The 1888 Matthew C. Henry House at 138 East 95th St: A ‘potpourri’ design where high society once lived
- The property was one of 12 Queen Anne-style homes each with a different mix of materials and decorations
- Residents included sibling heirs of Samuel Cunard, the shipping magnate and founder of the Cunard Line
Matthew C. Henry purchased the two easternmost houses, 136 and 138 East 95th St. at auction in October 1889 for $14,000 each (about $492,000 in 2026 dollars).
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.
Developers and builders William J. and John P. C. Walsh began an ambitious project in 1887, breaking ground for 12 rowhouses on the southern block of East 95th Street between Park and Lexington avenues. Each Queen Anne-style home was different yet harmonious, with a mix of materials, oriels and gables, and other decorations.
The project involved $10,000 worth of stone purchased from M. C. Henry & Co., according to the Real Estate Record & Builders' Guide, and construction on the row was completed in 1888.
Matthew C. Henry purchased the two easternmost houses, 136 and 138 East 95th St. at auction in October 1889 for $14,000 each (about $492,000 in 2026 dollars).
Henry and his wife, Maria, briefly occupied No. 138. Like the others, 138 East 95th St. was three stories tall above an English basement fronted by a dog-legged box stoop. The upper floors were faced in beige brick and trimmed in terra cotta and sandstone. The parlor floor openings with their curved corners sat below substantial lintels. Between the door and window was a large terra cotta plaque containing a shield, and terra cotta tiles of sunflowers filled the gap below the window.
The New York Times journalist Christopher Gray called 138 East 95th St. a "potpourri," pointing out "its great oriel bay designed with 12-pane transoms and curved sides, and flanked by a checkerboard brick wall."
The East 95th Street residence later became a rooming house, then reverted to a single-family house when it was sold in October 1951. It became home to siblings Gilbert and Doris Francklyn. The Francklyns, who never married, came from high society. Their father, Charles Gilbert Francklyn, was born on Washington Square. He was the grandson of Samuel Cunard, the shipping magnate and founder of the Cunard Line. Their mother was Susan Sprague Hoyt, who was born in the Hoyt mansion at 94 Fifth Ave.
In the mid-20th century, new owners added a studio addition to the roof. Because the Expanded Carnegie Hill Historic District was not established until December 1993, there was no restriction against visible structures at the time. The house remains a one-family home.
For more on this building and its inhabitants, check out the full article.
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