218 East 7th Street | Block : 389 | Lot #27

Building Date : 1876
Original Use : Residential

Original Owner : David Jones
Original Architect : Peter Tostevin

Description & Building Alterations

No. 218 East 7^th Street was built in conjunction with its neighbors on either side by Peter Tostevin in 1876. This five story, four bay structure is clad in brick and has decorative metal lintels and sills at the windows. The cornice has been removed and the storefront has been modernized but cast iron posts and beam are still intact. This Pre-Law Tenement was originally constructed with ten apartments, and by 1941 the ground floor had been renovated to contain two stores, in addition to the two existing apartments.

Tax photos from the 1980’s show the building dilapidated, with parts of the original cornice deteriorating and gaping windows broken or missing. Shortly after, the building underwent gut rehabilitation and today contains five new apartments.

Block : 389 / Lot : 027 / Building Date : 1876 / Original Owner : David Jones / Original Use : Residential / Original Architect : Peter Tostevin

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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.