215 East 12th Street | Block : 468 | Lot #54

Description & Building Alterations

This four story Italianate row house was built in 1855 as a single-family home. The building still retains its brownstone lintels, although they have been wrapped in metal. The original raised-stoop entrance was removed in 1923, but the windows on the parlor floor, now the second floor, still maintain their elongated proportions. The cornice is also still intact.

As the neighborhood changed and housing demands shifted, the home was altered in the 1880s to house two families. The two families began to take in boarders, converting some of their home into furnished rooms. In 1924, those furnished rooms were converted into doctors’ offices, once again highlighting a change in the neighborhood. In 1949 the commercial space was removed and the building was converted into apartments, with one apartment per floor.