Built:1893

Architect: Hobart H. Walker

Architect

Hobart H. Walker (1869-1955), of Hobart. Walker & Johnston,  was active in New York, primarily known for residential and carriage house designs in Brooklyn and Manhattan around the turn of the century and into the 1910s.

Early Development of the Site In 1864, a uniform row of twenty-foot-wide Italianate townhouses was erected along this block of East 73rd Street. These brick-faced houses rose three stories above English basements and were distinguished by cast-iron verandas, reflecting the solidly respectable character of the neighborhood in the mid-nineteenth century. No. 173 was among these original houses. By 1879 it housed at least one boarder, a well-educated woman who sought to exchange instruction rather than cash for rent, advertising for “Board in exchange for music, German or English lessons,” an arrangement that suggests both the genteel nature of the household and the modest economics of the block at the time.

Transformation into a Stable Block As Fifth Avenue north of Central Park filled with large mansions in the late nineteenth century, nearby side streets underwent a parallel transformation. Properties on blocks such as East 73rd Street were increasingly acquired for use as private stables and carriage houses, discreetly removed from elite residences yet close enough for convenience. By the end of the century, East 73rd Street had become one of these “stable blocks,” serving the transportation and service needs of New York’s wealthiest families.

Construction of the Carriage House (1893) In 1893, the original row house at No. 173 was demolished and replaced by a purpose-built three-story stable designed by architect Hobart H. Walker. Executed in gray brick with limestone trim, the building represents a late and inventive interpretation of the Romanesque Revival style. Walker treated the ground floor brickwork to imitate rusticated stone and turned bricks on their sides to create a dramatic sunburst of voussoirs above the large arched carriage bays. The upper stories were more restrained, culminating in a brick parapet with recessed panels crowned by a projecting cornice. Though utilitarian in function, the building was given a carefully composed and dignified façade appropriate to its affluent owner.

Ownership by J. Henry Alexandre The stable was owned by Gustave Reismon until his death, after which it was sold in April 1903 to J. Henry Alexandre, owner of the Alexandre Steamship Line and vice president of the National Hunt and Steeple Chase Association. Alexandre had purchased his primary Manhattan residence, a townhouse at 35 East 67th Street, just three months earlier. The East 73rd Street carriage house was ideally situated—close enough for daily use, yet sufficiently distant to avoid the odors and noise associated with horses and stable operations.

Alexandre and his wife, Elizabeth Lawrence Alexandre, had five children: J. Henry, Jr., Mary, Elizabeth, Virginia, and Frederick. Their country seat, Valleybrook Farm in Old Brookville, Long Island, maintained a stable of thoroughbred horses. Alexandre was not merely a casual sportsman but was deeply involved in elite equestrian pursuits, including both horse racing and the aristocratic sport of polo.

Life of the Stable The active equestrian life associated with the property is reflected in contemporary advertisements. After Elizabeth Alexandre’s death on January 3, 1906, Alexandre’s stable manager placed a notice in the New-York Tribune seeking a coachman: “Young man; good driver and rider; understands polo ponies; 10 years’ experience.” The advertisement underscores the specialized skills required to manage the horses housed at No. 173 and the high standards expected in Alexandre’s service.

Later History and Conversion J. Henry Alexandre died in 1912, but his family retained ownership of the carriage house for many years thereafter. In 1938, the Alexandres commissioned architect Irving Kudroff to adapt the former stable for commercial use. His plans provided for a three-car garage and shop on the ground floor, a shop and office on the second floor, and a one-family apartment on the third, marking the building’s transition from equestrian support structure to modern urban utility.