New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-18
FEVER LARGE
REALTY SALES
Purchase by Carnegie and
Some Downtown yIl Deals
Features of Week
cOCKRoFI UN I,Ss,, :
HISTORIC PARCELS
Io,n Street Lease Vividly
Recalls Early Days
of Metropolis
Nv FRANK REMLlN

az
h.d not Carnegie bought the
-. corner Of s0th St and Fifth av.
- charles A. Gould, president OF
n.could Car Coupler Company, and if
.t.rre in ownership to some historic
-, sites had not taken place.
Ia, The trading moved with a per
r-.Lrs linn It's progress was IKE
e'F'.-so,. who had prepared 70 run
- long rice at a swift pace, and
s-,bbed his toe. and was dong
20. hcs. Il, ge. into the stride at which
.ts-,sd The limping or slowing up
$3.50 worse than 10 really WAS, be-
Oo 40 have been expecting the
-, N be carried 20 new goals OF
49, achievements on the wave OF
80 .neritv that months ago swept
.,ious parts Of this country.
'corregie bought the Gould property
.-,vsr+ apartment house builders
~ 49, multi-family house. Two
tis.ks south Of his home an apart
80 house has Just been completed.
- forrer Gould property was ideal
Mot for improvement with an
rnusgally large DNA-uAhs'
-,g5;rg would have disturbed the
,.sceful habits of the district. Car
Tscs likes privacy and eongenlaI
rs'vhbors. He also likes TO select ms
,s;Shbors. That is why he bought
=. block front on the north side oil
ne. a.. between Fifth and Madison
-, and sold il for private dwelling
80, rise only. In a similar way Will
:. br;nr about the erection OF private
lrsIiirSs on the goth st. corner site,
ss,osi,e the tennis courts and gar
- Of his home grounds. Kenneth
lee, & Co. negotiated this sale. their
commission was about $1,000.
To Enlarge Coekroft Building
Two historic downtown sites were
s,ited under one ownership by a tease
-sgotiated By Pease & Gilman. Iney
isssed for the Ella Realty Corporation
- John Y. Cockroft II 70 % John ST.
not so feet wide and 1876 feet Deep
. vith right 70 purchase.
The property adjoining at the north
rest corner Of John and Nassau SITS
Inc CocSroft Building, has been IN the
rossession Of the family for l25 years
IN the site stood the original home
s,ssd of the family, and the present
Cockroft Building bears historical
..blst of Nassau st. At one time on
his corner the town pump stood, ana
ser Aaron Burr had his Offices there,
- i was from them that he went
forh for his duel with Alexander
The propertv II 20 % John St, which
NJ Coexroft took under twenty-Ohe
v..r lense. IL also of equal historical
l~no-tanee. II was the site OF one or
Es en-. theatres in New YORK, the
al John Street Theatre, which was
~ centre OF much of the social life
AZ he colonial city. This theatre
Lsrrs5 down and the lard was utilized
"a sorre Of the finest private dwell
i,y, in those DAYS. A fact OF consld-
,,sble interest is that ordinarily the
Gre .its i'm New York has never be-
,ors mart OF a fashionable residence
,,r.ior These dwellings which were
,r.cted thereon we're connected by an
,nsv with stables in the rear. AS tne
vrooer.v outlived its usefulness IoI
,,,55srtial purposes the buildings were
v-,SusIiv sold. and eventually the
s,Ablss and the houses came under
tspsrsts ownership.
A fsv wears ago they were again re-
tusr-bled under one ownership ana ING
tile 70 the alley merged WIN that o
IA houses and stables. Mr.. NolkenlhH
ob.aiped The property By purchase
rom the Slosson family. Mr. CocN-
croft leased 10 with the intention OF
rtkizK a very extensive alteration OF
he buildings with the Cockcroft bulIo
isgand thus through 20 Nassau street;
re new building will be store anC
Gee building Of great depth. Inc
.s,al amount involved IN this lease was
s5ogt $500. 600. and the improvement
ykieh il 70 be mace will add very mucn
. tbe tone and prominence Of that part
e John Street lying between the
Broadway subway and the new Nassau
street subway station. Norwood O.
Walsh represented the Volkenings N
ms Transaction, and Edwards q NV
Ny represented Mr.. CoekeroIIs III
arrests.
Where First Theatre Stood
This lease showed that the majority
u realty men still cling 70 the old raj
aeT that the John Street Theatre was
ne first theatre built In this city. Al
VIC we're heard last week discussing
he transaction referred 70 the theatre
a. the first constructed in New YORK
City.
hugh MeA,amney says in bis book
Cradle DAYS Of New York: Ihe hlS-
isry q the New York stage dates bach
September. 1892, when company OF
Professional actors arrived from Lon
eon and secured a room in a building
Lear ,hs junction OF Pearl Street ana
baden Lane, capable Of seating iouF
l9adFsd persons. With q slight inter-
attion they continued their per
ltrnsness here until February lf64'
5hsr The con pary was disbanded. some
heir productions were cato; n
.ngtay,' and The Recruiting Ohicer,
ne besuX' Stratsgen' and The BUSY
NcT eomedes Individuals and minor
WnpaIies entertained the old ciuzehs
- ne winter Of l743, when com
Niy crossed the Atlantic and began a
son q eight months entertainment
N the efXte o. Rip Van Dam tne
~ As1sau Street Theatre was oullt;
spod between John street ana
ash Lane, two story house, WIZ
g. xsoiss. The opening bill on hareh
~, WAS Richard H. with Thomas
a. Richard. u was in this house
December q, 1871. that '0thcilo'
Played Tor the FIRST time. IN
e..sfea. September l7. 1853. in thea
% re esat side % Nassau street
80 h&llam who had, according 20
b. record, been refused a license IN
-,fiiy pan o. the year 70 perform m
-. isfk received permission 20 pre-.
"a, ne Conscious Lovers ana
1917 ard Philllda' IN the theatre
i .ssshta. Here also Romeo and JO-
r.,. ~ January %. 1854, had Us frat
3 49,. corporation 81 the old city
: t,,..5 - iook with disfsvor on the
4 sea- A. he record says they re-.
= bsfmitsion % smother company
Y f,p~a new Slavhguse erectsd on