201-213 East 12th Street | Block : 468 | Lot #1

Building Date : c. 1860s (possible)
Original Use : Industrial

Original Owner : Unknown
Original Architect : Unknown

Description & Building Alterations

As early as 1862 a factory for pianos was at this location. On June 22, 1870, there was a fire at 201-213 East 12th Street which caused considerable damage according to The New York Times and the Evening Post (link to the article is under Additional Resources). At that time, the occupant was Trow & Smith Printing which was responsible for the New York City Directories (for more information about directories and their role in early New York City history, click on the NYPL Direct Me NYC link under Additional Resources). No new building permits or significant alteration permits were found for this location.

The brick building features first and second-floor round-arched windows with detailed brickwork lintels. The third through fifth floors have the same brickwork, but the windows are segmental arches. The windows are all deeply recessed. The sixth floor was added likely in the mid-1980s. In 2014 this building and its adjoining one at 87-91 Third Avenue were restored and the owners, the Manocherian Brothers and the architects of the restoration, Thomas Fenniman, Christopher Rome and Karl Vinge of Thomas A. Fenniman, Architect were recipients of a 2015 Village award by GVSHP for this restoration.

Block : 468 / Lot : 001 / Building Date : c. 1860s (possible) / Original Owner : Unknown / Original Use : Industrial / Original Architect : Unknown

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