History and architecture
This building was erected in the same year as the corner building (159-163 John Street), matches it exactly, and, like the corner, replaces an earlier building owned by Anson O. Phelps. We may assume that though it has been under separate ownership, it is, in effect, the same building.
In 1834 the property was bought from Phelps by Josiah Macy (1785-1872). Phelps was the founder of Phelps, Dodge and Company; Macy Was a merchant captain from Nantucket who in 1828 founded the shipping and commission house of Josiah Macy & Son. This neighborhood is really the cradle of New York's pre-eminence in the field of foreign trade, and Josiah Macy was an exceedingly important figure in establishing that pre-eminence.
In addition to its historical associations, this is an excellent building. Its architectural elements are held to a minimum; yet they are so well harmonized, the touch is so deft, that the building, a simple commercial building, may properly be called elegant. It is classically (i.e. perfectly) Greek Revival in style, with base and ground floor of granite with the typical, but here somewhat superior, square granite columns and large show windows.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.