Federal-Era Row Houses

A special part of Village Preservation’s mission is the documentation and preservation of Federal Era (1790-1835) rowhouses in Lower Manhattan. Village Preservation has successfully advocated for landmark designation of more than one hundred twenty-five federal rowhouses throughout Lower Manhattan, as individual landmarks, and within historic districts. We have also successfully nominated nearly one hundred federal rowhouses to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Read blog posts about Federal-era row houses
Read blog posts about Federal-era row houses
Explore the Roots of Federal Rowhouse Preservation Effort
Explore the Roots of Federal Rowhouse Preservation Effort

Campaign Links

Press
Images & Graphs

History of Village Preservation’s Federal Style Row House Preservation Project: Video and Transcript

Susan De Vries — Federal Rowhouses in Lower Manhattan and Architecture Collection Part I

Susan De Vries — Federal Rowhouses in Lower Manhattan and Architecture Collection Part II

Letters & Docs
Response from Landmarks Preservation Commission and Department of Buildings on 14/16/18 Gay Street and 16/18/20 Christopher Street 03/28/2024
Village Preservation Testimony Regarding 131 Charles Street 01/10/2023
Testimony on 131 Charles Street by Councilmember Bottcher, Assemblymember Glick, State Senator Kavanagh 01/10/2023
A History of the East Village and Its Architecture 12/01/2018
Coalition letter to LPC requesting re-calendaring of 206 Bowery 02/14/2018
57 Sullivan LPC Designation Report 04/12/2016
Letter from District 2 Councilwoman Mendez to LPC 12/02/2014
Letter from Manhattan Community Board 2 to LPC 12/01/2014
Letter from Village Preservation to LPC Opposing Mass De-Calendaring of Buildlings 12/01/2014
Letter from Village PreservationExpressing Concern over De-Calendaring Vote 11/26/2014
138 Second Avenue LPC Fact Sheet 06/23/2009
Letter from Village Preservation and elected officials to LPC 08/20/2003
2 Oliver Street LPC Research File 12/27/1966
2 Oliver Street LPC Fact Sheet 12/27/1966
138 Second Avenue LPC Research File
57 Sullivan Street LPC Research File
Reports & Analysis
REPORT: Federal Houses Landmarked or Listed on the State & National Registers of Historic Places, 1997-2017
32 Dominick Street Landmark Designation Report 03/27/2012
34 Dominick Street Landmark Designation Report 03/27/2012
36 Dominick Street Landmark Designation Report 03/27/2012
Dennison and Lydia Wood House, 310 Spring Street Landmark Designation Report 03/27/2012
488 Greenwich Street Landmark Designation Report 07/24/2007
486 Greenwich Street Landmark Designation Report 07/24/2007
Hamilton-Holly House, 4 St. Mark’s Place Landmark Designation Report  10/19/2004
127 MacDougal Street Landmark Designation Report 06/08/2004
129 MacDougal Street Landmark Designation Report 06/08/2004
131 MacDougal Street Landmark Designation Report 06/08/2004
Proposal for Landmark Designation of 13 Federal Houses in Lower Manhattan by the NY Landmarks Conservancy and Village Preservation, 2002
83 and 85 Sullivan Street Landmark Designation Reports and State & National Designation Report and Photos 10/06/1980
116 Sullivan Street Landmark Designation Report 05/15/1973
James Brown House, 326 Spring Street Landmark Designation Report and State & National Designation Report and Photos 11/19/1969
131 Charles Street Landmark Designation Report and State & National Designation Report 04/19/1966
Old Merchant's House, 29 East 4th Street Landmark Designation Report and State & National Designation Report and Photos 10/14/1965
Hamilton Fish House, 21 Stuyvesant Street Landmark Designation Report and State & National Designation Report and Photos 10/14/1965
Landmark Proposals
Request for Evaluation: 134 and 136 Bowery 12/20/2024

Updates

  • June 23, 2025

    New Archive Additions: The Roots of Federal Rowhouse Preservation, and Local Media Since 1939

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  • August 29, 2024

    New Historic Image Archive Collection: Susan De Vries — Federal Rowhouses in Lower Manhattan and Architecture Collection, Part II

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  • January 10, 2023

    Facing Broad Opposition, Landmarks Balks at Plan for Massive Excavation and Alterations at 131 and 131 1/2 Charles Street

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  • January 6, 2023

    Troubling Plan for Iconic Landmarked 1834 House at 131 Charles Street Comes Before Landmarks Tuesday — Join Us to Oppose!

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  • February 2, 2017

    Updated and Expanded Report: Saving Federal Houses

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News Archive