27 St. Mark’s Place Building Date : 1893 Original Use : Residential Original Owner : Fay & Stacom Original Architect : Charles Rentz Description & Building Alterations

This Old Law tenement was built in 1893 by architect Charles Rentz as a six-story masonry building and basement flat. The building’s original lintels remain and the second floor features highly ornamented detailed carvings and decorative trim.

The previous building on this site was occupied by the Children’s Aid Society in the 1880’s prior to moving to Nos. 307 & 309 E 12th Street.

27 St. Mark’s Place served as the Children’s Aid Society’s Girls’ Lodging House from 1872 to 1892. The Children’s Aid Society was founded by clergymen and social reformers concerned about the general condition of homeless, delinquent and neglected children in 1853. Lodging Houses were opened to house homeless youth and an emigration program was initiated to send children off to homes in the country. The emigration program became more widely known as the “Orphan Train” utilizing the railroad network to move children westward.