New-York tribune., 1922-02-10
Jay Could's
Heirs SeuOld
Opera House
23d ST. Landmark Passes to
Fred Brown; Where Finan-
cier Planned 'ColdC Corner
Resulting in Black Friday

The old Grand Opera House. at Eighth
Avenue and Twenty-third Street. has
n..sed out of the estate of the late Jay
Gould. who bought 1t many years ago.
II WAS closely associated with the life
Of the founder of the Gould family
fortunes and other characters proml-
nent in the financial life Of New York
Of the sos. Those who rememner the
"rold corner attempted by Gould and
Jim" Fisk also will remember that it
was in the old landmark that they hid
from the mob following the panic
caused by their scheme.
Frederick Brown secured the prop
ertv Yesterday from tho Gould family.
The Tribune last week reported that
he was negotiating for the well-known
property.
John NJ. Thompson, includes the pur-
chase Of thirteen dwelling houses and
i've APARTMENT house. with ninc stores
adjoining ,he opera house, which the
late Mr.. Gould acquired from time to
time. The combined property com
prises the block front on the west Sloe
OF Eighth Avenue. between twenty
third and Twenty-fourth streets. with
p total frontage OF 1910 feeo on hisntn
Avenue and 275 feet on each SIDE street,
torether with the Clement c. Moore
Ieasebold on 800 and 322 West Twenty
fourth Street The property IS as
sessed for taxation purposes at
sS29.000.
Famous Players Performed There
The opera house is one of the best
known theaters in the city. Celebrities
of the stage who have performed there
arc Edwin Booth, Mary Anderson,
Fanny Davenport. Joseph jefferson,
Richard Mansfield Lester Wallack,
Denman Thompson, Nat Goodwin,
Henry E. Abbey and q host of others.
The house at various times was under
many we'll known managers, among
them Augustin DAILY and T. Henry
French AT present it is under lease
to the Harrison Amusement Company
tor motion pictures and vaudeville.
The land was leased in lS43 from
Night Before Christmas" to George c..
Peters and William o. Lent, who owned
the knickerbocker line of stage
coaches. which operated from this
point in those days. Samuel n. Pike.
builder of Pixies Opera House, in Gin
cinnati, bought the lease and acquired
the fee In 1864 and erected the present
theater building.
Jim" Fisk and Jay Gould purchased,
the house in March. 1869 but Mr..
Gould's name was soon withdrawn
from the enterprise. Fisk gave the
theater its present name. The upper
part of the building was arranged into
lodge and meeting rooms, and it was
said that in the structure Gould and.
Fisk arranged the deal for control of
the Erie Railroad. which at one time
occupied considerable space in the
building.
Gold Corner Planned There
In August, 1869, when Gould and
Fisk attempted to corner the GOLD mar
Aet, which eliminated in the panic Of
BLACK Friday" on September %. 1869.
it is said both Gould and Fisk hid
themselves in the building for several
days 10 escape the fury of an angry
mob. After Fisk was killed by Edward
Stokes. Jay Gould purchased the prop
erty. The heirs of the estate who will
share III the sale of the property are
George J. Gould, Mrs. Finley J. Shep-
s!d' formerly Miss Helen Gould; Edwin
Gould, Frank Gould and Anna Gould,
the former Countess de Castellanc and
now the Duchesse dc Talleyrand.
Mr.. Brown has bought the property
as speculation. He will sell tin fact.
there were stories about yesterday that
ne had. resold it, and another that a
building company had secured an op-
tlon on the property from the operator.