70 East 4th Street | Block : 459 | Lot #21

Building Date : 1832-33
Original Use : Residential

Original Owner : Russel Stebbins
Original Architect : Unknown

Description & Building Alterations

This building was originally built as a Greek Revival-style row house of three and a half stories as part of the Albion Place development. Most of the original details have been removed or concealed, including the stoop and the facade has been resurfaced.

In 1868, this building served as the headquarters for The Office of Asylum and Secretary, an organization whose mission was to support (primarily German) orphans and neglected children. Fifteen years later, the building was occupied by the offices of St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum.

Various German and Hungarian organizations occupied this building, which came to be known as Ruppiner’s Hall following the turn of the century. Starting in 1903, this building was used routinely used by various lodges of the Knights and Ladies of the Golden Star and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. It was also utilized throughout 1906 as a meeting place for various lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

A paper factory was located within this building in 1914. At the end of the year, 49-year-old Joseph Albert, a paper box manufacturer at this location, was arrested trying to start a fire in the basement.

In 1979, the offices of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development were located here.

Block : 459 / Lot : 021 / Building Date : 1832-33 / Original Owner : Russel Stebbins / Original Use : Residential / Original Architect : Unknown

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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.