New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-17
LITTLE OLD NEW-Y0RK.
Some Odd Phases of Her March
to Greatness.


ana or the outlying part 10 Ine east OF oIOau-
way has been told. We will follow the line OF
the "Heere Weigh" as IT was called in Dutch
times. or highway beyond the city wall. This
name distinguished 1t from the "Heere STRAIT"
which was within the town limits The "Heere
Weigh" followed the present line of Broadway
as far as the Commons. or present park, passing
a portion OF the West India ComDany's Garden.
the Damen and Van Teinhoven plantations,
part Of the West India Company's farm and a
portion of the Commons, and then diverged on
the line OF Chatham-st- The Company's Gar
den occupied the site of the present Trinity
Churchyard. but on the abandonment OF the
old churchyard in the latter part Of the seven
teenth century portion OF the garden lying
north Of the city gates devoted to burial
purposes. In the old days it was proposed to
erect parsonage on the site of the present
Trinity, and build the church within the walls
OF the bastion, on the northwest corner of Wall
and William SITS, but some farsighted citizen.
cording to the record. protested on the ground
that the location selected was low and that the
church should stand on high ground, so Broad
way was selected for it's site
The Damen plantation extended on the west
side of Broadway from opposite Pine-st. to Full
ton-st., and on the east side from the present
Maiden Lane south to the line OF Pine-st- 1t
was patented to its owner. John Damen in
his widow. In 1860 partition Of the estate
made among Mrs. Damen's heirs, who sold
their portions. Two of the largest parcels OF
this land were conveyed early in the eighteenth
century to o. S. Van Cortland and Tunis Dey.
The Van Cortland parcel was later apportioned
TO two daughters Of the burgomaster. In 1733
the heirs OF these parties. Philip and Frederic
Van Cortlandt, partittoned the property and
laid out Cort1andt-st- 70 the river, which was
accepted as a public thoroughfare the same
year. The first sale OF lot here took place in
1877. 1t was on the north side of the street.
Is by 126 feet and extended to the land Of
Tunis Dey. The price paid was f28
The Dey parcel was FIVE acres IN extent It's
owner was a gardener and miller. his windmill
being situated near the river shore. It was not
until 1870 that partition made OF this es-
tate though the old miller had made his will
In 1885, leaving half OF his property to his
wife and half to his children. II was brought
into the market as building lots IN 1743. and
two years later the first record OF sale OF one
OF them occurs. on the southwest corner OF
Broadway and Dey-st-, for which fIo was
paid quarter of a century later. and ten
years before Broadway had been regulated
from Dey-st. to Fulton-st.. lot on Broadway
near Dey-st. brought $3.50. The first suburban
tavern Of fashionable resort was established in
present Lberty-st.. and was known as the Blue
Boar.
The Van Teinhoven plantation. mentioned
above extended along the east side Of Broad
way from the Maagde Paatje CIalden Lane
to a point about III feet north OF F'ulton-st
In 1876, during the GOvernOrship OF Edmund
Andres. all owners OF vacant lots or ruinous
buildings were directed TO "at once build upon
or improve them under penalty OF seeing them
sold at public auction" This order opened tho
way for the sale OF the Van TeinhOven land
and likewise provided a location for the tan
pits which had been considered n nuisance,
and were ordered removed from Broad-st. TO be-
yond the limits OF the town. The land was pur-
chased by company OF five shoemakers. who
were also tanners who established themselves
along Maiden Lane which was then a marshy
valley. Their property embraced about sixteen
acres their tannery being located near the juno
ton of Maiden Lane and William-st. This sec
ticn Of the old city was commonly known as
the Shoemakers' Pasture. In 1896 when Maiden
Lane was regulated and the land surveyed and
divided into town lots. It still retained its orig
inal title. In 1715 the tanner owners. finding
the said land 70 be suitable for building OF
houses for an enlargement OF the city. project
ed and laid out said lands into one hundred and
sixty-four lots" and moved their business to
p.
Ferry-st
A part OF the history OF the division Of their
property by the members OF the shoemakers'
association is worthy Of record. John Harberd-
ing a venerable craftsman, and one Of the orig
inal members OF the association. emigrated 10
the colony about 1860, while il was under Dutch
rule. He was a wild youth. IT was said. but IN
his mature years became pillar OF the church.
He piled his trade as shoemaker on Broad
way, near Maiden Lane. for many years, and
so welded had he become TO the locality that
when the division OF the property occurred he
petitioned 20 be allowed 10 remain in the neigh
borhood. His fellow members granted his re-
quest. and allotted to him $50 feet OF ground
along Broadway by 100 feet in depth. At his
death in 1723. Il Is said. he left portion OF a
large fortune which included a part OF this
land, to the Dutch Reformed Church The
streets as laid out originally through this prop
erty still exist-John-st (after the owner) and
Fulton-st formerly Fair-st.l-though they were
widened in the early part OF the last century.
The homestead OF John Harberding, on the cor
ner OF Broadway and Maiden Lane. was sold
after his death for f120.
The northerly part OF the Shoemakers' Past
ure lay above the present Fulton-st. III feet
on Broadway and taking IN the block now
bounded by Broadway. Fulton. Nassau and
Ann SITS. For many years IL was famous
public resort. known Spring Garden. the
public house on the premises standing on the
corner OF Ann-st- breakfast from TO o; tea
in the afternoon from to 9; the best OF green
tea and hot French rolls, pies and tarts drawn.
from 7 to 0; mead ana cakes" were served by
John Ellxin it's proprietor. says newspaper OF
1761 A short time before the Revolution the
"Sons of Liberty acquired this property for
their headquarters and changed its name to
Hampden Hall. Many OF the riots and public