This building was originally erected c. 1846-47 for Peter Lorillard Jr. It was built as a four-story Greek Revival rowhouse, but the top two floors were demolished in 1938.

This two-story building was likely originally constructed as a four-story Greek Revival rowhouse in 1846-47 for Peter Lorillard Jr.. It housed a gallery specializing in photography by gay male artists, including Robert Mapplethorpe, and the influential publishing house Grove Press. Go back and click on the tours the building is featured in for additional information and history.

Grove Press, called “the era’s most explosive and influential publishing house” and “the most innovative publisher of the postwar era,” produced incredibly important pieces of 20th century literature while working aggressively and effectively to transform American culture in relation to issues of censorship, sexuality, race, and class. Founded in 1947 on Grove Street in the West Village, Grove Press fully rose to prominence after it was purchased by Barney Rossett in 1951. Over the next decades, an astonishing five extant buildings in the area south of Union Square were home to the Press, its literary magazine the Evergreen Review, and the Press’ Evergreen Theater. A sixth building in the area, 61 Fourth Avenue, served as Rosset’s home from at least 1981 until Rosset’s passing in 2012. For a time, Grove Press’ offices were also located here. Click here to send a letter supporting landmark designation of these and other historic buildings south of Union Square.