515 East 5th Street | Block : 401 | Lot #56

This pre-law tenement is part of a row of 13 speculative tenements developed by William B. Astor in 1859-60. The latter 10 of the buildings were constructed using one plan, with only minor alterations in details as material availability changed.  Construction began on the western portion of the block and moved eastward.

Of this row, No. 515 is the only tenement that retains its original Italianate window lintels without alteration.  In 2006, the sixth-floor addition was built and the original cornice was removed.  In 2008, this building and several others in the neighborhood were the subject of considerable controversy when it was ruled that the additions should not have been permitted and may have to be removed.

Block : 401 / Lot : 056 / Building Date : 1859-1860 / Original Owner : William B. Astor / Original Use : Residential/Commercial / Original Architect : Unknown