NOW

There are very few items that husband and wife team, Carlisle and Daphne, have not monogrammed at some point since opening their shop in 2006. Filled to the brim with hats, robes, sweaters, lunch boxes, and even stuffed animals and piggy banks, Monogram Cottage has a plethora of clothing and other gifts that are begging to have initials or names put on them. The pair, originally from Jamaica, can even add lettering to plastic. Their creative juices appear to always be flowing, especially when they monogrammed hospital slippers to bring to patients. Though the Cottage functions mainly as a gift shop, Daphne is always happy to monogram pieces that customers bring in, often creating custom designs and fonts for customers.

THEN

This 6-story brick and stone apartment building was built in 1906 and designed by architect Ed. A. Meyers. Aside from 1 window opening at the top floor, it retains all architectural details, including the peculiar double windows at the eastern bay. While it did not contain stores upon construction,, they were likely added shortly after, as it was listed having stores in 1922, when purchased by two women of Eastern European ancestry, Anna Kohak and Anna Slavik. In the late 1960s the building was home to the Biafra House. The Republic of Biafra was a partially recognized secessionist state of West Africa, which had declared independence from Nigeria between 1967 and 1970. Tati Orekeke, head of the Biafra Association of the Americas, advocated for Biafrans who were in danger of deported after rumors that Nigeria would revoke their passports.