The 1865 John J. and Emma G. O'Brien House at 208 East 78th St: Colorful lives in a narrow home
- The address was one of 15 identical slim townhouses completed in 1865 but only five remain
- John J. O'Brien was a wrestling champion, alderman, and Department of Sanitation official
Owners on the block agreed to paint the trim on their brownstones white, giving the 13-foot-and-four-inch-wide residences a unified appearance. No. 208 is at the far right.
Have you ever passed by an interesting residential building in New York City and wanted to know more about its history? In this series, Brick Underground teams up with Tom Miller, creator of Daytonian in Manhattan, a blog about Manhattan buildings and other historic architecture. Each week, we run an excerpt from the Daytonian’s archives with a link to the full article.
Howard A. Martin purchased 200 feet of property in 1861 along East 78th Street, which at the time existed only on paper. His deed included a $128 assessment (about $4,830 in 2026) to open the street. Martin divided the parcel into 15 building plots, each 13-feet, four-inches-wide. His builders, Warren and Ransom Beman (possibly brothers) and John Buckley, were most likely responsible for the charming design of the challengingly narrow homes.
Martin's project stalled when, that same year, the Civil War broke out. Thousands of laborers marched off to fight and construction in New York City ground nearly to a halt. Finally, in 1865 (the year the conflict ended) construction of the 15 identical houses was completed. Each rose three stories above high basements. Two bays wide, their red brick facades were trimmed in brownstone. Each of the openings was fully arched. Bracketed Italianate-style cornices graced the rooflines.
Possibly strapped for money because of the delay, Martin had sold the unfinished project to investor William H. Brower. It appears, because of the regular turnover in occupants, he rented 208 East 78th St.
Interestingly, despite its narrow proportions, two families initially occupied the house. William Rosenberg and Jacob Weinman were partners in three dry goods stores. The families remained until 1869, when an auction of their household goods was held.
The Morris Jacobson family occupied the house in the 1890s. Jacobson was a real estate operator and ran his business from the house. It appears that Moses Hirsch Sr. purchased No. 208 at the turn of the century as a wedding present for his son, Moses Jr. and his bride, the former Hannah Rothschild. They would suffer heartache four years later. On February 3rd, 1905, Ira Arnold Hirsch died at the age of three months.
The following year, Moses Hirsch sold 208 East 78th St. to John J. and Emma G. O'Brien. The couple had one son, Thomas K.
Born in 1862, John J. O'Brien was a fascinating figure. In 1884 he earned the title of "amateur wrestling champion of the United States," according to The New York Times. He never totally abandoned the sport. He was a judge at wrestling events, including the 1920 Olympic Games in Belgium.
O'Brien sat on the last New York Board of Alderman prior to the consolidation of the boroughs in 1898. That year he was appointed an official of the Department of Sanitation. He was also the head of the John J. O'Brien Printing Co.
In 1964, the four 1865 houses to the west were demolished. Those at the far east of the row were razed before 1900, replaced with a tenement building. There were now just five houses, including 208 East 78th St., that survive.
At some point the homeowners of the row agreed to paint the brownstone trim white, giving the charming residences a unified appearance. For more on the property and the interesting people that lived here, check out the full article.
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