641 East 11th Street; 639-641 East 11th Street | Block : 394 | Lot #48-49

Description & Building Alterations

Built circa 1850 as two 3-bay wide, Old-Law tenement buildings, the current iteration of the facade reflects a 1946 alteration that combined the buildings into one apartment building.  At that time, the cornice was removed and parapet altered, and the windows lost their lintels and sills.  The the two raised-stoop entrances were removed; the one on the left replaced with a window and the one on the right was lowered to ground level and shifted towards the center of the building.

This simplified, streamlined facade was popular during World War II and afterward as it reflected a turn toward a new modern ideal based on architectural trends coming out of Germany and Europe before the war.  It was also useful in that it did not require ornate metal details, like cornices, that were scarce at the time.