Did John Jacob Astor really live here? He did. He lived in one of these very townhouses, right here on Colonnade Row. Colonnade Row, also known as LaGrange Terrace, stands as a striking remnant of New York City’s 19th-century elite. These Greek Revival row houses, located on Lafayette Street in NoHo, whisper tales of a bygone era.
Colonnade Row was built in the 1830s. The land was owned by John Jacob Astor. He envisioned a grand residential development. He named the street Lafayette Place in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the American Revolution. The row itself was originally called LaGrange Terrace, after Lafayette’s estate in France.
These weren’t just any houses. Each boasted 26 rooms and a wide front yard, a luxury at the time. The facades were constructed entirely of Westchester marble, quarried by prisoners at Sing Sing. The signature feature, and namesake of Colonnade Row, was the series of Corinthian columns linking the houses. These elegant columns gave the terrace a stately, unified presence.
Originally nine houses graced the row, but today, only four remain. These survivors at 428-434 Lafayette Street stand as testaments to their enduring legacy. They’ve housed some of New York’s most prominent figures. John Jacob Astor III, the wealthiest man in America, lived at number 434. Other residents included Cornelius Vanderbilt, Washington Irving, and even future First Lady Julia Gardiner, who later married President John Tyler.
The area around Lafayette Place was once the most fashionable in the city. It represented the northward expansion of New York’s elite beyond Canal Street. However, by 1860, fashion shifted, and the wealthy flocked uptown to Murray Hill. Colonnade Row’s grand residences were subdivided into apartments and commercial spaces. Five of the original nine houses were demolished in 1902 to make way for a warehouse.
Despite their altered state, the remaining four houses were among the first to be designated as New York City landmarks in 1965. They were later added to the National Register of Historic Places. Though faded and in need of restoration, Colonnade Row still evokes a sense of grandeur. It offers a glimpse into a time when this block was the center of New York’s social scene. Even in their current state, the marble columns, quarried by prisoners and touched by history, stand tall and proud.