These buildings were purchased in the 1880s by Andrew Jeffries Garvey, who was affiliated with William M. Tweed, the one-time leader of the Tammany Hall political ring.

[1] At the time of its completion, the Hampton Shops Building was described as "interesting" in the Real Estate Record,[10] as well as a "perfect example of pure Renaissance design" in the New-York Tribune.

[15] Writing for The New York Times in 1920, Helen Bullitt Lowry said the building "out-Goths the very Goths in its efforts to exploit 'the period' quality in its business".

[13][11] The only facade visible to the public, on 50th Street, is divided horizontally into three sections, with double-height arcades (sometimes characterized as loggias) at the base and top.

[11] The 50th Street facade had wrought iron work and stained glass windows, which resembled an entrance into a medieval castle.

[11] At the time of the building's completion, the side facades were visible from the nearby avenues and contained store advertisements.

[14] The seventh story was particularly ornate with decorated dining and living rooms for what the New-York Tribune described as "the suggestive exhibition of period furniture".

[4][20] Its founder Henry Mannes named the company for Grand Rapids, Michigan, a furniture manufacturing hub at the time.

[18] A 1918 advertisement for the Hampton Shops in the New-York Tribune described the building as a "Gothic temple of art" which displayed European antique furniture.

[1][24] During the Hampton Shops Building's usage as a showroom, it was used for events such as a 16th-century Spanish art exhibition,[25] as well as home-furnishing seminars.

[1] The storefront was leased to a fur clothing store,[33] while the upper floors contained tenants such as a dress company[34] and a photography studio.

[35] The building was owned by 18 East 50th Street Inc. until 1945, when it was sold to air conditioning manufacturer Carrier Corporation, which opened a New York City branch office there.

[42][43] Drake America ultimately resold the building to British firm A. M. Corporation for investment the following year.

[19] Another tenant during this time was Bill Castleberry, president of Zebra Associates, the largest advertising agency owned by Black Americans until its bankruptcy in 1976.

[51] At one point, the building also served as headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York's school system,[52] as well as a sales office for a property on Roosevelt Island.

[12] Its subsequent occupants included office tenants such as the Foreign Press Center[55] and Sports Orthopedic and Athletic Rehabilitation.

[57] On November 22, 2016, the LPC designated 18 East 50th Street and ten other nearby buildings as city landmarks.