404 East 14th Street; 405 East 13th Street | Block : 441 | Lot #7502

Description & Building Alterations

This six-story brick building was originally erected in 1888 as a furniture factory for owner William C. Doselier. The upper floors were utilized as offices and showrooms until the late 20th century, when the building was converted to apartments. Beginning in the 1960s, the building became home to a revolving roster of major artists, including Larry Rivers, Claes Oldenburg, Yayoi Kusama, and poet Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg moved to a loft apartment in this building after selling his personal archives to Stanford University for one million dollars in 1996. Unfortunately, he only lived here for one year, dying at age 70 in 1997. The current facade now features plain brick facing, a stepped parapet, iron girders and posts on the south facade, and attached pilasters at first story. It is a through-block lot, with facades on both 13th and 14th Streets.

This was previously Lot 9.