Touring the streets surrounding Tompkins Square Park, we look at moments in time where the actions of neighbors, activists and local organizations helped change the course of history, letting personal recollection guide us through these sites. Learn how constant advocacy through zoning, historic districts and landmarking efforts helps ensure the survival of small businesses, spaces of community, and architectural identity in the East Village.

297 East 10th Street is the first full building seen at left (with the woman in the white skirt in front).

297 East 10th Street Building Date : c. 1846 Original Use : Unknown Original Owner : Walter F. Brush Original Architect : Joseph Trench (attributed) Description & Building Alterations This four-story residential building was constructed in 1846 for original owner Walter F. Brush, and was designed by Joseph Trench. The three-bay wide building was originally designed in a transitional Greek Revival and Italianate styles. Though alteration plans filed by architect Louis F. Heinecke indicate that the building’s peaked roof was removed and the upper story was raised in 1893. The Queen Anne style elements such as the cornice, lintels, and sills date to this period. A plaque on the facade reads “Doctor I. Grossman,” after the building’s owner and occupant from the 1930s. Other facade features include molded iron lintels and sills, and the bracketed and modillioned cornice is raised in the center. Adolf Mandel, a wealthy banker, lived at No. 297 East 10th Street from 1903 to 1912.