Sniffen Court Historic District, a Hidden Mews in Murray Hill
Sniffen Court is a small close-ended mews running southwest from East 36th Street, between Third and Lexington Avenues, in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. It is one of the smallest historic districts in New York City and is made up of the whole alley. It is a rare surviving slice of the 19th-century city, a few steps from busy Midtown.
A dead-end alley of ten brick stables from 1863–1864 hides in Midtown Manhattan. Sculptors, a famous composer and an author lived here, and the Doors put it on an album cover.
The history of Sniffen Court in Murray Hill
Sniffen Court consists of ten two-story brick stables built in 1863–1864 in the early Romanesque Revival style. The alley may have been named after John Sniffen, a local builder, although The New York Times could not find evidence that he was involved in it.
As the need for carriage houses declined, the buildings were converted to other uses. In 1918 the Amateur Comedy Club, which has existed since 1884, bought two of the stables, numbers 1 and 3, to be its clubhouse and theater, and the club remains there today. The conversions continued in the 1920s. By 1966 one building was an architect’s office, the gabled house at number 2 was the home of a noted architect, and the rest were small private homes.
The court drew artists. The sculptors Malvina Hoffman and Harriet Whitney Frishmuth both had studios here, and two sculpted plaques of Greek horsemen by Hoffman are mounted at the back of the alley. Cole Porter once owned a residence at number 2 and the townhouse next door at number 4, while he was staying at the Waldorf-Astoria. In the 1930s the author Pearl Buck lived in what had been Hoffman’s home.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Sniffen Court a city historic district on June 21, 1966, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 1973.
Little-known facts about Sniffen Court
- The photograph for the cover of the Doors’ 1967 album Strange Days was taken in Sniffen Court.
- Two sculpted plaques of Greek horsemen by Malvina Hoffman are mounted at the back of the alley.
- The Amateur Comedy Club, founded in 1884, has had its clubhouse and theater here since 1918.
- Composer Cole Porter owned two of the houses, numbers 2 and 4, while living at the Waldorf-Astoria.
- The author Pearl Buck lived in the former Hoffman home in the 1930s.
- The alley may be named after a builder named John Sniffen, but The New York Times found no evidence of his involvement.
Tours near Sniffen Court Historic District
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Sniffen Court: what to know
- Sniffen Court is a very short dead-end lane in Murray Hill. Most of its buildings are private homes, plus the clubhouse and theater of the Amateur Comedy Club, so treat it as a place to look at quietly from the entrance.
- The sources do not describe access rules for the lane, so check the current rules and respect the residents.
- Look for the Romanesque Revival brickwork of the ten former stables and for the two sculpted horsemen plaques at the end of the alley.
- It is an easy add-on to a walk in Midtown, where nearby sights on this site include U Thant Island and the Smallpox Hospital.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Sniffen Court Historic District is
Photos of Sniffen Court Historic District
Questions
What is Sniffen Court?
Sniffen Court is a small dead-end mews off East 36th Street in Murray Hill, Manhattan. It has ten two-story brick stables from 1863–1864 and is one of the smallest historic districts in New York City.
Can you visit Sniffen Court?
Most of the buildings are private homes, plus a theater club, so it is best seen from the entrance. Check the current access rules and respect the residents.
Why is Sniffen Court famous?
It is a rare surviving 19th-century mews in Midtown, home to artists, a famous composer and an author, and it appears on the cover of the Doors’ album Strange Days.
Where is Sniffen Court?
It runs southwest from East 36th Street, between Third and Lexington Avenues, in Murray Hill, Manhattan.
Who lived in Sniffen Court?
Sculptors Malvina Hoffman and Harriet Whitney Frishmuth had studios here, and composer Cole Porter and author Pearl Buck lived in the court.
Is Sniffen Court a landmark?
Yes. It was designated a New York City historic district in 1966 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Also nearby
U Thant Island
U Thant Island · Manhattan’s smallest island, off limits to visitors
1 km away
Smallpox Hospital
Smallpox Hospital · Gothic ruin at the tip of Roosevelt Island
1.5 km away
Pepsi-Cola Sign
Pepsi-Cola Sign · a neon landmark on the Queens waterfront
1.5 km away
St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery
St. Mark’s Church · Peter Stuyvesant’s vault and poets’ stage
2 km away