Only four of the 12 original Horton’s Row flats remain intact. On September 15, 2009, Landmarks voted to designate four attached three-family flats, known as Horton’s Row, as individual City landmarks. Originally comprised of 12 attached buildings and located on Westervelt Avenue in Staten Island’s Tompkinsville neighborhood, only four of Horton’s Row’s original flats remain intact. At an August 11 hearing, residents and preservation groups endorsed designating the flats. 6 CityLand 126 (Sept. 15, 2009).
Harry Lawrence Horton, a prominent resident involved in local politics, developed the red-brick flats between 1880 and 1882 to provide rental housing for working class families. The Neo-Grec style homes feature full-width porches and decorative cornices. By 1901, the common owner had converted the buildings to three-unit flats, a rare housing type on Staten Island at the time.
Before the Commissioners unanimously voted for designation, Landmarks staff noted that it first considered designating the Horton’s Row buildings on October 1, 1991.
LPC: 411 Westervelt Avenue House (LP- 2377); 413 Westervelt Avenue House (LP-2378); 415 Westervelt Avenue House (LP-2381); 417 Westervelt Avenue House (LP-2382), Staten Island (Sept. 15, 2009).