Building History

16 East 11th Street is part of a group (numbers 16-28) attributed to John Morss, a mason, who, in 1839, bought and then sold most of the properties to the original house owners. It is probable that he was also the builder of this brick row.

In the row, numbers 22 through 28 had typical Greek Revival low third stories, still apparent despite minor changes in numbers 22 and 24.In the Twentieth Century remodeling of number 26 and 28, this low third story was eliminated in favor of a new roof cornice above the second story, and the full third story was added within a sharply receding roof, into which studio windows were introduced. The houses were converted for entrance through the rusticated brownstone basements. Number 26 was built for James B. Wilson, a merchant, as his own residence. In the early eighteen-fifties, he was the only one of the original investors of 1839 in the row who was still living there.

Numbers 22 and 24, also brick with brownstone basements, have the typically low third-floor windows interrupting the fascia board of the cornice. They were converted to basement entrances and have an attractive appearance not too far removed from the original. Number 20, although raised another story, still has its Greek Revival cornice, flat window lintels and rusticated basement with entranceway of a later period.

In 1904 Number 16 and 18 were combined into an apartment house fifty-five feet wide and became number 16. The basement entrance serving the remodeled building is in the Federal style of the eclectic-period with semi-engaged columns supporting a handsome entablature. On this rests a wrought iron balcony in front of the window above it. The original Greek Revival appearance is retained in general by the muntined window sash, regular fenestration, and rusticated brownstone basement.

Numerous changes had been made at the top of the building. Number 18 had been raised in 1890 from three and half to four stories, and from peak to flat roof. Number 16 was four stories high by 1885. In 1937 a top floor surmounted by a parapet was added over the combined building, bringing it to its present six-story height.

The original town house, number 16, became the residence of James Gallatin, who bought it in 1849 upon the death of his famous father Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. Earlier, James had succeeded his father as President of the National (later Gallatin) Bank on Wall Street, a position he continued to hold while living at number 16. In 1852, Gallatin had built the pair of dignified Italianite style brick houses with stoops, which are numbers 12 and 14.