9 Greenwood Street

History:

• This modest brick house is a good example of the simple vernacular architecture of the mid-19th century.
• Land on the west side of Greenwood Street was purchased by William S. Bishop from Connecticut, and New York State Senator and District Attorney, large Third Ward landholder, and the son-in-law of Colonel Rochester.
• These lots were subdivided in 1848 and the two on which 9 and 11 now stand were sold to Thomas H. Hopwood, a painter; he later fell into financial difficulties and sold the land.
• In 1858, Mrs. Ann Eliza Darragh, a widowed milliner, bought one of the lots and built the house at number 9.
• She had two daughters of which both brought husbands home to live with them, and one of the couples remained.
• Robert F. Hopwood, a grocer and the son of the former owner of the lot, and his wife continued to live there after his mother-in-laws death, and ultimately bought the house.
• Their son Harry lived there until his death in 1934.
• A few years later, the house was purchased and restored by Mrs. Helen Murray Fish who made her home a second home for all of the children of the neighborhood.
• Mrs. left her estate to the children of the Third Ward, and number 9 became the Meeting House of the Society of Friends until the 1960s.
• This house became the first demonstration project of the Landmark Society, purchased to prove that 19th century houses could find responsible buyers and appreciative tenants.
• Mrs. Rex Rial recognized the potential in this simple but well-proportioned house and remodeded it as two apartments.
• The present owners live in the two story portion and rent the upstairs rear apartment, reached from the enclosed side porch.

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