Complex sentence: In 1848 they purchased two adjoining building lots in Bridgeport; the sisters had houses built and leased them out as rental properties while they lived and worked in New York for a number of years.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1848 they purchased two adjoining building lots in Bridgeport. The sisters had houses built and leased them out as rental properties while they lived and worked in New York for a number of years.