New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-19
FROM OLD COLONIAL TINES.
FATE OF THE MAcGREGoR HOMESTEAD.

NOW THE BIG sHANTYD IN EIGHrEENra-sr.
| One Of the staeliest mansions in the suburbs OF
| New-York a century ago was the MacGregor Home
| stead. about half way between Greenwich AMI
| Chelsea villages. The FtzrOY Road, com ing from
the few cottages that then formed Greenwich Vii
lage and passing little east OF what isnow Eighth
ave. ran within few hundred feet Of the entrance
to the grounds The house had bean built some
years before the Revolution by WELL
to-do English family for country seat
IL was placed on little eminence ana
was approached from the road by an avenue run
ming under some fine Old trees The broad en-
trance had wide carved border around 1t. and on
the heavy door was massive brass knocker, IN
those days always IN n state OF high polish. Inc
Hudson River then washed wha' is now tho line OF
Nnth-ave.. and the shore could be seen from the
door Of the mansion. while on either side the space
now thickly covered With brick buildings was then
divided into fields orchards and gardens
The old Mac Gregor homestead Is still standing
on the SPOT on which it vas built, bu5 If the
original occupants could Look upon it to-day they
would be more puzzled than was Rip Van WlnAl3
after his twenty years nap. There Is no
Fi,zroy Road now; the Hudson has been
filed in aad has recelel fully quarter Of
mile. Eighteenth-st. runs along the north side OF
the building. which stands half way in the block
between Seventh and Eighth aves. The nelghO)r-
hood is no longer aristOcrltc, and the DOCK Is tu
of dngy tenemcnt-hOuses. The old manson Is
itself one OF the biggest Of these teAement-houses
and is Familiarity spoken Of Is the big sbanty."
The carved porch is no longer the front entrance
| largo brewery has been built on tho west 81 lie.
leaving only narrow alley 20 tho porch, but the
carved work Is still there. What vas the rear OF
the building originally is now the cher entrance
On this side there ia a large paved court leading to
! several brick tenement houses that are 500 ba'S
from tbe street party behind the Old house in what
a hundred years ago were its orchard ana garden.
When Eighteenth-st. was cut through the little
/ hill on which the mansion stood was levelied ana
! the foundations were laid bare. The walls arose
close to the edge Of the sidewalk and were not ais
turbed The supports we're found to be secure and
! the cellar was cleared and transformed INTO hrst
floor As II now stands the house II hVe stories III
height but the first hOOr having Oeeu th5 O"i t'un
| datlon has walls OF stone on Whlcn me lI@hc
| structure rests 1t is occupied by two SHOPS one
! of them a grocery; the families OF the ShopAeepeIs
1--we back OF the stores. great hall once ran tron
the entrance through the centre OF the house Win
a spacious reception room on each sire " ,e s.
the ho hon was s% TO be p't too large.
| The big rooms we're parutOned OF INTO SETS OF
small ones and a family Of tive or SIX person, nov
| Occupies each of the old apartments Inc se'ouu
| and third floors have been arranged IN slnltr
manner: the lOug slantlng single root mas been
mn he'd ont 40 as to make a convenient moor OF the
Old garret and on the roof which is as high above
tha navcment as the roofs of the brick houses
around H. a platform has been built for the use OK
tenants in hanging ont their lines on wash day
The history Of the Old house has passed lEto Jew
wayne legends recalled by some Older residents OF
the block The Engshnan who built IL Is said 70
have had a dangh ter who was cOurted anu IhtIllo1
nv a Colonel MacGregoT. of King George army,
while the British occupied New-York. he and MS
wife were obliged TO leave toe mansion
when New-YOrk was evacuated. and a relative VINO
had been in WashingtOns army came into po's -
SION but died after rev years cnlidie-s hri, Ote
- irtC str
decline Early IN the century It vas used as a
seminary for Urls and acquired some reputation ~
that way After a quarter or a century the prlnci-
| pa of the seminary died and the transient pOpn-
laritv passed awav. The neighborhoOd vas chahV-
through For "A time the old house served AZ a
! waVside tavern and then &c became cheap BOARD
| ,ng-hOnse About 1910 the nelghbprhood vas a
| resort for rough classes and the hOmeSieal ,le-
scended to its lowest degradation lueIo W7io 70
around 1t continually and arrests were frequently
| made within its walls. one criminal was caotieu
nv the police on the roof lie sent 20 prison on
| a long sentence aud a few days atterward young
the garrett where she lived Shortly aiteI
. | tbe close Of the the property
PASSED into new hands. aud the pur-
chaser repaired II thoroughly ana mace cntusr' !"
the building Other buildings weht up AIDuAU ~
, ! and the brewery shut OF the front entrance.
, David Wlke carpenter, who lives near NJ hau,l'
has known the house for nearly halt cel ury'
For number Of years ne did t the repairs lot G;
ITS a good old house yet NJ rentrAeu' 'li
viii ou+last many Younger ono IN the heighD)I
| bood aIlV cared for as it has been. me wood
| work all through 10 Is oak. and a. nara as ron
every one Of the old shingles Is on the roof YET ana
each of them is three foot long. All the Ola place
wants - A coat OF paint to make t look ~ young as
| - n.o1 IN he remember It well when tine Old
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