New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05
Acknowledgements
For Battery Park
Chesebroughs, Who Have
Shaped Southern Sky
Line, Buy Plot

Thirty-six years ago Robert A. Chese-
brough began to mould the skyline
along Battery Park. He is now about
eighty years old, yet he, with his son.
William H. Chesebrough, is still buy
ing sites at the southerly apex OF Man
haitian and planning and helping to
carry out vast building Improvements
there. What the Chesebroughs have
wrought in that building line in TINS
rart of the town is prodigious.
Through two of their holding COM
NAMES they have just taken title TO
the old home of the Lutheran lmnl-
grant Society, at State Street and
Az and 1s Pearl Street, through n.
A. Berwin & Co. and the Charles F.
Moves Company. This change OF own
ership is expected to result IN repiac'
inc the old immigrant home with a
modern Office building that will add
more ,ustre to the modern skyline OF
State Street. which in the latter part
Of the eighteenth century was one OF
the fashionable residential thorough
fares Of this town. In this long IN
terval of time one of the rows OF build
ines on the street, which were Ine
homes of prominent old New workers.
and which have not undergone much
alterations comprises to IL state
Street. They are now some OF the rap
idly disappearing landmarks that iinh
the present busting days almost with
the cradle days of New York.
IN the latter part Of the eighteenth
..ntprv the three story and basement
house at State Street was consid-
cred one of the most beautiful houses
in this city. Here State Street makes
a sharp turn, and the house line 1oi-
,ous the bend of the thoroughfare'
This house at State Street was built
by Moses Rogers, a prominent mei'
chant of this city. He moved into IL
:, ,sos a short time after his sister
had married the well known merchant
and ship owner, Archibald Oracle.
The home of Archibald Oracle was
IN in Yorkville along the East River
overlooking the turbulent waters oil
usu Gate. A tragedy occurred there
about 1908. The beautiful Miss VOL
colt, daughter of Oliver Wolcott' Sec
retarv of the Treasury under Washing,
ton was lust about 10 be pronounced
tbe wife of William Oracle, eldest son
M Archibald Oracle, when she died OF
heart disease All the bridesmaids,
groomsmen and large company were
essembled in the Oracle house when
Miss Wolcott became suddenly weak
and died in few minutes.
MANY of those invited to attend tne
Oracle w olcott wedding were occupants
of the State Street residential colony.
II was largely due to Robert A.
Chesebrough that the Immigrant sts-
tion was removed from Castle Garden
TO Ellis Island. In 1881 he erected
the huge Office building at Pearl ana
State Streets, which bears MS nsne
He Installed in the building heating
and ventilating appliance OF ms own
invention that has attracted wlde az
tnrt;on among owners and architects.
The Battery Park, the South Ferry
and the whitehall are some of the
other big Office skyscrapers, facing or
near Battery Park that the CHEESE
broughs have constructed.
AS the weary traveller casts his eyes
toward the Manhattan shore, his first
view of the skyline of New York IS
usually that formed by the big build
ings which the Chesebroughs, father
and son, have built. And the length
and beauty of that skyline will oe
greater as their new plans take perma-
nent shape.