Layers of History on Leroy Street
12-20 Leroy Street
Looking south along Leroy Street from the edge of the Our Lady Of Pompeii Church complex, one can discern many layers of South Village history on this small street. 12 Leroy Street is a largely intact Greek Revival house built in the 1830’s. In typical Greek Revival fashion, the dormers of the federal house have been replaced with a flat-roofed attic, and the attic windows are set within a frieze, making the structure resemble a Greek temple. The doorways are also set more deeply within the structure than those of the federal houses, and are grander.
Notice that each of the four structures to the south (right) of #12 are also three windows wide, and that all of the windows for all five of these structures line up at the first and second floors (see photo above). This is most likely because all five of these buildings were probably built as part of the same Greek Revival row, originally closely resembling #12. #14 had its stoop removed (a basement entrance now goes into the building where the original raised entrance probably was), and a third story and new cornice was added, probably in the late 19th century. #16 had its Greek Revival frieze over its attic windows removed and a neo-classical pediment place over its entrance, but otherwise retains its basic Greek Revival form. #18 lost its stoop and had a third story added, like #14. Unlike #14, however, there is no cornice but a geometric parapet, and a new brickface, common to such renovations in the 1920’s and 30’s. #20 also retains much of its original Greek Revival detail and form.
Further down the block, past the ca. 1900 tenements to the right of #20, #30 Leroy Street (see below) is also clearly part of the same original row. This house probably has the most intact original Greek Revival doorway on the block, with its Doric columns in place, although the typical temple-like structure above the doorway is gone. A plaque on the house cites its date of construction as 1831. The attic was removed and a third story with a geometric pediment was added, probably in the 1920’s. However the iron gate in front of the house, with anthemions atop the posts, appears to be original probably dating from the 1830's.
30 Leroy Street
Further down the block, #34 and 36 were also clearly once rowhouses, now somewhat altered, although their varying window height indicates they were not built at the same time as the rest of the row. Their arrangement might indicate that they are even older, possibly federal style houses from before 1830.
Across the street at 7 Leroy Street is an almost perfectly intact double-dormered federal style house built in 1830; the small door to the left of the main door was originally for a horse walk, leading to the stables behind the house. Like so many rear stables connected to Village houses, it has since been converted to residential use. (See link to 7 Leroy Street item.)
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