About the same time, possibly in response to a housing shortage in the 1840s, Reynolds constructed two rows of buildings in an L-shape fronting present-day Suez Canal as well as a right of way on land he owned.

These buildings were described by 'Old Chum': 'Off the [Suez] "Canal" was a blind court with some half dozen houses occupied by, to all appearances, some of the roughest of the rough.

'[1] Rate records of the building fronting George Street dating to 1845 show that it was a two-storey brick residence of nine rooms, with an attic and shingled roof.

[1] The present-day Phillip's Foote building fronting George Street, after changing hands a number of times in the 1840s and 1850s, came to be owned and occupied from c. 1858 by William Yeoman (1833–1886), Painter/Glazier/Plumber.

Among his achievements with the Council were the widening of George Street North and the establishment of the Homebush sale yards as an alternative to the Glebe Island abattoirs in 1882.

He advocated a better city water supply and is remembered as someone who 'instead of trying to sink the shop and kick away the ladder by which he rose, he stayed where he had always lived The Rocks, long enough to earn the respect and love of his neighbours.

'[1] Playfair moved to 103 George Street about 1887, and the Phillip's Foote building was converted to an oyster saloon under the management of Frederick Rossich (also referred to as Bossich).

Under the ownership of John Gill from 1885 and the State government from 1901, the place continued as an oyster saloon until 1906 under several different proprietors, all of whom migrated from the region of Dalmatia, Austria (presently Croatia).

Where job prospects for migrants amounted to menial labour or dangerous work, running one's own business provided a self-determined means of income, and generally allayed exposure to the hostilities and attitudes of bosses and anti-immigration campaigners.

Not surprisingly, Rita Cohen terminated her tenancy in the same year, and the building sat empty as the Sydney Cove Authority's plans for redevelopment were waylaid by the Green Bans efforts.

An engineer reported on the bowing and cracking of the front façade in 1970, and stated that movement had taken place over a long period and did not require urgent demolition for public safety.

The Authority hired a contractor to carry out the order, clean the interior of the building generally, remove the existing cast iron fireplaces for storage at the Authority's offices, board up all entrances, and to demolish the timber and corrugated iron shed abutting the northern brick wall of the yard and the timber frame in the southeast corner of the yard.

However, a memo by the Professional Services Manager stated that the building should be retained because of its contribution to the block bounded by George, Argyle, and Harrington Streets.

About the same time the firm of Dredge & Evans, via their architect Philip Cox, sought a tenancy in The Rocks area to transfer their dormant Australian Wine License.

Creating the opening in the yard wall enabled the flagging work to be carried through the Phillip's Foote outdoor dining areas to access Suez Canal for the first time in the history of the site.

[1] Style: Georgian; Storeys: 2, plus attic and basement; Roof Cladding: Iron sheeting; Floor Frame: Timber[1] As at 5 March 2009, Archaeology Assessment Condition: Partly disturbed.

[1] As at 31 March 2011, the Phillip's Foote Restaurant and site are of State heritage significance for their aesthetic, historical and scientific cultural values.

[1] The simple Victorian Regency shopfront of the Phillip's Foote Restaurant contributes to the aesthetic and historic diversity of the George Street streetscape.

Both the Phillip's Foote building and the Cook House make important aesthetic contributions to the streetscapes of George Street, the Suez Canal, Nurses Walk, and Greenway Lane.

Between 1887 and 1920, the place was operated as an oyster saloon and later a wine bar by a succession of European immigrants from Dalmatia (present-day Croatia) and Italy, a history which is significant in reflecting aspects of migration to Australia from Europe.

Although substantially rebuilt in the mid-1970s, the Phillip's Foote building is of some aesthetic quality as a plain two storey shop with glazed, recessed shopfront typical of the 19th century Victorian Italianate.

As part of The Rocks area, 101 George Street is held in some esteem by individuals and groups who are interested in Sydney's history and heritage.