193 East 4th Street | Block : 400 | Lot #61

Description & Building Alterations

Constructed in 1858-1859 as the first in a row of ten identical tenement buildings, No. 193, like its siblings, has five stories and a basement.  The development of these buildings, which started here and proceeded east down the block, was a speculative real estate investment of William B. Astor, who sold each building as soon as it was completed.  Louis Becker purchased this building from Astor.

Although heavily altered with little evidence of the original Italianate pre-law tenement, the brick facade and shaved-down lintels on the second through fourth floors were part of the original building, and the fenestration pattern up to the fifth floor is also original.  A sixth floor was added in 1989.