John Sterling and James Bloss, 1870-1918, by Claude M. Gruener and Rick Wagner

In 1864, John William Sterling graduated from Yale College. About 1870, in his mid-twenties, Sterling met James Orville Bloss, who was three years younger. The two formed a relationship of almost 50 years and lived together in New York City for most of that time.

A four-person team of volunteer community-based researchers provided OutHistory with the results of their voluminous research into the lives of Sterling and Bloss. Their work, published originally by OutHistory in 2016, supplements and continues the research begun by Jonathan Ned Katz on OutHistory in the feature "An Understanding. . .Held them Together."

Section Four: The After Years (Part 4)

1923 Building Height Restriction Overturned
In 1923, while 920 Fifth was under construction, Architect J. E. R. Carpenter brought suit, and won a verdict overturning the height restriction on Fifth Avenue and changing the face of the Avenue forever. Carpenter argued that “the avenue would be greatly improved in appearance when deluxe apartments would replace the old-style mansions."

This information is significant for two reasons: 1) It gives an indication that the trend toward apartment dwelling for the rich was really starting to pressure the owners of the old residences along Sterling’s stretch of Fifth. 2) Since the majority of the apartment buildings are now what we find along current day Fifth, their construction dates have been an aid to the researchers in dating various events in Sterling and Bloss’ lives.

In 1922, Marcellus Hartley Dodge, the munitions heir who married the daughter of William Rockefeller, completed a large house on the northeast corner for Fifth Avenue and 61st Street. This rather nondescript red brick residence had the distinction of being the last mansion erected on Fifth Avenue.