USA > New York > A geographical history of the state of New York: embracing its history, government, physical features, climate, geology, mineralogy, botany, zoology, education, internal improvements, &c., with a separate map of each county > Part 17
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There are two colleges in the city ; viz : 1. Columbia College, founded in 1754, and amply endowed. It has a president and ten professors, 104 students, and a library of 14,000 volumes. The grammar school, connected with it, has between 200 and 300 pupils. The college edifices are located at the foot of Park place.
2. The University of the city of New York, located on Wash- ington square. The university edifice is of white marble, in the collegiate Gothic style, and is one of the finest buildings in the 7*
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city. Its cost was nearly $300,000. It has a president, and eleven professors, 143 students, and a valuable library. Con- nected with it, is a large and flourishing grammar school.
A medical department is connected with the university. It is in a prosperous condition, and occupies a fine granite building, formerly known as the Stuyvesant Institute. This department has seven professors, 407 students, and a valuable museum.
Besides these, there are several professional schools in the city. The College of Physicians and Surgeons, in Crosby street, was founded in 1807, and has al- ways maintained a high rank, among the medical schools of our country. It has seven professors, 279 students, and an extensive and valuable museum and library. The College of Pharmacy is a recent institution, designed for the education of apothecaries.
The General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, occupies two elegant gothic buildings, of stone, in the upper part of the city, has five professors, seventy students, and a library of 7300 volumes. It was founded in 1819. The Union Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, situated in University Place, was founded in 1836, has six professors, 112 students, and a library of over 16,000 volumes.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Bap- tists, Methodist Episcopal, Dutch Reformed, Roman Catholics, Methodists not Episcopal, Jews, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Universalists, Friends, Unitarians, New Jerusalem Church, Christians and Moravians. Number of churches 217, of cler- gymen 282.
HISTORY. The leading facts, connected with the settlement of New York, or New Amsterdam, as the city was called by the Dutch, have been already stated, in the general historical sketch. From the time of its discovery, in 1609, by Henry Hud- son, up to the year 1625, no permanent settlement of emigrants seems to have been made.
Companies of adventurers had visited Manhattan Island, erected trading houses, for carrying on the traffic in furs with the natives, and when their objects were accomplished, had returned to Holland. A few; perhaps, fond of this roving life, had remained, and acquired that knowledge of the Indian character, which ena- bled them, more successfully, to secure his peltries. None, however, settled as colonists, or procured, from its native proprietors, a title to the soil, except for the erection of their trading houses.
In 1614, the Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale, in order to keep the restless spirits of his colony employed, fitted out an expedition under Captain Argall, against the French settle- ment at Acadia, (now Nova Scotia.) Returning from his cruise, Argall entered the bay of New York, and compelled the few Dutch traders, whom he found there, to swear fealty to the English crown.
After the formation of the Dutch West India Company, they took immediate measures for establishing a permanent colony, at this important post.
Under their fostering care, bouweries, or farms, were soon taken up, and a sub- stantial fort being erected, the rude dwellings of the settlers began to cluster around it.
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Under the administration of Minuit, it prospered and increas- ed in population and importance. The intemperance and quar- relsome tempers of the next two Governors, Van Twiller and Kieft, brought serious evils upon the infant settlement. The injustice of the latter to the Indians, having roused their enmi- ty, had well nigh exterminated it, in 1643 and 44.
Wretchedness and want stared the colonists in the face, and but for the vigor and energy of Governor Stuyvesant's adminis- tration, they would perhaps have abandoned the settlement.
In 1642, the Stadt Huys, or city Hall, was erected. It was built of stone, and was taken down in 1700. The same year, the first church, (Dutch Reformed,) was erected in the fort. In 1653, the city of New Amsterdam was incorporated, by the States General of the Netherlands, and its officers were elected by the people.
In 1653, it was rumored that the New England colonists in- tended to attack New Amsterdam : measures were consequent- ly taken to put the city in a state of defence; and during that, and the succeeding year, a palisade of boards about twelve feet in height was erected, and an embankment of earth thrown up against it.
Fond of their ease, however, the good citizens did not maintain their fortifica- tions, in such perfection, as to make them of any great avail, against an invading foe.
In 1655, Governor Stuyvesant, with the greater part of the inhabitants of the city, capable of bearing arms, engaged in the expedition against the Swedes, on the south, or Delaware river. While they were absent on this expedition, the city was invaded by the Indians, several of the bouweries plundered, and a few killed. The Indians, however, did not venture within the city walls. In 1656, it was laid out into streets, and then contained 120 houses, and 1000 inhabitants.
In 1664, hearing of the approach of the English fleet, Governor Stuyvesant summoned the citizens of New Amsterdam, to aid him in repelling the threatened invasion, but his arbitrary sway had produced so much disaffection, that they were not averse to any change, which promised to increase their civil and religious privileges.
They consequently made but little preparation for the defence of the city, and when Col. Nicolls demanded its surrender, offer- ing favorable terms of capitulation, they insisted upon a compli- ance with them.
In vain Governor Stuyvesant remonstrated, threatened and refused to sign the treaty of capitulation ; the sturdy burghers were bent on submission to English rule, and he was, at length, compelled, though with the utmost reluctance, to affix his sig- nature to the instrument. As has been already stated, (sec
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page 61,) the name of the city and county was changed, imme- diately after the capitulation, to New York, in honor of the Duke of York.
Under the mild and beneficent administration of Colonel Nicolls, and his successor, Governor Lovelace, the city prosper- ed, and increased in population and wealth.
It was again captured by the Dutch, in July, 1673, and during the administration of Governor Colve, martial law was main- tained. The name of the city was changed to New Orange, and of the fort to William Hendrick.
In Oct. 1674, it was again surrendered to the English, and the old name of New York resumed. The assessors' valuation of property in the city, in 1688, was £78.231. (about $320,000.) In 1690, a Congress, of the commissioners of the several colonies, was held at New York. In 1694, there were sixty ships, twenty- five sloops, and forty boats, belonging to the city.
In 1696, Trinity church was built. This building was burned in 1776. The first Lutheran church was built in 1710, on the site lately occupied by Grace church. It was erected by some Palatines, who had fled from persecution in Germany.
In 1711, a slave market was established in Wall street, near East river. The next year, an insurrection occurred among the negroes, and nineteen were executed. In 1725, the first newspaper was published in the state. It was called the New York Gazette. In 1732, the first stage commenced running, between New York and Boston once a month, occupying four- teen days in the journey. The same distance is now traversed, by steamboat and railroad, in nine hours.
In 1740, the New York Society Library was founded. Du- ring the two succeeding years, the yellow fever prevailed in the city, to an alarming extent. In 1741, the Negro plot, which has been described, in the general history of the state, occurred. It occasioned great alarm in the city, as, of the 12,000 inhabitants it then contained, one-sixth were slaves. For the succeeding thirty years, the growth of the city was rapid, both in wealth and population. The New York Hospital was founded, by sub- scription, in 1769.
In August, 1776, the city fell into the hands of the British. It had, at this time, a population of 30,000. In September of this year, occurred a disastrous fire, which consumed one-eighth of the houses of the city. During their stay in the city, the British troops destroyed all the churches, except the Episcopal, or used them for hospitals, prisoner's barracks, or riding schools. They evacuated the city, and General Washington entered it, in No- vember, 1783. A large number of the tory inhabitants, left with the British army, and their estates were confiscated.
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In 1788, the adoption of the new Constitution of the United States, was celebrated by a grand procession, and in 1789, Washington was inaugurated, as the first President, in the open gallery of the old City Hall, facing Broad street.
In December, 1790, the population of the city was about 30,000. Free schools were established in the city, in 1797, though not incorporated, till 1805. In 1801, the total valuation of real estate in the city was a little short of $22,000,000.
The erection of the present City Hall was determined on, during the nextyear, 1802, and the corner stone laid in Septem- ber, 1803. The population of the city in 1800, was 60,000, hav- ing doubled in ten years. In 1807, the first successful attempt at steamboat navigation, was made on the Hudson, by Fulton and Livingston.
In 1810, the population of the city was 96,000, being an in- crease of 36,000 in ten years. In 1815, the news of peace with Great Britain, was celebrated, with great rejoicings. In 1822, the yellow fever made its appearance. Great consternation was felt by the inhabitants, and large numbers left the city.
In 1826, the completion of the Erie canal called forth an ex- traordinary triumphal procession. The population, in 1830, was 202,000. In 1832, the cholera raged fearfully in the city. More than 10,000 persons fell, as its victims. In December, 1835, occurred the great fire, which destroyed property, to the amount of nearly $18,000,000. Severe as was this loss, the failures in consequence, were comparatively few.
The same year, (1835,) the citizens voted to construct an aqueduct, from the Croton river to their city, for the purpose of supplying themselves with pure water. This magnificent en- terprise was so far completed, in 1842, that water was introdu- ced into the city, on the 14th of October, of that year, amid the rejoicings of the inhabitants. In July, 1845, another disastrous fire occurred, which destroyed property to the amount of about six millions of dollars.
The only important battle, on New York island, was that of Harlaem Heights, on the 16th of September, 1776. After the disastrous battle of Long Island, on the 27th of August, it be- came evident that the American army must evacuate New York. Accordingly, Washington ordered the troops to retreat, toward the north part of the island.
On Sunday, the 15th of September, the British, after station- ing their ships in the East and North rivers, so as to cannonade our lines, commenced landing in force, at Turtle bay : the American troops in the vicinity fled, without making any attempt at resistance. Meantime, several brigades of General Put- nam's division were in the city: by his exertions, they suc-
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ceeded in passing the enemy, with very trifling loss. The in- tense heat, however, proved fatal to a number.
Washington then ordered the troops to occupy the heights of Harlaem,-a strong position. On the morning of the 16th, sev- eral parties of the enemy appeared, on the plains, in front of the American camp. Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton's rangers, who had been skirmishing with an advanced party, came in and re- ported, that a body of the enemy were under cover of a small eminence, at a little distance.
Willing to raise the spirits of our men, Washington detached Colonel Knowlton with his rangers, (selected, mainly, from the Connecticut regiments, ) and Major Leitch, with three compa- nies of choice Virginian troops, to attack them in the rear, while a feigned attack should be made in front.
The action was successful, and greatly inspirited our troops, but the two brave leaders, Knowlton and Leitch, fell early. in the conflict. Our loss was four or five killed, and forty wound- ed; that of the British more than twenty killed, and seventy- eight wounded.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY. Streets, squares, &c. The city covers the whole island. The portion which is densely built, lies south of Twenty-third street, being about three miles in length, and varying in breadth, from half a mile, to two and a quarter miles. In this territory, there are over 350 streets, and on the island more than 480.
There are a number of public squares, but not so many as the dense population requires. The principal are ; 1st, the Battery, a crescent shaped park, containing about eleven acres, with gravelled walks, and grass plats, well shaded with trees. It affords a fine view of the shipping. Castle Clinton, connected with it by a bridge, has been transformed into a garden and am- phitheatre, capable of containing 10,000 persons.
2d. The Bowling Green is a small ellipse, enclosed by an iron fence, having a fine public fountain, which is made to fall over a rude pile of rocks.
3d. The Park is a triangular area, of about eleven acres, laid out with walks, planted with trees, and surrounded by a massive iron fence. It contains a number of public buildings. In the southern angle, is a magnificent fountain, playing within a basin 100 feet in diameter.
4th. Washington Square, or the Parade Ground, contains not quite ten acres. It is neatly laid out and finely shaded.
5th. Union Place is an elliptical area, of considerable extent, at the northern termination of Broadway, adorned with trees and a fine fountain.
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Tompkins Square, and Bellevue, in the eastern part of the city, are places of considerable resort. The latter contains the new almshouse.
Hudson Square, or St. John's Park, belonging to Trinity church, is a beautiful park of four acres, highly ornamented, and has a fountain. In the upper part of the city, several squares are reserved, but not yet regulated.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Many of these are among the finest models of architecture in the country.
The City Hall, already referred to, located in the Park, is a magnificent structure, and shows to great advantage. It is 216 feet long, and 105 wide.
Its architecture is Grecian, the successive stories being Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. The front and ends are of white marble, and the rear of brown free stone. From the centre rises a lofty cupola, which overlooks the whole city, where a watchman is stationed, to give the alarm of fire. It contains elegant rooms for the Governor, the Common Council, and the Superior Court, besides numerous offices. Its cost exceeded half a million of dollars.
The Merchant's Exchange, in Wall street, is one of the most imposing and costly structures, on the American continent. It is built of blue Quincy granite, and is absolutely incombustible. Its length is 200 feet, width 144, and height seventy-seven feet, to the top of the cornice, and 124, to the top of the dome.
On the Wall street front is a recessed portico of eighteen massive columns, each of a single block of granite, thirty-eight feet high, four feet four inches in diameter, and weighing about forty-three tons. The exchange or rotunda in the centre, is capable of holding 3,000 persons, being, including the recesses, 100 feet in diame- ter, and eighty-seven feet high to the top of the dome. The dome rests on eight Corinthian columns, of polished Italian marble, each forty-one feet high, and four feet eight inches in diameter. The cost of the building is estimated at $1,800,000.
The Custom House, extending from Wall to Pine streets, is a magnificent Doric building, of white marble, after the model of the Parthenon, at Athens.
Brick, granite and marble, are its only materials. It has a portico on each front, of eight Doric columns, five feet eight inches in diameter, and thirty-two feet high. The great business hall, is a circular room, surmounted by a dome, that is supported by sixteen Corinthian pillars, each thirty feet high. The cost of the building, including the ground, was $1,175,000. The number of officers employed here, is 354.
The Hall of Justice, on Centre street, is a massive structure, of Hallowell granite, in the Egyptian style of architecture, of which it is an admirable specimen.
Its gloomy and heavy aspect, however, have acquired for it the title of " the Egyptian tombs." Beside rooms for the Police, and other courts of the city, it includes the House of Detention, or prison, containing 148 cells.
CHURCHES. Trinity church, completed in 1846, is one of the most costly and magnificent churches in America. It is con- structed of brown sandstone, in the perpendicular Gothic style. Its spire is 283 feet in height, and is of stone throughout.
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The length of the building is 192 feet, and its breadth eighty- four.
Grace church, on Broadway, two and a half miles north of Trinity, is a Gothic structure, of rare beauty, erected in 1845.
St. John's church, on Varick street, is one of the finest pro- portioned churches in the city. It cost $200,000, and has a steeple 220 feet in height.
St. Thomas' church, in Broadway, the church of the Ascen- sion, and the church of the Transfiguration, in the upper part of the city, are also fine edifices. The Dutch Reformed church on Washington square, and that in Lafayette place, are good specimens of church architecture, the former in the Gothic, and the latter in the Grecian style.
The Scotch Presbyterian church, in Grand street, is a hand- some edifice of the Ionic order, with a portico of six massive columns. It cost $114,000.
The Rutger's street church, and the Duane street church, are both well proportioned, and imposing buildings. The Beek- man street church has a lofty and elegant steeple. The Roman Catholic church, in Barclay street, is a substantial granite structure.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral, in Prince street, is a very large edifice of sandstone. The French Protestant church, in Franklin street, is built of white marble. It is of the Ionic order. The first Baptist church, in Broome street, is a fine Gothic edifice, with a very imposing interior.
The Chapel of the New York University, (usually occupied on the Sabbath, as a place of worship,) is one of the most perfect specimens of Gothic architecture, ever erected in this country.
HOTELS. The Astor House is an immense granite building, with three fronts, one on Broadway, of 201 feet, another on Barclay street, of 154 feet, and the third on Vesey street, of 1463 feet, and cost about $800,000. It contains 303 rooms. The United States Hotel is a fine marble building, seven stories high, containing 225 rooms, and cost $350,000.
The Franklin House, Howard's Hotel, Judson's, Rathbone's, the City, Croton, Carlton, the Pearl street House, and many others, are extensive and elegant buildings, furnishing ample accommodation, for the thousands who visit the city, for busi- ness, or pleasure.
RAILROADS, &c. Three lines of Railroads connect directly with New York city : viz. the Harlaem railroad, now progress- ing rapidly towards Albany ; the Long Island Railroad, extend- ing from Brooklyn to Greenport, and the New Jersey, extend- ing to Philadelphia, and forming a part of the great chain connecting with Wilmington, North Carolina. This road has
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several branches ; one to Morristown, and another to Patterson, New Jersey.
Besides these, there are three others, connecting, by steam- boats, with the city, and at no great distance from it. These are the New York and Erie railroad, commencing at Piermont ; the Camden and Amboy, commencing at Amboy, New Jersey, and the Housatonic, at Bridgeport, Conn.
Lines of steamboats, also, ply between this city and Albany, Troy, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Hudson, Catskill, and other places on the Hudson river : Norwalk, New Haven, Hartford, Norwich, Stonington and Providence, Newark, New Bruns- wick, Elizabethtown, &c. as well as to the several small villa- ges on Long Island, and Staten Island.
Steamers also leave for England, every month, and lines of packets, for London, Liverpool, Havre, New Orleans, Mobile, and Havana, every week.
WATER WORKS. The Croton Water Works deserve to be considered as one of the most magnificent enterprises of modern times. The water is brought from the Croton river, a stream in Westchester county.
A dam 250 feet long, seventy feet wide at bottom, and seven at top, and forty feet high, has been constructed, creating a pond five miles long. From this dam, the aqueduct proceeds, through hills and over valleys, to the Harlaem river, which it crosses on a massive stone bridge, 1450 feet long, erected at a cost of $900,000 ; thence it crosses several streets, and follows the tenth Avenue down, from 151st street to 107th street ; here crossing a square, it follows the 9th Avenue, to 88th street, where it curves and enters the receiving reservoir, in 85th street.
The aqueduct is a hollow cylinder of brick, laid in hydraulic cement. The re- ceiving reservoir is thirty-eight miles from the Croton dam. It covers thirty-five acres, and will contain 150 millions of gallons. From this reservoir the water is conducted in iron pipes, along the 5th Avenue, to the distributing reservoir, on Murray Hill, in Fortieth street.
This reservoir covers four acres, is constructed of stone and cement, is forty- three feet high froin the street, and contains twenty millions of gallons. From it, the water is distributed over the city, in iron pipes, laid so deep under ground, as to be secure from the frost. The supply of water is ample, both for the use of the inhabitants, and for fires. There are 1400 fire hydrants, and 600 free hydrants. No city in the world is bet er supplied, with pure and wholesome water, than New York.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF THE CITY. The American Institute was incorporated in 1829, for the encouragement of agriculture, manufactures, commerce and the arts.
It has a suite of rooms in the second story of the New City Hall, where it has a library, models for machinery, &c. It holds an annual fair, every autumn, which is visited by not less than 20,000 persons.
The Mechanics' Institute has for its object, the instruction of mechanics and others, in science, and the arts.
The Institute has established annual courses of popular lectures, and has a library, reading room, museum, and collection of chemical and philosophical appar- atus. A male and a female school have been established, under the superintend-
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ence of its board, the former in 1838, the latter in 1839 ; both of which, have been eminently successful.
The American Art Union is an incorporated association, for the promotion of the fine arts. Its rooms are at 322 Broadway. The Chamber of Commerce was established for the regulation of trade, &c. in 1768.
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. The most important of these are the Lyceum of Natural History, founded in 1818, for the advance- ment of knowledge in Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology, and Conchology ;
It has a large library, and extensive and valuable collections, in every depart- ment of natural history, which are all arranged for gratuitous exhibition, at its rooms No. 659, Broadway.
The New York Historical Society, occupying rooms in the University building ; its library is a very valuable one, of over 12,000 volumes, besides a collection of coins and medals.
The Ethnological Society, founded in 1842, for investigations in history, languages, geography, &c .;
The New York Medical Society comprising the great body of the educated physicians of the city ; its object is improvement in medical science. -
The National Academy of Design, established for the benefit of living artists. They annually exhibit a large collection of paintings. .
LIBRARIES. The New York Society Library was established in 1754. It has a fine building on Broadway, and a library of 40,000 volumes.
The Mercantile Library Association has a fine suite of rooms in Clinton Hall, a library of more than 21,000 volumes, and an elegant reading room.
The Apprentices Library at 32 Crosby street, contains 12,000 well selected volumes.
The New York Law Institute Library was established in 1828, and has a valuable library of about 3500 volumes of select law books.
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