Biography of a Tenement House in New York City: An Architectural History of 97 Orchard Street

"Histories of Lower East Side life abound. The architectural historian Andrew S. Dolkart's new book, "Biography of a Tenement House in New York City,.". is, however, unique.... Mr. Dolkart is without peer among New York's architectural researchers, and it shows in this book's meticulous scholarship. The writing is clear, the illustrations are superb, and well placed within the text. The book is an invaluable addition to Lower East Side and New York City studies." -- Francis Marron, "New York Sun " "This succinct volume discusses the history and architecture of 97 Orchard Street, placing it in the larger context of tenement house history and construction in New York City. It presents much useful information about a subject that has been mythologized but little studied. Dolkart's book will be an original and substantial contribution to the field." -- Marjorie Pearson, Vice President of Hess, Rosie and Company and former Director of Research of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission " "Biography of a Tenement House in New York City" is a fascinating history, very well written and researched, and lavishly illustrated. The construction of the book as a biography enables Professor Dolkart to discuss the design of the building in relationship to the changing social fabric of the Lower East Side. The book also includes vivid descriptions of the people who built and lived in the building. The book should be a distinguished addition to the Center for American Places list." -- Marta Gutman, The City College of New York "'I trace my ancestry back to the Mayflower, ' writes Andrew S. Dolkart. Not to the famous ship, but to the 1907 apartment house on New York City's Lower EastSide where his father was born to immigrant parents. In his new book, "Biography of a Tenement House in New York City, "Dolkart traces the architectural and social history of a nearby building, 97 Orchard St., home to a similar population. Now the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, a Trust historic site, it housed some 7,000 people from 1863, when it was built, to its closing in 1935. Dolkart... tells how the five-story structure shaped the lives of these new Americans -- and how both changed along with neighborhood and city. Especially illuminating are Dolkart's stories of tenant families and the city's housing reform movement." -- "Online Preservation " For Dolkart, the experience of being raised in a tenement became a metaphor for the life that was afforded countless thousands of other immigrant children growing up in Lower Manhattan during the past century and more. This book is a lasting tribute to the legacy of immigrants and their children, who were part of the transformation of New York City and the fabric of everyday American urban life. Andrew Scott Dolkart is the James Marston Fitch Professor and Associate Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University in the City of New York. Distributed for the Center for American PlacesRecipient of the 2007 Award for Cultural History given by theNew York City Book AwardsDolkart, Andrew S. is the author of 'Biography of a Tenement House in New York City: An Architectural History of 97 Orchard Street', published 2008 under ISBN 9781930066700 and ISBN 1930066708.