The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12
ONCE FASHIONS ABODE.
HALF A cENTURY's oHANaEs IN
SOME NEW YORK STREETS.

cries or Some Eminent New Nsrters-
Romance In the AAfe or Charles O'coner.
II q clubman should put on his visiting card
to-day o residence in any Of the streets to be
referred to In this article, New York society
would regard him with doubtful looks, but
half O century ago they contained tho homes OF
many well.known citizens. Houston street,
for instance, knew as residents tho famous ma
tional acadcmiclan Thomas Cummings, the
Rev. William Adams, founder OF the church
wherein Dr. Parkhurst ministers; James I.
Brady OF tho massive head and striking pres
once, thcn in tho plonitudo of his carly won
jury fame, and Francis Tones and his son, who
wrote delightful sketches for New York's sole
magazine, tho Knickerbocker.
Bleecker street, near Elizabeth, knew Col.
Linus w, Stevens, commander OF q crack regi.
ment; James Everdell, the engraver of So
ciety's visiting and wedding cards; Daniel
Drew, tho Wall street king, whose house hugged
the Mulberry street corner. and Susan Aspin-
wall, an heiress and spinster. Between Nor
Ger and Greene streets, Blocker was known as
Leroy place, and the houses on each side were
the first basement dwellings erected in the city.
Hero lived tho elegant and Chesterneldian Guy
Richards and .the Quakerish.looking and be-
nign DR.. Alfred c. Post, for whose ministrations
sick babies longingly cried. The crack surgeon
Of Blocker street was DR.. William II. Van
Buren,, son.in.law Of the greatest surgeon this
country ever knew, Valentine Mott. His neigh
Dor was Doctor and Professor Benjamin F.
Joslin, professor Of natural philosophy In the
New York University and known TO all students
Of his day as the most oven-tempered. as we'll as
lucid, Of instructors. Next came Carroll place.
with a block of uniform high stoop houses,
which are now decayed tenements, abodes
mainly for the colored race, mansions whose
lights have fed. whose garlands are dead, and
all of whose once famous hospitalities have
faded. Then at 1853 Blocker street resided
Benjamin Nathan. whose murder In later years
remains a mystery to all except ono still living
criminal lawyer.
between Thompson and Sullivan. then pre-
scented to view the once celebrated De, Pau row
S arch eSaSs' with porte cochere entrances. bal.
built BY menbsr, Of the great ttffIr1m .O Of Bolton n
oesu FEshef the ss"q houses 1as '" Which Gnu later became
valentine Mott. and Henry A; schif, a Now
Orleans millionaire. Toward Downing street
stood the Bleeeker street gst GnisoTss snNv cnI fore.
Preach The brother, Gtriah and Mortimer
street, while on toward lingering Greenwich
Village still stood the colonial mansion OF
hSran and entire nth boo block OF Of verdare' It's old trees
and gardens, whose places had been taken by
newly erected houses.
Gothic st. Clements (which many passengers
on the elevated railway daily view from car
Near St"qG it resided Luz Lncius Robinson. aHSwSre that
thirty years later he would become Governor.
His immediate neighbor was j. II; Thegogue,
Nearby also lived Charles N. Lcupp. the
merchant then Just beginning to become a noted
sSileGsee or P RSianAe q f Lsu. eeepa the historical u8 ri
painter, but happily obliyious Of the fact that
and Madison avenue he was fated to blow his
brains out in his own gorgeously. furnished
as hoaseholders Henry 4. sInythe, destined TO
be Collector of the Port through. an ~extraor'
dinarg Up political lite ! I ha u s., and A a; d p P Dur nc .1 e% mi:
graver. Harvey A. Weed. an Admirable erich.
ton OF society. also dwelt in Amity street, as did
their neighbor was James Moncrlef. who sub
seauently became Judge Of the Superior Court
bearing toward attorney nedglings. That ex-
cellcnt divine, the Rev. James NJ. Macaulay.
was Ro also anal an Amit Wyh s,Ieei T. re ssnd Mich.d between
Blocker and the eastern extension of Anity
street best known as Great Jones street TO dis
was then considered highly fashionable. On Its
Broad way corner was the mansion OF Millionaire
having welded Frederick Livingston. obtained
a divorce and became the second wife OF the
Marquis T1nlley5ap ssz peeT[ t nI, T ,,1is =, ff Eass
de Dino. Miss Sampson OF Bond street thus
became the first American duchess, ante
Opposite to Sampson resided John W. Francis
-pundit, physician. historian, Wit, and main
near neiehbor' james Foster. a Millionaire re-
tired from business in New Orleans and COLO
qgially called, on account OF his natural and not
Bond street had its Clergyman In the Rev. DIR.
Gardiner spring, who then preached in the
and Potter buildings now stand. HI. was re-
garded as the Presbyterian st. Paul Of his per.
i3d and wss perhaps the ripevs, Prss6y terrain
His pulpit smile was like May sunshine and his
melodious. voice like an April breeze; Even
ago published sermons and charming books.
And his descendants. as New Workers, along
with hundreds whom he has baptized or mar;
his grave. Another resident Of Bond street
vas Henry Grinnell. whose fortune was depleted
for the famous Arctic expedition that bears his
name. His immediate neighbor was Jonathan
Prescott Hall. President Taylor's Federal Dis
Great Jones street. on its broadway corner,
iignatcd it as the residence Of ex.Mayor Philip
with De Witt Clinton the claim Of being the
greatest Mayor this city has bad. Next door in
Great Jones street lived his brother, John
Hone. On the Lafayette place corner was tho
stone mansion Of Millionaire Peter schcrmcr-
horn, before whose door, night and day,
broughams and landaus might be seen stand
ing. for his wife was ono Of the great hostesses
OF her generation, and veterans yet tell Of her
great fancy dress ball In that Great Jones street
dwelling. and compare II with the recent Brad
ley Martin affair. Private carriages no longer
haunt the Great Jones street of to-day.
Another Great Jones street entertainer was
Alfred Pells who therein was, rivalled by James
Meinell. Tho latter's wife in after years ex-
cited the jealousy and envy Of all New York
society by providing three French noblemen rs
husbands for her daughters. Mary became
Countess Avsnol,. Amalie became Baroness
Klenck. and Elizabeth Baroness La Tournelle.
Each shone for years In Paris rs Ia belle amer.
icdine. Those marriages somewhat depleted
tho Meincll family treasury, but all wore for
tunately happy.
A notable household In Great Jones street
was that. Of John l.. H.. McCracken, a large i'm:
porter of fruits. who was very literary, and
was ono % the contributors TO the knickrr.
booker magazine; In later years. while on the
Intent upon acquiring a monopoly Of cocoanuts
time the North Carolina peanut was little cul.
tiyated, and this delicacy of gallery gods and
schoolgirls not protected by a tarfnI, he con-
traeted the coast fever and died. He had mar.
ried into the Livingston family, and his wife
was n beauty and an admirable hostess. Mrs.