632
on Hudson
Built in 1847, 630 and 632 Hudson Street began as four-story brick houses overlooking the farmland of Abingdon Square.
In 1881, Irish immigrant Hugh King purchased both, opening a fine foods shop selling whiskies, wines, and brandies. His name still crowns the pediment, and faded lettering hints at the building’s past, along with rumors of an early speakeasy hidden in the basement.
By 1939, 632 Hudson was home to the Esteve Packing Corporation, a sausage factory importing Spanish nougat, Cuban guava, and Canadian salt cod, and producing Spanish-style sausages, olives, and oils.
Decades later, it was a rotting ruin. The walk-in refrigerators, the meathooks and meat racks and chopping tables, the rope-operated elevator long abandoned. The building was so dilapidated that visitors were forced to sign a liability waiver before entering.
In 1992, the present owner Karen Lashinsky and her mother purchased the building, painstakingly restoring and renovating it over a period of twenty-five years.
Today the building is an ever-evolving labor of love, full of fantasy, romance and imagination. The personality and history of the building remain strong and ever-changing, growing with each new visitor.
Decorated with an astonishing collection of antiques and artifacts from all over the world, 632 on Hudson is not so much a venue in the usual sense of the word, but rather a private home that has been made available to share with others in the joy and beauty of their own special occasions.
