Harry L. Horton

H. L. HortonHarry L. Horton was born in Bradford County in Pennsylvania, on July 17, 1832. His father had owned a farm and Harry helped his father with the crops. When he turned 17 years old, he had left his father's farm and worked as a clerk in a mercantile concern in Towanda. He had become successful and was loyal to the interests. Later, when he turned 22 years old, Harry left Towanda and headed to Milwaukee.

In Milwaukee, he had a business and had worked in his own business for nine years. In 1865, however, he left and headed for New York, working with banking and stock exchanges in the time. He was a senior member of the firm H L. Horton & Company, No. 56 Broadway.  This was one of the businesses that survived up to twenty years.

After his success in New York, he moved his business to Staten Island, where he resigned in New Brighton. He knew that the island had potential and he took advantage of it.  Harry was interested in the Staten Island Water Supply and Rapid Transit companies. While his interest had grown, he constructed and operated water plants on the island, which he later had sold to the city. He then became the president of the New Brighton neighborhood.

In the year 1814, Daniel D. Tompkins first promoted the development of this section of Staten Island. In 1815, Daniel had moved to Staten Island and started the development of the village of Tompkinsville. Later in the years of 1880 and 1882, Harry constructed Horton’s Row. The construction itself is located at the periphery of Fort Hill in New Brighton and by Tompkinsville.

The Horton's RowThe Horton’s Row consisted twelve identical attached masonry row houses that were built as affordable rental houses for middle-class families. In the years 1901 to 1908, the houses were under common ownership. These houses had been converted to three-family homes. The row is built on a slope with each building rising higher than its neighbor to create a stepped pattern of architectural elements. Due to the row’s length and its location on the brow of the hill, it was a notable structure in the neighborhood.

Horton Row is located towards Victory Boulevard, at the end of Westervelt, and still operational today.

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