New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-26
OVER A MILLION IN CASH
lfR. WANANAKER PAYS IT.
He Buus Old London Street and
Hotel COIORnade Property.

John Wanamaker yesterday bought the Old
London Street and the Hotel Colonnade prop
e-ty for little less than S1.4OO.o0O from Will
iam z. Finn through Leopold Well Soon after
he signed the contract 70 buy the property Mr..
KVanarnaker left this city for Philadelphia
what lie intends 20 co with the premises which
arc zov vacant could not be learned here last
uight. Robert C. ogden Of wanamaker's when
asked Il the property was 20 be improved said:
No plans for the Improvement OF the property
have been made What use Mr. Wanamaker
win make OF the sta I co not know"
Neither 1lr. Finn, the seller. nor Mr.. We'll the
broker IN the transaction. know what Mr.. Wanna
maker VII DO with his latest purchase Several
real estate brokers said last night that they
thought that 0dr. WanamakeT would erect On the
premises a hotel as the lower section OF the
city was in need OF Just such building, and IN
fact several OF them when the Cordandt-st
ard the Morton-st- tunnels were built this need,
they said. would be greater At Eighth-st and
r-ou-th-are Is 70 be a station Of the under
ground road.
AZ Nanarnster not many months ago bo1;ght
wherever possible IN fee simple or acquired the
rights OF lessees 70 the block bounded by Eighth
snd Ninth sts FoUrth-ave- and Broadway and
70 two buildings al the northeast corner OF
Tentb-st- and Fourth-ave. The approximate
cost OF building the proposed new Wananaker
store was given as S3.500o00. When those
plans have been carried out the store VIII &C.
oupy nearly three city blocks. and VIII cover
mare area than any other building OF its kind in
this country
Within & short distance Of the store is the
ola London Street and Colonnade Hotel prop
erty. The present sale OF the property revealed
The fact that the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company IS seeking 70 get the consent OF prop
srty owners in Lafayette Place to 2 change in
the route OF the ElIn-st- horsecar line, so that
line nay be run through Lafayette Place 10
Aston Place and Fourth-ave. Mr.. Wanamaker
viii now be an important factor in deciding
this proposed change Of route
The purchase was an ali cash transaction.
The property has g frontage OF 30 feet in
Broadway and 135 feet 81 Lafayette Place
The depth Of the plot is 275 feet The premises
comprise fourteen city lots In the fall OF 1902
NJ. Finn bought the property from ex-Judge
Horace Russell as executor OF the Hilton estate.
Il is Al interesting coincidence that the prop
eTty was once owned by A 7. Stewart In the
COS q church stood on part Of the plot ad-
Joining on the south the site on which the Col
ornade Hotel stood. The main EXTRA nee Of the
church was IN Broadway. The church building
was changed into e theatre, and opened On
January % 1866, &c the Broadway Atheraun.
Lucy RushtOn. Lewis Baker Mark Smith. the
WOrrer Sisters and John Hart managed the
theatre at various times IN the following EIGHT
years. Soon after the burning Of the first Fifth
Avenue Theatre AUgustin Dsly leased The the
atre. He opened il on January p, 1873.
Days New Fifth Avenue Theatre. A year later
Il was called Fox's Broadway Theatre. and
later Hsrrigan & Harris New Theatre CouiQue.
The MulliEan Guard Ball" and other Of Ed
ward Harrigan's earlier plays were produced at
the theatre Harrigan & Hart took possessfo
~ the theatre on October % 1881. The theatre
was burned on December q, 1884, and three
wears later the unique building which was called
Ne Old London Streete was built That lUild-
ing stood the site up 70 z few months ago,
when. together with tie Colonnade Hotel. il was
torn down by Mr. Finn