USA > New York > New York City > History of the city of New York > Part 19
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The original owners were Conraet Ten Eyck, Jacob Abra- hams, John Harpending, and Carsten Luerse.
Path
THE TAN PITS
Owners at the time of the division, 1696 : Charles Lodwick, John Harpending, Carsten Luerse, Abraham Santfort, (Jacob Abra- hams,) and Heiltje Cloppers.
The price of lots on this tract, from the year 1700 to 1720, averaged about thirty pounds of the currency of that day. The tanners subsequently removed their business to the borders of the Fresh Water Pond, north of the present Park, and to Beekman's Swamp.
St.
279
VANDERCLIFF'S FARM.
The " Vandercliff Farm," which lay between the Shoe- makers' Pasture and the road along the East river (now Pearl street,) and south of the present Beekman street, nearly to Maiden lane, came, at an early period, into the possession of Henry Rycken, a blacksmith, who, in the year 1681, sold it to Dirck Vandercliff who resided on the property until his death. His widow, Geesie, caused it to be divided into lots, for sale, the average prices being from twenty to thirty pounds. The streets laid out through the property were originally named as follows : Cliff street, South street, Golden street, and Rudder street.
On the west side of Broadway, above Trinity Church, the principal building was the King's Arms Tavern, on the site of the old City Hotel (viz : between Thames and Lib- erty streets.) This building was erected, about the close of the seventeenth century, by John Hutchins, who had formerly kept the tavern on the south-west corner of the present Wall and Broad streets, opposite the old city-hall. The tavern of Hutchins was the most fashionable public house of the city, and was the head-quarters of the anti- Leislerian party of that day; it having been built princi- pally through the loans of Nicholas Bayard, and a few other leaders of that political sect. The grounds of the tavern were extensive, running down to the North river shore, and having also a garden plot on each side of the house. The building itself was not of great size; upon the roof was a balcony, arranged with seats, and command- ing a beautiful view of the bay and environs of the city.
North of the tavern a few scattered buildings were situ- ated, on the west side of Broadway, the principal of which was the store of Alderman Jacob Boelen, north of Liberty
280
BROADWAY.
street. The present Cortland street-which took its name from the proprietor, it being a part of the estate of Burgo- master Van Cortland-was not yet opened, although pre- parations were being now made for that purpose; the same may be said of the present Dey street, the name of which was derived from Teunis Dey, an owner of property in that. vicinity. Mr. Dey's property was three hundred and nine feet front on Broadway, and about eight hundred feet in depth to Hudson river, containing about five and a half acres; beyond this lay the "King's Farm," a large estate, so called, which had, upon the first settlement of the island by the Dutch, been set apart for the uses of the West India Company, then the proprietaries of the island. It is supposed to have been confiscated by the English, upon taking the city, and to have been appropriated to the con- querors. The title, at the period here referred to, was in Trinity Church, which corporation began, about the year 1720, to lay out the south part of the farm into lots. At that time the extent of Broadway was to its junction with Chatham street, the road continuing on the line of the latter street. It was in contemplation, however, to extend Broadway, in a straight line, through the commons along the fence of the King's Farm, which was bordered by a fine row of trees, on the present west side of Broadway. On the line of Broadway, at the lower end of the common, was a rope-walk, erected by Dugdale and Searle, by per- mission of the corporation, which occupied that place for more than twenty years. The streets laid out in the King's Farm, extending from Fulton to Chambers street, were named after leading officers of Trinity Church. Vesey street was so called, after the Rev. William Vesey, rector of Trinity Church; Barclay street, after the Rev. Mr.
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THE COMMONS.
Barclay, who succeeded Mr. Vesey as rector; Robinson street, after a leading citizen; Murray street, after a dis- tinguished lawyer of this city, and one of the officers of the church; Warren street, after Sir Peter Warren, com- mander of the British naval forces at this station, who married Miss Delancey, of this city, and resided here for many years; Chambers street, after John Chambers, Esq., a lawyer born in this city, and for many years a leading citizen in civil and church affairs. .
The Commons of this city originally formed nearly a square, lying generally between the present Broadway and Nassau streets on the east and west, and between Ann and Chambers streets north and south. It was traversed diag- onally by Chatham street, then the post-road; thus forming a triangle on the east side, a part of which was appropria- ted by Colonel Dongan (governor in 1686,) and was occu- pied for many years as a place of amusement, and called the Vineyard. The Commons, now inclosed as the Park, was a waste and open place; it was sometimes called, even in the last century, the Vlackte, or "Flat." The his- torical reminiscences connected with this public place, now some miles within the outskirts of the city, but once the pasture grounds to which the morning and evening droves, from the village of New Amsterdam, pursued their daily peregrinations, are interesting to the observer of ancient memorials. It was here that the impetuous Dutch troops, under Anthony Colve, having landed from the ships in the North river, formed in military array, preparatory to their charge down Broadway, upon the English in the fort, opposite the Bowling Green. It was here the conferences between the Dutch officers and the commissioners, sent out by Manning to treat of terms, were held, and where the
282
THE COMMONS.
Dutch, disgusted with the prevarication of the English, and eager for the assault, cried "They shall fool us no more-march !" It was here that the scenes of festivity and frolic were commonly enacted, on occasions where a crowd was congregated. Five times in each year a public bonfire was lighted up in the evening, at the expense of the city authorities, to celebrate their holidays; these stated evenings were the 5th of November, the 6th of February, the 8th of March and 13th of April; the first anniversary being that of the gunpowder plot, which was a stated occurrence; the other anniversaries were the king's birth- day, the coronation, &c., &c., and varied under different monarchs. On these occasions wine was freely distributed to the people, at public expense, the general cost to the authorities, of one of these entertainments, averaging fifteen pounds. The citizens also contributed to the dis- play by throwing fire-balls, burning tar barrels, &c. The Commons was, for many years, the place of public execu- tion, a gallows standing permanently, not far from the present Hall of Records. The first public building erected on the Commons was a powder-house, built on the present site of the Hall of Records, and then considered so remote from neighbors as to cause no fears of damage in case of explosion; it was subsequently, however, removed, in the year 1728, to a small island in the Fresh Water Pond. The first poor-house erected in this city, was in the year 1734. Previously to that period the paupers in the town were generally dependent upon private charity, although, in cases of great necessity, the city authorities dispensed some provison by special resolution. At the period refer- red to, however, an ordinance was passed, reciting that " Whereas the number and increase of the poor in this city
283
THE KALCH-HOCK.
is very great, and there has not yet been any provision made for the relief and setting on work of poor needy persons and idle vagabonds, sturdy beggars and others, who frequently commit great depredations, and having lived idly, become debauched and thievish. For a remedy it is ordered that there be built a good, convenient house, on part of the unimproved lands of the corporation, on north side of the lands, late of Colonel Dongan, commonly called the Vineyard; the house to be fifty-six feet long, twenty-four wide, and two stories high, with a cellar. The location of this building was afterward established on the Commons, on a part of the site of the " Old Alms House," in the rear of the city-hall, now occupied by the various courts. The house was furnished with four spinning- wheels, some leather and tools for shoemaking, knitting- needles, flax, &c., for the employment of the inmates. In the year 1742, Joseph Paulding leased a part of the Com- mons, and established a large brick kiln.
North of the Commons lay the Fresh Water Pond, com- monly called, in early days, the " Kalck-hock," (abbrevia- ted into " Collck.") This, however, was not the original name of the pond itself, but was given, in the times of the Dutch, to a point of land on the shore of the pond, the site of an old Indian village. The Kalck-hock point con- tained about forty-eight acres of land. As to the value of property in this vicinity, at the beginning of the last cen- tury, we may instance that a part of it, containing about eleven acres, was sold, in the year 1703, for about one hundred pounds of the currency of that day, or less than twenty-five dollars per acre. The Fresh Water Pond was, in some places, very deep, and had the common reputation of having no bottom, a fallacy which was sufficiently deter-
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BEEKMAN'S SWAMP.
mined by filling in its basin, and establishing the streets which now cross its ancient site. In early times this pond was the resort of the angler, and contained an abundance of fish. As late as the year 1734, by the desire of several citizens, a law was passed by the common council "for preserving the fish in Fresh Water Pond;" imposing a fine upon any person casting his net therein, or catching fish there by any other manner than that of angling. When. by the progress of the city, the tanners were driven from their ancient localities, in Broad street and Maiden lane, tan-pits were established on the borders of this pond, and remained there for many years. In the year 1732, Mr. Anthony Rutgers, having in view the prospective value of property on the confines of the town, made a purchase of the swamp through which one of the streams ran from this pond and emptied into the North river.
In the gradual progress of improvement in the first half of the last century, the property of Mr. Beekman, which lay south of the region now known as the " swamp," in the vicinity of Ferry and the neighboring streets, and em- braced the blocks between the present Nassau and Pearl streets, on the east and west, and from Fulton, on the south, to the swamp, which furnished its northern boun- dary, came into requisition for building purposes, and was laid off into lots, the present Beekman street running through the property. The swamp itself was originally a low ground, covered by bushes, and was known in early times as the "Kripple-bush," or tangled briars. This place, containing several acres, was sold, about the year 1734, to Jacobus Roosevelt, for the sum of two hundred + pounds. The grant was from the corporation, who claimed title to it, although they refused to give a warranty deed.
285
WHITEHALL.
as the heirs of Jacob Leisler-who had received a patent for land north of the present Spruce street, and bordering upon the swamp-claimed the property as coming within their patent, a claim which, we believe, was never satisfac- torily adjusted. Mr. Roosevelt, however, laid off the property into about fifty lots, and it became the seat of several tanneries, and still monopolizes the leather busi- ness of the city.
While noticing the progress of the city in its upper sec- tion, we may observe that the high road on the present line of Pearl street, between Franklin square and Chat- ham street, which had been early established through open lands, without much regard to specific bonndaries, was regulated and established as a road, on its present lines, in the year 1735.
Returning now to improvements made in the lower parts of the city, and along the river shores, within the years from 1700 to 1750, we have to note the following :
It has been observed that a battery was erected toward the close of the previous century, covering a part of the public grounds now known as the Battery, near Whitehall slip. This name arose from a large dwelling standing on the present corner of Whitehall and State streets. This building is supposed to have been erected by Governor Stuyvesant, in the time of his administration. It after- ward came into the possession of Governor Thomas Don- gan, in whose time it became known as the Whitehall. It was occupied, at different intervals, by merchants. At- tached to the premises were a bake-house, bolting-house and warehouse, erected in the time of the great flour speculation referred to in a previous chapter. Governor Dongan afterward became Earl of Limerick; he was still
286
THE BOWLING GREEN.
living in England in the year 1715, at which time he sent over a kinsman to sell this and other property still belong ing to him in this country. Adjoining this property was the store of Jacob Leisler, in which he carried on business in his lifetime, from which circumstance that part of the present Whitehall street, between State and Pearl streets, was at one period ( about 1720) known as Leisler street. But this name gave way, in the year 1731, to the common appellation of that section, "Whitehall," and the street was afterward known by that name. On the opposite side of Whitehall street, in the block bounded, at present, by Whitehall, Pearl, Moore and Water streets, there had, previous to the year 1730, been an open space, anciently called " The Strand," and commonly used as a market place or strand for country wagons. In 1732, the city corporation divided the ground into lots, and sold it at auction, as follows: Three lots to Stephen Delancey for six hundred pounds; one to David Clarkson for one hundred and fifty-six pounds; one to John Moore for two hundred and seventy-six pounds; one to Robert Livingston for one hundred and seventy-five pounds, and one to Anthony Rutgers for two hundred and thirty-nine pounds.
The vacant space in front of the fort lay without inclos- ure or pavement, and was used as a parade; market place; for public assemblages; a place for bonfires, and other uses of a similar nature, until the year 1732, at which period it was leased to John Chambers, Peter Bayard and Peter Jay, residents on the west side of Broadway, who applied for permission to inclose it and make it ornamental for the purposes of a bowling green. The lease was for eleven years, at the rent of a pepper-corn. Some years afterward pavements were laid around it. On the west side of
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GREENWICH AND WASHINGTON STREETS.
Broadway, opposite the Bowling Green, the ancient Dutch houses, with their gable ends to the street, still occupied much of the space until about the year 1730, when they were demolished to give place to a superior class of build- ings. The finest mansion, for many years, on the west side of the city, was erected about the middle of the last century, by Archibald Kennedy, collector of the port, on the corner of Battery place.
In the year 1723, the corporation having the right to lands under water around the island, offered for sale the lands between high and low water mark, "from the house of Mr. Gaasbeck, near the fort, to the green trees, com- monly called the locust trees, near the English church; or from the present Battery to Rector street. This proposi- tion lay under consideration for several years; the various interests of the inhabitants residing along the west side of Broadway, as well as the proper regulation of the city in the part thus proposed to be gained from the water, requiring some consideration. In November, 1729, it was ordered, "for the better utility of trade and commerce, increasing the buildings within the city, and improving the revenue of the corporation," that two streets should be surveyed and laid out along the Hudson river, from the south side of Colonel Gaasbeck's property, to the south side of that of Mr. John Rodman, one street of forty feet in width at high water mark, and the other of thirty feet in width at low water mark; the high water mark to be the centre of one street, and the low water mark to be the centre of the other. It was also ordered that three slips should be established, one opposite the present Morris street, another opposite the present Exchange place, and another opposite the present Rector street. The streets
288
MARKETS.
established by these ordinances were the present Green- wich and Washington streets, from Battery place to Rector street. Many years, however, elapsed before they were built upon.
. On the East river side of the city the lots were in greater demand than on the North river side; and in the year 1750, Queen street was quite populous on both sides, nearly up to Peck slip.
A notable feature of the city, at the era now referred to, was the number of public markets in the city. One was situated at the foot of Broad street ; another at Coenties corner, now Coenties slip, (a name derived from the familiar and traditionary appellation of an owner of property on the "corner." This was Mr. Conraet Ten Eyck, one of the carly inhabitants, familiarly called " Coentje." The grand children of Mr. Ten Eyck pro- cured an extensive water privilege in the year 1740, at
their property on Coenties corner. Another market was at the foot of Wall street; another at Burgher's Path, or present Old slip; another, commonly known as the Fly market, a name derived from the original name of its locality-the Valley, Vly or Fly-was at the foot of Maiden lane. Another was at Rodman's slip, above Maiden lane. In short, at the foot of each street along the East river shore, was a market. In the centre of the city, also, were several market places. Broad street, from Wall street to Exchange place, was a public stand for country wagons. A market was also erected in the centre of Broadway, opposite the present Liberty street.
An intelligent traveler, (Professor Kalm) visiting this city in 1748, thus describes his visit :
" At about eight o'clock in the morning (Oct. 30,) after
289
APPEARANCE OF THE CITY IN 1748.
crossing over from Elizabethtown to Staten Island, we arrived at the place where we were to cross the water in order to come to the town of New York; we left our horses here, and went on board the yacht. We were to go eight English miles by sea; however, we landed, about eleven o'clock in the morning, at New York. We saw a kind of wild ducks, in immense quantities, upon the water; the people called them blue-bills; they were very shy. On the shore of the continent we saw some very fine sloping corn-fields, which at present looked quite green, the corn being already come up. We saw many boats, in which the fishermen were busy catching oysters. To this purpose they make use of a kind of rakes, with long iron teeth, bent inwards; these they used either single or two tied together, in such a manner that the teeth were turned to- ward each other.
" About New York they find innumerable quantities of excellent oysters, and there are few places which have them of such an exquisite taste and of so great a size; they are pickled, and sent to the West Indies and other places. Oysters are reckoned very wholesome; some people as- sured us that they had not felt the least inconvenience after eating a considerable quantity of them. It is like- wise a common rule here that they are best in those months that have an r in their name-such as September, October, &c., but that they are not so good in other months; how- ever, there are poor people who live all the year long upon nothing but oysters, with bread.
" Lobsters are likewise plentifully caught hereabouts, pickled, much in the same manner as oysters, and sent to several places. I was told of a very remarkable circum-
290
APPEARANCE OF THE CITY IN 1748.
stance about these lobsters, and I have since frequently heard it mentioned. The coast of New York had already European inhabitants for a considerable time, and yet no lobsters were to be met with on that coast; and though the people fished ever so often, they could never find any signs of lobsters being in this part of the sea. They were therefore continually brought in great well-boats, from New England, where they are plentiful. But it happened that one of these well-boats broke in pieces, near Hell- gate, about ten miles from New York, and all the lobsters in it got off. Since that time they have so multiplied in this part of the sea that they are now caught in the great- est abundance.
" Among the numerous shells which are found on the sea-shore, there are some which, by the English here, are called clams, and which bear some resemblance to the human ear. They have a considerable thickness, and are chiefly white, excepting the pointed end, which both with- out and within has a blue color, between purple and violet. They are met with, in vast numbers, on the sea-shore of New York, Long Island and other places. The shells con- tain a large animal, which is eaten both by the Indians and Europeans settled here; a considerable commerce is. carried on in the article with such Indians as live further up the country. When these people inhabited the coast they were able to catch their own clams, which, at that time, made a great part of their food; but at present this is the business of the Dutch and English, who live in the neighborhood. As soon as the shells are caught, the fish is taken out of them, drawn upon a wire, and hung up in the open air, in order to dry by the heat of the sun; when
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Rechund from the vergeand spy which is 6 Feet Bort in length was 28 at wood
Resented to the New York tavaly Library 1848 by N" Marca Peables of Lansingdwigh $ )
A SOUTH PROSPECT OF YE FLOURISHING CITY OF NEW-YORK IN THE PROVINCE OF NEW YORK. NORTH AMERICA
Captain Henry Hudson desevered the Country de 1800, and sold it to , Hollanders & Letters Patent bring youneed to some Marchto by y" States a Colony was settled Que 1614 , alled . New Netherlands but S' Samuel Augal, Governous of Virginia, gave them disturbance, are they were waren in their Quarters, however upon applica. have to Bean heute's ho per malted them to bula's me Collages for the entertainment of Shipping that came for Water nudler which umbr ige they build Towns and justifie them, and upon expectation of a Governous From _ Amsterdam, they refuse to pay the accustomed Tribute A declare themselves , and the . Herch's of Amsterdam wole Proprietors which being compinas of by hogy Charles Ist by his I'mbe ssuder to the State's at the Hague, they by Publick Instrument declared it was only a private undertaking of some Merch's al Amsterdam They Comissions being granted by King Charles for selling l'otony's to the Southward & to the Northward of them. this dridere themselves willens to do just and leave all they had upon condition of the payment of 9 2500 but the troubles in England Soon after breakingout they rueed from their first proposals und begin to strengthen themselves by all possible means. Thus affairs steed till after ye restoration of Kur Charles ye Det who tung informed of his Right sendved to start on it and accordingly it was recover A by S' Robert for those of the Inhabitants pt remained taking Cath of fidelity to the King of England the others have Liberty to remove with all their Effects Now begins New Netherland to loose it's atome His Majesty haveria confered by Ident upra his Royal Highness all regisseurs maxde upor Faresynets His Royal Highness appouited Collent Nichels, Governour who chung'd the Names of some of the Principal places, and concluded a League between ye Inhabitants & the Indians And in ye your loid uunn conclusion of y War with the Dutch they had Suriname mede wer to their by the Treaty as an equivalent for New York, the Province of New York is divided into parts, y' City one, then Albany, Ulster, Dutches, Orange Kings Queers, Suffolk, Chester, and Richmond ye Gulvet' New York ta buthled upon a pound ofland & having a strong Fortification, je West part & is in ve J.ad. +1 30 +4 74'30 in a good Au. The Provence abounds with all necessarys of Life & has a Governour. Council, & General Assembly, the City hath a Mayor, Aldermen, & Sheriff & a.s tapis the Bouaativas the Eagles dans & Quot, at The Trade of the Cover a few Years as Became almost Universal, her Marcharts having e elenden their Commun e te most parts of y' knowa Wald"The Harbour is safe for Ships of ye greatest busthens & very secure lyony 12 miles from ye Sea having great convenience " Buali, 12) !' Ships & vuol ( menteties of fine Tomber in the adjacent Woods
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