John E. Lockwood House, June 3, 1927. Lockwood, a commission merchant who had previously lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn, purchased this Astoria mansion upon his retirement in 1864. The estate was previously owned by a Sanford, but does not appear on the 1840 J. Price Map of the Villages of Astoria & Ravenswood. In his retirement, Lockwood became a member of the Astoria Board of Village Trustees, and was appointed, at times concurrently, as Police, Health, and Fire Commissioner, while refusing to run for public office. In his lifetime, Lockwood’s estate included grounds between Broadway, 30th (which was renamed Lockwood Avenue, having previously been called First Avenue), and 31st Streets. Today, the building is hemmed in by 20th century apartment buildings.

From mansions to tenements, when it comes to housing, New York has it all. This New York Public Library collection examines housing in New York since the mid-19th century, with a particular focus on vernacular and wood-frame structures across the five boroughs.