A Primer on NYC "Backhouses"

This blog post showcases the "backhouses" in and around Greenwich Village. The small residential structures behind other buildings can range from carriage houses for elegant rowhouses to those of tenements.

1 minute read

November 30, 2011, 5:00 AM PST

By Judy Chang

"So how did these structures come about? The classic and seemingly most loved example is the carriage house located behind an elegant early rowhouse. In these cases, a single family house was built, typically in the early 19th century, with a stable for the family's horses located behind, accessible through either a side passageway or a tunnel or 'horsewalk' through the house. As horses began to disappear from regular use in the city and fewer families kept them behind their houses, these stables were often converted to residences, sometimes called carriage houses."

FULL STORY: The Backstory on Backhouses

Monday, November 28, 2011 in Off the Grid

History / Preservation Housing Land Use New York New York City

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