In the Spring of 1867, New York City passed the first building codes in an attempt to better tenement conditions. The legislation mandated a variety of new building requirements, including fire escapes, windows in every room (although they did not necessarily have to face outside), a minimum ceiling height of eight feet, and an occupancy limit. There was even a competition for the best new tenement design, which was won by architect James Ware, who designed the “dumbbell tenement,” named after its shape, which allowed for all rooms to have windows.
Yet, despite this effort, conditions in the Five Points, particularly around Mulberry Street (where many Italians, the new majority ethnicity) gathered. In fact, many of the new safety regulations were not very successful. For instance, the newly arrived air vents, which were supposed to improve ventilation, only exacerbated the problem; noise and stench now engulfed the entire tenement building, rather than just surrounding rooms. Fire escapes, which were now more prevalent, were now blocked by people and things. Additionally, although tenements were supposed to be connected to sewers, outdoor toilets were disgusting, and some parents even had their children only use the bathroom at school or work, to save themselves from their fear of disease.
Some tenements became specifically notorious for terrible conditions. In 1873, the Board of Health proclaimed that the “city’s worst tenement” was Mulberry Hall. The building was plagued with foul stenches, black dirt all over, malfunctioning toilets, and a dampness from the water that was constantly used in an attempt to clean the place.
While these conditions were certainly real, some wonder if Jacob Riis did exaggerate his claims by showing only the most putrid of conditions. While Mulberry street was indeed stuck by poverty, many of the adults were jovial, and there was a sense of community. While some of the tenements were as photographed, some were made decent looking by inhabitants. Others however, made Riis accounts seem mild – one even called it “a seething mass of humanity.” Overall though, the unfortunate fact is that Five Points retained its reputation as “the worst slum that ever was.”
