Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-11-08
....,,.--, --1n nnnAnwAY or Nnw YonK.
BY ROBERT TONES,
gtat,a Nioa-Eauetii

rvelv and rich Il street as the famous brohu-
a.ar If New York. The Italian Boulevard
ot Paris. and the Regent street of London,
surrass II in breadth, but the American
,horoushfare outstretches its European rivals
in length, and leaves them miles in the rear
New York even has many an avenue OF
greater width, and Its main street is conse-
ouently not entitled TO the distinctive appel
alion of Broad,cay. LonglOay 1t should be
rather called.
When the city Of New York shall have
filed up with its various structures the whole
islapd of Manhattan. of which II now occu-
pies so large part, its Broadway, stretching
from one end 10 the other, will have the
length of abouttwe miles. 1t has already
reached its sixth, and bids fair, at the pre-
sent rate of progress of the city soon TO com
pete its twelfth mile
The course of Broadway, after leaving the
older and more populous portion of the city,
becomes somewhat erratc AT its COM
mencement, directed by the surveyors eye
i. was made to divide the town into toler-
ably equal portions; but, stretching in length,
it came upon the old country thoroughiare
nhe Bloomingdale Road), and assumed its
more irregular ways for its own Thus
Broadway, after running from south 10 north
for three OF four miles through the centre of
the island city, turns diagonally to the left,
and finally skirts its western border close 10
tile Hudson River. Though Broadway will
always, wheresoeyer il may he, retain no
doubt its prestige, 1t will be forced, in the
upper parts of the city, to divide its honors
with the newer and more central avenues.
For the present, however, it is everywhere
facile prineeps
The highest number of all the houses Of
Broadwa IS 1916, but the street possesses
many scattered structures beyond, and, with
its pavement and gaslamps, has the aspect,
more or less, for the distance OF several
miles, of n city thoroughfarc.
Broadway has been so called ever since
The English took possession of New York in
the year 1864 Their Dutch predecessors
lad already given the road, which led into
tie interior from their settlement OF odd
staircase, gabled structures, grouped about
the name of Heere Strdss or Here Wegh.
This which literally means high street or
highway, was freely translated by the Eng
1 lsh Colsnsts into Broadway. In colonial
n times small portion only of the present
3 great thOroughare was included within the
precincts of the city. AS late even -as the
y year 100 the walls stretched across Broad
wayat Wall Street, and thence its name, only
* few hundred yards from its commencement
4 Within was the city proper; without was the
country, divided into various farms, or planta-
f TONS they were called. The first proprie-
tors Of these, after the native Indians, were
v some favored lIollanders, 10 whom they had
been granted by the Dutch Government.
Il In the names of some OF the streets which
inlersect broadway, as for example, Court
lSndt and Dey, there still exists u record of
these early possessors of the adjacent land,
Broadway owes Its first introduction to
genteel society to one Captain Archibald
Kennedy, of the British navy, collector of
the port of New York, and afterwards Earl
of Carsilis of the Scotch peerage. This gem
lenan, confident of his claims to gentilIty,
did not hesitate 10 take the initiation OF
building himself Il house on Broadway, and
thus gave the hitherto scorned street re-
cognllon among the best society. The cap.
tain, having bought and demolished the
tavern long kept by old Pieler Rocks, q
Dulehman, raised upon its site an IMPOSING
Structure of brick imported from Europe
This which still exists, is No. 1 of the whole
number OF fifteen hundred and sixteen house,
oil the present Broadway.
Architecturally, as far as its public build
lhgs are concerned, Broadway may not b.
entitled to rank high; but for shops, ware
houses, and the various structures for busi
M ness OF all kinds, it IS not cqualled by an.
& Street in the world. Government has don
oul little, as yet, for the great thoroughtart
and in that little it has been greatly surpas'
eaby what has been accomplished by pr
M'e persons. The City Hall, in the Parl
q sham, inadequate structure, with
# fneered front of marble looking to the lowe
al part of the city, and its back, painted {
whi'ewashed, turned towards the upper.
mus faces about one tenth of Broadway, an
@clyilly turns tail upon the remaining nil
'eaths Of that dignilied thoroughlare. I'll
municipality, however, in raising the stru
N'e, and giving 1t its present altitude, is Il
quilted ofan unmannerly design. The shol
sighted eyes of the town-councillors of the
umes were not in the habit of looking iurth
lan their noses; and, accordingly, seei
only the little village which lay within til,
view, did not look far enough into iuturl
"eatch glance at the great city within on
BESIDES the City Hall, there is no oil
completed government building in Bros
way There is, however, in progress
construction, a court. house of marble, whit
ever finished, will he an imposing AHA
hough 1t should have presented its fro
instead of one of its ends, as it does, 10
u great street.
friyate enterprise has fortunately int
Than made up for all the shortcomings of
municipal government, and beaulidcd Bro
way with long rows OF imposing structuI
& mere are churches, theatres banks, hot,
warehouses, and shops, OF every variety
s'yle and material, all of which have b.
quilt Mt the cost of private individu
rms cost, moreover, has been someth
enormous, beyond, it is believed. that of {
buildings for similar purposes In Lond
rams, or any other part of the world,
with the large and rapid increase OF
population of New York, when in I
counted only two hundred and fifty u
@nq inhabitants, and now counts mill
and with lilo oroot ;uotauen of ia con,fni