D. Rabinovich, 11 Bleecker St., New York, 2000  

An old sign above the abandoned storefront at 11 Bleecker St. in 2000 marked the former home of D. Rabinovich Factory Supply Co. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission's Noho East Historic District Designation Report, 24 June 2003, mentions that "D. Rabinovich Factory Supply Co. was located here from c.1955-75." The Manhattan telephone directory listed Rabinovich here from 1950 through 1973.

D. Rabinovich was David Rabinovich (1893-1975), an immigrant from Romania. He registered for the World War 2 draft in 1942, age 48, when he said that he was born December 1893 in Neamtz, Romania. Google identifies Neamtz as Neamt (Romanian pronunciation neamts), a county of Romania in the historic region of Moldavia. An entry in the 1930 U. S. Census indicates David Rabinovich immigrated to the U. .S. in 1914. He did not become a U. S. citizen until 1955. The business was listed in directories as early as 1925 and as the General Factory Supplies Co. "oils & belting" at 263 Stanton St. and 295 East 2nd St. from 1930 to 1934.

The Landmarks Preservation report offers the following on the early days of the building at 11 Bleecker: "This Federal-style dwelling with Italianate-style alterations was constructed c. 1822-25 for Stephen J. Brinkerhoff at a time when this area was developing with homes for the city's expanding middle class. In 1866-67, a story was added and up-to-date ornament, including its bracketed wood roof cornice with paneled frieze, was added by Ludwig Anger, who owned and occupied the building through 1880, and whose heirs retained possession of the building until 1914. The Angers, who were Prussian immigrants, rented apartments in the building to other Prussian immigrants for the rest of the century, and then to Italian immigrants after the turn of the century. In 1923, Ben Trachtenberg purchased the building and converted it to a store and loft for his fur business, Benjamin Trachtenberg & Sons-in-Law."

Copyright © 2014 Walter Grutchfield