301 East 10th Street | Block : 404 | Lot #55

Building Date : c. 1843-44
Original Use : Residential

Original Owner : Thomas Crane
Original Architect : Joseph Trench (attributed)

Description & Building Alterations

This five-story residential building was constructed c. 1843-44 and it was originally 2 ½ stories tall with a raised basement and a pitched roof. The building was designed by Joseph Trench for original owner Thomas Crane. The upper story was raised in 1886 by William Graul.

The three-bays wide Greek Revival facade features molded window lintels and sills. In 1937, the primary entrance was relocated to the basement. Other alterations include a modified enframement in the left bay of the parlor floor and a brick parapet that replaced the original cornice.

Tuli Kupferberg, a social and political provacateur, lived at 301 East 10th Street during the 1960s.

Born in 1924 on the Lower East Side, Kupferberg gained a cult following during his lifetime for his fervent political leftism, self-published underground magazines like Yeah and Birth, and the anti-authoritarian music of his band, The Fugs, which pushed the boundaries on topics such as sex and drugs. Songs like the satirical “Kill For Peace” became anthems for the anti-Vietnam War effort, a cause that Kupferberg felt strongly enough about to have been arrested at a 1967 protest. The self-described “oldest rock star in the world” could be found holding court in the Village up until his death in 2010. A visionary till the end, Kupferberg had also moved seamlessly into the electronic age with his own Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/user/tulifuli).

Block : 404 / Lot : 055 / Building Date : c. 1843-44 / Original Owner : Thomas Crane / Original Use : Residential / Original Architect : Joseph Trench (attributed)

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