Designated: October 29, 1968
*Forming a part of Schermerhorn Row, this Federal style building was remodeled in the eighteen-sixties when it was increased to five stories in height. Today it has lost the heavy bracketed cornice which was added when the building was remodeled, but it does retain its fire escapes. These fire escapes constructed the full width of the building at each floor, and with their diagonal bracing, appear much more like balconies than they do like fire escapes and are an interesting and attractive addition to this otherwise severe front. A store front has been added at street level. It should be noted that the fourth and fifth floors have three instead of two windows.
No. 91 South Street was increased in height from its original four stories with attic to five stories in 1897 for William F. Milton by Kurtzer and Rohl, architects, at an estimated cost of $1,200. This increasing of a building’s height by adding one or more floors at the top was frequency done in New York. By 1897, No. 91 was a hotel with the usual ground floor store. In 1890 it had been a warehouse and saloon; in 1888 the store in the building sold wholesale liquor.
*Excerpt from the Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report
STATUS Designated Individual Landmark
The Neighborhood
South Street Seaport
The South Street Seaport provides a pivotal connection to New York City’s early days as a center of maritime industry. Indeed, the city’s settlement and growth were inextricably linked to its success, and this history remains embodied in the area’s low-scale, early 19th century commercial...
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