New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03

handed down TO their successors For ma.
years after the English came into possession :.
the city the principal building erected bal,,,
Exchange Place was tavern. and the pr,c.,
paid between 1T2j and 1850 for property in ~.
locality further evidences Of the infsri0-
position it held in the investment field -1-o-
one house and lot. 81 feet front and 60 s.a.
deep were sold for f10O IN 1897 a house ana
lot 81 feet by To- on the southeast corner q.
Broadway and Exchange Place. brought los. r,
100 a house and lot. ~ by So feet We're boues,
for f201. The houses. OF course. were mostly
frame structures. and the locality was not dis
tinguished above the more retired parts Of tba
city as a place either of business or residence
The improvements on the west side Of Broad
way below Wall-st. began about 1890 when frs,
class buildings took the place Of the Temporary
one and two story structures that had stood
there. Toward the close of 1890 the foIlovinv
were occupants OF the new buildings: No 1e
George Scriber; No u Nicholas Low: No. d
Alexander Hamilton: No. 80 John Delafeld. M
"a DR.. Charlton; No. SO. Peter Jay Munro. No
H. Robert TrOup; No. Sc. Herman lie Roy: No
IS Josiah ogden Hoffman. and No. 30 Cad1val
lader Golden. Governor Jay in after years erect
ed in this vicinity large stone house. then con-
sidered great ornament to the street.
An authority says: I'm respect to the general
| u. III
found that the original surface was followed in
the first buildings on the street. and that there
were no alterations Of the grade until a period
shortly subsequent 20 the Revolutionary War
The occasion of an alteration Of the original
/ grade arose apparently from the Inconvenience
( Of carrying of the surface water In 17S6
surveyor appointed for the purpose reported
/ pIan by making the street descend from wan-
/ St to verlettenbcrg (nOw Exchange Place. at
/ which latter point the street 10 be lowered
/ three feet; and 50. also, below Verlettenberg a
/ similar descending grade was to be established
| 1j7 feet south, thus bringing the water from
/ both directions to verlettenberg hin, thence 10
/ flow down to Broad-st- The residents OBJ
jected to the adoption Of this plan. and the per-
manent grade was established by lowering the
/ hill near the Bowling Green to an extent which
] afforded a gradual descent
| In 1892 Bowling Green was incIosed. with
walks therein. for the beauty and ornament Of
| the city and the recreation and delight OF tia
| inhabitants thereof"
| In 1906 an order was made removing the Old
| wells and pumps. several Of which stood IN the
/ middle Of Broadway. and establishing others
| at the sidewalks. They had been in existence
| about one hundred and thirty years. The chro-
EOlogy:
| Very little Of note seems TO have occurred In
/ New-York in the beginning OF the year 1900
/ AS now, she was the metropolis OF the West
| ern world. though only a village compared with
| her magnificent proportions today. The city
/ proper was bounded on Broadway by Anthony
/ CWOrth) ST.. on the North River by Harrison-st
/ and on the East River by Rutgers-st Within
| these limits the houses were scattered and
| surrounded by large gardens and vacant lots
/ Bowery Lanes farmer population extended as
! far as Broome-st-. with fields ard orchards
/ reaching out on either side from river 20 river
\ From the Battery TO Cedar-st. the river front
/ street was Greenwich. At Cedar Washington-st
\ had begun. and was partly built on one side %
/ HarriSOn-st., where II terminated abruptly m
/ the river. Above Broadway" says the record
/ was hilIy country. sIOping on the east TO the
/ Fresh Water Pond. not yet quite filed IN from
/ the surrounding hills. and descending the
/ west 10 the Lispenard Meadows. near Cana-st"
/ OF the dwelling OF the high Hill at the june
| ton OF Broadway and vOrth-st. mention was
! made in another article. Above the archsi
bridge IN the valley at CaHaI-st. another high
/ hill rose falling of abruptly to a pond IN tbs
/ space between BrOome and Spring SITS. through
which Broadway was filed Up aad prolonged
| At Aston Place. where Broadway eEded. a fencs
/ across the road denoted the southern boundary
/ OF the Randall Farm. afterwsrd the endowment
1 OF the Sailors Snug HarbOr. The Boston POs
/ Road ran eastward from Madison square ATOMS
! the Rose Hill Farm. which prior 70 the RevOlu-
| ton was the property Of John Watts. and COW
! cred twenty-five blocks OF ground in what was
/ then the Eighteenth Ward BY a circuirOus
/ route II wound It's way 20 Harlem The Bloom
/ ingdaIe Road, which was a continuation OF tns
/ BOwery Lane, formed a Junction WIKI two rOaos
/ the FTtx-oy and Southampt0u md extended q
/ Kingsbridge by way CS McGOwa-'s Pass ane
| Manhattanville. and then continued 20 Albany
/ Love Lane. now Twenty-hrst-st. ran westward
| TO the North River from the BloOmingdah
| Road.