The first record in New York City of the two-and-a-half-story Flemish brick house which features a gambrel roof and dormers was in 1817, the year Greenwich Village was formally incorporated into New York City. The building was originally the home of James Brown, an African-American Revolutionary War veteran, who was the proprietor of a tobacco storeon the groundfloor of the house. At the time of the building's construction, the house was only several feet from the shoreline of the Hudson River, although subsequent urban development has since filled in land that has increased the distance to the shore. Brown sold the building to two apothecaries in the mid-19th century, and records show that a tavern occupied the shop from at least 1835; it was likely a bar even earlier than that, making it one of the oldest taverns in New York City. The house was purchased in 1890 by an Irish immigrant named Thomas Cloke, who ran a tavern and sold beer and spirits to sailors and longshoremen. The tavern had a brewery that was later turned into a restaurant. Cloke was reported to be a successful businessman and was well regarded in the community. Cloke sold the business in 1919 in anticipation of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited the sale of alcohol. During Prohibition, the restaurant became a speakeasy, while the upstairs floors were variously a boarding house, a headquarters for smugglers, and a brothel. After Prohibition, the bar re-opened, but now existed as a business without a name. It was simply called "The Green Door", and catered to a clientele of waterfront workers, almost all of whom were hard-drinking regulars. The area declined sharply during the mid-20th century, as urban decay turned the once-bustling area into a nearly abandoned district. In 1969, the building was one of the earliest designations of the city's Landmarks Commission. In the mid 1970s, a group of struggling artists including Sari Dienes and Rip Hayman purchased the lease, and in 1977, they re-opened the bar. Due to restrictions on changing signage on historic buildings, however, the new proprietor Rip Hayman simply painted out part of the letter B in the "Bar" sign, turning it into the word "Ear", after The Ear, a music magazine they published upstairs. Known as an avant-garde hangout for musicians, poets, and artist, poetry readings and performances became well attended.
Today
Today, the James Brown House remains largely unchanged from its past appearance, even as urban renewal has transformed the area around it. Indeed, as part of the permitting process, real-estate developers have paid for thousands of dollars in repairs and improvements to the building, including a backyardfire escape. The Ear Inn continues to thrive as a bar and restaurant, under the proprietorship of Martin Sheridan; the building is still owned by composer and maritime lecturer Rip Hayman, and features memorabilia from its past.
