New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-15
A CITY'S DEVELOPMENT.
Nrw.YnRK,s GROWTH IN ALTITUDE.

INCENTIVE.
The manner in which NewYork City has
grown upward, or rather skyward, during the pasl
10 and Is wears has heretofore attracted the attention OF
v,..tors to the American metropolis. II Is just now
subject considerable discussion among architects ana
criders. who busily engaged in drawing plans
for numerous buildings to be erected within
tho city precincts during the coming II months
nov that labor and material are cheaper than
they for several years. This growth OF New
York in altitude is particularly noticeable IN the
Hover part Of the city, from the Battery 10 'ahas
where high buildings averaging 30 10 lou iee' nave
taken the places Of small structures ana OF those
not higher than 40 TO 80 feet Some eight years ago. as one
looked from the Of either the North or East
River. or from the bay, the then new Herald buoihe,
ON Broadway lowered many feet above the mass OF
adjoining structures. Now it is indisngushabe from
either point named, the neghboling buildings entirely
aovershadowing il,
This growth of New-York thus illustrated in highs Is
attributed by the architects to the high price at @heh
each OF real estate is held all over the island ana
rts in the section of the city, but 1t has also
Assl greatly facilitated by the OF elevators, which
czsab:e Of the most prominent firms 10 occupy
Office the fourth and fifth floors and even higher
Hcors where only few years they would not enter
tain idea of asking their customers to call upon them
above the second story. This mania" for high build
ng which the architects regard only in its infancy
U.s. however, original with New-iork, the new part OF
the City of Edinburgh In Scotland being full OF buildings
ten ana tIcVen ktOilcS
do not average feet while high Easements and
smt-ccllars like those Of NcwYork are unknown Ola
architects state that they can hardly conceive the
wonderful changes, wrought mainly by their own
hands, taking retrospect OF the city OF
their youth, and they stand amazed at the
giant structures rising all the city to take the place
OF buildings which than 20 years were CON
sidered ornaments of NewYork Forty years ago, when
Griffith Thomas arrived in NcwYork, he says he found
only two architects here Messrs bacon and Davis 10
day abou 500 architects in this city, and the
practice then quite general OF builders making HIS
own plans and designs Ia entirely abandoned. Thirty
years ago Mr.. Rcnwick, then only % years DID, built
Grace Church. Tenthst and Broadway as the bulldng
high formerly occupied by that congregation al
Rectorst Broadway had to be changed into offices
Il was in 1916 that DIR. Wainwright and Dr.. Taylor
preached their last in the old church. which was
eoon chan ged sO-foOt building. In the immediate
vicinity the old Grace Church used 10 stand Bunkers
Hotel, wellknOwn landmark Of the time. IL was sur
rounded by buildings all three stories high to-day not
vesiige remains of any Of these small buildings and the
lower part of Broadway is filed with structures
ranging from 10 seven stories One OF the
highest residences Of New-YOrk on Broadway at
the time named the house occupied by John f.
Delapaine II As feet high, and considerably over
Swallowed the adjoining twOstory residence The ground
10 to-day occupied by what known as the Exchange
Building. at Nos. rs and so Broadway, which is filed
with Offices and not less than 80 feet high The Frank
lin House-which considered rather high building
being 90 feet in hight-at Dey-st ana BroadWay, mas
had to make room for the building OF the western
Union Telegraph Company, which is 100 feet in hight
70 the roof 1.-THE being $50 feet above the sdewak
On the other side Of Broadway the Park Bank Building
95 high has for several overlapped me
Herald Office and these two again have been recently
overtopped by the ninesory building of The Eren'n9
Post
LOFTY STRUCTURES FOR BANKING AND INSURANCE.
On the side streets the same principle Of building
ward appears have guided the various improvements,
even the old Tontine Building, at Wall and Water-sts
having raised Is feet higher than was formerly
when the old attracted the attention and the
cash of old NEWCOMERS The stad old Bank of New
York at william and Waists. where Commodore Van
derb always be found at certain hours of the day.
is sx-story building where before only two stories
considered ample accommodation for all those
transaeng business within its walls The Drexel Build
ing at Broad and Waists, with its high basement
and seven stories looms up giganticaly on the
spot where only few years ago stood an
unpretending threestory building-which, however,
sold for the highest price paid for real estate in
New-York - while the Stock Exchange, right across
Broad ST. is fully IS feet hgh and has taken the place
OF number Of brick stores 80 feet less in hight The
beautiful white marble building at Nos. so and 81
walst is now so feet high while 1t measured only 60
few years back; while the Union Bank, at Pine and
wnliam-sts., has had it's hight increased 20 feet The
Metropolitan Bank on the corner Of Pnest is build
ing so feet high and stands upon lot previously occu
pied by house OF so feet
The Of Leonard-st. and Broadway used to be
marked by the old Athenaum with its peculiar pillars
and low ceilings. Messrs. Appleton had their place
OF business for time, and removed to make
for the stately building owned and occupied
by tue New-York Life Insurance Company. This build
ing erected by Thomas and finished in 1868 has four
stories front and eight in the back and part Of it
stands very high ground. The Knickerbocker Life
Insurance Companys building the corner of Park
place 95 feet high, and has taken the place of
four-story brick houses where the Mechanics Library
Association in times past kept its books and held its
meetings
But not only there high buildings occupied by pub
lie Institutions insurance companies, banks and news
paper Offices Throughout the lower part Of the city
there are many buildings zig ans ,eyen' of!en e'sht
stories high used as warehouses especially by a svOds
firms. In wakerst., between COrtandtalley and Elm
st. are several six and seven story buildings the
ground where once stood the st. Matthew's German
Lutheran Church. The stores at Nos. 555 and 557
Broadway 90 HIGH have taken the place Of several
very diminuye establishments, and the uphosterers
warehouses OF Sloane also 80 feet high
instead Of the threestory buildings Of 10 years ago.
high building OF six stories and Mansard roof at
Canal and Mubeysts has taken the place of numerous
small shanties which looked anything but attractive be-
fore East Canal-st made the street 1t is to-day On
spot where Samuel Ward the King Of the Lobby"
born in the twosory and attic building erected by
his father, John Ward is the establishment OF
Brooks Brothers, fully % feet high.
PROGRESS ABOUT UNION-SQUARE.
The corner OF Fourteenthst aud Union-square,
where once stood the residence of the late Judge
Rooseves brother 80 feet in hight is occupied by
the Domestic Building which is 1l2 feet high. few
doors west the building Of the Wheeler q Wilson
Manufacturing Company 100 fest high mas taken the
As feet in hight Tanys store, at Fifteentlst
fhA nlaa farm riU nEN