My mother was so excited to have found an "old" map of Sugar Hill to share with us - she found it online- Sugar Hill map- bought 2, kept one and mailed us one. I was so excited to see the recommended tour AND our specific address on the map! The map showed the architect and offered a history of the building. Upon further research, we found that the sugar hill walking tour map was inaccurate regarding our specific building.....but we did spend a full weekend researching and discovered the real history of our building.
Much patience, multiple NYT archive pdf searches and diligence yielded - The Hamilton Heights/ Sugar Hill Northwest Historic District document and the section specific to our house:
Date of Construction: 1892 - 93
Architect: W.H.C. Hornum
Developer: J. and C. Watkins
History: The row has especially exuberant carved stone on the stoops, spandrels bases, and elsewhere, including foliage, human and monsters heads, and birds. Developers Joseph and Charles Waktins began selling the houses immediately after their completion. Our first home buyer was German emigrant Hillis Schmidt, a manufacturer of surgical instruments, his American born wife Wilhemina and their son Augustus, also a manufacturer of surgical instruments.
Given our proximity to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital - I think it's great to know that medical industry has been in play for so long in this area - can you even imagine the type of tools Hillis and his son were making?
Separate from the Sugar Hill walking tour map my mother uncovered, we have participated in the Hamilton Heights walking tour which is coming up soon - Hamilton Heights Homeowners Association Home and Garden Tour - May 30 - June 1st. It's a great walk and covers so many great houses in the area.
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