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Broadway, From Duane Street To Canal Street Pages: 572-604

A portion of the Kalckhook south of Van Cortland's property had come into the Depeyster family, and before the Revolution was used by them as pasture land, it being then customary for the wealthiest families in the city to supply themselves with home-made butter and the fresh milk of their own cows.

Madam Margaret Depeyster was the last proprietor of whom we find any account who used the pasture-land for its original purposes. It had become marketable for building purposes, and was sold off by the heirs. David M. Clarkson, a New York merchant, married one of the daughters of Madam Depeyster, and soon after the Revolution he erected a residence about midway of the present block between Leonard and Franklin streets, on the easterly side of Broadway.

The building, which was about thirty feet front and two stories high, stood about fifty feet back from the street, and was surrounded by a large garden extending along the present Leonard street to about the line of Elm street. Mr. Clarkson, after residing here for some years, sold the whole property, including the mansion, to Rufus King and John Lawrence for $30,000. Its extent was about one hundred and sixty feet on Broadway and three hundred and eighty feet in depth. In 1808 Mr. King and Mrs. Lawrence made a partition of the various lots between them, and caused a map of the property to be made, of which the following is a copy.

On the lots of Mr. King a panoramic exhibition was under the charge of John J. Holland, in 1810.

Soon after this period this property began to be improved by the erection of residences, and we find that about the year 1813, houses of a superior class were constructed. These residences were at first occupied as follows: No. 350, by Thomas Cooper; No. 352, by Stephen Price; No. 354, by R.F. Muller; No. 356, by Abraham Herring, and No. 358 by Francis Depau. The principal incident connected with those buildings, previous to their recent final demolition, was the alteration of Nos. 350 and 352 (corner of Leonard street) into a hotel, as the Carlton House, kept in 1850, and for some years subsequently, by Mr. Hodges.

North of Franklin street improvements were deferred for some years. A great part of the property still remained in the representatives of the old Van Cortland interest in the Kalckhook, and other lots, formerly used by the reservoir, belonged to the Corporation. One building, however, of considerable public notoriety in its day, deserves to be mentioned. Old histories recount that when itinerant circus performers found their way to New York they were accustomed to exhibit on the hill above the Collect, and perhaps to this may be ascribed the establishment of a place of amusement on Broadway, north of White street, which, in 1795, was called Rickett's Amphi-theatre. It occupied three lots, and by advertisements in newspapers about the beginning of the present century, we find it used at intervals for circus and theatrical performances, and for panoramic exhibitions. It seems to have been discontinued about the year 1813.

The few disconnected cottages which occupied the east side of Broadway, between Franklin and Canal streets, began to give way before the march of improvement about the year 1818. Handsome residences were then erected between Franklin and White streets, owned by George Rapelje, John M. Bradhurst, Samuel Watkins, Richard Kingsland, James Gillender, and William M. Cutting (afterwards occupied by Mr. Astor), which remained until a recent period, and between White and Walker streets the first improvements were made by Mrs. Banyar, widow of Goldsborough Banyar, and by Peter A. Jay. Between Walker and Canal streets the first permanent improvement was made by Peter Jay Munro, on the north corner of Walker (afterwards Florence's Hotel), and by George Bruce, on the corner of Canal street. The buildings of a public character afterwards erected in this locality were, Concert Hall, afterwards called the Minerva Rooms, No. 404; Enterprise Hall, No. 410; The Apollo Gallery, No. 412.

Turning our attention to the west side of Broadway, it is found that before the commencement of the present century there had been about twenty houses erected, commencing with the public house and garden of Conrad Vanderbeck, on the north corner of Duane street, and ending with the Tannery of Thomas Duggan, near the stone bridge afterwards the line of Canal street. These houses were all small frame buildings, and, with one or two exceptions, are not of sufficient interest for description.

Between Anthony and Leonard streets, at the commencement of the present century, was a building occupied as an independent church. In the same neighborhood was also a public garden, which, before the cutting through of Broadway, stood on the top of the Kalckhook hill, overlooking a large extent of surrounding country. This was erected before or during the Revolution, as it is located upon a map made in 1782. It was afterwards known as the White Conduit House, a rear view of which is here given.

In 1796 there appears to have been a public garden in that vicinity under the control of William Byram. It is described as a house and garden near Leonard street, but whether on the same plan as that before described, does not more definitely appear. After the street was cut, this garden was kept by Mons. Corri, a Frenchman, whom we find to have commenced his vocation in New York by selling mead and cakes on the Battery, where he was allowed to give additional attraction to his stand by illuminating with colored lamps. This garden in Broadway was, in 1805, called Mt. Vernon Garden. The cutting through of the street left it high above the level, and it was reached by a flight of steps. Flying horses and other amusements were a part of the attraction of the place. When John H. Contoit, about 1809, left his New York Garden, opposite the Park, he established himself on the west side of Broadway, between Leonard and Franklin streets, having purchased the house and land formerly of Lewis Nichols, cabinetmaker; the extent of ground being 41 feet 8 inches front, by 182 feet 6 inches deep. He transferred the name of his former place, and gave it the name of New York Garden, which it retained for about forty years, and has so recently been abandoned that its remembrance must be familiar to many of our citizens.

The most marked improvement of Broadway in this vicinity, was the erection, about 1807, of a row of first class residences between Anthony and Leonard streets. These, commencing with the corner of Anthony street, were owned by Thomas Tom, John Franklin, B.G. Minturn, William Denning, William Henderson, and Thomas Stagg, and soon after John H. Howland built on the corner of Leonard street.

At about the same time Mr. Neufbill erected two good dwelling-houses on and next to the north corner of Leonard street adjoining the garden soon after taken by Contoit. We find by an advertisement of sale of No. 347 Broadway, corner of Leonard street in 1812, that the size was 28x62, three stories, with stable in the rear of lot; the parlors being furnished with folding doors and marble mantelpieces. Between that time and 1815, Peter Crary erected a residence on No. 361, and Gamaliel Smith one adjoining, on corner of Franklin street.

This was the limit of improvements in 1815, the property north as far as Duggan's at Canal street, being mostly vacant except a black-smith shop and one or two temporary tenements. During the ensuing five years, however, the street was almost entirely improved by a fair class of buildings, which remained until a recent period.

An era in the history of Broadway in the section now under review, was occasioned by the introduction of gas, the pipes for which were laid south of Canal street in 1825. At this period the west side of Broadway was already extensively patronized as the fashionable shopping mart. Already many of the dry goods stores had been transferred from the section below St. Paul's Church, and were following the population which was filling up the cross streets below Canal street, and the throng of pedestrians which has characterized the modern era of our great thoroughfare, began to make a noticeable appearance in business hours as well as in the evening when the pleasure-seekers were abroad.

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