Henderson Place Historic District

During the 18th century, this half-acre, residential neighborhood located on the Upper East Side, was part of the William Waldron farm. The land was divided after Waldron's death, and the block that comprises the historic district first acquired by John Jacob Astor and Archibald Gracie, before coming into the possession of John C. Henderson in the 1850s.

Henderson, a wealthy fur importer, retained the architectural firm of Lamb & Rich to design thirty-two, two-story Queen Anne style residences. Constructed from 1880 - 1882, these houses were intended to be sold to "persons of moderate means." Over the years, several of these structures have been destroyed or merged together. Today, only twenty-four of the original thirty-two are actually present in the district, and for the most part they look as they did when they were completed in 1882.

The overall street composition is homogenous, with individual facades blending together in red brick. Each of the picturesque dwellings have characteristic Queen Anne details, including gables, dormers, and double-hung and multi-pane windows. In addition, several of these houses are set back, resulting in front yards and basement areaways graced with hedges and shrubs. Over the years, the carefully preserved houses in this district have been owned or occupied by a number of well-known people, among them the renowned stage actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. ©2014