The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17

81 the cathedral says "a mansion on the
property was occupied by the Jesuit
Fathers as a school known as the New
YORK. Literary Institution, which had
been transferred from its original loca-
ton opposite old st. Patrick's Con Null
berry street). In the summer Of 1918
the New York Literary Institution was
closed. The title to she proerty remained
with the Jesuits. The price they paid for
II o the mortgage was 1880. In
1919 the Trappist Monks occupied the
building and conducted an orphan asy-
luni. They left New York in the autumn
OF that year and their work disappeared
with them.''
subsequently the remainder Of the
land Fought by Morris and Hceney was
mortgaged to the Eagle Fire Company
and under foreclosure sale In 1928 was
acquired for $3.50 by Francis COOPER,
acting in behalf of the trustees Of Vt.
Peters Church on Barclay street and
II. Patrick's Cathedral on Mulberry
street. These churches had contemplated
establishing "a new burying ground. bur
found the Fifth avenue land on account
OF It's rocky nature unsuited for the
purpose. In 1912 the trustees Of tn
49, cNuNCytu dDOut lND
feet square on the northeast corner
OF Fifth avenue n Fftieth street TO
the Church Of ST. John the Evangelist
A little frame church was erected o.
the site.
A partition suit brought In 1862 BY
81. Peters and 81. Patrick's churches
finally vested the title in st. Patrick's
upon the payment OF $4,000 to st.
Peters for Its share. In 1853 Arch
bishop Hughes. acting for the trustees o.
st. Patrick's Cathedral, acquired the
corner belonging to the Church OF st.
John the Evangelist. Thus the entire
cathedral SITE came into the hands Of
the trustees Of st. Patrick's Cathedral.
Thu Idea of the cathedral had orisi-
mated In 1850 In the mind OF Archbishop
York. who planned a cathedral to cost
1857 900. He announced that 1903 per-
sons, including two Professionals. had
started a subscription OF $1,000 each to
,.elp defray the cost. James Renwick,
Jr., who designed Grac Church, was Sc
lected as the architect.
North OF the cathedral between Fifty
first and Fifty-second streets. on the
east side Of Fifth avenue, stood the
Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum. which
wa organized in 1917 as the Roman
Catholic Benevolent Society. and first
established at Prince and Mulberry
streets.
st. Thomas's Church. Mt the northwest
corner OF Fifth ven and Fifty-third
street. n of the most beautiful ex-
amples Of Gothic architecture In this
country. was organized In 1893. The
first church stood at Broadway and
Houston street, then a rural community.
Later the need of "A building further
uptown was felt and In 1870 an imposing
structure OF brownstone was built. the
work Of Richard Cpjohn. who regarded
II as one OF his masterpieces. 1t was
decorated by La Fargo and Saint-Gau-
dens. and with It's rectory cost about
81 200. 900. II was burned In 1906. and
the present structure has but recently
been erected.
A landmark gone from Fifth avenue
Is st. Luke's Hospital. which occupied
the block on the west side between
Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth streets.
where now is the home OF the Cniver-
city Club and near which stood until
1851 the public pound.
The sites Of the Plaza. the Savoy and
the Netheriand hotels at Fifty.ninth
street and Fifth avenue were once rocky
knobs. a brook which came down Fifty
ninth street here formed several shallow
ponds. which remained for a number Of
years after the civil war. A large pond
where the Plaza now stands was turned
INTO a skating rink. from which the
owner. John Mitchell. gained a respec-
table livelihood. There was another
pond at Fifty-eighth street. extending to
Fifty-ninth street, across Madison ave-
nue.. made by this same stream, VIII. re
the New York Skating Club had IT'S
quarters.
Before Central Park was laid out
Fifty-ninth street was the dividing lire
between the most exclusive section OF
New York and the most promiscuous
Below FHty.ninth street was the centre
Of fashion and wealth. while above,
along the country road which was then
Fifth avenue and throughout the UNI
slightly waste land taken later for the
park. lay what was Jeeringly termed
"Squatters' Sovereignty" section. II ex-
tended Amos, to Mount Morris Park.
Here lived over 5000 as poverty stricken
and disreputable people as could be seen
anywhere. The squatters' settlements
in the park were surrounded by swamps
and vergrow with briers, vines and
thickets. The soil hat covered the rocky
surface was unfit for cultivation. Here
and there were stone quarries and stag
nant ponds,
In this wilderness lived the squatters
In little shanties and huts made OF
boards picked up along the river fronts
and often pleced out with sheets OF tin
obtained by fiattening cans. Some &C.
| cupants paid $40 to $25 rent. but tbs
majority paid nothing. Three stone
buildings. two brick buildings. eighty
five or ninety frame houses. II rope
walk and about 200 shanties, barns
stables. piggeries and bone factories APP
pear in a census mad just before Cen
trail Park was begun. Some OF the
! shanties were dugouts and most had dirt
floors. In this manner lived In a state
OF loose morality Americans. Germans
Irish, negroes and Indians.
Where now are some of the most beau
| titui homes in the world about 1885 or
the rcrth side of Eighty-eighth street
rear Fifth avenue stood the New forh
Magdal.r Benevolent Society. an institu'
! lion for the reformation Of fallen women
Extending from N~inety-sixth street as
far north as the Harlem Mil Creek al
iOCth street was the estate OF Laurence
Benson, the ancestor OF many wei
known New Workers.. The creek anc
meadow extended from l06th to 1851
street, where an old road crossed upor
q bridge. This was a famous resort FOL
sportsmen, for the marshes. creeks anc
the pond, known as Harlem Mere. wer,
f~avorite haunts of luck and snipe. which
we're once numerous In the streams an'