Midtown South in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Lamartine Place Historic District
New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation
Photographed By Larry Gertner, July 10, 2013
1. Lamartine Place Historic District Marker
The Lamartine Place Historic District is comprised of 12 remaining houses from a block-long row of Greek Revival style brick homes developed in the mid-19th century by Cyrus Mason and William Torrey. Noted Quaker abolitionists Abby Hopper Gibbons and James Sloane Gibbons lived at 18 and later 19 Lamartine Place (now 337 and 339 West 29th Street). Their home was a documented stop on the Underground Railroad, which helped freedom-seeking slaves on their journey to Canada, and served as a meeting place for abolitionists before the Civil War. The house was vandalized after Lincoln’s Emancipation proclamation on January 1, 1863, and was ransacked and torched when the Draft Riots of July 1863 set off four days of looting, arson and lynching in New York City. The Gibbons’ daughters escaped the mob by fleeing over the rooftops of adjoining houses to a carriage waiting below. The district has survived as a rare extant physical reminder of this violent chapter in the city’s and nation’s history.
Erected by New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Architecture
this page online
Location. 40° 44.996′ N, 73° 59.854′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Midtown South. Marker is on West 29th Street west of 8th Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 339 West 29th Street, New York NY 10001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bayard Rustin (1912-1987) (within shouting distance of this marker); Hudson River Railroad (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Church of the Holy Apostles (about 500 feet away); Chelsea Doughboy Statue (about 600 feet away); Chelsea WW I Memorial (about 600 feet away); P.O. David Willis Basketball Court (about 800 feet away); Penn South Playground (approx. 0.2 miles away); 1941 · Honor Roll · 1945 (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
Regarding Lamartine Place Historic District. After the Lamatine Place Historic District was established, 339 began to be illegally altered. The work was stopped, but not before a fifth floor was added and the façade destroyed.
Also see . . .
Photographed By Larry Gertner, July 10, 2013
2. Lamartine Place Historic District Marker
One of the smallest historic districts in Manhattan.
1. The James and Abby Gibbons House -- No. 339 W. 29th St. "Daytonian in Manhattan" entry. (Submitted on February 29, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Lamartine Place Historic District. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 29, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. Abby Hopper Gibbons. Wikipedia biography. (Submitted on February 29, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, July 10, 2013
3. The Lamartine Place Historic District
Photographed By Larry Gertner, July 10, 2013
4. The illegally-altered Gibbons house at 339 West 39th Street.
Photographed By Unknown
5. 339 West 29th Street (left), 1930s
from Find-a-Grave.com, unknown
6. Abby Hopper Gibbons
from Find-a-Grave.com, unknown
7. James Sloane Gibbons
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 29, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 267 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 29, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 7. submitted on March 1, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
