USA > New York > Geography of the state of New York. Embracing its physical features, climate, geology, mineralogy, botany, zoology, history, pursuits of the people, government, education, internal improvements &c. With statistical tables, and a separate description and map of each county > Part 18
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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, te 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 columna, 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 persona, 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 tombe." 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 en Barclay street, of 154 feet, and the third on Vesey street, of 146 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 from 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 hydranta. No city in the world is better 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 ita 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.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. Hospitals. There are two hos- pitals in the city. The New York Hospital, founded by sub- scription, in 1769, is a noble institution. It has extensive build- ings and grounds, and good accommodations for 250 patients. It has ten visiting, and as many consulting physicians.
The City Hospital, at Bellevue, is supported by the Municipal government of the city. It has accommodations for between 200 and 300 inmates, and is under the management of a physi- cian, and several assistants.
The City Dispensary affords aid to about 20,000 indigent pa- tients annually. The Northern and Eastern Dispensaries ad-
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minister relief to from 5000 to 10,000 each. The New York Eye Infirmary treats over 1000 indigent patients, for diseases of the eye. The Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum, located at Bloom- ingdale, has about 200 patients. It is connected with the New York Hospital.
The City Lunatic Asylum, on Blackwell's Island, has from 300 to 400 indigent patients. There is also a Lunatic Asylum on Murray's Hill, Fortieth street. The Institution for the Blind, on the ninth Avenue, has about sixty pupils.
The Deaf and Dumb Asylum, on Fiftieth street, has a princi- pal, eight professors, and not far from 150 pupils. Its buildings are large and commodious.
There are also six Orphan Asylums in the city, and several institutions for aged and indigent females.
Societies are also founded, for the protection and benefit of emigrants, who throng, in such vast numbers, to the city.
From its central position, and intimate connexion with other sections of the country, New York city has been made the head quarters, of numerous benevolent institutions, whose measures are intended to benefit the whole country. The most prominent of these are the American Bible Society, the American and Foreign Bible Society, the Methodist Book concern, the Amer- ican Tract Society, the Home and Domestic Mission Societies, the Seaman's Friend Society, the Society for ameliorating the condition of the Jews, the American Temperance Union, the Moral Reform Society, the American, and the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Societies, the American, and the Ameri- can Baptist Home Mission Societies, &c. &c.
PLACES OF AMUSEMENT. . These are numerous. Beside two museums, each containing extensive collections of curiosities, there are several public gardens, where there are frequent ex- hibitions, picture galleries, four large, and two or three lesser theatres, &c. &c.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL DIVISIONS OF THE CITY. For the purposes of government and police, the city is divided into eighteen wards, each of which elects, annually, an alderman and assistant alderman, who, together, form the Common Council, and with the Mayor, administer the government of the city.
The police of the city, whose duty it is to preserve order, ar- rest criminals, prevent riots, felonies, and other misdemeanors, give alarm of fires, &c., are 800 in number, and are distributed through the wards, according to their population.
In each ward is a station house, and the police force of the ward, are under the control of a captain of police, and two assistants. There are six police jus- tices, who hold courts, in three different sections of the city. The whole police force, is under the direction of a chief of police, whose rooms are in the new City Hall in the Park.
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BUSINESS OF PARTICULAR STREETS. Wall street has become the great rendezvous of bankers and brokers. Pearl street, of wholesale dry goods dealers. South street, of wholesale flour and produce dealers. Chatham street, of dealers in clothing. Broadway is a fashionable promenade ; and the Bowery, Grand, and Canal streets, contain most of the retail stores.
STORES, &c. There are in the city, 1981 wholesale, and about 4000 retail, dry goods stores, employing a capital of more than sixty millions of dollars. There are twenty-seven banks, with an aggregate capital of $25,563,600, besides four saving banks.
There are sixty seven fire and marine insurance companies, of which twenty-two are on the mutual principle. The remain- der have a capital of about fourteen millions of dollars. There are twelve life insurance companies, four of them on the mutual principle, the remainder have a capital of $19,000,000. There were, in 1846, 106 hotels and coffee houses.
Such is an imperfect view of the great commercial metropolis of our country. Her growth, thus far, has outstripped the expectations, and predictions of the most sanguine ; and judging of the future by the past, we are compelled to believe, that ere the close of the present century, she will be, in population and commer- cial importance, what London now is.
Her resources are unequalled, and her capacity for accommodating and sup- porting an immense population, unsurpassed ; and when the cities of the old world have sunk to decay, New York, fulfilling the promise of her youth, will flourish, queen of cities, and mart of the world.
LONG ISLAND.
Square miles, 1448. 'Population, 145,119.
Long Island forms so distinct a portion of the state, that it " merits a distinct description. It extends from 40° 34' to 41º 10' . north latitude, and from 2º 58' to 5° 3' east longitude. It is 140 miles long, with an average breadth of 12 or 15 miles.
SURFACE. A chain of low hills divides it centrally, north of which, the country is rough and broken, but south of it, is al- most a perfect plain, apparently produced by the washing up of the sand from the ocean. This surface is somewhat sterile, but produces heavy pine timber.
RIVERS, BAYS, &c. There are few streams worthy of note, on the island, although as a whole, it is well watered. The Pe- conic, Connecticut, and Nissiquogue, are the only ones of im- portance.
Its bays are numerous. On the southern coast, the Great South bay extends from Hempstead to Brookhaven, a distance of more than 70 miles. It is from two to five miles wide, and is
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separated from the ocean, by a beach of sand, varying in width from a few rods to half a mile, broken only by a few narrow in- lets, which are constantly changing in depth, with the action of the waves.
At the eastern extremity of the island, the Great Peconic bay has divided it into two peninsulas, of unequal length. Gardiner's bay, between Shelter and Gardiner's island, furnishes a fine and commodious harbor.
Smithtown bay, on the northern shore, is an open roadstead, of no great depth of water, and unprotected from the winds, by projecting headlands. Huntington bay is smaller, but af- fords a fine harbor. Hempstead harbor, New York harbor, and Jamaica bay, are the only other bays worthy of notice.
LAKES. There are numerous small lakes, or ponds, scattered over the surface of the island, some of them at short distances from the shore. They are very uniform in their height and temperature, being seldom frozen in winter, and maintaining a most delicious coolness in summer. Ronkonkama, Great Pond, Fort Pond, and Success or Sacut Pond, are the principal.
ISLANDS. A number of islands adjacent to Long Island, are included in its territories. Of these, Shelter, Gardiner's, Plum, Robbin's and Fisher's islands, toward the eastern extremity, and Riker's, Coney, Barren, &c., at the southwestern, are the principal. A part of these are inhabited.
RAILROAD. The Long Island railroad traverses the whole length of the island, and furnishes to its inhabitants easy and speedy access to New York city.
HISTORY. Previous to its discovery and settlement by the whites, Long Island seems to have been densely populated by Indians.
Historians have enumerated the names of fourteen or fifteen tribes, of which the principal were the Canarsee, Rockaway, Merikoke, Marsapeague, Secatogue, and Patchogue tribes on the south side ; the Matinecock, Nissaquogue, Setauket, and Corchaug, on the north side; and the Shinecock, Manhasset, and Montauk, from the Canoe Place to Montauk Point. Of these tribes, the Canarsee were sub- ject to the Iroquois ; the others were tributaries to the Montauks, whose sachem, Wyandanch, was regarded as the grand sachem of the island. The Pequots, however, had crossed over from the northern shore of the sound, and levied a heavy tribute on these tribes ; and after that warlike people were subdued by the English, the Long Island Indians paid tribute to the English, and sought their alliance and protection.
The division of the Island, between the Dutch and English, was long a bone of contention. At length, by the treaty of Hartford, made in 1650, it was settled that the English should hold all of the island east of Oyster bay, and that the remainder should belong to the Dutch. After this date, the eastern part of the island was under the government of Connecticut. till 1664, when the Duke of York claimed it as a part of his patent.
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III. KINGS COUNTY.
Square miles, 76. Organized, 1683.
Population, 78,691. Valuation in 1845, $30,750,479.
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1. Brooklyn, 1788. 3. New Utrecht, 1788. 5. Flatlands, 1788.
2. Gravesend, 1788. 4. Flatbush, 1788. 6. Bushwick, 1788. Rivers, &c. B. East River. E. Atlantic Ocean. r. Jamaica Bay. i. Wallabout Bay.
Bays, &c. A. New York Bay. a. Narrows. d. Coney Island. Forts. Hamilton. Lafayette.
Battle Fields. Battle of Long Island.
Cities and Villages. Brooklyn, Flatbush, Williamsburgh.
BOUNDARIES. North by East river, and New York harbor; East by Queens county ; South by the Atlantic; West by New York bay, and the Narrows.
SURFACE. On the northeast, for three or four miles back from the East river, it is hilly. Brooklyn Heights forms the
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termination of the ridge, which runs through the island. On the southeast, a sandy plain extends to the ocean.
RIVERS, &c. There are no streams of importance. The chief bays, or indentations of the coast, are Gravesend bay, Gowanus cove, and the Wallabout bay. Plumb inlet, and Rockaway inlet, on the south, communicate with several ponds in the interior.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. A considerable portion of the formation of the county is alluvial. The northern portion is granite. Large boulders are found scattered over this, and the adjoining counties. They are mostly granitic.
The principal minerals are hematitic iron ore, iron pyrites, lignite, porcelain clay, magnetic iron sand, and garnet sand. There is also some peat, and a few fossile.
SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONE. The soil of this county is possessed of greater natural fertility, than that of the other por- tions of the Island, and it is highly cultivated. It is well adapt- ed to horticulture, and fruits and flowers arrive at great perfec- tion. The grape is extensively cultivated, throughout the county. Little timber is found.
PURSUITS. Manufactures are the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants. The principal articles are distilled liquors, (to the amount of $1,680,000,) cordage, iron ware, oils, flour, oil cloths, leather, glass, ale, &c.
Agriculture, and particularly horticulture, receive considera- ble attention. Corn, oats, butter, potatoes, fruit, and market vegetables, are produced in large quantities.
Its commerce is large, but being included under the reports for New York city, it is difficult to ascertain its amount with accuracy.
SCHOOLS. There are twenty-four public schoolhouses in the county, in which schools were taught, the whole twelve months, in the year 1845. During that year, 8891 children received instruction, at an expense of $17,095, for teachers wages. The libraries contained about 13,000 volumes.
The school organization of the city of Brooklyn has been already described, (see page 126.)
There are also ninety-nine select schools, containing 3516 pupils; one acade- my, and two female seminaries, with 150 pupils.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Dutch Reformed, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Con- gregationalists, Universalists, Unitarians, and Friends. Num- ber of churches, 75, of clergymen, 85.
HISTORY. The first settlement, in this county, was made by a small party of Walloons, or Waaloons, from the borders of France, in 1625, on the shores of Wallabout bay, (called from them Waalebocht or the bay of the Walloons.)
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Here, on the 17th of June, 1625, Sarah, eldest daughter of George Jansen de Rapalje, was born. She was the first child of white parents born within the limits · of the state of New York*
Within the succeeding thirty years, settlements had been made in Brooklyn, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Utrecht, and Bushwick.t
Gravesend was settled by English emigrants, who fied from persecution in New England. Of these, the most distinguished was the Lady Moody, and ber son, Sir Henry Moody.
These towns were each organized under a separate govern- ment, administered by an officer, or officers, appointed by the Director General.
None of them enjoyed any thing like a representative government, and in the days of Governor Stuyvesant, any attempt on their part, to claim a share in its administration, was frowned down, with the utmost severity. After New York fell into the hands of the English, they were allowed to participate in the imper- fect representative government of that period.
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