This is where Madame Restell built her brownstone mansion and ran her business where she would provide pills (abortifacents), operations, and even housing for women who wanted to have their baby in secret or perhaps even put it up for adoption. She would charge rich women more than poor women, working on a sliding scale depending on the specific woman's needs.Through these various services, she accumulated a considerable amount of wealth that seemed to save her from persecution for a long time. It is said that she might have chosen this specific location for her home and business to spite the first Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, John Hughes, who had bought the next block to build a church and had it out for Madame Restell specifically. She continued to run her business out of this new home despite her now infamous and widespread reputation. 

Abbott, Karen. “Madame Restell: The Abortionist of Fifth Avenue.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 27 Nov. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/madame-restell-the-abortionist-of-fifth-a....