Noho Historic District

The earliest period of development in NoHo (from North of Houston Street) occurred in the 1820s, and by the 1840s many fine houses had been erected in the area. During the mid-nineteenth century, many single-family row houses were converted to multi-family dwellings as a result of the influx of a growing immigrant population. The majority of buildings in the area today are store-and-loft structures constructed between 1850 and 1910, when this area was one of New York City's major retail and wholesale dry goods centers. These buildings were lavish and ornate to attract customers, yet flexible enough for the sale and storage of goods. The earliest store-and-loft buildings took inspiration from the Italianate A. T. Stewart Store, and later buildings reflect the various, popular styles of the times in which they were built. Predominant materials include cast iron, masonry, brick, and terra cotta.

In 1873-74, George E. Harney's retail store for men's clothier Brooks Brothers was constructed at 668-674 Broadway, a sign of the district's popularity with shoppers. Between 1910 and 1950, this area experienced a downturn as shops moved out of the neighborhood and many buildings fell into disrepair. However, by the 1970s the old manufacturing lofts were being converted into apartments. During this period, many renowned artists resided in the area, including Cy Twombly, who lived and worked at 356 Bowery, Robert Mapplethorpe at 24 Bond Street, and Jean-Michel Basquiat at 57 Great Jones Street.

In creating this historic district, conflict arose between continued development pressures and defining a protected boundary for NoHo's diverse body of historic buildings. In 1999, one-third of the original proposed district was omitted from the official designation. A portion of the omitted area was further analyzed and received designation by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2003 as the NoHo East Historic District, consisting of fifty-six buildings.

However, a sizable area consisting of low-scale buildings, bounded by East 4th Street, Bond Street, the Bowery, and Lafayette Place, was still left outside district lines. This eastern core, bounded on three sides by the two Historic Districts of NoHo, was designated as an extension to the NoHo Historic District in May 2008, roughly completing the original proposed boundaries. Unfortunately, several prominent eastern corner and edge sites along the Bowery had already experienced non-contextual development and construction during the almost decade-long dispute over district lines. ©2014