Those Little Houses on Harrison Street

JULY 1, 2010

If you imagined that the low-lying block of early 19th-century homes on Harrison Street in TriBeCa had been dropped in from another time, you’d be right.

On a bustling corner, dwarfed by the towering maze of nearby Independence Plaza, sits a row of nine unusual red brick Federal-style townhouses. Originally built in 1828—some by John McComb, Jr., architect of City Hall—three of the single-family red brick structures originally sat on Washington Street. In the early 1970s the city took over the by-then-abandoned homes and moved them to nearby Harrison Street to join the remaining handful of similar buildings (via NY Times). The houses were almost completed restored, including sandblasting the brick to “age” it. An L-shaped garden area was added at the back.

The unique homes near the Hudson appealed to a few downtown pioneers. In the ’70s the not-yet-trendy neighborhood was empty at night and industrial by day, and prices were low. The partially-renovated fixer-uppers were purchased from the city for between $35,000 and $75,000 starting in 1976. Ironically, the Harrison Houses (as they are sometimes called) have begun to show their over-30 vintage, giving them credibility they may have lacked when they received their original 1970s facelift. And the brave early residents who invested in the ’70s have been and continue to be rewarded: The 3,080 square foot single-family home at 39 Harrison sold for $4.75 Million in 2008, and all are valued at over $2 Million.

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Those Little Houses on Harrison Street

JULY 1, 2010

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