on February 11, 1881.  Interestingly, his funeral was not held in the house, but at Rutgers Church.

Shortly afterward, the Dean family tepidly updated the house.  Fashionable wrought iron stoop railings and newels were installed, the parlor windows shortened, and sheet metal cornices applied to the openings.

The original appearance of the windows matched those of the homes on either side in this 1940 photo.  via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

Following the death of her husband, Noel B. Stanton, daughter Eliza moved back to the East 31st Street house with her mother and unmarried brothers.

William Matthew Dean died on February 12, 1896 and Charles G. Dean on September 8, 1905.  Both funerals were held in the parlor.

The year 1918 was a morose one for the Deans.  Eliza Reed Stanton died on January 21 and Eliza Reed Dean died at the age of 96 on November 3.  Both funerals were held in the Madison Avenue Baptist Church.  

Hamilton F. Dean, who was highly involved in real estate operations, continued to live in the house until his death in 1937.  In August that year, his estate sold 214 East 31st Street to Richard N. Cotter.

Living here in 1942 was the Meyer family: Anna, Catherine, Harvey, John, Louise and Thelma.  All of them were listed by the Congressional Special Committee on Un-American Activities that year as being registered Communist Party voters.

A renovation completed in 1955 resulted in an office in the basement, a doctor's office on the parlor floor, and one apartment each on the upper stories.  More recently, the offices were converted to apartments, resulting in a total of four.

photographs by the author

The Arthur and Anna Eisemann House - 212 East 31st Street

 

photograph by the author

A long row of modest houses on the south side of East 31st Street between Second and Third Avenues was completed around 1867.  Above rusticated brownstone basements, their upper three stories were faced in red brick.  At 20-feet wide, their stripped-down take on the popular Italianate style included a surprising vermiculated band below the parlor level (an unnecessary cost to the builder), floor-to-ceiling parlor windows, and individual bracketed cornices.

No. 212 East 31st Street was apparently leased, initially.  Adolphus Sinsheimer, an "agent," and his family lived here from 1868 to 1869, followed by Abraham Levy.  The clothier had two shops on the Bowery.  He and his family remained through 1874.

The residence next became a boarding house.  The small number of tenants reflected its high-end status.  Living here in 1876 were Edward S. Dex, Bartholomew and Felix Smith, and Catharine A. McLean, none of whom listed professions.  Catharine was the widow of Laughlin McLean, and it was possibly she who placed an advertisement in the New York Herald in March that year:

A young lady will give instruction on piano for $10 per quarter, with privilege of practice daily.  212 East 31st st.

The advertisements appeared routinely through 1879.  Bartholomew and Felix Smith were listed at the address through 1880.

Alice J. Bolmer, a widow, purchased 212 East 31st Street in August 1882, but she did not retain possession for long.  She placed an advertisement in the New York Herald on July 8, 1885:

A great sacrifice will be made if sold at once; must be sold, as the owner is going West; three story high stoop, all improvements, 20x45x100, 212 East 31st st.; this house is the most perfect home in the city; do not fail to examine at once.

Alice Bolmer sold the house to Jacob and Margaret Sauter for $13,000--about $438,000 in 2026.  It appears that the couple operated it again as a boarding house.  Among their boarders in 1886 was Mary Leonard, who abruptly moved out in September.  Soon afterward, men arrived at 212 East 31st Street to repossess a large amount of furniture.

Calling her "quite a business woman," the New York Herald explained on November 22, 1886 that Mary Leonard "at various times called herself Fanny Walsh, Duane, Stanley, Kelly and Lee, and that a large number of furniture dealers have made her acquaintance at considerable loss to themselves."

Mary Leonard had gone to several furniture dealers, telling them "she was honest, and had to have furniture because she was trying to support her four fatherless children by starting a boarding house."  She managed to purchase $190 worth of furniture from Thoesen & Uhl, a piano worth the same amount from Samuel Parsons, and $200 worth of furniture from George Reubel.  She had placed small amounts of money on credit and had the goods shipped to 212 East 31st Street.  She then waited on the sidewalk and when the deliverymen arrived, redirected them to an alternate address.  She was long gone before the dealers began looking for the unpaid goods.

Jacob Sauter died in 1887 and Margaret tried to hold on to the property, taking out a second mortgage in 1888.  She was not successful and the house was sold at auction on June 20, 1890 for $12,650.  It was sold again in 1892 to Lisette and Adolph Starke, who resold it in 1897 to Mary J. Mitchell.

The house finally returned to a single-family home in May 1903 when Martin L. Campbell purchased it from Mary Mitchell.  Campbell was a civil servant, working as a "tapper" in the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity.  

In the spring of 1909, a proposal was bandied about to change the title of "assistant tapper" to simply "tapper."  Campbell was not entirely on board with the move, and in April he and Thomas F. McCormick sent a letter to the department.  It pointed out that they were "the only persons registered as Tappers in the Boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx," and, while they did not oppose the change, "they would like to be protected in their higher position by a title such as Superintendent, Supervising or Foreman Topper, etc."  (It is unclear whether the proposal was accepted.)

In 1940, the rustication of the basement and its vermiculated band, along with the original floor-to-ceiling parlor windows survived.  via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

Campbell remained at 212 East 31st Street until 1912, when he sold the house that December to Anna and Arthur Eisemann.  A graduate of Cooper Union, Arthur was an architect and independent contractor.  He and Anna had two daughters, Alma and Bertha.

His work drew important clients.  On September 17, 1921, for instance, the Real Estate Record & Builders' Guide reported that John D. Rockefeller, Jr. had commissioned him to make "alterations" to the four-story residence at 24 West 54th Street.  Eisemann was, as well, the president of the Society of Painting and Decorative Trades.

Anna Eisemann died on May 27, 1927.  Arthur moved permanently to Elmhurst, New York and the East 31st Street house was rented by Anna's estate.  Her will directed, "Income from the property at 212 East Thirty-first street, Manhattan, is to be divided among the children equally."

The house was converted to apartments in 1946.  A subsequent renovation completed in 1959 resulted in a duplex in the basement and parlor level, one apartment on the second floor and two on the third.  During one of those renovations, the rustication and vermiculated band of the basement were erased and the parlor windows shortened.

The Henry H. Keeler House - 128 East 31st Street

 

On November 11, 1856, Henry H. Keeler was married to Rachel C. Crane in "the Lafayette-place Church," as reported by the New-York Tribune.  Keeler was a partner with Julius A. Candee and Cornelius C. Demarest in the lime business Candee, Keeler & Co.  The newlyweds moved into the new three-story-and-basement house at 74 East 31st Street (renumbered 128 in 1867).  

The 16-foot-wide, brownstone-faced residence had been completed around December 1855.  Its cutting-edge, French Second Empire design included an arched pediment supported by foliate brackets over the doorway, and a projecting, three-sided parlor oriel.  The upper floor openings sat within robust architraves with molded cornices.  The leafy entrance brackets were echoed in the cast metal cornice.

Keeler was drawn into the mysterious case of Jane Augusta Blankman's death in 1860.  He and five other businessmen were impaneled as the coroner's jury to investigate the woman's "sudden demise, burial, and subsequent exhumation."  Jane Blankman's body had been exhumed "on the supposition that her decease was occasioned by sinister means," explained The New York Times on October 22.  After hearing lengthy testimonies, Keeler and his peers ruled that the 35-year-old had died from a stroke.

By 1864, the Keelers had moved to West 26th Street.  Merchant John Johnson and his family occupied the 31st Street house, while broker Conrad Phillip Bruns lived on Staten Island.

Bruns married 22-year-old Charlotte Emilie Switzer on December 16, 1863.  Interestingly, both of them went by their middle names.  Around 1866, they moved into the former Keeler house.

Born in Bremen, Germany on February 23, 1837, Bruns emigrated to the United States in 1858.  He found a job as a clerk in a brokerage house and rose within the firm.  The young man arrived at a propitious time.  In 1859, Edwin Drake successfully struck oil in Pennsylvania.  It triggered a frenzy of trading in "paper oil" and oil certificates.  The Evening World would later comment that Bruns, "made a fortune in the early days of oil speculation."

Not long after the couple moved into the East 31st Street house, twin boys--Philipp and William Ferdinand--were born on January 6, 1867.  Sadly, Philipp died five months later on June 24.  Another son, Edwin George, arrived on March 3, 1870.

Charlotte Emilie Bruns died at the age of 30 on April 23, 1872.  Her funeral was held in the parlor at 2:00 on the afternoon of the 25th.

Emilie had had domestic help, of course, but now servants were even more essential in the all-male household.  On April 25, 1873, an advertisement in the New York Herald sought: "Wanted--A cook; one who has lived in a German family preferred; also a chambermaid to assist in washing.  Apply, with reference, at 128 East 31st street."

Phil Bruns (as he was known familiarly) was "noted for his open-handed generosity," according to The Evening World.  His son seemed to have inherited the trait.  The 1888 Annual Report of The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children noted that William F. Bruns had donated "25 books for reception-rooms" to the facility.

Known to his friends as Willie, William Ferdinand Bruns died in the house on July 25, 1889 at the age of 22.  His funeral was held in the parlor two days later.

By then, Philip Bruns was well-known and well respected in Wall Street circles.  He had purchased his seat in the New York Stock Exchange in 1869 and now he and his surviving son were partners in the firm of Edwin G. Bruns & Co.  

At some point Philip Bruns had begun a romance with Madge M. Gurney.  It is possible that the two never married because Madge was "a victim of an incurable disease," according to The Evening World.

Conrad Philip "Phil" Bruns (original source unknown)

On the evening of August 4, 1893, Bruns met Henry G. Hilton to have dinner at the Casino in Central Park.  They rode in Hilton's surrey and, as reported by the New-York Tribune, "In turning the corner at Fifty-eighth-st. and Seventh-ave. the vehicle went around so quickly that Mr. Bruns was thrown out and he fell heavily on the pavement."  Hilton rushed back to his friend, "who was bleeding profusely."  Bruns was taken back to 128 East 31st Street where Dr. Henry Forbes said he was suffering with a broken nose and two fractures of the collar bone.  "The most serious injury, however, was the cutting of the artery under the right eye, which had caused a great loss of blood," said the article.

The next day Bruns was described as "delirious" and "in an exceedingly critical condition."  That evening, Madge Gurney visited him and "remained with him for sometime," according to The Evening World.  

Phil Bruns lingered for nearly two weeks, dying in the East 31st Street house at 6:15 p.m. on August 15 at the age of 56.  The Evening World commented, "The death of Philip Bruns removes from Wall street one of its most familiar and well-known personages."

On August 19, The Evening World reported that when Madge Gurney heard of Bruns's death, "she appeared to be greatly dejected."  The newspaper announced, "at 6:15 P. M. the next day she died at her rooms in the Milburn apartment house."  The article said they died 24 hours apart to the minute.

Perhaps because of the anticipated large attendance, Conrad Philip Bruns's funeral was not held in the house, but in the Church of the Transfiguration.  On August 17, The Evening World reported, "The casket was almost buried in flowers."

Before the turn of the century, George Bruns sold 128 East 31st Street to George Florence Scannell and his wife, the former Elizabeth Rafferty (known as Lizzie).  The couple had three sons: Frank Joseph, John Jay, George Jr.; and a daughter, Marie F.

Born on February 22, 1860, Scannell was highly involved in Tammany politics.  He worked as a clerk in the Surrogate's office and was the leader of the 25th Democratic District and the chairman of the Seneca Club.  

In the fall of 1900, the family received a horrific scare.  John, who was 15 years old, attended the College of St. Francis Xavier on West 15th Street.  He and a number of other boys were "playing leap-frog" in the gymnasium, according to the New York Herald on October 10.  The New-York Tribune explained that John, "had succeeded in jumping over two boys, and was trying to jump over three, when he fell, striking his head on the floor."  The New York Herald reported that he was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital unconscious and diagnosed with a "concussion of the brain."  The New-York Tribune's report was more dire, saying that the teen had sustained a skull fracture.  At the hospital that evening, his father was told "that his son would probably recover," said the New York Herald.  Happily, John Jay Scannell did recover.

On January 1, 1904, Manhattan Borough President John F. Ahearn informed the Municipal Civil Service Commission that George F. Scannell had been appointed Superintendent of Highways.  He replaced James G. Collins, whom The New York Times said had been "ousted" by Ahearn.  The position came with a salary of $5,000 (about $175,000 in 2026).

In 1905, a woman who said her name was Mary Scannell, began appearing at the stoop of 128 East 31st Street and at Scannell's office on Park Row.  She said she was the daughter of Scannell's brother, Thomas, and when he died, when she was five years old, she was sent to a convent.  She tracked down George Scannell, she said, through the New York Foundling Asylum.  Now she insisted that he support her.

The major flaw in Mary Scannell's story was that George never had a brother named Thomas.  She was, nevertheless, persistent.  Two years after she first rang the bell of 128 East 31st Street, George Scannell's patience was exhausted.  When she showed up at his office again on August 17, 1907, he had her arrested.  The New York Times reported, "She was sent to Bellevue Hospital for observation as to her sanity."

George Scannell's promotion to Superintendent of Highways in 1904 turned into a nightmare for the family.  James G. Collins had not gone quietly after being fired.  He sued the city and Scannell.  The New York Times reported, "To safeguard the city in case Collins should win the suit Scannell had to furnish a $10,000 bond to guarantee that he would turn back his salary to Collins.  His own house, which stood in his wife's name, was put up as security."

In December 1909, James G. Collins "bodily took possession of Scannell's office," reported The New York Times.  He barricaded himself inside and "held the fort for a number of days."  Astoundingly, Collins's ploy worked.  The newspaper said that Mayor William Jay Gaynor's "revocation of the office of Commissioner of Highways" finally "induced Collins to surrender his stronghold."  The article concluded, "Thus Scannell lost his job."

Not only did Scannell lose his job, Collins continued to sue him personally for his back wages of about $30,000, or about $1 million today.  In the meantime, Scannell was appointed the Superintendent of Records in the Surrogates' Office--the same position in which he had started.

George F. Scannell fell ill in May 1912.  On September 19, The New York Times headlined an article, "George F. Scannell Dead From Worry."  The 52-year-old had died in the 31st Street house the previous evening.  The Times reported, "It was the prospect of losing everything in the world, Mr. Scannell's friends said last night, which had suddenly made such a noted change in the man."

The original 1850s detailing was intact in this 1940 photograph.  image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

On January 3, 1913, The New York Times printed a one-line story:  "Frank J. Scannell, son of George F. Scannell, has been appointed to his father's place as Superintendent of Records of the Surrogates' office."

The Scannell family finally received welcomed news in June 1916.  A court ruled that James G. Collins was entitled only to $3,000.  Elizabeth Scannell's tenuous hold on her home was restored.

Two months later, on August 22, George was married to Elizabeth O'Brien in the Church of St. John the Evangelist on East 55th Street.  Marie (who would never marry) attended the bride and John J. Scannell was his brother's best man.  

Frank was still living here with his mother and Marie as late as 1920, when he was appointed a commissioner of deeds.  Elizabeth sold 128 East 31st Street in September 1924 to the 5 Gramercy Park, Inc.

The firm operated the property as a rooming house and it continued to be such for decades.  When Mary Macfayden and her husband, Frank Netter, purchased the house in 1960, it was described as being vacant.  It was resold in 1964 when the couple began divorce proceedings.

A renovation completed in 1969 resulted in a photography studio in the basement.  It was most likely during this time that the Victorian details were removed from the doorway and windows.  

Shocking publicity came in 1981 when, on January 15, The New York Times reported that four men had been arrested for "operating houses of prostitution," one of which was 128 East 31st Street.

Renovations done in 2009 returned 128 East 31st Street to a single family home.  Despite the loss of most of the Italianate details, the Keeler house manages to retain its architectural charm.

photographs by the author

The Andrew W. Bogert House - 222 East 32nd Street

 

image via douglaselliman.com

In the 17th century, the farm of Dutch settler Jacobus Hendrickson de Kype stretched northward along the East River from what today is East 30th to about 37th Street, and west beyond First Avenue.  In 1655, De Kype erected his large brick and stone house on the property.  The family let its surname, anglicized to Kip, to the river's bay and to his property, which was known as the Kip's Bay Farm.

By the decade prior to the outbreak of civil war, the Kip's Bay neighborhood had seen the opening of streets and avenues and the erection of rowhouses and shops.  Around 1855, a trio of Anglo-Italianate rowhouses was erected on East 32nd Street between Second and Third Avenues.  Faced in brownstone, the 16-foot-wide homes featured rusticated bases with fully arched openings.  Graceful molded lintels sat upon the elliptically arched upper floor windows.  A cast iron balcony ran the width of the second floor.

Andrew W. Bogert, a cabinetmaker and furniture dealer, moved his family into the westernmost of the three homes, 128 East 32nd Street.  The address would be changed to 222 in 1864.  The Bogerts remained through 1858.  The following year, Sara Gough began operating a boarding house here.

Her advertisement in the New-York Tribune on March 9, 1859, read:

Board for One Family, with the whole parlor floor, or the third floor, in the English basement house, with all the improvements, No. 128 East 32d st.  Few if any other boarders in the house.  Sarah Gough

Sarah's mention of "few if any other boarders" was important.  The higher class boarding houses took in only a few select tenants.  In 1860, living in the house with Sara were her son, Adna H. Gough; and Jonathan Dickinson and Henry R. Cooper, who were both clerks.

In 1863, Adna H. Gough traveled to Michigan, presumably with his mother, where he purchased land on August 5.  He is listed as among "the first land purchasers of Saginaw County, Michigan," by the Saginaw Genealogical Society.

The East 32nd Street house became home to the John Turnbull family.  On April 18, 1863, Turnbull wrote a testimonial letter for a Dr. Lighthill, who treated "diseases of the Eye, Ear, and Air-Passages," according to his ad.  Turnbull's letter appeared in The New York Times:

A member of my family had had a troublesome affection of the ears since infancy.  I was recommended to place her under the treatment of Dr. Lighthill, and I am happy to state that he has been completely successful in her case.  Those who desire to know the particulars may apply at my residence.

                                        John Turnbull, No. 128 East 32d-st.

That family member was, most likely, daughter Agnes Turnbull.  Beginning in 1864, she taught in the primary department of School No. 53 on West 13th Street near Sixth Avenue.

Also living in the house was Agnes's brother, George R. Turnbull.  On March 9, 1865, he was summoned to testify in the alleged corruption in the election of William E. Dodge to Congress.  His testimony revealed the general confusion being created by the city's comprehensive address renumbering program.  When asked where he lived, he answered, "128 East 32nd Street, old number; the new number is 222."

The house appears to have been operated as a boarding house again in the 1870s.  Then, in 1879, it was purchased by 24-year-old Dr. Robert John Heinmuller.  Born in New York City in 1855, he received his medical degree from the University of the City of New-York in 1875.  The bachelor was an attending physician at the Bellevue Hospital Dispensary, and in 1877 was appointed an Assistant Sanitary Inspector in the Bureau of Contagious Diseases within the Department of Sanitation.

In 1941, the house next door retained its second-floor balcony.  image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

In 1881, Heinmuller married Amalie Neuman.  The groom was now 26 and the bride 21.  They soon had a daughter, Ilsa Georgina.  Living with the family in 1883 was Albert Heinmuller, obviously a relative, who was attending the Free Academy of New York.

Heinmuller's position with the Department of Sanitation brought him into contact with dangerous communicable diseases like cholera and yellow fever.  Other times, he was tasked with tracking down the cause of what appeared to be the beginnings of a mysterious outbreak.  In February 1883, the family of Gustav Stepbach fell ill with trichiniasis--a parasitic disease caused by roundworms found in undercooked meat.

The New York Herald reported, "It was learned that the three had eaten freely of raw ham about a month previously."  Now, said the article, Dr. Heinmuller, "began an investigation with a view of fixing the responsibility for the sale of the diseased meat which communicated the malady."

Later that year, according to the New-York Tribune, Heinmuller, "began to suffer from brain trouble."  The article did not specify what the disorder was, however it may have been a slight stroke.  Then, in August 1884, while working in the laboratory, he spilled acid onto his foot.  Because of the injury, he "was obliged to stay in doors," said the New-York Tribune.  On August 29, Robert John Heinmuller suffered a fatal stroke at the age of 29.

To make ends meet, Amalie Heinmuller took in boarders.  One of the earliest was 33-year-old Annie Bennett, who took a room in May 1885.  She told Amalie that she came from Baltimore and had left her husband, a restaurant owner.  The New York Herald explained, "She left home, accusing him of infidelity."  Annie said she would need a room only until her divorce was finalized, after which she would have the means to settle somewhere permanently.  

The newspaper said, "During her stay at the Heinmillers' [sic] Mrs. Bennett worked hard all the time, working for the family and taking in sewing from outside; a good deal of it from the wife of a baker living at 485 Third avenue."  According to Amalie, said the article, "After she had been there a short time her husband came to see her, and repeated the visit once or twice.  The interviews were evidently not pleasant ones, and each left the young woman nervous and excited."

Annie Bennett's sewing jobs were not earning enough money.  By the end of summer, she told Amalie, "she did not know what she should do.  She had scarcely anything left."  Finally, acknowledging that she owned Amalie back rent, in September Annie packed her trunks, asked Amalie to hold them for her, and left, without saying where she would go.  The New York Herald said, "Mrs. Heinmiller [sic] supposed that she was going to visit her husband or her relatives to get assistance, and kept her room waiting for her; but days and then weeks slipped away until it was decided that she would not return."

Finally on September 30, Annie returned only to find her room was rented.  She sat in the parlor and wept, telling Amalie that her friends and family had not answered her letters and she was desperate for money.  The following day Annie Bennett's body was discovered in the Morton House, where she committed suicide by inhaling lighting gas.

Edward Bessinger rented a room here in 1902.  On July 29 that year, he was walking along Fifth Avenue with James Pardee, the sexton of St. Stephen's Church, when someone cried, "Fire!" and another person yelled, "There's a watchman in there!"  The vacant brownstone house at 304 Fifth Avenue had caught fire.  Bessinger "darted into the building, through the smoke which was coming from the cellar in suffocating volumes," as reported by The New York Times.  Policeman Barbour had been holding back the crowd of spectators.  He and Edward Costello ran into the building.  The newspaper said, "Groping their way down the cellar stairs, they came across Bessinger unconscious at the foot of the stairway."  He was carried out and transported to the New York Hospital.  Bessinger survived, but, unfortunately, the body of the aged watchman whom he had hoped to rescue was discovered later.

  

By the mid-1920s, 222 East 32nd Street was operated as a rooming house.  On September 20, 1927, "Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan" took a room.  In fact, the couple were Alfred and Helen Morin.  Alfred was arrested for burglary and jailed in The Tombs shortly after they moved in.  On September 23, Helen went to The Tombs to visit him, but was quickly intercepted by detectives.

Since his arrest, Morin had been subject to questioning concerning the murder of Patrolman Henry E. A. Meyer.  Getting nowhere with him, the authorities turned their attention to Helen (who initially told them her name was Helen Moroney).  Perhaps fearing that she, too, would end up behind bars, she told officials where to find Edward J. "Red" Reilly, an accomplice in the shooting.  He was picked up that afternoon.

photograph by Anthony Bellov

The house was renovated in 1961, resulting in a duplex apartment in the basement and first floor, and one apartment each on the upper floors.  

many thanks to historian Anthony Bellov for suggesting this post

The Edgar and Sarah Lasak House - 224 East 32nd Street

photograph by Anthony Bellov

In the 1850s New York City had expanded northward into the Kips Bay district.  Around 1855, a trio of Anglo-Italianate-style rowhouses was completed on East 32nd Street between Second and Third Avenues.  The 16-foot wide homes were faced in brownstone and their rusticated bases featured fully arched openings.  Cast iron balconies ran the width of the second floors, and graceful molded lintels sat upon the elliptically arched upper floor windows.

Born in 1827, Edgar F. Lasak was a partner with his father in the fur business F. W. Lasak & Son.  He lived with his parents, Francis W. and Harriett D. Lasak, in their mansion at 292 Fifth Avenue until his marriage to Sarah Wright Seaman on April 24, 1855.  Edgar took his bride to 130 East 32nd Street--the middle house of the newly built trio.  (The address would be changed to 224 in 1865.)

The couple's only daughter, Margaret Seaman, was born in February 1856.  The three did not fill the house, and an advertisement that year offered rooms to let in the "new English basement" residence.  Their tenants in 1859, Francis M. and Kate S. Randell, suffered a painful loss.  Their daughter, Mariana, died at the age of one-and-a-half on April 29.

The Lasaks left East 32nd Street in 1862, after which the residence was operated as a boarding house.  Living here in 1863 were William Elmer and Catharine E. Poole, W. Cavener, and Benjamin B. Dewitt.  Dewitt did not list a profession, suggesting he was retired.

Sadly, as had been the case with the Randells, on February 6, 1863 William and Catharine Poole's one-a-half-year-old son, William Elmer Poole, Jr., died here.  His funeral was held in the parlor on February 8.

Six months later, W. Cavener's name was drawn in the Union Army's draft lottery.  

The house became a private home when it was purchased by Joseph Seaich and his wife, the former Maria Griffith, in 1864.  The couple had three children, Joseph Jr., Williams, and M. Adelaide, who was born in 1861.  (Williams would later join his father's business.)

Born in 1811 in London, Joseph Seaich worked as a boy in the United States Hotel.  Then, in 1836, he started a carriage line taking freight and passengers from the railway stations and boat landings to hotels.  In 1857, Seaich opened a "large carriage stable," as described by The New York Times, on East 32nd Street.  The newspaper would later said, "While the Prince of Wales, the Duke Alexis, and other notables were in this country, Mr. Seaich supplied them with coaches."  By the time he moved his family into the East 32nd Street house, he had moved his business to East 82nd Street.  

In 1869, the Seaich family moved to 47 East 31st Street.  As was common at the time, rather than moving their things, they sold all the furnishings at auction.  The announcement on April 13, 1869, listed expensive items like a Decker pianoforte, "rich rosewood Parlor Suits, in silk reps," a marble top etagere, and marble top tables.

The house was purchased by Augustus L. Rapp, a dealer "in fancy woods and veneers."  He leased it to Mrs. Mary A. Howell, a widow, who operated it as a rooming house.  An advertisement in the New York Herald on December 8, 1870 offered, "Furnished Rooms to let, to gentlemen; also a suit for a quiet couple, with breakfast for gentlemen if desired; house neatly furnished and convenient to [street] cars."  (Why females were not offered breakfast is unclear.)

Mary A. Howell's roomers in 1872 were Merwin Deveau, Dr. J. Fitzgerald O'Connor, and George H. and Anna Bond Healy.  

That year Augustus L. Rapp made renovations to the house.  He explained to a judge later, "a cellar was built under the front part of my house; we dug out and built it."  Among the workmen on the project was George Rose, a mason.  On June 3, he left his wheelbarrow on the sidewalk.  The New York Times reported, "A number of mischievous boys rolled away the barrow several times."  Rose lost patience with the urchins and when he finally caught them moving his wheelbarrow, he "seized an ax and flung it at the nearest group of boys."  

The ax struck Henry Burke, who was five-and-a-half years old.  The little boy was not part of the gang, but was merely in the path of the flying weapon.  Henry fell to the pavement with a fractured skull.  Realizing what he had done, George Rose tried to leave, but the large group of adult witnesses stopped him.  He "was compelled by the witnesses...to carry the boy into the nearest drug store," said The New York Times.  Rose later took him to Bellevue Hospital where Henry Burke died.

Rose was arrested for manslaughter.  In court on December 18, he swore that he "threw up his arms in order to frighten the boys from the wheelbarrow, when the ax slipped from his grasp accidentally, and struck [the] deceased."  The testimonies of the numerous witnesses refuted his story.  Rose was convicted and sent to prison for a year.

Mary A. Howell leased the house from Rapp until 1880.  It continued to be operated as a rooming house by its new proprietor, Kate Howard.  

Among her roomers in 1887 was the Krause family.  On August 12, 1887, 16-year-old George W. Krause was run over by a furniture van driven by Alfred Dorche.  The New York Times reported that Dorche, "injured him so badly that he died shortly afterward."  Dorche was arrested for manslaughter.  

An inquest was held on August 19.  Former alderman Charles B. Waite had witnessed the accident.  The New York Herald reported, "Mr. Waite said that he came 300 miles from Essex to testify that he saw the accident, and that in his opinion the driver, Alfred Dorche...was not to blame."  The article concluded, "The jury exonerated the driver."

via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services.

The house continued as a rooming house into the Depression years.  Andrew T. Hoffman lived here in 1936 when he suffered a gruesome death.  He was in New Jersey on March 29 when he was "struck by a Pennsylvania Railroad train in Hamilton Township," according to The New York Times.  The article said, "A briefcase near the body contained religious tracts.  He was about 35 years old."

Carol Drosdick, who lived here in 1938, was described by The New York Sun as "an attractive brunette."  The 24-year-old worked as a waitress and was dealing with a stalker--a former boyfriend.  On July 18, Carol and her sister, Helen, were on their way to Brooklyn to visit another sister.  On the 34th Street subway platform, Carol's stalker approached.  He insisted that she go with him instead of accompanying Helen.  "Angrily she ordered him to go away," reported The Sun.

The former boyfriend pulled out a knife and began stabbing her.  He slashed her on the hand, the left shoulder and the lower part of her back.  "As she fell to the platform, her assailant fled up the stairs into the street and disappeared," said the article.  Carol was treated at St. Vincent's Hospital.  Whether her attacker (whose name was withheld) faced justice is unclear.

A renovation completed in 1961 resulted in two duplex apartments.  One of them was home to film maker and photographer Ralph Steiner and his wife, Caroline.  Steiner was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1899.  While living here, he created eight films under the grouping "The Joy of Seeing."  

Ralph Steiner created this self-portrait (what today would be called a selfie) around 1930.  from the collection of MoMA

On September 16, 1962, The New York Times reported that Steiner had announced the establishment of "The Photographs' Centre," described as "a nonprofit organization for teaching, lectures, print exhibits and services for photographers."  Steiner headed the new organization.

Following Steiner's death in 1986, Ann Hoy of the International Center of Photography called him "a key figure in winning vanguard status for photography comparable to such painting movements as Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism and the last of the American Modernist photographers."

photograph by Anthony Bellov

A renovation completed in 2005 returned 244 East 32nd Street to a single family home.

many thanks to historian Anthony Bellov for suggesting this post