Thank you for being part of our East Village Coop of two buildings between 1st and 2nd Avenue on historic East 12th Street, running the width of Manhattan Island from West to East.
In prior episodes of the history of the 315-321 Apartment Corp we've gone back to Stuyvesant Farm and the pre-grid cemetery of St. Mark's Church on East 10th Street.
This new episode is about the six three-story Greek Revival townhouses with the addresses 311, 313, 315, 317, 319 and 321 East 12th Street, built in 1853.
At the turn of the last century a developer, Jacob Fish, bought 5 of them.
What could they house? four families each?
This new episode is about the six three-story Greek Revival townhouses with the addresses 311, 313, 315, 317, 319 and 321 East 12th Street, built in 1853.
At the turn of the last century a developer, Jacob Fish, bought 5 of them.
What could they house? four families each?
Here's the idea: If we overlap lot 317 we can build two mirror buildings each with 35 apartment units, sharing a single steam heat burner in the basement of 321.
Jacob Fish commissioned architect Samuel Sass to transform the houses into two 6-story tenements, completed in 1907.
Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, Mr Fish complied with the new law for tenements, allowing space for courtyards instead of air shafts.
Our rooms are smaller but they all get light, and our common hallways are bigger than the tenements built in the 1890's.
Remember, though, he could only buy 5 lots..
So when you pass by our neighbor to the west, at 311 East 12th, you are looking at the last still standing of the row of 6 Greek Revival townhouses from 1853.
Jacob Fish commissioned architect Samuel Sass to transform the houses into two 6-story tenements, completed in 1907.
Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, Mr Fish complied with the new law for tenements, allowing space for courtyards instead of air shafts.
Our rooms are smaller but they all get light, and our common hallways are bigger than the tenements built in the 1890's.
Remember, though, he could only buy 5 lots..
So when you pass by our neighbor to the west, at 311 East 12th, you are looking at the last still standing of the row of 6 Greek Revival townhouses from 1853.
