A short history of New York City’s foul air shafts

Source: www.6sqft.com --- Monday, October 16, 2017
Image by Bikes And Books If you think there is nothing worse than renting an apartment with Windows and no view, think again. At one point in the city’s history, where one may now enjoy a small sliver of daylight and at least some fresh air, there was no light or air at all. Indeed, at some points in the history tenants’ Windows looked out onto slits—sometimes a mere 28 inches wide—that were teeming with waste, rancid smells, and noise. Airshaft of a dumbbell tenement, New York City, taken from the roof, ca. 1900. Image via Wiki Commons New Yorkers’ longstanding quest for air and light The history of the air shafts is really a history of Windows, and the city’s long struggle to enforce the window law. Until the mid-19th century, Windows—at least exterior Windows—were not required in every room. But forcing developers to construct buildings with external Windows did not immediately fix the air and light deficit plaguing New Yorkers at the time. In fact, even after Windows became part of the legal definition of a room, many city builders continued to construct tenements without exterior Windows. To get around the law, they simply installed interior Windows—for example, between a street-facing room and the adjoining room. When exterior Windows finally became mandatory in the 1880s, developers were naturally eager to comply with the city’s new building law but without losing a significant amount of building space. For at least two d ...

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