104 East 10th Street | Block : 465 | Lot #109

Description & Building Alterations

This three story house replaced a small brick building that held the real estate offices of Thomas McFarlan and Hamilton Fish. (See block 465, lot 9 for more information McFarlan and Fish.) It was constructed in 1879 in a simplified Greek Revival style as a speculative real estate development by Rutherfurd Stuyvesant. Playwright, poet, and  performance artist Edgar Oliver lived here for many years, during which he wrote his theatrical memoir “East 10th Street: Self Portrait with Empty House.”

Stylistically, the building serves well as a transition between the smaller, older Number 102 and the larger, grander Italianate rowhouses built later by James Mulry and Mathias Banta. In 1984, this house and Number 102 were designated the St. Mark’s Historic District Extension, largely because of the aesthetic influence they had on the development of the remainder of the block. More information is available in the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s report.