414 East 10th Street; 412 East 10th Street | Block : 379 | Lot #15

Building Date : 1903
Original Use : Residential/Commercial

Original Owner : Dr. Henry Schlesinger
Original Architect : Sass & Smallheiser

Description & Building Alterations

Built as a T-shaped building, 412 East 10th Street was constructed in 1903 as a 6-story brick New-Law tenement building with shops on the first floor and a bakery in the cellar. It was designed by Sass & Smallheiser for Dr. Henry Schlesinger and constructed of brick with terra-cotta details. The slightly projecting end bays differentiate this building from its neighbors.

In 1940, one of the first floor shops was replaced with an apartment and the remaining storefront was altered to make it flush with facade. The first floor, which is now completely residential, was further altered by the addition of faux stones to the facade. The building’s cornice was also removed at some point.

The building was home to blues and folk musician Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter in the 1940s (read more here and here).

Block : 379 / Lot : 015 / Building Date : 1903 / Original Owner : Dr. Henry Schlesinger / Original Use : Residential/Commercial / Original Architect : Sass & Smallheiser

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What is the Building Blocks Project

What does a building mean to someone who lives there? A person who lives on the block? In the neighborhood? In the city? This site presents a wealth of historic information gained from GVSHP’s architectural research survey about the buildings located in the East Village.

The site explores the area generally considered today as the East Village: from a northern border of 14th Street to a southern border of Houston Street, Avenue D in the east to 4th Avenue/the Bowery to the west. You can explore the information about the blocks and buildings featured here in two ways.

Pick a block. Maybe it’s yours, or perhaps it is just your favorite place to shop, grab a bite, or just people watch. Then explore the buildings that make up that block. Or take one of the many guided tours on the site, curated by a collection of organizations and experts from the neighborhood. See how they experience the neighborhood. Then tell us what the neighborhood means to you. The site’s comments section allows you to open a dialogue with others who feel just as passionately as you do about the East Village.