Named for the 18th century country estate of Robert and Mary Murray, Murray Hill’s development began in 1847 when the Murray descendants partitioned the estate. Development proceeded apace until the Civil War, and then resumed in the 1890s as wealthy New Yorkers either renovated the earlier row houses or constructed new mansions. In the second quarter of the 20th century, many of these once-grand homes were converted into rooming houses or apartments. Most of the neighborhood’s apartment buildings date from the 1920s as apartment living became common for most people in Manhattan. Although many of the apartment buildings were designed in revivals of historical styles, including Classical, Federal, and Romanesque, there are early Modern styles in the district.