New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
AN OLD LANDMARK GOING.
THE CtrsHMAN MANSION VACATED BY
ITS OCCUPANTS.

A MODERN APARTMENT HOUSE WILL TAKE
ITS PLAcE--ITs INTERESTING HISTORY.
The old Don Alonzo Cushman mansion. on the
east side Of Ninth-ave. between Twentieth and
Twentv-frst SITS, has Just been vacated by the
grandchildren of the original owner AS soon as
the architects plans are finished, which will prob
ably be within two or three weeks this important
landmark of the old village of Chelsea will be torn
down to make way for a modern apartment
house. with stores occupying the first floor of the
! Ninth-ave. front.
The history of this part Of New-York dates to
1850 when Thomas Clarke, officer who served
with distinction in the French war; bought farm
Of several hundred there. The farm
stretched east from the Hudson River. which then
reached as far as where Tenth-ave. Is at pres
ent to the Fitz Roy road. now Eighth-ave. and
between Nineteenth and Twenty-fourth SITS The
whole named Chelsea by the owner The OFF,
Ger died soon after making the purchase. and his
widow erected a mansion near what is now Twen-
ty-third-st and at about quarter Of the dis
lance from Ninth to Tenth ayes The grounds
were the size Of the entire block bounded by
| Twenty second and Twenty-third SITS. and Ninth
and Tenth ayes. This mansion and the rest Of
the Clarke estate were subsequently purchased by
Bishop Clement G. Moore president Of Columbia
College who made the house his country home.
The house and this part Of the estate were given
by the Bishop to his son. Clement c. Moore, jr.,
the author Of the poem THE Night Before Christ
| mas" Mr.. Moore lived there until the laying out
Of streets In the hfties when It became necessary
to tear down the old mansion There was high
land where the house stood, and II had to be
leveed for building purposes. The land between
Ninth and Tenth ayes. and Twentieth and Twen-
ty-nrst SITS. given by Bishop Moore to the
General Theological Seminary of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. which still has its buildings
there, directly opposite the east end being the
Cushman homestead.
Although there high stone wall around
the entire block in which the Moore mansion
stood depredatons upon the fruit In the or
chard committed by pcnicking parties from
Greenwich Village half d mile below had led
Clement G. Moore to wish to sell the property
and move elsewhere He CHANGED to meet James
n. Wells, a fellow-member OF st. Luke's
Church. in Hudson-st Wells. who was a car
penter and man of moderate means urged him
to lay the land out into city lots and invite
settlement The objection made by Mr..
Moore that there stage line running
above Greenwich Village
That can be provided for easily" responded
Il
runs from Pine and Nassau SITS. to Greenwich
Village could he prevailed upon to extend 1t up
here. If not, then some else Will start
new line"
Mr. Moore followed the advice which Wells
gave to him. The property, which he ready
to sell for $4,000 increased much in value
that the sales of land in fee simple made the
Moore estate worth several millions of dollars.
Mr.. Wells, who had opened q real estate Office
the west side Of Ninth-ave.. near Twenty
second-st.. to conduct the sales of lots for Mr..
Moore. died in 1860, leaving estate worth
100000. His son. who bore the name,
continued the real estate business at the same
place. and a grandson Of the same name now
conducts the same business the site.
the old frame office having been supplanted by
a fve-story brick apartment and store building.
The Knickerbocker line Of stages up Eighth
ave. was established not long after the sale Of
lots begun. The Kpp & Brown Line, from
Charles and Hudson SITS. to Twenty-hrst-st.
and Ninth-ave., put into operation about
the same time. Archibald F. Cushran. one of
the sons OF Don Alonzo Cushman speaking of
this the other day. said: The stages used TO
stop at the Twenty-hrst-st. corner. and wait
for passengers to do their shopping" This was
in the late thrties
Don AlOnZO CuSnman Dullt MS mouse at
Twenteth-st and Ninth-ave in 1892 1t is
fine old double-brick house. with large and airy
rooms. The plot of land which it stands
originally extended a block in width and 400
feet toward Eighth-ave in length. More than
half of this ground has now been sold off. The
present plot extends from Twentieth to Twen
ty-hrst-st, 100 feet In Twenty frst-st and 175
feet in Twentieth-st. The old garden on the
Twenteth-st side, with fruit trees. grape arbor
and other garden and orchard attractions, still
remains. A part Of this space will be used as
court for the 2OO-feet square apartment
house. Mr.. Cushman purchased aso parts of
the blocks east and west OF Ninth-ave bounded
| by Nineteenth and Twentieth SITS. Some thirty
five houses in this neighborhood still belong to
the estate.
The new building will be erected by four Of
the children Of Don AlonZo Cushman. They are
| T. Holbrook Cushman DR.. w. F. Cushman,
Mrs A. Il. Faber and Mrs. Emily A. Wilcoxson.
The other surviving heirs are Archibald f.
Cushman. Joseph w. Cushman and some
Younger children The old homestead after
Mr.. Cushmans death In 1870 was oc-
cupied by his widow until her death In 1881.
| Then James Stewart Cushman. son, and
F.. Adelinc Cushman. Gertrude Cushman and
Charles A. Cushman. grandchildren. took the
old mansion. James Stewart Cushman died in
November 1894 and the grandchildren have
been living there until within week remaining
as long as possible before the old house should
be destroyed.
estate was inaugurated by Archibald F. Cush-
man Immediately after his fathers death
twenty years ago. This was that the principal
OF the real estate should all be divided among
the heirs and that each Of these should have
his or her own home The rents were pooled
and divided among the heirs according to de-
scent and original agreement made at the
time. OF the working OF this plan, Mr.. Cush-
i