Stuyvesant-Rutherfurd House
2nd Avenue & East 11th Street, Manhattan, New York
Built in 1845, for Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (1778-1847) and his second wife, Helena Rutherfurd (1790-1873). Stuyvesant died unexpectedly just two years later and left the house to the eldest son of his adopted grand-niece, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant. But, being then only four years old, until the boy reached adulthood the house was deeded to his father, the renowned amateur scientist, Dr. Lewis Morris Rutherfurd. From 1849 to 1856, Dr. Rutherfurd lived in Europe (France, Italy and Germany) and while there met some of the leading scientists of the day. On returning to New York he built, "a small but excellently equipped observatory" in the backyard from which he took groundbreaking photographs of the sun, moon, and stars for which he is remembered today....
This house is best associated with...
The house itself was described as "very large". The first story was built of brownstone while the three above were constructed with red brick, and the windows on the second floor were coupled with ornate, wrought-iron balconies that overflowed with wisteria.
Dr. Rutherfurd's Observatory
Dr. Rutherfurd's observatory was, "a circular brick building of 20-feet internal diameter with a light revolving roof supported on twelve wheels". It housed "a very substantial instrument, an equatorially mounted telescope whose 'objective is of 11.25 inches aperture, and 14-feet focal length, and was corrected for figure by myself (Dr. Rutherfurd) after the methods and directions of Mr. (Henry) Fitz. It was fitted with a driving clock of the highest merit constructed by Messrs. Alvan Clark & Sons (and) in the house nearby was a workshop with tools fitted for optical and mechanical work of the highest precision."
Divided-up into Apartments
After returning from Europe, the Rutherfurds lived in the house up until about 1885 when they retired to the old Stuyvesant Mansion in New Jersey. Their son, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant - who built the first purpose-built apartment block in New York - then converted the mansion into apartments for seven families, adding a fourth story and replacing the entrance that had been on 2nd Avenue with a new one on 11th Street.
Dr. Rutherfurd's Observatory
Dr. Rutherfurd's observatory was, "a circular brick building of 20-feet internal diameter with a light revolving roof supported on twelve wheels". It housed "a very substantial instrument, an equatorially mounted telescope whose 'objective is of 11.25 inches aperture, and 14-feet focal length, and was corrected for figure by myself (Dr. Rutherfurd) after the methods and directions of Mr. (Henry) Fitz. It was fitted with a driving clock of the highest merit constructed by Messrs. Alvan Clark & Sons (and) in the house nearby was a workshop with tools fitted for optical and mechanical work of the highest precision."
Divided-up into Apartments
After returning from Europe, the Rutherfurds lived in the house up until about 1885 when they retired to the old Stuyvesant Mansion in New Jersey. Their son, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant - who built the first purpose-built apartment block in New York - then converted the mansion into apartments for seven families, adding a fourth story and replacing the entrance that had been on 2nd Avenue with a new one on 11th Street.
