The Colorful History of 49 Market Street
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At first glance, 49 Market Street is a rather nondescript building. Its features are fairly characteristic with the rest of the block. A quick upward tilt of the head, however, reveals an interesting horse’s head amidst the masonry. Just one component that highlights a colorful history.
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The sculpted horse is a decorative reminder of the property’s previous life as a stable in the late 1800s. Which brings us to this announcement in the New York Times, dated April 1, 1894. The article refers to a building permit for this very lot. It reads:
The following plans for new buildings and alteration have been filed at the Building Department…Number 49 Market Street, by Annie Hawkins estate, one three-story brick stable; cost, $10,000.
One year later, the Commissioner of Street Cleaning had leased the basement of the stable for a six-month period for a mere $135. By 1915, however, the two-story brick structure as we know it today was already in place.
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Of course, the tale of 49 Market Street couldn’t be complete without some sort of gangster association. Indeed, by the 1970s, the onetime stable had allegedly become home to some illicit activities. More precisely, a gambling den for the infamous Bonanno mob ring. These days, it’s home to a modest graphic printing business.
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