History and architecture
Built ca. 1827-28 as an investment property by James Lent and Henry Barclay, the rowhouse at 511 Grand Street is a remarkable, rare surviving example of the Federal-style house in Manhattan. Shaped by the irregular foot print of the lot, 511 Grand Street is 29 1/2 feet wide with an extra bay on the west side. Although the facade has been altered, the building still retains significant elements of its original Federal style such as its original 2-story height, peaked roof, pedimented dormers and brick chimney and side entrance.
Located on Grand Street, a busy thoroughfare, a succession of tenants since the 1840s has used 511 Grand Street as home and place of business. The survival of 511 Grand Street and its neighbor 513 Grand Street in an area heavily altered in the nineteenth century to accommodate the increasing population of the Lower East Side and in the twentieth century by urban renewal is significant to the understanding of the development of the area.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.