160 HaveMeyer Street
1939-1940 Tax Record Photo
Date of Construction:1908
Architect: Chas M. Straub
Original Owner: Segal and Miller
Type: Flats with stores
Style: Classical Revival
Stories: 6
Structure/ Materials: Brick with cement foundation
Early records from the 17th century indicate this lot was occupied by farmland. During the mid-19th century, it was divided into four separate lots, the 1860s tax assessments indicating the presence of brick buildings. These buildings remained the same for decades until they were converted to the Havemeyer Flats.
According to 1880 census information, these buildings were built as single-family homes.
From 1880 to 1900, after the construction of the Williamsburg Bridge, the number of residents doubled and household occupancy changed from single-family to multi-family. Although there is no clear evidence of what happened to the original homes, the irregular footprint of Havemeyer Flats matches the shape of these original buildings. It is likely that these buildings were renovated around 1908 and became the Havemeyer Flats.
In 1908, there were 37 housing units and six storefronts in Havemeyer Flats. Within three years, the building was almost fully occupied and housed over 100 people. Most of the residents were immigrants from Eastern Europe. The occupancy of this tenement building was continually very high, even two decades later.
In 1935, the storefronts on the ground floor were altered. They were redesigned to include aluminum frames and glass panels. The original columns and cornice were removed, and a steel column on the edge of the building was replaced. Tax photos indicate that the cornice was removed some time between 1940 and 1980.