ARCHITECTURE: THE ORIGINAL COLLYER BROWNSTONE

Harlem Bespoke:  Many might know that the term for hoarding is Collyer syndrome but do not connect it to the history of Harlem.  The Collyers were two hermit brothers living in Harlem who were one of the last white families to still live on the block after the Depression years and ended up amassing tons of useless items in their brownstone that would eventually cause the siblings' untimely death.  

There is a community garden at the site now since the house was eventually torn down and those who take a closer look will notice the famous family name posted out front.  We updated this original post with current photos and discovered an archival image of the the actual brownstone on the corner of West 128th Street and Fifth Avenue taken probably a few years just before the tragedy happened.   More on the Collyer Brothers can be found in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021