I few weeks ago, I was musing about the history of these very old-looking twin buildings on Grand Street in Chinatown. I determined, with the help of readers, that they at least dated from the late-19th-century.
I received an amazing comment the other day that indicates they are even older than I thought. Someone names Bonnie wrote: "Number 300 Grand Street was my great, great grandfather's home and shop for many years in the mid-1800s. It is in the census record as well as the Civil war registration in 1863 I think it was. He was a hatter and he was born in Prussia."
The ManhattanUnlocked post says they date from the 1830s, or earlier, due to the presence of the dormer windows, which they claim went out about 1840.
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That would place them earlier than the civil war, which is what I was told about such buildings.
This area was quite the Hatter district back in the early 1800's, and these Federal-style row houses are rare and historic today though only a few remain. Another survives around the corner at 140 Bowery:
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ANY of these small 2.5 floor houses with pitched roof and dormer windows you see in the city predates the civil war by at least 20 years. Most of them date to the 1820's - 30's! There are quite a few on this stretch of grand although a few have had the roofs squared off. there are also a few left on the bowery between grand and broome but unfortunately they are up for sale as "development sites" so see them while you can.
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