New-York tribune., 1901-05-05
OLD HOMES IN THE BRONX.
p,-XCIrTIONARY MANSIONS RAPIDLY
rtSAPP.ARING TO MAKE WAY FOR
CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

e the houses which were locked upon as palatiai
in Colonial times have been torn down in The
Last few years II make room for new streets IN
the Borough Of The Bronx. and the few that
s;l- remain are looked upon as doomed by the
reo.l, who have watched the development of
tl-st part cf the city. y few of the houses which
a-c saclod to the people Of the country, be-
cc;:se 1t times they sheltered the men who stood
hfrh ii the ranks of the Continental army, have
= l;iicl cl 10y patriotic societies or by the
iruui,ip.l ty. hut for the most part such places
have I,,a swept away hy the tide Of improve
lusnt Lite remains of the stately manor
houses. while even the buildings which were
r,:.-,d i.y 'th-s citizens WHO to The Bronx
recfor after Tho Revolution have fallen into de-
cav or hive d.sippeared Little remains TO
show wtcrs tEc De Iarceys and the Lydys ran
th,i~ nou,i iIg InliI. where the Van Tassel and
Ii1ccmh piistn.ills were, CT where the Lorillard
trutT sh y. which was also an important mer-
camille establishment stood.
The process Of tearing down and rebuilding
W.T. on more steadily after the territory north
of thc Harlem River WAS taken into the corpo-
r1t.on of Nev-Tork in 1874. ard it has con-
inued up to the present time What was farm
a,G has been t~ansf JrIned into city streets. and
tic country store, where seventy-ive years ago
crc .ou.d purchase anything from a calico dress
taG took W the mail. has been replaced 10y
nod.rn apartment store \ recent sale illus
trates tho rise in the value Of real estate in the
I9rouf Of TIE Bronx sn-e il developed into
.7ttropoitan district. The southwest corner
,. one undred-and- forty ninth-st. and Third
.ve.. 1t Il - III feet. sod f)r $4,000.
Tn.s same lot was sold in 1853 the father of
thc man who rccen;l. disposed of II for $f53.
then it was 10: =: tie country; to-day il is
ooTucus part Of busy section of the city. The
.ievated Iai'roGd has q station ct that point,
Y I, cioss street is the only one in Eew-fork
Which tuns from the Hudson River To Long
Island Sound. and the corner will become ad-
d.tionaily valuable because of the subway s;a-
=. ion which viii be built there.
one Of the old houses of the district which
stand in the direct line If city improvements and
viii have to be demolished soon is the GouNer-
Morris mansion IL One-hundred- and
'hirrieth-st. ami Cyprt ss-ave. This was the home
\ the lords of the manor OF Moriisania. L"wis.
the elder lord Of the manor. was signer of the
Declaration of Independence, and Gouyerneur.
his brother. a member of the Provincial
Coz. gress Of New-York. Another brother. Rich
arc. Of Fordham. 4 commissioner of the
Court Cf Admiralty and also helped to draft
the first constitution of the State Of Ncw-York.
Gouverne ur Morris was sent on a financial mis-
country the wood with which the polished floors
Of the drawing room and the dining room
laid These floors in a perfect state OF pres
ervation. The house is a fine specimen of the
architecture Of Revolutionary times, and its
large rooms and lofty halls are beautiful in
their old age But il is evident that the house
must go. Tall factory chmneys stand the
house, tenement houses look uDon sides
of il and Tie Bronx XIII separates il from the
institutions Randalls Island. This property
has been dormant for many years. and has been
source of small revenue, but has appreciated
in value The estate. consisting of the house
and about fifty of land. rents now for
about 5000 year. but is valued upward of
$JuoUoo which price it will probably bring when
up into building lots.
Along the line Of the Eastern Boulevard there
many old houses, but they are less notable
than the Morris house. In PrOspect-ave.. near
One-hundred- and ty-scCond-st also in the di-
Tect line Of Bronx Improvements, is the Dater
ouse. which considered one Of the finest
houses in that district when il was built about
sixty years ago. The heavy blucstone walls
the broad veranda and the large rooms show
fine houses of its day, but il has gone to rack
and ruin, and awaits the advent of the destroyer
who precedes the Improvement proce ssion.
In sight of the Dater house is the Whitlock
in