Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 p://archive.org/details/historyofrealestOOdi A HISTORY OF Real Estate, Building AND Architecture IN NEW YORK CITY DURIXC, THK LAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY ^ NEW YORK. ^ Presented by RECORD AND GUIDE 14 AND 16 VESEY STREET NEW YORK Copyright, 1898, by THE REAL ESTATE RECORD ASSOCIATION CONTENTS. Page. Real Estate on Manhattan Island, a Review of — The Dutch Period 1 The English Colonial P. ri.i.l 14 From Declaration nf Iml m i i|'L-:;u.g of Erie Canal 24 From Opening- of Erin Canal ;m th-- of il War. ... 38 From the Close of th,- War im CMii^Miiaati' ni 45 INlaps of New York City 14, 17, 20, 21, 23. 25, 31, 37 Xoted Auction Sales 130 Prices (Vf Lots in 1847. 1857. 1868 156 Tables of C'nnvcyance>, ^nice .8(,8 157 Table ni r,iiil(lin-> Projected, since 1868 159 Real Instate Leaders: Jli-vi' w Mf the Principal Real Estates Brokers, Agents, Auc- ti.iiu-rr.s. Etc 165-219 ()peratin^ .\rcliitects, iUiilders and Real Estate Alen 220-235 Titles ti. Iveal I-:-tate in City of New York 236 LeadiiiL; l\i,al l",>tate Lawvers 247-252 Title. Trust, Real b'.state and .'similar Corporations 253-258 Review of the }ilechanics' Lien L;uv: Intr'idiution 259 The Lien Law 262 The Xew York lUiildin.y Law 287 Leaders in the I'luildin^- Trade: Revit.-w (if th>' T^>ailiii,i; liuililers and Buildin.i? Firm.^ ..... 299-350 A Review of !'-uildiu-- in Xew York City 352 Investment in P.uildings 364 Mechanical Appliances in Buildins 367 Passenger Elevators 373 Fire-proof Buildings 377 Brick — Clay Products 395 Cements and Plasters 407 Plumbing and Sanitary Appliances 407 Interior Finish 409 Electricity 414 The Builder : 415 CONTENTS. Page. Loadin.!-- lUiildiii,-;- Material Imi-ihs 4^7-454 Rcvic'w of the Development of Structural Iron: Iron Fniiit.^, Sk.-l.-lroadway, between the present I'owling Green and Trinity Church, at the head of Wall street, was occupied solelv by a burial ground and by the gardens and dwellings of \"andegrist and A'an Dyck. The speculative value of property on the avenue seems, however, to have been appreciated, for very few of the original grantees improved their lots, but sold them in after vears to actual settlers. Private houses at this early period were mostly constructed of boards or logs, roofs and sides being covered with bark or thatch. Many of the buildings erected by the company were, however, of a more durable character. A group of five stone warehouses stood on the present Whitehall street, fronting westward, an o|ien space of over a hundred feet in width lying between the wareliouses and the fort. Part of this space was afterwards built upon, leaving a small BUILDIXG .IXD ARCHITECTURE L\ XEIV YORK. 7 street in front of the stores called W'inckel or Store street, and ex- tending from Bridge to Stone street. The company's bakery stood on Pearl street, near Whitehall; the company's brewery, on the north side of Bridge street, between Broad and Whitehall. The first church was commenced in 1633, religious services having previously been conducted in the second story of the comi)any's horse-mill. The church was of frame, and stoo'd in Broad street, at the junction of Pearl and Bridge, where it still existed a century later as a store and dwelling. It was outgrown as a place of worship in 1642. In that year a stone church, fifty-two by seventy-two, and sixteen feet high, was built within the fort at a cost of, say, one thousand dollars, and it is curious to note that the contractors were John and Richard Og- den, of Stamford. Conn. The church front contained a marble slab with the inscription: "Anno, 1642. \\'illiam Kieft, Directeur Gen- eral Heeft de gemeente Desen Tempel doen bouwen." At the close of last century this tablet was discovered buried in the ground on the site of the fort, and was deposited in the belfry of the Dutch church in Garden street (Exchange place), where it was lost or destroyed in the fire of 1835. The year 1642 also witnessed the completion of an- other important building operation, "a fine stone tavern," con- structed for the company on the northwest corner of Pearl street and Coenties alley, to accommodate travelers from Xew England and the Long Island settlements. Except farndiouses, this was one of the first buildings constructed east of Broad street. It was ceded to the city on the organization of a munici])al gox ernment in 1653, when it became the Stadt Huys. and continued in use as a city hall until the closing year of the century. The fort and village proper covered only part of the region be- low what is now WaW street. The rest was occupied by the culti- vated fields of the company and by private bouweries. The price of building lots was almost nominal, as is shown bv the earliest pri- vate deed on record illustrating the value of propcrtv. In 1643 Abraham Jacobsen A'an Steenwyck conveved to Anthonv Tansen A'an Fees, for twenty-foui guilders ('$•). 50), a lot on Bridge street, between Broad and Whitehall, having a frontage of thirtv feet and a depth of one hundred and ten. This piece of land was. perhaps, as valuable as any in tow^n. 8 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 111 1653 two measures were perfected, which had an important bearing- on real estate, namely, the incorporation of New Amster- dam as a municipality, and the fixing of the city's northern boundary by the erection of a stockade on the line of the present Wall street. The erection of the palisade was occasioned by the breaking out of hostilities between England and the United Provinces, and the con- sequent threat of an invasion from New England. The means of defense provided by the company was wholly inadequate for the protection of the city, and imperious Governor Stuyvesant found himself constrained to fall back for support on the newly created town magistracy. The fort had long since been outgrown, and was no longer capable of sheltering the population. At a conference between Stuyvesant and his provincial council with the local magistrates the latter, therefore, after some hesitation, consented to the imposi- tion of a municipal tax for the purpose of protecting the land side of the town by a wall across the island. This wall, when com- pleted, extended from river to river, and was built of posts, twelve feet in heig-ht and seven inches in diameter. Inside the stockade was an embankment which enabled the garrison to overlook the wall, and here also was a level space which eventually became known as the Cingle or Wall street. The threatened invasion from New England did not take place, and as no occasion arose to test the n:ilitary value of the wall, its erection proved to have been ill-ad- vised. For nearly half a century its effect was to restrain the natur- al northward growth of the city. The order of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Com- pany authorizing the creation of a municipal government for Man- hattan Island, directed that the new magistracy should be modeled after that of Amsterdam, and should be filled 'by popular election. It was characteristic of Stuyvesant's arbitrary mode of government that he retained the appointment of the magistracy in his own hands, and refused altogether to fill the most important office — that of schout. The magistracy, as appointed by him, comprised two bur- gomasters and five schepens, holding office for one year. But de- spite its political insignificance, the new municipal government exer- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Q cised a beneficial influence on affairs relating to the physical appear- ance and growth of the town. Little regard had been paid to boundary lines in the erection of houses up to the time of Stuyvesant's arrival. Stuyvesant, soon af- ter taking ofifice, appointed surveyors of streets and buildings, who were empowered to prevent the erection of unsightly and improper buildings, and to regulate street lines according to the land patents. No building could be erected without plans having first been sub- mitted to the surveyors, and approved. The condition of the streets at this time appears from the following ordinance: "The roads and highways here are rendered difficult of passage for wagons and carts on account of the rooting of the hogs; therefore, it is ordered that the inhabitants put rings through the noses of all their hogs. It has been seen that goats and hogs are daily committing great damage in the orchards and plantations around Fort Amsterdam: therefore, it is ordered that these animals be kept in encl(jsures." The munici- pal government, as soon as supplies had been voted for protection against New England and for the conquest of New Sweden, turned its attention to town improvements. In November, 1655, the magis- trates notified Governor Stuyvesant of the presence of many refugees (probably Swedes from the Delaware), who, with others, were re- questing building lots on which to erect permanent dwellings: and asked that a survey of the city be made, with a view to the distribu- tion of unoccupied land. This action on the part of the magistrates resulted in the appointment of a committee, consisting of the regular street surveyors. Burgomaster Allard Anthony, and Councilor La Montagnie, with power to make a survey of the city, open streets, and assess the price of lots. The survey, accompanied by a map now lost, was submitted to the Governor and his council in February, 1656. The corrected street lines w'ere marked with stakes, and owners injured by the straightening of streets were directed to apply for compensation to the burgomasters, who also had charge of the distribution of lots. The burgomasters were empowered to determine what streets and lots should first be built on. The distribution of land did not ap- parently prove as efifective in promoting improvements as the au- lO A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, thorities expected, for two years later many vacant lots were still to be foimd within the city limits. Such lots were now taxed at the rate of the fifteenth penny of their value, as appraised by the owners; and the burgomasters were authorized to take any lot at the owner's valuation, if not improved, and grant it to another. The streets established by the survey of 1656 were T'Marckt- velt (Whitehall street, Broadway and Battery place on the several sides of the Bowling Green, which was then a public market), T'Marckveldt Steegie (Marketficld street), De Heere Straat (Broadway, between the Bowling Green and Wall street), De Hoogh Straat (Stone street, between Broad and William, and Pearl street, north side, between W^illiam and Wall), De Waal (Wall street, between Pearl and Broadway), T'Water (Pearl street, north side, between Broad and Whitehall), Perel Straat (Pearl street, between Whitehall and State), De Brouwer Straat (Stone street, between Broad and Whitehall), De Winckel Straat (now closed, ran from Stone to Bridge, between Whitehall and Broad), De Brugh Straat (Bridge street, between Broad and Whitehall), De Heere Graft (Broad street, between Beaver and Pearl), De Prince Graft (Broad street, between Beaver and Wall), De Prince vStraat (Beaver street, between Broad and William), De Beever Graft (Beaver street, between Broad and Broadway), De Smee Straat (William street, between Maiden lane and Hanover square), and De Smit's Valey (Pearl street, between Wall street and Frank- lin square). In 1657 propertv owners in Brouwer street, so called from the breweries which it contained, petitioned the burgomasters to have a pavement of cobble-stones laid in that thoroughfare, and the records show that the cost of the improvement was assessed on the residents in the street. This was the first pavement laid in New Amsterdam and the fact is commemorated in the name. Stone street, which the thoroughfare now bears. Winckel street, which has long since been closed, but which ran from Broad street diagonally through the blocks where the Mills Building and the Ignited States Custom. House now stand, was paved, as w-as also Bridge street, in 1658. These pavements were without sidewalks, and were drained by a gutter in BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. II the middle of the road. An ordinance of 1660 ordered the residents on either side of the ditch, or canal, in Beaver street to pave the road in front of their own doors as far as the edge of the water. The Heere Graft, in Broad Street, was, as we have seen, the main artery of commerce. The construction of sidings of wood to prevent its 'banks from caving in was commenced in 1657, and at the same time ordinances were issued against throwing filth and of¥aI into the water, with heavy penalties for their violation. The con- struction of the sidings, on which three laborers were employed dur- ing the open season, was completed in 1659. The roadway on either side of the canal was subsequently paved at a cost of 2,792 florins ($1,096.80). It is difficult to realize at the present day that Pearl Street was at one time exposed to the encroachment of the East River. High tide sometimes made access to the Stadt Huys almost impracticable. For this reason the construction of a siding of wood in front of the City Hall was begun by the public authorities in 1655, similar im- provements having already been made by individual property own- ers at various points along the shore. To secure a continuous bar- rier against the water the following ordinance was published in that year: "Whereas, the sheeting in front of the Stadt Huys (near the present Coenties Slip), and before the City Gate (at Wall street), on the East River, and some other places thereabout, is finished, and some is also begun by others ; therefore, for the uniformity of the work, all who have houses on the water side, between the Stadt Huys and the gate are ordered to line the banks with plank." This ordinance was the first of the public measures which have resulted in the addition of several blocks on either river to the lateral exten- sion of the island, as well as to its southern extremity. In a place where the houses, including chimncvs, were mostlv of wood, fire was a constant and threatening source of danger. Al- ready before 1628 the settlement was almost completely destroyed by a general conflagration. Nevertheless, no adequate measures for the prevention and extinction of fires were taken until after the creation of the municipal government. In January, 1648. Governor Stuyves- ant published an ordinance appointing fire-wardens and prohibiting 12 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE, the use of wooden chimneys in houses between the fort and the Col- lect, or Fresh Water Pond, which occupied several acres in the neighborhood of and including the site of the Tombs Prison. Fines were imposed on owners who refused to alter their chimneys, or in whose houses fires occurred, and the proceeds of the fines were ap- plied to the purchase of fire-ladders, buckets, and hooks. In Sep- tember of the same year the power of the fire wardens was en- larged, and they were directed to visit every house to see that chim- neys were properly cleaned. These ordinances were never properly enforced, however, and ten years later wooden chimneys were still the rule. By an ordinance of December 15, 1657, thatched roofs and wooden chimneys were ordered removed, and the city magistrates were authorized to collect from every house, great and small, one beaver or eight florins in wampum ($3.20) for the purpose of pro- curing two hundred and fifty leathern fire buckets, also hooks and ladders. The ordinance further established a yearly tax of one florin for every chimney within the jurisdiction of the burgomasters and schepens. The buckets, properly numbered, were, in January, 1659, distributed throughout the town, fifty being placed in the Stadt Huys, twelve at the inn of Daniel Litschoe (near the intersec- tion of the present Pearl and Broad streets), and another dozen at the house of Abraham Verplank (near the present Custom House). No svstematic policing of the city was undertaken during the Dutch regime, although Governor Stuyvesant issued ordinances against fighting with knives (1647), against fast driving (1652), and against shooting with firearms at partridge and other game within the city limits (1652). A temporary night-watch was maintained by the magistrates in 1653, during the trouble with New England. Five years later a permanent night-watch was established — nine men serving in detachments of four each night, the pay of each man being 48 cents for every night on duty, besides a gift of one or two beavers and a quantity of firewood. Otherwise order was enforced, on occasion, by the garrison at the fort. There was no regular post between New Amsterdam and the other Dutch settlements, chief among which were the Esopus Dis- trict, Fort Orange, Fort Nassau on the Delaware, and the Long BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. 13 Island towns. But as to the transatlantic mails, the directors of the Amsterdam Chamber wrote to Governor Stuyvesant in 1652: "For the accommodation of private parties who often give their letters for New Netherland to one or the other sailor or free merchants, from which practice result many delays in the delivery of letters and subsequent losses to the writers and their friends there, the letters being laid in the bottom of chests or the bearers going to other places, we have fastened a box at the new warehouse, where we now hold our meetings, for the collection of all letters, to be sent out by the first ship sailing. We have deemed it advisable to inform you thereof, so that you may do the same in New Netherland, and send the letters, for the sake of greater safety, in a bag addressed to us. We shall hand them to whom they belong. People expecting let- ters usually come to the warehouse." Unrivaled in geographical position, New Amsterdam was from the beginning a trading city. European and coastwise commerce was attracted by one of the finest natural harbors in the world, while innumerable rivers and inland waterways made the interior accessi- ble in every direction. Despite harrassing trade restrictions — the company's attempt at monopoly was abandoned in 1642 — New Amsterdam rapidly developed into an emporium of commerce for the Western World. To the mother country it exported tobacco and especially furs, namely, the skins of beaver, mink, deer, otter lynx, the elk, the panther, and the fox. From Holland came French and Spanish wines and brandy, leather, meat, bacon, malt, nails, lead, butter, linen and woolen stuff, oil, soap, tiles, bricks, iron rods, casks, cordage, candles, salt, spices, tar, and agricultural and do- mestic implements. Wheat, pork, beer, fish, and wine were carried to Virginia, for which tobacco was received in exchange. To the West Indies and the Dutch colonies at Curaqoa and Brazil were sent the various kinds of goods obtained from Holland, besides In- dian corn and baked bread and biscuit, dried fish, salt meat, and lumber, return cargoes, consisting of sugar and Barbados rum. A prosperous trade was also maintained with New England and the Dutch settlements on the Hudson, the Delaware, and Long Island. 14 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, II.— THE ENGLISH COLONIAL PERIOD. Peter Stuyvesant, the last of the four Dutch director-generals of New Netherland, surrendered to the English under Richard Nic- olls, August 29, 1664. According to the Chevalier Lambrechtsen, the province contained at that time a population of about 10,000 souls, exclusive of Indians, and comprised three cities and thirty vil- lages. By Permission From the New York History Co. The capital city is described in a map forwarded by the conciuerors to the new proprietor, the Didench, Swedes and Jews, while there w ere al)Out 800 negroes, mostly slaves. By the year 1732, the ])()])uhainn had been increased by an additional 3,600 inhabitants. In the same }ear we find prices of lots on \\'hitehall street stated at from £150 to £200 — ■ a material increase. According to the Swedish traveler, I'eter Kalm, over two hundred vessels entered and an even larger number cleared from the harbor between December i, 1729, and December 5, 1730. The following table, compiled in November, 1729, and covering the period from Christmas to Christmas in each year, gives an idea of the volume of foreign commerce conducted at New York, and of the favorable balance of trade enjoyed by the port: Years. Imports. Exports. 1723- 24 £21,191 £63,020 1724- 25 25,316 70.650 1725- 26 38,707 84,850 1726- 27 31,617 67,373 1727- 28 21,005 78.561 The city as it was at this time is shown on a map entitled "Plane of New York in 1729, Surveyed by James Lyne." In this, as in ear- lier maps, the trend of development toward the northeast is distinctly emphasized. Several causes united to retard the improvement of the westerly side of the island. The business of the city was transacted along the East River. Here, the shipping of the port was harbored, because the East River, an arm of the sea, seldom freezes. Here were the ship-yards and the warehouses : and here also the Brook- lyn ferry and the field of competition for the Long Island trade. Broadway was remote from the industrial activities of the tow^i. The few^ dwellings that were erected along this future great thor- 20 A HISTORV OF REAL ESTATE, oughfare did not venture above Liberty, then called Crown street. There were only open fields westward, above this line. These com- prised the estate known originally as the Company's Farm, tilled for the benefit of the Dutch West India Company's servants, and bounded by the present l-'ulton and Warren streets, IJroadwav and the North River. The farm passed to the Duke of York, by the con- quest, was extended northward, by purchase from the Annctje Jans heirs, to Charlton, or pcrliaps Christopher street, and was afterwards known as the King's, and later ( jucen's Farm. Queen Anne granted the property to the ]Ci)isC()])al I hurch in New York in 1705. The church ownership of this jiroperty was one of the factors which BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 21 tended to retard the development of Broadway, for so long as building sites conveniently located could be had in fee simple no one cared to improve leasehold land. Bv the middle of the century, however, the city's expanding com- merce was evidently beginning to create a need for the improvement of leasehold property also. Maerschalck's map of 1755 shows streets laid out through the southern part of the Church Farm, and locates twenty-five buildings between the present Liberty and Warren streets. But the trend of development was still toward the northeast 22 A HISTORY Of REAL ESTATE, Advance up the middle of tlie island was prevented \)\ the Collect, or Fresh Water Pond; on the westerly side, l)y l.isjjenard's Meadows, a marshy valley, and a stream carryin.ij;- the ovcrllow from the Fresh Water I'ond into the North River. The upper ])art of liroadway was merel_\- a lane ending near the present Leonard street; and it was not until the opening of the road leading to ( ireenw ich X'illage, ante- rior to 1760, that the west side possessed any thoroughfare that could become a line of (le\ eloi)nient. On the easterly side, however, ran the Boston Post Road, con- necting the city with the populous regions inland from Long Island Sound. Over this highway, since 1732, came and went the monthlv stage to New- England. According to Ratzer's map, countrv seats lined this road in 1767 up to Madison square, and a small village had sprung up at its intersection with Monument lane. Of tliis lane, \vhich led to Greenwich, two sections survive in the present Astor place and Greenwich avenue. KEY TO MAP OF NEW YORK, SHOWING FARMS AND ESTATES. NOTE.— The explanation of the numbers, which is tal7k Belonging to Sailors' Snug Harbor. 5(1. The Brevoort estate. M. Krom Messie (crooked little knife), cor- rupted into Gramnurcy: so-called from the resemblance of the shape of this property to that of a shoemak- 1;.-,. Rose Hill farm. liil. Estate of John Watts. (17. Estate of Admiral Sir Peter Warren, called Greenwich; the Indian name of the point of land here was Sapokani- (17 D. Estate of George Clinton and John 7:1. Estate of Bishop Moore. 74. Clarke estate. 7(3. Known as the Horn estate, originally patented by Sir Edmund Andros to Solomon Peters, a free negro, whose widow and heirs conveyed it to John Horn: held by Horn's descendants till recently. S(). Kip's Bay farm. S7. -Murray Hill estate. 8!), John Slidell. formerly President of the Mechanics' Bank. 1>2. Estate of James A. Stewart. WS'/i. Estate of "Citizen Genet," the French Ambassador in 17114. who married Governor Clinton's daughter. KM). Estate of Richard Harrison. 107. Glass House farm, formerly belonging to Sir Peter Warren. 110, 11(1. Incleberg, where, 177(1, General Howe and staff were entertained dur- ing the retreat of the American troops from New York. 111. The Grange, country seat of John Mur- 122. Turtle Bay, or Deutel Bay, farm. By Permission From the New York History Co. A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE, /I/.— FROM THE DEC LARA TJON OF INDEPENDENCE TO THE OPENING OF THE ERIE CANAL. The Britisli, driven from Boston and alarmed by the general up- rising throughout the colonies, determined to concentrate their forces at New York. Having control of the sea, they hoped, by obtaining possession of the Hudson Valley, to prevent co-operation between the northern and southern colonies. The plan was bril- liantly conceived, but was utterly defeated by the surrender of Bur- goyne at Saratoga. This event proved the turning point in the war, although with the assistance of a large fleet the British were enabled to hold New York from September 15, 1776, to November 25, 1783. During this period of occupation the population of the city de- creased from 25,000 to probably half that number. Its commerce, comprising about one-tenth of the combined foreign trade of the American colonies, was completely destroyed, while two great fires added to the sufifering caused by the stoppage of business. Six days after the entrance of the enemy, namely, on September 21, the west- terly side of the town was visited by a conflagration, probably of ac- cidental origin, which is thus descril)ed in the diary of the resident Moravian pastor, Ewald Gustav Schaukirk; "In the first hour of the day, soon after midnight, the whole city was alarmed by a dread- ful fire," wdiich " raged all the night and till about noon. The wind was pretty high from the southeast and drove the flames to the north- west. It broke out about White Hall, destroyed a part of Broad, Stone and Beaver streets, the Broadway, and then the streets going to the North River, and along that river as far as the King's College. Great pains were taken to save Trinity Church, but in vain ; it was destroyed, as also the old Lutheran Church; and St. Paul's, at the upper end of Broadway, escaped very narrowly." Four hundred and ninety-three houses were laid in ruin. Two years later another fire destroved almost the whole of the block south of Pearl street, be- tween Coenties and Old Slips. 26 A HISTORY OF REAL EST AT II, During the Revolution most of the patrician families remained loyal to the king. On the withdrawal of the British troops they were overtaken by the same fate which, at the beginning of hostilities, had been meted out to the Whig leaders — they were driven from the city and their estates confiscated. The exodus of the Tories and the re- turn of the Patriots made the Young American element, with its "nervous activity and practical bent," predominant in affairs, a circum- stance which partlv explains the rapidity of the community's recov- ery from the effects of the war. Within three or, at the utmost, four vears of the formal declaration of peace the city had completely regained its lost population. The adoption of the Constitution put an end to the commercial strife between individual States which had been allowed to grow up under the old Articles of Confederation, and laid the foundation for that extraordinary material development of fhe United States which is one of the marvels of the present century. New York, being a seaboard town with superior inland water communication, became a chief beneficiary of the new nation's expanding industrial activities. New York became the seat of the Federal government on the inau- guration of Washington in 1789. In that year, although the city was astir with the new life that had come to it after the war, the effects of the great fires of September 21, 1776, and August 3, 1778, were not yet effaced. The Lutheran Church, which had stood on the south- ern corner of Rector street and Broadway, was still a mass of ruins. Trinity Church and the Middle Dutch Church were in process of re- construction. Of private houses, perhaps the majority were in the condition in which the fire had left them. But there was activity in house building, labor, rents and produce were high, and a feeling of buoyancy pervaded the community. From the west side of Broadway to the west side of Greenwich street, on the North River shore, the ground was more or less closely covered with buildings from the Bowling Green to what is now Reade street. Beyond Reade street, there were only a few scattered houses. On the east side of the island the area of building im- provement extended farther north, namely, to the south side of Bayard's Lane, now Broome street. The south side of BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN XEW YORK. 27 this lane was built upon from Alulberry street, on the west, to the present Suffolk street, on the east; and a line drawn from the south- east corner of Broome and Sufifolk streets to the northwest corner of Cherry and Pike streets would mark approximately the northeasterly limit of the city. Xorth of the present line of Reade street no streets were laid out between the Xorth River and [Mulberry street, with the exception of Greenwich street and Broadway. The city contained a population of 29,000. The number of houses in the city was 4,200. Among the buildings were many old Dutch houses, but the prevailing type of architecture was English. An ad- vertisement of the Mutual Assurance Comiiany of 1789 states that buildings were mostly of frame with Ijrick fronts, alth(jugh in 1761 the Legislature had enacted that none but brick houses should be erected south of the present Duane street after January i, 1766. The time was afterward extended to January i, 1774, but on the 2nd of ]\Iay of that year nearly 3,000 citizens ])etiti(MKMl for the re- peal of the act. The petition was not granted. ( )n the other hand, it does not appear that the law was strictly enforced for manv years. Streets were narrow and crooked. Water and Queen (Pearl), for example, were in some places too cramped to allow the construction of sidewalks. On the 21st of Alarch, 1787, the Legislature 'had authorized the Conmion Council to lay out new streets and to im- prove those already existing, and in 1788 improvements were begun. The act provided that streets alreaily laid out should not be made wider than four rods, nor narrower than two. The sidewalks were to be each one-fifth the width of the street, and were to be paved with brick or stone and curbed. The city possessed no system of sewerage, sewage being carried to the river at night in ])uckets l)y negro slaves. The city was supplied with water by puldic pumps. The best water came from the Tea Pump, which was fed from the Collect and stood in Chatham street, a little to the northeast of the end of Queen (Pearl) street. Places of interest to the sightseer were not numerous. At the lower end of Broadway was the Bowling Green, which had been in- closed as a park in 1733. Fort George lay 150 feet below the Green. The northerly side of the fort contained no batteries, and the whole 28 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, structure was in a state of dilapidation and decay. On the easterly and southerly sides of the fort were large gardens. What had once been an earthwork, was known as the Battery, and extended from the south line of Battery place, along the water's edge, to \\'hitehall slip. The site of the fort and the Battery, being originally crown property, belonged to the State. In 1790 the site of the Battery, in- cluding a small part of the ground on which the fort stood, was granted to the city. In the same year the fort was razed to give place for a residence intended for the use of the President. Before the com- pletion of the building the National Government removed to Phila- delphia. After having been for some years occupied by the Governor the structure was converted into a custom-house. Below the fort grounds were two irregular blocks of houses, divided by Pearl street, and extending from \\'hitehall street, on the east, to the Bat- tery, on the west. South of these two blocks were the Lower Bar- racks, a building 210 feet long by 25 feet deep, with an ell 70 feet long at its westerly end. The space of about 240 feet from the front of the barracks to the southerly extremity of the island was unoccu- pied except by the earthwork of the Battery and a small house on the west side of Whitehall street. Broadway was paved from the Bowling Green to A'esey street, and contained several noteworthy buildings, including the Kennedy and McComb's mansions, the City Tavern (on the site of the present Bo- reel Building), Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel. The McComb mansion, on the west side of Broadway, was, in 1790, occupied by Washington at a rental of $2,500 a year. Transfers of real estate on Broadway in 1789 were few. Among the deeds recorded in that year, was one conveying for £700 a lot on the northwest cor- ner of Liberty street, 25x90, with a smaller lot in the rear; another lot, 35x90, in the same neighborhood was sold for £600. A plot on the west side of Broadway, some dis- tance below WaW street, having a frontage of 105 feet and a depth of 270 feet to high water, running thence to low-water mark and thence 200 feet into the Xorth River, was sold for £3,200. A Church Farm lot, 25x108.9, on the west sirle of Broadway, between Warren and Murray streets, brought £240, and £150 was paid for a lot 33X 190 on the avenue, near the Collect. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 29 On the easterly side of Broadway, the Park, inclosed by a wooden fence, extended from \'esey to Murray street. North of the Park, about on the northerly side of ^Murray street, stood the Bridewell, Almshouse and Jail, facing south. Between the jail and the alms- house a Chinese pagoda inclosed the gallows. Broad street, in the year under review, had descended from its high estate as the seat of foreign commerce, and was occupied by small shops and dwellings. The principal business streets in the city were Queen street (the present Pearl, from Wall to Chatham), Great Dock street (Pearl from Broad to Wall), Water street and Hanover square. The fashionable residence street of the city was Wall street, and the value of real estate in this favored locality may be judged by the sale, in 1789, of two lots, 57x106x57x135, on the south side of the street, near Pearl, for £1.800. Federal Hall, on the northeast corner of Wall and Nassau streets, was the finest ])uilding in the city, and, indeed, in the United States, fitting its character as the seat of the National Government. It was completed in 1789, being practically a new structure, although it contained most of the walls of an older structure, the City Hall, erected in 1700. On the removal of the Federal Government to Philadelphia, the premises reverted to their original use. On the completion, in 1812, of the present City Hall in City Hall Park, the structure on Wall street, including the grounds pertaining thereto — four lots — were sold at auction, and the building demolished. The general stage office during part of the year 1789 was at Fraunces' Tavern, No. 49 Cortlandt street, whence stages left for Al- bany, Boston, and Philadelphia. The route to Albany was by the Bowery lane and Kingsbridge road to Kingsbridge and thence along the Hudson River. Stages left both ends of the route on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, three days being required for the jour- ney in summer and four or more in winter. A day's journey lasted from five o'clock in the morning until ten at night. The Boston stages left the city on ^Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by way of the Bowery and the Boston Post Road to Harlem, and reached Bos- ton in about six days by traveling from three in the morning until 30 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ten at night. In October, 1789, the Boston and Albany stage office was removed to Mr. Isaac Norton's, No. 160 Queen (Pearl) street. Stages for Philadelphia left Paulus Hook twice a day, except Sat- urday and Sunday, when but one stage ran. From Paulus Hook there were two routes to Philadelphia, one through Newark and the other through Woodbridge. The journey occupied about three days. One might also reach Philadelphia by taking the boat which left the Albany pier on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Fri- day for South Amboy. From South Amboy stages set forth at three o'clock the next morning alternately to Bordentown and Burlington, whence boats sailed for Philadelphia. Boats for New Brunswick, N. J., left Coenties slip every Saturday morning. The New Haven boats left Burling slip, and stages for Jamaica, L. I., started from the ferryhouse at Brooklyn. There was also a stage from New York to Morristown by way of Paulus Hook. (Smith, N. Y. City in 1789, p. 1 01.) Among the more important public improvements undertaken at the beginning of the nineteenth century was the filling in of the Col- lect, a body of water covering the area approximately bounded by the present Elm, Baxter, Pearl and White streets. On the western shore of this water the Dutch found a deposit of decomposed shells; hence the name Kalch, Callech, CoUeck or Collect. By the English the water was popularly known as the Fresh Water Pond. The pond was surrounded by broad stretches of swampy ground, half land and half water, which extended across the island, excepting about 150 yards of salt meadow on the North River and about 300 yards of similar meadow on the East River. A sluggish stream along the line of the present Canal street furnished an outlet into the North River, while on the opposite side a similar stream, called Wreck Brook, communicated with the East River at the foot of the pres- ent Roosevelt street; so that, at exceptionably high tide, the waters of the tw'o rivers mingled in the Collect. By 1733 the stagnant pond had become a menace to the public health. Consequentlv, in that' year, it was granted to Captain Anthony Rutgers, who proposed to improve its sanitary condition by a system of sluicing and damming devised by himself. This system no doubt had some efifect in carry- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 31 32 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ing away the unhealthy stagnation. But with the multiplication of dwelling and other houses around the Collect the sense of danger to the public from its polluted waters increased, and in 1791 the city purchased Captain Rutgers's heirs' interest in it for £150. The filling in of the pond was apparently' begun in 1803. when the dirt exca- vated on the site of the City Hall in City flail Park was dumped into it. I hit it was not until 1808 that the work was undertaken in earnest. The city Ijcing then full of sailors and laborers thrown out of employment by the Embargo act, the city government, to relieve the distress among this element of the population, engaged a large force of men to obliterate the pond by leveling into it the surround- ing hills. Two years later the improvement was completed. The filling in of the Collect was by no means an isolated instance of municipal growth and enterprise during the opening decade of the century. Despite the ruinous ef¥ect on commerce of Jefiferson's for- eign policy, the city continued to expand. Old streets were improved. New streets were laid out, and large tracts of outlying lands were cut up into city lots. A large part of the Trinity Church Farm, for example, was thus improved, with the result that it was rapidly built upon. In 1808 alone Trinity Corporation ceded to the city land for the following new^ streets through its farm : Greenwich street, from Spring to the northern limit of the farm; Hudson street, from Xorth INIoore to A'estry; ^^"ashington street, from Christopher to the Hud- son River; A'arick street, from Xorth ]\Ioore to A'estry; Reach street, from Hudson to the eastern limit of the farm; Laight street, from Hudson to its eastern boundary; A'estry street, from Greenwich to its eastern boundary ; Dcsbrnsses street, from Greenwich to the Hud- son River; Le Roy street, from Hudson to the Hudson River and King, Charlton, \^an Dam, Clarkson, Hamersley, Barrow and ]Mor- ton streets, as far east and west as the church lands extended. In the same year another important improvement was accom- plished. The stream between the Collect and the Xorth River was deepened and widened into a canal, which not only carried awav the overflow from that part of the Collect not vet filled in. but which also drained the great swamps alongsiile tlie original stream, fitting them for use as building sites. The banks of the canal were planted with BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 33 shade-trees, and a road ran along either side of the canal. The width of the whole thoroughfare, which received the name of Canal street, was loo feet. In the course of time, the canal was arched over with brick, and became a sewer. But by far the most important public work undertaken at this period was the surveying and plotting of the whole of the present city, between Houston and 155th streets. Hitherto, the city had been allowed to grow at random along the lines of least topograph- ical resistance. The region below the Collect, particularly east of Broadway, was a perfect maze of crooked streets. Above the Col- lect, the streets, though laid out on straight lines, were cut up into several independent groups, each at variance with the others. To prevent a similar confusion in the prospective street system of the northern part of the island, the Legislature, on April 3, 1807, ap- pointed Gouverneur Morris, Simeon De^^'itt, and John Rutherford Commissioners of Streets and Roads in the City of Xew York, with "exclusive power to lay out streets, roads, and public squares of such width, extent, and direction as to them shall seem most condvicive to the public good, and to shut up streets not accepted by the Common Council within that part of said city of New York to the northward of a line commencing at the wharf of George Clinton on the Hudson River, thence running through Fitzroy road, Greenwich lane, and Art street to the Bowery road; thence down Bowery road to Xorth street in its present direction to the East River." Four years were allowed the commissioners in which to draw up their plan. Promptly, in 181 1, their report was made, and their maps filed, although the work of surveying the streets and locating them by means of "1.549 marble monumental stones and 98 iron bolts"' was not completed until 1 82 1. With the exception of public parks, the City Plan established by the commissioners is substantially that which exists to-day between Houston and 155th streets. This entire region, which was of an ex- tremely diversified character, has been reduced to a more or less uniform surface by the filling in of watercourses and leveling down of hills and ridges. A rectangular system of streets and avenues was adopted because of the "greater economy and convenience in build- 3 34 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ing." The avenues were made loo feet wide. Those that could be extended to the \'illage of Harlem were numbered west from First avenue, which ran from the west of Bellevue Hospital to the east of Harlem Church. Twelfth avenue ran from the "wharf at ^Nlanhat- tanville, along the shore of the Hudson River, in which it was lost." From First to Second avenue was a distance of 650 feet ; from Second to Third, 610 feet; between Third and Sixth avenues the distance between each avenue was 920 feet ; west of Sixth avenue, 800 feet. Fifth avenue was called Manhattan avenue, or the Middle road. East of First avenue were four short avenues, called A, B, C and D, respectively. The cross streets were laid out up to 155th street, ist street running from Avenue B to the Bowery, and 155th street from Bussing's Point to the Hudson River. The streets were 60 feet wide, except 14th, 23d, 34th, 42d, 57th, 72d, 79th, 86th, 96th, io6th, ii6th. 125th, 135th, 145th and 155th, which were 100 feet wide. The com- missioners supposing that the pressure of traffic would be across the island, from river to river, provided one-third more of latitudinal streets to the square mile than longitudinal. Experience has shown, however, that the pressure of traffic is on the streets running north and south. In the matter of public reservations, the commission- ers set aside ground for a market, 3,000x800 feet, between loth and 7th streets, First avenue and the East River; for a reservoir between 89th and 94th street. Fourth and Fifth avenues; for a parade, i,35ox 1,000 yards, between 23d and 32d streets. Third and Seventh ave- nues; and four small parks or squares. The magnificent parade of the City Plan is represented by the present ]\Iadison square, while the market was never opened. To-day, when the city is obliterating costly improvements to provide sites for small parks, the commis- sioners' reasons for their niggardlx policy in respect of "breathing spaces" make interesting reading. "It may he a matter of sur- prise," they say, "that so few vacant spaces have been left, and those so small, for the benefit of fresh air and conse(iuent f)rescrvation of health. Certainly if the city of Xew York was destined to stand on the side of a small stream, such as the Seine or Thames, a great num- ber of ample spaces might be needful. But those large arms of the BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 35 sea which embrace Manhattan Island render its situation, in regard to health and pleasure, as well as to convenience of commerce, pe- culiarly felicitous. When, therefore, from the same causes, the prices of land are so uncommonly great, it seems proper to admit the principles of economy to greater influence than might, under circumstances of a dififerent kind, have consisted with the dictates of prudence and the sense of duty." The City Plan of the Commission of 1807 is open to criticism in several respects. Its fundamental defect, however, is that, in order to give a low gradient to the streets, it provided for the filling in of primitive watercourses. The springs and streams of the island pro- duced a volume of fresh water sufficient to supply the city until close upon the middle of the present century. Their filing in was ordered under the impression that, when obliterated from the surface, they would disappear from the soil. But many of the springs issued from the living rock, and continued to flow, with the result that they have permanently saturated the dirt thrown into them and the beds of the streams which they originally fed. The unsanitary condition of houses built upon such soil is obvious. During the war of 1812, for two years, the commerce of New York was almost completely suspended. In 1814 the revenue of the United States government from the tariff was some $4,400,000. In 181 5, peace having been concluded, $16,000,000 were collected at the port of New York alone, as manufactured goods which had ac- cumulated abroad were poured into the country. These vast im- portations glutted the market, and many years were required to restore trade to a normal condition. But despite the war and subse- quent vicissitudes of trade, by the year 1825 the population of the city had reached 166,000 ; its northern limit of building improvement was close to Greenwich A'illage, Greenwich Village itself was a popu- lous suburban ward, and a considerable settlement was springing up west of the Bowery. It is also worthy of note that in the vear 1825 gas was introduced in the city, pipes being laid in Broadway from Canal street to the Battery, by the New York Gas Light Company. Gas rapidly displaced oil lamps in the principal downtown streets, and in 1830 the Manhattan Gas Light Company was formed to sup- ply the new illuminant in the upper part of the island. 36 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, The larger commercial life which New York entered upon after the second war with Great Britain was soon found to warrant the establishment of regular transatlantic lines of sailing vessels with fixed dates of departure. The famous Black Ball line of monthly — afterwards semi-monthly — packets to Liverpool was started in 1817. Two new monthly lines, the Red Star and the Swallow-Tail, were presently organized, with the result that communication was main- tained between New York and Liverpool by a fleet of sixteen ves- sels, making weekly departures from each end of the route. Regu- lar lines were also established to London, Havre, Greenock, and other European ports, while weekly lines plied between New York and Savannah, Charleston, Mobile, and New Orleans. This excellent system of coastwise and transatlantic service was developed before the inland waterways tri])utary to New York had received any artificial improvement, and indicates the existence of perhaps as large a carrying trade as the city was then able to control by reason of natural advantages of geographical position. The time had, therefore, come when artificial exploitation of those advantages was inevitable. The project of a canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie was brought before the Assembly by Joshua Forman in 1808, when an appropriation was granted for a preliminary survey. Two years later the movement received the powerful support of Sen- ator, afterwards Governor, DeWitt Clinton, who thenceforward made the o])cning of the Erie Canal the chief concern of his political ambition. The war with England and the resulting disorder in the finances of the State caused a temporary abandonment of the pro- ject. But April 17, 1817, an act was passed providing funds for the construction of a canal 365 miles in length, with a surface width of 40 feet, a bottom width of 18 feet, and a water channel 4 feet in depth. Ground was broken July 4, at Rome, on the middle section, and the canal was formally opened October 26, 1825. Tlie Erie Canal established the undisputed supremacy of New York City as a distributing agent for the commerce of the interior of the continent, so that when the construction of railways began their chief objective sea-board town was already determined by economic facts over which thev had comparatively little control. 38 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, IV.— FROM THE OPENING OF THE ERIE CANAL TO THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR. During the forty years from the opening of the Erie Canal to the close of the Civil War, New York City pushed her northern limit of building improvements from, say, Astor place to 42d street, and grew in population from 166,000 to 726,000. In other words, her progress was greater than it had been during the preceding two hundred years. This extraordinary achievement was the result, partly, of the opening of the Erie Canal, partly, of the general introduction of steamships, railways, and the telegraph. The first successful steamboat, commercially as well as mechan- ically, was launched at New York in August, 1897. The "Clermont," constructed by Robert Fulton, ran as a regular packet between New York and Albany, making the round trip in seventy-two hours, while sailing vessels occupied from four to seven days each way. A sec- ond steamboat for service on the Hudson River was built in the fol- lowing year, and a third in 181 1. In 1812, two steam ferry-boats, also designed by Fulton, began to ply on the North River, other= being presently constructed for the East River. The War of 1812 prevented these experiments from being followed up with vigor, and Fulton himself died in 181 5. It was not until 1831 that a vessel, built at Quebec and named the "Royal William" steamed all the way across the Atlantic. But from this time on the development of the local coastwise and Atlantic steamship service was rapid, and in 1848 the famous Collins line of steamers was established between New York and Liverpool. The experiments conducted in England with the steam locomotive — invented by George Stevenson in 1814 — induced the New York Legislature, in 1825, to provide for the survey of a public railway through the southern tier of counties from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, which was to compensate those counties for the opening of the Erie Canal through the northern part of the State. The re- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIU YORK. port of the survey proved unfavorable, and the project was aban- doned. Short local roads, however, were promptly constructed by private companies. The Alohawk and Hudson, chartered in 1826, was opened between Albany and Schenectady in 1831, being- the first railway in the State. The Hudson River Railroad Company, char- tered as early as 1846 to construct and operate a railway between New York and Albany, opened its line to East Alban}- in 1851. In this year, also, the first of tlie many trunk lines which serve as feeders to the commerce of \ew \i>vk reached the city. The New York and Erie Railroad C'()ni])an\ was organized in 1832 to carry out the project, abandoned b\- the State, of building a railway through the lower tier of counties. With the assistance of liberal loans and grants from the Legislature, the line was completed nineteen years later from Dunkirk, on Lake Erie, to Piermont, on the Hudson River. New York, however, was the natural terminal of the road, and ar- rangements were promptly made to run its trains over the tracks of the Union, Ramapo and Paterson,and the Jersey City Railroads from Sufifern to Jersey City. None of the other great trunk lines enter- ing the city was originally projected as such, all having been formed by consolidation of connecting lines constructed under separate charters. Thus, the second trunk line to be established between New York and the West — the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad — was organized as recently as 1869 by the consolidation of the New York Central and the Hudson River Railroad Com- panies. The experimental telegraph line, constructed l)y Morse, between Washington and Baltimore, with assistance from Congress, was opened in 1844, and two years later a line was completed from New York to W^ashington via Philadelphia. The introduction of improved means of transportation and com- munication inaugurated a new era in the material development of the country, as a whole, and of New York City, in particular. Be- fore the advent of the railway, population was confined to compara- tively narrow strips of land on the seaboard and along the banks of navigable streams. Land transportation, being by means of oxen and horses, over indifferent roads, the margin of profitably tillable 40 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, soil was reached a short cHstaiicc from the water's edge. The con- struction of raihvays opened the interior to cuhivation, and started an inmiigration movement which in a few years covered the broad prairies of the A]id(Ue West with prosperous agricuUural communi- ties. From 1820 to 1829 immigration to the United States amounted only to 90,077 persons. Between 1830 and 1839 it rose to 343,517. From 1840 to 1849 it was 1,161,564, while between 1850 and 1859 Ireland alone sent 1,073,065 persons to the United States, and Ger- many 935,171. After 1847 emigration from the north of Europe re- ceived a fresh impetus from the i)Otato famine of that year in Ireland, from the revolutionary movements on the Continent, which began in 1848, and from the discovery of gold in California, in the same year. A larger proportion of immigrants, both absolutely and relatively to the population, settled in New York than in any other American city. At the same time, probably more than half of the native citizens of pre-Revolutionary ancestry driftefl westward. The result was a complete change in the ethnic character of the ])0])ulation. By the outbreak of the Civil War the inhabitants of foreign stock far out- numbered the natives, who stood third in numerical order, the Irish being first and the Germans second. In politics, the presence of a growing body of naturalized citizens, who belonged mainly to the proletariat and the middle class, hastened the abolition of the few restrictions that remained on the full recognition of the democratic principle of equality. The mayoralty was made elective in 1834, whereupon the Democrat, Cornelius W. Lawrence, defeaterl his W^hig rival for that office with the assistance of the Irish vote, and in 1842 all property qualification was removed in respect of city voters. The growth of the city in extent and population encouraged the undertaking of important ])ublic and semi-public improvements. Stages for local transit were introduced in 1830, the first line running between the Bowling Green and Bleecker street. Two years lauer the New York and Harlem Railroad Company opened a horse rail- wav — ^the first of its kind in the world — in Fourth avenue and the Bowery, between Prince and 14th streets. The tracks were flat iron BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IX XEJl' YORK. 41 bars, spiked to timbers. The cars, designed by John Stephenson, resembled stage coaches, the driver sitting overhead, and moving the brake with his feet. Each car was divided into three compartments, with side doors, and was l)alanced on leather springs. The horse railway, however, as thus constructed, did not prove coinmercially successful, and the niotixc power was slKirtly changed to steam, whereupon the line was extended, first to Harlem (1837) later to Chatham I-^iur Ciirners. The true era of horse railwavs did not be- gin until the lefties. The Sixth avenue and Eighth avenue com- panies were chartered in 1851, and the Second avenue, the Third avenue, and the X'inth avenue companies in 1852, when the era mav be said iccure a new supply l)y the C(instruction of an ai|ue(luct from the l'rot.)n Kiver. fort\- mile.-, away. Some months kiter the necessity of completing this undertaking without delay was emphasized l)y a terrible fire which hroke out on the night of December 16. The fire raged nearly three d;i\ s, de-n-oving 01)3 houses and stores, with property valued at S\H.noo.ono. and covered an irregular triangular area of 13 acres, its course being along Wall street, the East River, and William street. I'nti! tlie comi)letion of tlie Croton A(|ueiluct, the waieT suppl\ of tlie cit_\' wa^ drawn from the island itself, the chief sources h^ing the Tea-Water I'ump, the town pumps, which could be found in nearly everv block, the well of the ^Manhattan Company, and Knai)i)'s Spring. The water from Knapp's Spring- was carted about in the u])per part of the city, and sold at a pennv a gallon. The Manhattan Company, organized un- der the famous charter obtained by Burr, in 1799, which enabled it to conduct a banking business contrary to the intention of the Leg- islature, furnished the city's chief water supply for domestic use, pumping its waters from a well at Cross and Duane streets, into hol- low logs distribtited underground through the k^wer portions of the citv. Water for use at fires was obtained from a well and reservoir at 13th street and the Bowery, through iron pipes connecting with hydrants at convenient street corners. 42 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, The project of securing a new supply from the Croton valley in- volved engineering problems of great difficulty. A storage lake had to be created by the construction of a dam across the river, and the aqueduct — an ellipse of stone, brick and cement, measuring 8i feet perpendicularly by feet horizontally^ — had to be carried over the valley of Sing Sing and across the Harlem River. But by the sum- mer of 1842 the work was completed, with the exception of the aqueduct bridge across the Harlem. At this point resort was had to a temporary system of inverted siphons, or iron pipes, which made the new supply immediately available. On June 27 the water was admitted into the receiving reservoir at Yorkville, and on July 4 it was introduced into the distributing reservoir at Fifth avenue and 42d street. Previous to the opening of Central Park, the city's breathing places were confined to a few small squares, mostly damp and un- wholesome reservations on the site of old water courses. The pro- priety of providing a park, in the proper sense of the term, was first officially suggested by Mayor Ambrose C. Kingsland in a message to the Common Council of April 5, 185 1. Action was promptly taken on the suggestion, and, under authority received from the Legislature, $5,028,844 was appropriated for the acquisition of the land bounded by Fifth and Eighth avenues, 59th and io6th streets, possession being obtained in 1856. The following graphic descrip- tion of the site is given by Gen. Egbert L. Viele, the topographical engineer of Central Park, in the "Memorial History of New York." "It was for the most part a succession of stone quarries, interspersed with pestiferous swamps. The entire ground was the refuge of about five thousand squatters, dwelling in rude huts of their own construc- tion, and living off the refuse of the city, which they daily conveyed in small carts, chiefly drawn bv dogs, from the lower part of the city, through Fifth avenue (then a dirt road, running over hills and hol- lows). This refuse they divided among themselves and a hundred thousand domestic animals and fowls, reserving the bones for the bone-boiling establishments situated w^ithin the area. Horses, cows, swine, goats, cats, geese, and chickens swarmed everywhere, destroy- ing what little verdure they found. Even the roots in the ground BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 43 were exterminated until the rocks were laid bare, giving an air of utter desolation to the scene, made more repulsive from the odors of the decaying organic matter which accumulated in the beds of the old water courses that ramified the surface in all directions, broad- ening out into reeking swamps wherever their channels were inter- cepted." The work of improving the site was begun in 1857, and in the following year a portion of the park was opened to the public. In 1859 the northern boundary of the park was extended from io6th to iioth street. The land contained in the second tract was practically the same in character as that of the first. Some idea of the effect which the opening of the park had on surrounding real estate may, therefore, be obtained by comparing the prices paid for the two sections. The first cost about $7,800 an acre, while the sec- ond tract cost $20,000 an acre. Within five years the taxable value of the three wards bounding the park rose from $26,429,565 to $47,- 107,393. and in ten years it was $80,070,415. From the opening of the Erie Canal to the outbreak of the Civil War, despite financial crises (1837, 1857) visitations of the Asiatic cholera (1832) and the yellow fever (1853), disastrous fires (1835, 1845), and formidable riots (1834, 1835, 1837, 1849), New York en- joyed a period of unexampled prosperity and growth. But with the commencement of hostilities building improvements practically ceased. Of high-class dwellings, which had been increasing at the rate of 500 to 800 a year, not one-tenth as many was constructed as in the corresponding period inunediately preceding, owing to the ab- normal rise in the price of labor, caused by the exodus of the labor- mg class to the seat of war and the derangement of the currency. Population actually fell of? 96,482, and the demand for vacant lots practically ceased. 44 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, BUILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 45 v.— FROM THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR TO CON SOLID A TION. At the close of the Civil War the city's northern limit of building improvements was in the neighborhood of 42d street. Beyond that, streets were for the most part ungraded and unpaved. In this dreary region of rocky eminences and marshy depressions, stray houses interspersed among a legion of squatters' shanties, straggled, partic- ularly on the East Side, as far north as 86th street. Below 86th street the city contained, in 1865, 25,261 vacant lots. It was a city with a low sky-line. Square miles of territory were covered with houses of three and four stories. The Astor House and the Fifth Avenue Hotel were considered gigantic structures, and mercantile buildings were rarely over five stories in height. The introduction of steamships, railways, the telegraph, and the horse-car, during the preceding period, was producing a revulu- tionary effect on the commercial and industrial life of the conmiu- nity, an effect which was presently heightened by the submarine cable, permanently ojjened in 1866, and the telephone, established in 1879. But no corresjjonding revolution had been effected in the productive power of real estate, and the price of land, as compared with the present day, was low. The earning capacity of real estate to-day is determined largely by the passenger elevator, rapid tran- sit, and steel construction, and none of these agents existed as po- tent factors in 1865. The first apartment house, properly so-called, with its large tenantry and corresponding income, dates from 1869, and it was not until the evolution of a successful type of elevator, some years later, that mercantile buildings of more than five, or, a: the utmost, six stories became economically practicable. Nothing more forcibly illustrates the revolution which has been effected m land values since 1865 than the circumstance that, over square miles of the city's territory, the major part of the buildings of that day have been replaced by loftier structures. In fact, comparatively 46 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, little of the city, as it then was, remains, except in the form of ob- solete survival.* New York in 1865. The extraordinary physical change which New York has under- gone in consequence of improvements in the builders' trade and transportation facilities makes it desirable to take a closer survey of the lower part of the island as it appeared at the opening of the period under review. The Battery sea-wall, extending from the foot of West street and Battery place to Whitehall street, was not yet completed. On the other hand, the mansions of the wealthy Knickerbocker families which, before the war, made their homes in the vicinity of Bowling Green and Battery Park were for the most part converted to mercantile uses. Few people descending from the elevated railway at the Battery to-day will recognize that historic place in Felix Oldboy's descrip- tion, published some ten years ago. "Sitting here," says that de- lightfully reminiscent gentleman, "with every little wave of the har- bor dancing in the sunlight just as it did forty years ago, when I played under the elms, with no signs warning one to keep ofif the grass, I recall the Battery as I first knew it. The park was not then one-half its present size. There was no sea-wall. The tide rippled unchecked among the sands that made the beach. The walks were *This radical change in land values has rendered a study of the prices which obtained prior to the close of the Civil War of academic rather than practical interest. In the preceding chapters, therefore, statistics relating to prices have not been introduced, except incidentally, and by way of illus- tration. To be properly treated, the subject of the progressive movement of land values before the period which we take up in the present chapter would require an enormous amount of research among public records prac- tically inaccessible in the absence of an adequate system of indexing. It is not until we reach the files of the "Record and Guide," in I8G8, that statistical information becomes available in convenient form. As we go back in time an additional difHculty is encountered in the fluctuations of the purchasing power of the monetary metals. However, the movement of land values is only a lesser part of the history of real estate. The prin- cipal part is the progress and character of improvements. The account contained in the foregoing chapters has been based on standard historical works, special acknowledgement being due to the "Memorial History of the City of New York," edited by James Grant Wilson: Janvier's "In Old New York," and Smith's "New York City in 1789." Use has also been made of less accessible authorities, as Valentine's "Manuals," "History of the City of New York," and "Ferry Leases and Railroad Grants," Post's "Old Streets of New York," and old directories and guide books. For the period beginning with the close of the Civil War reliance is had almost exclu- sively on the files of the "Record and Guide." BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 47 unkempt, and the benches were only rough wooden affairs. But the breeze, the fresh sea air, the whispering leaves, the orioles and bluebirds, and the shade were there, and to the boys of the period its attractions were Elysian. Castle Garden, then a frowning for- tress still thought capable of service, was reached by a wooden bridge, and the salt water lapped its foundations on all sides." This description recalls the fact that most of the land included in the Battery park, which now comprises twenty-one acres, has been reclaimed from the sea, chiefly since the war. According to a re- port of Governor Dongan, dated in 1687, "the ground that the Fort stands upon and that belongs to it contains in quantity about two acres or thereabouts." At that time the high-water mark extended in a slightly westward curve from the foot of the present Greenwich street to the present Whitehall and Water streets. All the land be- yond this line has been obtained by filling in over the rocks that lined the primitive shore. Castle Garden, originally known as Castle Clinton, was built by the Federal Government in 1807, its site being then 300 yards from the main land. In 1822, on the removal of the Federal military headquarters to Governor's Island, the structure was ceded to the city, which, two years later, leased it to private individuals as a theatre and place of amusement. It was here that the populace gathered to do honor to Lafayette, in 1824, and to Jenny Lind, in 1850. Together with the Bowery Theatre, this historic building is the only remaining landmark of the drama of the first half of the century. In 1855 Castle Garden was turned over to the State for use as an emigrant station, and as such it was known in 1865 to millions at home and abroad who had never heard of its other phases of existence. When the Federal Government assumed charge of the reception of immigrants in 1890, the building came again -'nto the possession of the city, by which it has been started on a new career as an Aquarium. Broadway in 1865 was hardly less impassable than to-day, owing to the cumbersome omnibuses which ran to and from the ferries and formed part of the city's main transit system. According to a guide book copyrighted in 1867, the routes followed by the several 48 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, omnil)us lines were as follows: From South Ferry, through Broad- way, to 42d street; from South P>rry, through Broadway and Fourth avenue, to 32d street ; from South Ferry, through Broadway, 8th street. Avenue A, loth street and Avenue D, to loth street Ferry; from South Ferry, through Broadway, West 23d street. Ninth ave- nue, and 30th street, to Hudson River Railroad Station ; from Wall Street Ferry, through Broadway, 23d street, Madison avenue and Stock Exchange. Broad street front. IW.iS. Since Remodeled. 40th street, to Reservoir square ; from Fulton Ferry, through Broadway, nth street, University place, 13th street, and Fifth ave- nue, to 42d street ; from Cortlandt Street Ferry, through Broadway, Bleecker street, and 2d and East Houston streets, to Houston Street Ferry. The street-car lines, running north and south, were the 2d, 3d, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and loth avenue, the East Side, and the Bleecker street and Fulton Ferry systems, including the Yellow Line, besides which there were half a dozen crosstown routes. No street-car line had in 1865 invaded Broadway. BriLDIXG AXD ARCHITRCTI-RE IX XHir YORK. 4.; In Broadway, between the Howling;- (ircLH and Wall street, wee the offices of importers of niercliandise dtlicr than (lr\ ^oikI^, ^lii])- pm<^ ajjents, transportation conijjanics. financial institntii )n.-. and lawyers, the bnildintjs Ijeing mostl}" tive-stnry strnctures withont distinctive claims to architectnre. In Heaver street, i^ronped around the old Produce Exchantj;e 1 Unldin,^- (the new Iniildin;;^- \\a^ ])e^un in 1881 and com])leted in 1S84) were the tlom', Ljrain and ])rii\i-i(in trades. The forei.sjn fruit and wine trade \\a> in lower ilroad -n ea. Old fcst-Oflice Buil.ling. .Xa^sau .Stitei, Betwon t\.\iiy and Liberty. Site of present Mutual I>ife Building. Ihe .Stock Exchans;e moved into its ])resent <|uarters in liroad street, between h^.xchani^e ])lace and Wall street, in [8f)3. and this point, tlien as now, was the centre of the office buihliu^; district, in which stock brokers, lawyers, and the larger huancial iii-tiiutions were located. In Nassau street, between Libert v and t/cdar, was the Post Office, (juartered in the old Middle Dtitch Church buildin;'-. into which it moved some years before from a hired basement in Wall street. The Dutch society j)urchased the site in 1728 for ^575; in i86t the site, including- the building, w'as sold to the L'niteil .States Ciovernment for $200,000. r)ff City Hall Park, toward the East River, was the district of the 50 A fllSTORV OF REAL ESTATli. Indian, South American and C'hinrsc ini])()i-t trades in to- l)acci>-,, c( )ffi.'(.'s, teas, siij^ars, syru])s. li(|U()rs, d\ c-w oods, ;jid raw lii(!e>; fartlur to the eastward, between W ilhani street and the luist l\i\er were concentrated, in their resi)ective localities, the drug trade, the i)aint. oil and color trade, the >chool-l)ook puhlishing trade, the iron. tin-|)late. stoxe and hollow-ware trade. shi])-chan- dler\ , the cotton and wool commission tradi's. the lead-])i])e and ])lunil)inL;- trades, and the leather trade. The chief attraction in the lower end of the city, however, was Trinitx I'hurch in liroadwax' at the head of Wall street — the third of the line on the jjresent site. The hrst. a wdodeu edifice, built in 1697, was destroxed in the great fire of 177'). 'i he second w as built in 1788. and the present edifice, from jilans b\ ixichard M . I'ljiohn, was finished in 1846. ( )n the corner of llroadway and ^laiden lane was the lloward Ibiti^e, one of the citx's famotis hostelries. Xearby. in .Maiden lane, wa> the ])rinci])al seat of the jewelry trade. IJarnum's .Museum, at I'.roadwax and .\nn street, was burned in July. 1865. and the site was i)resentl\- occujiied b\- tlie five-story Herald I'.uild- ing, which in turn has gi\ en wa\- to the ."^t. I'aul lluilding. of tweiity- Hx stories. St. Paubs Cha])el. between llroadway. Church. \'esey and ITilton streets, was the oldest cluuch edifice in the city, having been Ciini])leted in 1766. The com])arati\e unim])ortance oi ISroad- \va\ a> a thoroughfare at the time when St. Paul's was built, i-^ a])])arent from the circumstance that the chapel fronts towards the Xorth River. Trinting I louse sipiare in 1865 was (|uite as famous as to-day, though not .- a low, old-fashioned structure, as were also the other buildings on this side of the s(|uare. ( )n the rjpposite corner of Nassau street stood the American Tract Society's Building, a five-story red bricK structure. The building occupied b\- the "Sun" was by long odds tne best looking on that side of the scpiare. It was the original Tarn- many Hall, and was called "loftN- and imposing" at the tune when ii was built. ( )n the next corner was the famous old Earle's Hotel, renowned among newsjjaper men : but it had seen its best da\s. The vStaats Zeitung lluilding, on TrMiu row, was n(.)t yet in existence, (hi Franklin stpiare. Printing House scjuare's modest rival at the intersection of I'earl. I'rankfort and Cherry streets, were located Harper's great five-storv publishing house and some smaller es- tablishments. When the century was still young Cherry, Alonroe, Aladison and Henry streets, and the cross streets, F'ike, Jefferson, Rut- gers, Clinton, Montgomery, Couverneur, Scanmiel and Jack- son, constituted the most fashionable resid.ence section. In Catha- rine street were then the largest dry-goods and millinery stores in town and naturally it was the centre of the fashionable shopping- trade. Lord t\: Tax lor had tlieir original establishment in this street, r.eyon.l ( irand street, along the ICast River, was the shi|)-\ ard dis- trict, while between I'.ast I'.roadway and llouston street, clear over to Chatham street and the I'.owery. stretched the dwelling district o^ the ship-yard o])erati\ es and other mechanical trade>. .Ml this had changed b\' the \ ear i^()3. .Mthough soiue of the old familie- .still clung to their former homesteads, the fashionable centre had shifted king before the war to Stu_\'\'esant s(|uare and .Sc-cond a\enue. then to Washington s(|uare and lower b'ifth ax'enne. and in 1865 it was changing to the \-icinit\' nf r'ifth awnue. aliout 42d street. The en- tire secti(Mi east of ( liatham street, the I'xiwi'rx, rmd Third aventie, exce]it the innuediate \icinities of Tom])kins and .Stuy\ csant Parks, was ra])idly tilling up with foreigners, the native American citizen- ship of the provident connm ni chiss ]i;i\ ing snught refuge in the western side of the citw particularly in the di.stricts comprising the street, w a.s m ])rooess of construction, having been begun in 1861. A. T. Ste\\art',> tive-story, white marble, wholesale dry-goods establishment, on the corner of liroadwav and Chambers street, marked the beginning of the wholesale dry-goods district, which extended to Canal street along both sides of Broadway, and in the side streets as far west a> West I'.roadway. There were still many ])rivate re>idence> left ni Church and Lispenard streets, but the\- were fast disaj^pearing before the onward march of trade. The Xew ^'ork Life Insurance Company hatl not yet purchased the block front between Leonard street and Catherine lane, for the purpose of erecting the office building recenth' displaced. W hen this and the Park Hank' and L(|uital)le Life buildings were com- pleted Broadway could boast the three most im])osing and artistic office buildings in the countr\ . W est of I'.roadwa}-, in the lower part of the city, was the niachiner\ district; I'.arclav . Robinson, i\hirray and Warren streets contained the china, crockery, and glassware trade; and Warren and Chambers streets the saddlery and hardware trades. The stationery and blank-book trade was more scattered : so also the trade in boots and shoes, clothing, straw goods, rubber goods and notions. West of College place and West Broadwa\-, the wholesale grocery, wooden and willow-ware, window glass, wholesale confectionery and j^rovision trades had their hab- itati(ins. St. lohn's Park was not \et obliterated to furnish a site for tlu' Hudson River Railroad Company's freight station. On the west side of Broadway, between Reade and Duane streets, was the Xew York Hospital. The Bloomingdale Lisane Asvlum, a branch of this hospital, was located on the Morningside plateau. The larger retail stores were located on liroadway, be- tween Canal street and .\stor place, but Stewart had already cov- ered part of the block between Broadway and Fourth avenue, 9th and 10th streets, with his giant five-story iron front "dry-goods palace." The Fifth Avenue Hotel, in Fifth avenue, between 23d and 24th streets, was the first elevator building in the city. It was 54 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, o]ient'(l in 1859, and was six stories Iiij^ii, tlu- elevator heini^- con- structed on the principle of a revolvms; nut or screw. Twentv- third street was still pre-eminently a residence street. Factors and Periods of Development. As already indicated, the local factors of first im])ortance in the development of real estate during the period under consideration have been: i. The extension and improvement of ra])i(l transit facili- ties, chiefly through the construction of elevated railways. 2. The adoption or evolution of new types of buildings, and improve- ments in building methods, such as the introduction of the apart- ment house, the develo])ment of the passenger elevator, and the adoption of the method of skeleton construction ; in a word, all agents whatsoever which, working through the builder's craft, have increased the accommodation obtainable from a given superficial area. 3. Public improvements. By the year 1868 these three factors were all present in a more or less modified form, and were afTecting land values by reason of the expectations created by their prospective development. The rapid transit problem, much as we know it to-day, was receiving at- tention. The city, it was felt, had outgrown its existing limits. It was clearly seen that speedier transportation was a pre-re((uisite to further expansion. The Arcade Railroad, the New York (,'en- tral Underground Railroad, the Through-the-block ])lan, the Swan three-tier road, the Gilbert Elevated Railway, the I'.each Pneu- matic Transit road, these and other schemes were being advanced as solutions of the problem. The era of large office buildings had opened — not, of course, with structures in the style of recent sky- scrapers, but of the first forerunners of these; edifices such as the New York Life Insurance C'om])any's liuilding, on tlie corner of Broadw^ay and Leonard street, the Park P>ank Building and others of similar class. A. T. Stewart, to whose vigorous enter- prise New York owes its first mammoth store, had already erected the big emporiums on Broadway, at Chambers and at loth street. On the /th of ]\Iarch, i868, the Central Park Conniiissioners filed BUlLDIXr, ASD AKCHlTIiCTl'RIi i\' NEW YORK. their nia])s of tlie lines and .grades of the street system of the West Side, ^ilorninyside I 'ark and the l\iverside improvements were drawn ])lainly enon,t;h on the |)0])uhir ma]) of tlie cit\-, thoni^h thev were not added to the departmental maps until a few \ ears later. The annexation of the district north of the Harlem was being' talked of. The Brooklyn I'-rid-e was under discus>ion, thoU!?h the hill creatint;- the le,L;'al foundations of the structure was not en- acted for some _\ears. Plans were prc])arin,ii- for the Post ( >tfice at City llall Park. The ])ress was demandino- a radical improvement of the dock system. Several fire-proof buildin,L;s had alread\ been erected, and the necessity of adopting this kind of construction in the larger edifices was receiving recognition. The idea of the a|)artment house was fermenting in many minds. The passenger elevator had not, indeed, \ et received its final develo])ment, and the skeleton system of construction was lacking. Xevertheless, both these improvements lay potentially in the new demand for higher and fire-proof ljuildings. In the following pages our concern is with the foregoing local, as apart from the general, conditions that have affected real estate. However, it is necessarv to remember that the o|)ening of the h'ar West and the multiiilication of railways have in an extraordinary degree stimulated the connuercial and industrial acti\-ities of the city since the war. During that great struggle one million and a half of men were withdrawn from productive occu])ations to ^er\ c as soldiers in the L'nion and Confederate armies. Their jjlace as i)ro- (Uuers was su])])lied ])artl\- 1)\- inmiigration from Europe, but chiefly by the invention of labor-saving machinery. So great w ere the profits of agriculture and so limited the sui)]>l\ of labor that fortunes were to be made by the invention of im])roved agricultural im|)lements, with the result that the mechanical genius of the ])eo- ple was stimulated to the utmost. It is estimated that the improved agricultural machinery of to-day enables one man to do the work that was i)erforme(l by twenty at the beginning of the si.xties, and the same holds true of other industries. At the close of the war the productive forces of the country had adjusted themselves to the abnormal economic distribution of the population, Wdien 56 --i HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, the arniics were dishanded tlie Tnion and I'onfederate veterans fomid tlu-ir civil i )ecn]iatii )ns for tlie must ])art j^one. lint in i86 from ahroad. A remn- nerative field of lahor was open to all who wonld enter. The Gov- ernment sn])|)lied land at a nominal charj^e. Western competition drove tlie Kastern w]ieat-i;-rower from his hiL;]i-])rice(l land to the factory, while the West fnrnished. 1)\' wa\- of com])ensation, an enornion^ly increased nMrket for the mantifactnrers of the Rast. The material ijro.L^re'-s of the I'nited States hetween the censuses of 1870 and i(S(j() is one of the marvel.s of history. In the fornier _\ear ahout one-third of the national domain was unsettled. The Western frontier ran irre^ularl\- ]-iarallel with the Mississippi l\iver. hut nearer to that -tream than the Re:)cky Mountains. Ex- ce]-tinL; certain sections on tlie I'acihc slojjc and in LTali, Colorado and Xew Mexico, the ( ireat \\T-st was virj^in wilderness. Twenty years later it was a smiling:- ai^ricultiu-al ret^ion co\-ered with thrifts honiesteails and ])ros])erous cities. 1 he ])o|)u]ation of the I'nited States had increased sixt\-two ])er cent., while the taxahle wealth of the nation ha of the island would he as iiear to the ('it_\ Hall as 42d street was means of horse cars and onuiihuses. The de- mand for great city improvements also was at that moment ])ar- ticularly insistent. Tlie \\'est Side Association was vigorously de- manding the attention of the authoritites to the reclamation for huilding pnri)oses of the province whose destiny it was watching over, .\lreadv, on .\|)ril 13, 1866, the first act of legislation had heen jiassed for ini])rovement of the West Side. Riverside Drive. Morningside Tark, the ( Irand llotdevard, the widening of liroad- way north of 17th street, the I'.astern I'.oulevard, the ojiening of Madison avenue, were all either in contemplation in 18^)8 or in ac- tual progress toward completion. We must add to the foregoing the circumstance that the war was over, the nation was bending BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 59 its energies again to industrial pursuits. Perhaps as early as 1867 tlie real estate market felt the beginnings of the coming activity, but it was in 1868 tliat the boom indubitably manifested itself, and a year later it was at its height. In June, iSCx), it subsided sonu- what : there was a decided lull in 1870. but in the s])ring nf 1 S7 1 a fresh start was made, which carried the movement ahmg until the fall of 1873. The peculiarity of this great speculative craze was that it was almost entirely restricted to dealing in lots — vacant ]iroperty — ly- ing east and west and north of Central Park. On the West Side in ]868 there were not more than half a dozen modern houses. Standing at the southwest comer of the ])ark, stretching away to the northwest over the territory which is to-da}- the great residen- tial section of the well-to-do, there was nothing to be seen but a wilderness of rocks dotted with dilapidated shanties. The region was almost as wild as at tlie time when Washington rallieil his forces on the Heights to the north. It was traviMsed by country- fied roads; indeed it was country. Here and tlure were a few rural houses and wayside iims, and at Carmansville the ]X'destrian might rest himself in a slumbrous little village which betrayed no tokens of the revolution at hand. ( )n the East Side there was somewhat more for the visitor to see. Here again we run across the influence of rapid transit. As early as the fall of 1858, ten years before, the Second avenue cars were running to \22i\ street. The Harlem Railroad extended to Harlem. the inconvenience of two changes the traveler — it was travel in those days — could penetrate by the Third avenue line as far north as 86th street. And the cars brought with them poindation. Residences and stores sprang up along their routes, and although in 1868 the East Side still wore a suburban aspect. Third avenue was almost continuously built up as far north as 86th street, and Second avenue was well lined with buildings. Of course at Yorkville and Harlem there were older settlements upon which the longitudinal growth of the city was encroaching. The growth of New York beyond the limits of the Colonial city has been strictly controlled by the nature of the rapid transit fa- 6o A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, cilitifs. The extent of the one has ever marked the Ixjundary of the other. J-'irst of ah tliere was the stage coach era, wlien after a loose manner the villages of (ireenwich and Chelsea were nnited. Then came the omnibus era, when the Wholesale District was con- fined helow Chambers street and the retail stores lined Broadway as far north as Canal street, and the ni)])er pa.rt of the residential city stretched to 14th street and beyond. The 'bus, however, failed to extend the town very much further than 23d street. The horse-car era followed, beginning in 1852, and the northernmost limit of the city was pushed upward from 23d street to, as the fur- thermost point, 59th street. Beyond that street it rendered only a suburban service, but it was a service which, as we have seen, did a great deal to develop the East Side. On the West Side, in 1858, the Sixth avenue cars ran to 59th street and the Eighth avenue cars to 60th street, but the progress of extension to the north was nuich slower on that side of the city than on the other. The horse- car, however, was the first factor that greatly contributed to en- hance the value of real estate in the region north of 59th street and in the district inuuediately south of that street. We start then with the extension of the horse-car lines north of 59th street and the movement of population that acco/npanied them into the ujiper section of the city. Following, and in great measure due to these advances, came the cry for extensive public improvements and the demand for s])eedy rapid transit lines to the Harlem. In 1868 both of these were apparently on the point of l)eing secured. Lender these circumstances it was not surprising that the s])eculative spirit of the community pictured the great unoc- cui:)ied waste of land east antl west and north of Central Park as converted w^ithin a few years into the finest residential part of the In 1858 lots on nth avenue, at 12.jth street, were worth $1,000; at 124th street, ^800. On 120th, 119th. llSth and llTth streets, east of 5th avenu'-, street lots were worth, perhaps. .S2.'i. This standard of prices ruled, but increasing with every block snuthwaid to T>'.hh street, around which point avenue lots were worth .^."(.(Mtd to .$7,000. West Side property at this period received little attention, and there was scarcely any market for real estate as there was on the East Side. Bl'lLDlXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 6i city. It was hard to believe that any one could go astray purchas- ing real estate, and as early as the close of 1867 the multitude com- menced buying lots. Purchasers scarcely took any thought of prices and many never saw the lots to which they took title. Xoth- ing at all approaching to business judgment controlled the market. No one had any real iflea of value. Property changed hands (|uickly and many of these turn-overs, both on the East and West Sitles, resulted in such dazzling profits that it is little wonder that the rational business instincts of the conmuuiity were confounded. In January, 1869, Sacchi & Burling i)urchase(l from I". ( i. Havens the block between 70th and 71st strt'ets, lughth and Ninth avenues, for $400,000. In the middle of I^'ebruary the\' resold the same pro})- erty for $505,000. ( )n the other side of the city a plot of lots on 84th street, between .Madison and h^ifth avenues, was sold four times in si.xty days, the first time at $40,000 and the last time at $55,000. It was in that year that the first portion of the Dyckman pro])erty on the upper \\'est I^ide, in the neighborhood of 200th street, was offered at auction — the first great sale of city property and the forerunner of the breaking up of the l)ig estates, man\ of which dated from Colonial times. It would be impossible to calcu- late the amount of realty sold during even the first stages of the bc.()m. It was estimated that in the month of .April, 1868, $6,000.- coo worth of property was sold under the hannner, Init not all of this was up-town real estate, nor even New ^'ork C\{\ real estate. E. H. Ludlow & Co., it was rei)orted, sold between the first of Januar}- and the last of June $2,525,125 worth of property- ; Muller. \\'ilkins & Co., $7,212,000, and Homer Morgan (all at private sale) $7,000,000 worth. A factor that contril)Uted greatl\- to the activity at this period was the revival of the contract system, which had plaved an important part in the real estate boom in the fifties, and which received a fatal blow in i860, when property decreased so suddenh' in value at the commencement of the war. I^v the opera- tion of this svstem large tracts of land were secured, usually on ninetv davs' contract, by depositing 5 per cent, of the purchase monev. The land thus obtained was mapped out and sold under hammer at the salesroom. Every artifice of the speculator, indeed, 62 .1 HISTORY Of REAL ESTATE, uc may sa\- of tlic j^ambler, was employed. Tlie Exchange rooms, at Xo. Ill 1 Iroadway, were constantly thronged. The mock anc- tiiin husiness tli jurislied, and it is estimated that j)erhaps as mnch as two-thirds of the sales reported were bogus. Jt deserves to be noted that this increase in real estate values was not confined to Xew \'ork, but was very marked in San bVan- eisco. Chicago, ISoston, and elsewhere in i868. As events have turned out. nuich of the jjrojierty bought then no doubt would lun e \ielded substantial, and in some cases magnificent j^rofits, had tile ])urc]iasers lieen able to hold on, pay taxes and weather the inevitable occurrence of hard times. The boom of i868 and the following vears, however, was not an investors' movement. It was purely speculative, and even those investors who did partici- pate in it were not consciously laying out their money for profits to be secured fifteen or twenty }ears later. All that was necessary to prick the boom was the arrival of some circumstance that wotild occasion a vigorous scrutiny of the movement. This did not come luuil 1873, when the ])anic, which upset so many solid calculations in the mercantile world, efi^aced the very notation of the golden arithmetic upon which these real estate operations were based. Be- tween 1868 and 1873 it is safe to estimate that the value of vacant In the up-town section the following- prices were (.btaiiicd in ISllO: Tnth street, wt-st of ,Sth avenue, abmit .-tS.dUd per lot: 7;M stri'i't. west of 2d 111 ;i\-.^iin.-^ SI, ,-,11(1; K'-lth sir. •ft. east ..f ..tli huh. .■,( II • ; ■■1 . oni.T Ml- CTth str.-ft, s N lots, fur SI -Ji i.( 11 II I ; ."itli avenue. Ml- IKUli strM,.|, IWM l,.ts, iMr Sljd.dlKI-. Sih a\-.-nue. -west I s-j,i -I,, , I MAM ImIs. SL'd.iidd; nth a\-fiiUf. iiMrtliMast corner BCILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK 6,^ property north of 5yth street seemingly increased fully 200 per cent., and in many cases 300 or 400 per cent. The speculation which raged north of 5()tli street was not by any means so intense south of that th( troughfare, although there was a brisk demand for property in the immediate neighborhood of 59th street. In the lower sections of the city, activity manifested itself chietl\- in the shape of building operations and in the trans- formation of the older residential sections to the purposes of trade. Indeed, in 1868 an important up-town movement was well under way. The retail business was in progress of transference from a centre which may be placed, approximately, considerably south of 14th street to a centre near to 23d street. The movement was similar to the shifting which we are witnessing to-dav to 42(1 street. As to the choice residential region of the city, it had already, some years before, connnenced to move up-town into the .streets between the ^olh and 5()th ])ar- allels. lM)urteenth street was still a street of i)rivate boarding houses and I'nion and Madison squares were occupied cliielh- ])v dwellings. Invasion by the storekeei)er. however, had alread}- ])roduced marked effects u])on the character of this district. .\. T. Stewart, as we liave seen, was in 1868 just completing his manmioth store at Broadway and loth street. The old Peter Loril- :i-2."> west .if aveniu-. one Ir.t, 111th stivet. s.;uth side. Nil west of 1(1(1. Ill north 1 Kith sti southeast corner Lllltli stieet. four lots. .Sli.lidd; 11th avcnu-, southeast 64 A HISrOKY OF REAL ESTATE. lard n^idciuH'. mi the northwest conuT of llroadwav and loth street, was hein^; converted into stores. Lake AlcC'reary in that year purchased the corner of llroadwav and iitli street, opposite Grace Church, for business ])ur]Kises. Arnold, Constable & Co. had begun to build at the southwest corner of Hjth street and r>roadwa\ . These were the chief of the advance guard. 'idle new Taninian_\- Hall had been recently completed. Plans had been tiled for five stores on the nortlnvest comer of i8tli street and llrojul- way, also for the (irand Hotel, southeast corner of liroadwax- and 31st street, which was to cost $250,000. The Young Men's Chris- tian Association Building, at Fourth avenue and 23d street, was under way. In 1870 the I'ark Hotel, not then intended for a cara- vansary, was built ; Lord & Taylor's Broadway store was in the course of erection; Tiffany's iron building was erecting; the Ma- sonic Temple on 23d street had been commenced; likewise Dry- ant's new Opera House (later Koster & Bial's) on the same street west of Sixth avenue. The Gilsey House had been started. Much building, though not of a commercial character, had been done (about 1870) between 32d and 52d streets. Fifth and Lexington avenues. The Church of the Messiah. No. 61 East 34th street, was completed, so were the Astor houses on Madison avenue, 34th and 35tli streets, and the Hospital for the Lame and Crippled, Lexing- ton avenue and 37th street. The Church of the Covenant, on the northwest corner of Park avenue and 35tli street, and a fine resi- dence on the southwest corner of 1 'ark avenue and 3()th street, from designs by the architects Renwick and Sands, were l)uilding. The Grand Central Dejxit was under construction. St. Ilartholo- mew's T'4)isco])al Cduirch. on the southwest corner of 44tli street and Madison avenue, was coninieiiced. also the Collegiate Re- formed Episcopal L'liurch, on 48tli street and Madison avenue, and the ]'resbyterian Church on the same avenue at 53d street. The foregoing facts serve to indicate the character of the work and de- velo]Mnent that was in progress in the district we are speaking of. Tt was ])lain .\ew ^'ork was moving uji into the central i)art of the i'-land. The cU\ had tjuite outgrown the old limits. l^x])ansion was a necessitv. Schemes were on foot for relieving the pressure BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 6.S of traffic on Broadway by means of thoroughfares on the East Side. The proposition for widening Broadway north of 17th street was under active discussion. People were debating between the extension of Centre street northward to 4th street, bending at 4th street into a crescent to meet Third or Fourth avenues, and the proposition to widen Elm street. The opening of ]\Iadison avenue north of Aladison square was also on the card. Indeed, it was in February, 1868, that the opening of that avenue from 86th street to 1 20th street was ordered. * In 1 872, in the new fashionable district which was creating within the area roughly bounded by 42d and 59th streets, Madison and Sixth avenues, there were 200 costly buildings in the course of erection. It was an era of high prices, due to paper money, and the extravagant cost of building will be sufficiently indicated by the following table: Mechanics' wages for day of 8 hours. . $5 to $8. Labor wages $2-75 to $3.25. Hard Bricks $14 to $18 per thousand. Cement $2 to $2.25 per barrel. Lime $i-50 to $1.75. Timber $25 to $30 per i ,000. Georgia Pine $30 to $60. *As to the value of property in this central district, the following: tran- script from the official conveyances will serve as indications: Four lots, northwest corner of 7th avenue and 39th street, sold in 1868 for .$X,S.OC:r, 105 Waverley place, 2."'ixl(i."), brought .1:24,000; the southwest corner of Mad- ison avenue and 4.">th street was purchased for .^ilS.OOO; the west side of Broadway, 2.5.7 north 40th street. .50x99, was sold for .$32,500: 23d street, south side. IGl west of ".th avenue, 20x98.9, sold for .%55.0(iO, and :!90 Gth avenue, 20x100, for $28,400. John Hoey purchased the southwest corner of 5th avenue and 22d street for .$115,000. Broadway, northwest corner 11th street, 70.7x190.7x23.1x178, was sold for .$321,000; Broadway, southwest corner 19th street, 82x171, for $375,000; Broadway, west side, 25.7 north 49th street, two lots, for $32,500; Lexington avenue, northeast corner 4(ith street, five lots for .$31,000; Madison avenue, northeast corner 34th street, four lots for $55,000; 1st avenue, northeast corner 47th street, six lots for .$35,000; 4th avenue, west side, 98.9 north 38th street, four lots for .$61,000; 6th avenue, northeast corner 23d street, 98x141, the plot, $340,000; 7th ave- nue, northwest corner 39th street, four lots, $38,000. A year later, in 1869, .38th street, south side, 100 east 11th avenue, three lots were sold for $8,500; 43d street, north side, 125 east of Lexington avenue, two lots for $15,000; 44th street, south side, 275 east 11th avenue, two lots for $4,000: 46th street, north side, 200 west 9th avenue, three lots for $12,000; 4th avenue, south- west corner 3Gth street, four lots for $75,000. 66 HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, It remains only to be said that in the early seventies the apart- ment house or French flat was introduced. The Stuyvesant in i8th street, between Third avenue and Irving place, from designs made by Air. Richard M. Hunt, was the first of the class, and it was followed shortly by the Haight houses at the corner of Fifth avenue and 15th street. The Albany, the Saratoga, the Knicker- bocker, the Florence, the Osborne do not belong to this period. Although the first apartment buildings were said to have been, financially, very successful — as much as 30 per cent., it was re- ported, having been made in some instances in the first four years — the new idea at the beginning was not popular. It was even op- posed, and not for some years, until after 1873, did the public take kindly to what is now one of the chief institutions of the metropolis. The only part of the city that remains to be considered is the down-town wholesale district. We have already indicated that in 1868 it was the seat of important building operations which within a few years revolutionized the character of this, the oldest portion of the metropolis, and greatly multipled the productiveness of its real estate. Indeed, within this district the builder has always been the most important factor in enhancing the value of real estate. Improvements in rapid transit, of course, have not been without efTect there, but they have worked indirectly by aiding the con- version of the district to business purposes. The depopulation of this section has been slow but continual during the past thirty years. In 1868 the residents of the First, Second, Third and Fifth wards numbered 47,392, whereas in 1895 the population was only 28,163 (police census), in spite of the great growth of the city else- where and the denser peopling of the isolated residential spots that remain in these lower wards resulting from the introduction of the tenement house system. In 1868 the work of replacing the older office buildings, which were really little more than private houses on a large scale, by modern specialized structures had commenced, and it is curious to note that the newspapers were among the first innovators in this movement as they have been more recently in the erection of the tower-like sky-scrapers. The "Times," as far BUILDIXG A\D ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 67 back as 1859, I^^*^! erected its once familiar lieadquarters, since re- placed by the present Romanesque structure, and in 1868 Oswald Ottendorfer purchased for $250,000 the corner on Chatham street and Tryon row, on which to build the new buildinsj for the "Staats Zeitung-."' In 1866 the "Herald" put up its old building, on the corner of Ann street and Broadway: and in 1873 the "Tribune" led the way to still higher altitudes than had been reached by any other building with the edifice in which it is at present housed. We have already spoken of the Park Bank lUiilding, the X'ew York Life In- surance Co.'s liuilding, the Equitable Life Assurance Society's Building, all under way in 1868. The generation that witnessed the erection of these structures regarded them as enterprises of start- ling extravagance. The wholesale dry goods district at this time extended to Canal street ; and the erection of wareliouses was beginning to disturb the peace which had hitherto prevailed among the dwellings on Lispe- nard and Church streets. IJroome street, near Greene street, was also then invaded by the growing commercial necessities of the city. The extent of building operations in this district is shown in the fact that in June, 1868, $3,345,000 worth of new buildings were in progress on Broadway alone, south of 14th street. Our review of the city is now complete, and we come to the dark days of 1873, '^'^'ben the nation entered the wilderness of low prices and financial de])rcssii >n, whence it did not emerge until 1879. It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader that all departments of industry suffered during these times, and real estate fared no worse than did other commodities. Indeed, it suffered less than some. Property down town changed hands infrequently then as now. The fol- lowing transactions come from the records for the years 18<."in.n(i(i; x.issau street, northeast corner of Pine street, 70.11x71.7x81.3x70..-,, tli- iiLn. fnr .S470.000; Nassau street, southeast corner of Cedar street, 7:'.. 1 x7 1 .T-xii.'.. 7x73.3, the plot, for .«500,n00: Bowery, No. 170, ■_'.'..">xln4. International Insurance Co., with building, .SKi"),- 000; Broadway, Xo. -J'.M. L'lxli'.o, to George Sloane, with building. -lil.jll.OuO; Broadway, northw si r^nn. r Washington place, the New York Hotel, the plot, with buiklins. .s 1 ,( I'.i.'i.i i( 10 (sold since practically for land alone, for $1,300,000); Broadway, northeast corner 21st street, four lots with buildings, to Wm. M. Tweed, $600,000; Pine street. No. 11, 23.0x73.9. March 10, 1871, $65,800; No. 58 Pine street, John P. Coffin to Cornelius Bogert, $25,000; Reade street, Nos. 137 and 139, .50x75, $24,000; No. 55 Ann street, $22,700: 316 Broome street, $12,000. 68 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, The sad auditing uf e-\tra\ agance's, inflation, wild speculation, un- sound economic practices ]»egan with the failure of Jay, Cooke & Co., on September 18, 1873. The height of the acute stage of panic was reached on the 20th, when the Union Trust Co. suspended and the Stock Exchange closed its doors. The duration of the panic was about one month, and, as is usually the case, securities felt the shock first, then general business, and, last of all, real estate. Indeed, it was not until the fall of 1874 that the process of liquida- tion actually began in real estate. However, the process, once started, was a long one ; it continued for fully three years. Nat- urally the inflation of values north of 59th street was pricked in an instant. The equities of thousands of property owners were wiped out as with a sponge. But the destructive process did not stop with the obliteration of the purely fictitious. The decline wrought havoc with legitimate values. All property sufYered — sufYered se- verely. For a time there was really no market hy which one could discover the plane of prices. Everything that was sold was slaughtered, and, in a multitude of cases, selling was merely the process by which the mortgagee gathered up the remnants of what was left. It is estimated that fully one-half of the speculative build- ers, who were so busy in 1872, disappeared, and their exit from the field with the lot speculators was followed by a perfect avalanche of foreclosure sales, or rather, we should say, of foreclosure pro- ceedings, which went by the name of sales. Below are the statis- tics of these transactions: 1871 total foreclosures from Jan. i to Dec. 31.... 674 1872, " " " " .... 1,012 1873. 1874. 1875- 1876, 1877. 1878, 1879. 1,152 1,521 1,744 2-533 2.259 It might l)e thought that with the merest indication of the actual state of afifairs the whole situation would be apparent to everybody. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 69 Yet, astonishing as it ina\' scLni, it must be recorded tliat so cor- rupted was the commercial judgment of people that in face of the disaster overwhelming them thev did not at first recognize the real nattire of their position. It will be remembered that in the midst of the panic Secretary Richardson, at W ashington, inaugu- rated another inflation movement which had a short duration of about nine months. Incomprehensible as it may seem, while it lasted, real estate operations actually were renewed on almost as extravagant values as those prevailing Ijefore the crash. A demand for realty rose in the spring of 1874 which almost e(|ualled the ex- traordinary activity of the spring and fall of 1868. (Grant's famous veto put a stop to the insanity, and then the long period of dejires- sion and stagnation began in earnest. The Period of Stagnation. The second stage of our liistDrx- is now reached. Roughly speaking, it comprises the years 1S74 to 1871; inclusive. As to the causes that produced and intensified tlie ])anic of "73 and the stagnation that followed they undoul)tedly were: An inflated and ir- redeemable currency, delay in ])roviding the city with adequate rapid transit facilities, extravagances in building, abuses of the building loan system, an abnormal condition of labor, dishonest and incom- petent administration of the city government under the Tweed reg- ime, the large amount of trading done upon inadequate capital. In proceeding to a discussion of the factors that slowly made themselves felt in the production of better times, the first that has to be set forth is this — the destruction of values that resulted from the panic was, with an immense amount of realty, excessive. This imparted a certain latent strength to the situation. Of course so long as the downward pressure was exerted to the utmost, this could not be manifested, but the strain once removed, rebound was inevitable. It was long, however, before the market received anv visible advantage from its latent strength. Another circumstance that aided the market, though it operated very slowly, was the vast accumulation of funds in the vaults of _70 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE. the banks and other financial institutions. True, for a long time this sequestered capital was very zealously guarded, and far from supporting or promoting ordinary operations was as good as non- existent. Owners would neither lend nor use it. But there it was ; and locked up money, like a dammed stream, exerts a continual pressure against its restraints. It percolates and leaks through the smallest fissure and continual accumulations inevitably result in an overflow. Thus, while the locking up of money assisted greatly in depressing values and even in lowering prices beyond the war- rant of facts, it created opportunities for investment and profit which in the end proved too attractive to be resisted. As early as 1876. one by one, here and there, capitalists began to pick up the bargains in real estate obtainable in every class of property in every part of the city. The big companies, the wealthier house buyers entered the market and the slow process of absorbing the surplus stock of houses and buildings commenced. The builders and pro- fessional speculators took no part in this movement. It was quite beyond their power to do so. In 1874 there was a complete ces- sation of building operations in the new fashionable residential dis- trict between 42d and 59th streets, Madison and Sixth avenues. The panic found scores of houses there tenantless, and prices fell so that bv 1876 first-class residences which could not be purchased for less than $85,000 in 1873 could readily be acquired for $60,000. A great deal of this decline was legitimate enough, due to the fall in wages and materials. Dwellings that cost $50,000 merely to put up in 1873 could in 1876 be easily duplicated for $35,000. We have already given a table showing the cost of wages and materials in the former vear. It will be interesting to present here for the sake of comparison a similar table for the latter year: Mechanics' wages (10 hours a day in place of 8 as formerly) $2 Laborers' wages (do) 75c. to $1. Hard bricks $6 per thousand Cement $1 to $1.25 per barrel. Lime 75c. to $1 per barrel. Lumber $15 per thousand. Georgia pine $16 to $18. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. yi After the panic the first houses to find purchasers were the cost- liest. \\'e have said that in 1872 there were 200 of these in the course of erection in the fashionable district. One by one they were taken of¥ the market at prices that were ruinous to builders, so that at the beginning- of 1876 there were only thirty-eight of these (and the few others that had been built in the meantime) re- maining unsold. Purchasers of medium-])riced dwellings were almost entirely absent from the market at first, but after a time they too came following in the wake of the richer investors. By 1877 t'le effect of this slow absorption was visible, the supply of buildings was far below the average. Concurrent with this process went similarly great transactions in lots. In the fashionable district there were about three hundred and fifty vacant lots when the panic arrived. Many of these passed slowly into the hands of wealthy purchasers and a few strong, con- servative builders. Millionaires like W'm. Rockefeller, Bostwick and Stevens began building on upper Fifth avenue, near the Park, and by the ist of January, 1877, extensive operations were in prog- ress in the 50th streets, between Fifth avenue and Fourth avenue, conducted by builders Duggin & Grossman, O'Reilly, Rathbone, Byrnes, Hamilton, Bradley & Co., McManus, Phyfe. Lynch and others: indeed, it is to be noted that it was about this time that the limits of the seat of building operations were extended several blocks northward on the East Side above 5gth street. It thtis hap- pened that there were appearances of something like prosperity in this part of the city. Lots above 59th street, east of the Park, the district which, as we shall find, was to engage the builders' at- tention imtil the next decade, had declined enormously in value. Choice lots that brought $35,000 in the days of the inflation were selling for $11,500, and somewhat less desirable lots for $6,000 to $8,000. Avenue lots, opposite the Park, that sold in speculative times, corners for $100,000, inside lots for $75,000, could be bought for $40,000 and $25,000. These figures give a good idea of the in- tensity of the slump that followed the panic. While these improvements were slowly making themselves viST- ble in the northeast, large canitalists were contributing immensely 72 A HISTORY Of REAL ESTATE, to strcni^tlieii tlic situation down town and c-lsewhere. The West- ern Union llead(juarters, the "Tribune" Duihhnj,^, the American News Company's JJuikhng on Chambers street (the site of the old Burton's Theatre, for which the present proprietors paid $i8o,oooj, the JefTerson [Market PoHce Court, the Bennett Building, F"ulton and Ann; Booth's Theatre, the Domestic Sewing Machine Com- pany's Building, on Union square ; Chickering Hall, the Church of the Paulist Fathers and others, were commenced. Moreover, the early years following the panic witnessed the actual introduction into \ew York of the apartment house as we know it to-day. We have already alluded to the first enterprises with this class of build- ings and have pointed out that though they encountered a great deal of adverse criticism on the score of intruding an element of publicity into home life, they evidently satisfied the requirements of many persons. Financial success not only prompted investors and builders to erect others, but to set about to develop this new type of residence. Between 1873 ^^79 the apartment house was th.oroughly naturalized or localized in New York. The most im- portant of these buildings then erected were the Knickerbocker, on the southwest corner of Fifth avenue and 14th street, on the site of the old residence of Myndert A'an Schaick ; the Berkeley, on Fifth avenue and 9th, built by the Rhinelander estate on land that had remained long vacant ; the Albany, the Saratoga, the Stevens, and in June, 1876, the (Jsborne, due to the enterprise of Duggin & Crossman. In 1877 ^^'^'^ Bradley apartment houses on 59th street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, were commenced. The buying and building of this period was mostly in strong hands. In November, 1876, Joseph Harper bought the dwelling on the corner of Fifth avenue (No. 562) and 46th street, for $82,500; the southeast corner of Fifth avenue and 29th street was sold for $120,000; in 1877 W. H. Vanderbilt acquired No. 691 Fifth avenue, between Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth streets, from Stephen U. Cad- well, who gave $70,000 for the property; Nos. 87 and 89 Wall street were purchased by George W Denton for $110,250; No. 599 Fifth avenue sold for $72,750; D. H. AIcAlpine acquired No. 373 Broadway, 24.10x150, for $125,000; the Queen Insurance Com- BflLDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. pany began tlieir building at Xos. 37 and 39 Wall street; August Belmont l)ought the block between St. Nicholas and Seventh ave- nues, 1 1 2th and 113th streets, for $50,000; the iron store building at Xos. 5, 7 and 9 Union square (destroyed by fire in 1876 and re- cently replaced by the Spingler Building), to cost $110,000, was commenced, so was the office building at No. 43 Wall street, the estimated cost of which was $125,000. The Lorillard, Wolf, Rhine- lander and Roosevelt estates made extensive improvements upon their several properties. The Roosevelt estate erected on the site of the old homestead, on Broadway, near 13th street, the store now occupied by Mitchell, Wince & Co. The Ottendorfer building, on Fourth avenue and 26th street, "The Bella," was started, so were structures by ^Ir. Little, at Union scjuare and 17th street, by ^latthews, at I'ourth avenue and iXth street. Altaian's store, on Sixth avenue and 18th street, was commenced in 1877, and down town, on the Ijlock l)oun(led by Worth, Elm, Pearl and Broadway, the ancient and dilapidated rookeries that stood there were replaced ])y modern Inisiness buildings. Alany improvements at the lower part of Wooster street were begun. The work of The following representative sales show the range of prices that obtained for vacant lots (the asterisk denotes building loan transactions): Fifth Avenue.— Conveyances were extremely limited on the avenue after the panic. In the spring of 1875 Duggin & Grossman bought of W. S. Gurnee 40 feet front on the block between 47th and 48th streets, at the rate of .$4r>,0()(i fc,r a full Int. A year subsequently W^m. Rockefeller pur- chased of Jacob Vandeiponi the full lot on the northeast corner of 54th street and 5th avenue, for .~<.".(i.nOO. About a year later Edward Silleck pur- chased of C. & R. Poillon a full lot in middle of block, between .52d and 53d streets, next adjoining the Osborne House, for $35,(i0(>. Some element of trade is supposed to have entered into this valuation. Madison Avenue. — Conveyances were numerous and noteworthy, although the avenue seemed threatened with a total and fatal eclipse after the estab- lishing of the horse-car route through its entire length. The prejudice against this intrusion gradually wore away, and the brilliant success of a firm of builders in disposing in the spring of a whole block of houses on this avenue immediately on completion encouraged other projections. Cash transactions indicate prices ranging from .$12,(100 to .1;15,000 per lot, includ- ing corners: Between 44th and 45th streets, Livingston to Duggin, 2 lots, $14,250 each;* between 45th and 4(;th streets, Hemenway to Bellman, 10 lots, $19,800 each; southwest corner 54th street, Connell estate to Dinkle- spiel, 4 1-5 lots, $15,000 each; southwest corner 54th street, Dinklespiel to Hennessy, 4% lots, $16,2.50 each;* southeast corner .55th street, Barnum to Duggin, 3 lots, $12,000 each; northeast corner 55th street, Jones estate to Episcopal Church, 3 lots, $1.5,000 each; southeast corner .5»)th street, Jones estate to Duggin, 5 lots, $13,000 each. The bulk of the transactions in lots occurred on the side streets as the most popular and salable property when improved, the lots, besides, admit- 74 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, modernizing the older buildings on 14th street was carried along. Clearly these transactions indicate very ' substantial progress. Yet the market continued dull, foreclosures were numerous, specu- lation was dead, rents were low — only half of what they had been — the long process of liquidation was not complete. General busi- ness, however, throughout the country was picking up slowly, the mercantile world was emerging from the woods. There was a plethora of money in the banks, and one of the beneficial results of this was felt in 1876 when the rate of interest upon mortgage loans was reduced from 7 to 6 per cent, and 5 per cent, for gilt-edge se- curity. Funds could then be obtained freely for first-class opera- tions, and in a short time this favorable circumstance began to stimulate building. The building loan operator entered the field with activity at this period, so that in July, 1877, of 500 dwellings then in course of construction by builders only seventeen had been started without the assistance of a loan. In 1878 we touch a decided activity in building; indeed, the tone of the entire real estate market had improved considerably. Dur- ing 1877 many large investments for improvements, including the ting of more economical and judicious treatment in building. The prices in strictly cash transactions indicate a range of from ifll,25(t to ^14,500. The purchase of two lots on 58th street, opposite the Plaza, for .5;20,000 each, made at this time by Bryan McKenna, is exceptional in price and location: *53d street, between Madison and 4th avenues, Lowe to Darragh, 7 lots, $15,0(10 each; r)4th street, between 5th and (ith avenues, Dinklespiel, pur- chaser, 7 lots, $12,250 each; *54th street, between 5th and 0th avenues. Din- kelspiel to Lynd, 7 lots, .$14,000 each; 55th street, between Madison and 5th avenues, Jones estate to Ely, 2 lots, $14,500 each; 5(!th street, between Madison and 5th avenues, Jones estate to Smith, G lots, $13,000 each; *5r>th street, between Madison and 5th avenues. Smith to Lynd, G lots, $14,-500 each; 5Gth street, between Madison and 4th avenues, Jones estate to Webb. 1 3-5 lots, $11,250 each; 57th street, between Madison and 4th avenues, Stewart to Duggin, 7 lots, $14,000 each; *57th street, between 5th and (ith avenues, Einstein to Sullivan, 2 lots, $25,000 each; 58th street, between 5th and Gth avenues, Ferris estate to Smith, 9 lots, $12,500 each; *58th street, between 5th and Gth avenues. Smith to McManus, 9 lots, $l(i,000 each; *58th street, between 5th and Gth avenues, Morton to McKenna, 3 lots. $1G,000 each; .58th street, between 5th and Gth avenues. Smith to Dowdney, 2 lots, $12,000 each; *58th street, between 5th and (ith avenues. Marsh to Mc- Kenna, 2 lots, $20,000 each. The subjoined table shows the range of prices in respect to improved property: Fifth Avenue.— The sales on this avenue were so few as to afford little variety of quotation: Southwest corner 44th street, Brokaw purchaser, 28x 125, 4-story brownstone, $115,000; between 47th and 48th streets, east side, Duggin seller, 2 each 18x65x100, 4-story brownstone, $.52,500 and $6r),0l)0; between 48th and 49th streets, east side, Brokaw ourchaser, 27x70x100, BUILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. purchase by David McAlpin of the Sweeny block, on Broadway, between 33d and 34th streets, had been made, and at this time the transaction was consummated wliicli was in a sense the turning point of the destiny of the \\'est Side. Edward Clark purchased the block of thirty lots on Eighth avenue, between ~2(\ and 73d streets, and the adjacent block of twenty-eight lots on Xinth avenue. During the years of depression the West Side has been in a large measure neglected. Of building operations there were none. All the great public plans for improvements which had an ef¥ect so stimulating during the years of the boom were allowed to lie dor- mant ; and to such a low point had the fortunes of real estate in this district fallen that even the street openings and the other few simi- lar betterments ordered from time to time were so great a burden that property-owners appealed to Mayor Ely for relief. The value of lots, of course, had fallen immensely. Good street lots could be obtained for from $2,000 to $3,000; Xinth and Tenth ave- nue lots for from $4,000 to $5,000; Eighth avenue lots that prior to 1873 had commanded such exorbitant figures were now on the market for prices ranging from $7,000 to $15,000, according to location. Undoubtedly, the reaction carried prices below the in- 4-story house, $72,500; between 49th and odth streets, west side. Duggin seller, 15x125, leasehold, $32,500; between 50th and 51st streets, west side, Labau purchaser, 25x60x125, leasehold, $05,000. _ Madison Avenue. — Sales principally confined to houses of the Duggin & Grossman make, of such original and peculiar construction as hardly to furnish a general standard: Between 44th and 45th streets, east side, Wain- wright purchaser, 25x00x100, 4-story, brownstone, $32,500; between 53d and 54th streets, east side, Hamilton seller. 2 each. 2nx(;5xS5. 4-story, brown- stone, $30,000; between 55th and 5(ith streets, east side, Duggin seller, 18x 60x100, 4-story, brownstone, $2C),U(I0; between 55th and 56th streets, east side, Duggin seller, 32x48x60, 4-story, brick, $:35.()U(»; southeast corner 5(ith street, east side, Duggin seller, 25x50x60, 4-story, brick, $33,01 lO. Side Streets.— The greatest variety of sales and the most intelligible stan- dard of values were to be found on the side streets. By the transactions re- ported we seem warranted in quoting these assorted values, the locations and qualities of buildings being technically first-class. For a Ki or 17-fooi front house and lot, $24,000 to $25,000; for a 20-foot, $28,000 to $32,50ii; for a 22-foot, $32,500 to $35,000; for a 25-foot, $40,000 to $45,000. 43d street. 5th and Madison avenues, Lustig seller, lO.SxCOxKMt. $25,000; 46th street, 5th and 6th avenues, unknown seller, 2(ix."ii)xl(i(i. .-<24.(Mim; 49th street, 5th and 6th avenues, McCafferty seller, 16x Sl,2t;6.520 1870 1,.500,000 5,715.004 10,699,.3:;i 2:;.;n4,.V.\-, l.:;22,S01 1S71 2,500,000 5,944,057 16.(j9S..S4( > i'."., 1 1:^>MT l,:;iil.lG:? 1S72 2,500.000 1.647,894 23.129.i;'.7 27 -TT m:;! 1..;s> T(i9 1873 3,000,000 10,291,915 20.919,822 :;1211.::;7 1:',:;mi92 1874 3.000.000 3,62.-. ; 24.(;S:;,:u:; :',l.:;i.s.:;i;i l.41lt.42:! 1875 1,500.000 5,162. nis l'.-.mtimlni il.i:;s 1 ,:;77..-.61 1876 1.500.000 4.7r.<;,:;:;7 24.;is7.;,,ss :;i .■J44.:;2.-. l.:;.-.o.nOO 1877 1,000.000 2,777,242 2;;.719.1!i4 27.49(i.4:;6 1,428.659 1878 1,000,000 1,569,239 22,964,9n2 25.534,141 1,546,301 78 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Caliban quality, cheapness, which has forced the elevated roads, one after another, into the streets and avenues of New York until the usurpation furnishes a unique example of civic prostitution of appearances to utility. The experimental line was slowly contin- ued north of Cortlandt until on February 14, 1870, it was com- pleted to 31st street and Ninth avenue. At first the road to this point was operated by an endless chain system driven by stationary engines placed underground. This method of traction proved a failure and the service was irregular and intermittent until April 20, 1871, on which date one dummy engine and three cars were placed on the line and run between Dey and 2gth streets — the only two stations then existing. On January 4, 1873, extensions and repairs having been completed, the line was opened southward to Xo. 7 Broadway, at which point another station was established. Fur- ther extensions of the Ninth avenue line followed slowly in the fol- lowing order: July 30. 1873, to 34th street and Ninth avenue; No- vember 6, 1875, to 42d street and Ninth avenue; July 18, 1876, to 59th street and Ninth avenue; April 15, 1877, to South Ferry. On June 9, 1879, the main line double track was extended from 59th street and Ninth avenue to 83d street and Ninth avenue and opened for business with stations at 72d and 81 st streets. The Ninth avenue division was operated at first until May 2, 1880, as a single line road with turn-outs. It was then entirely rebuilt and opened as a double track system. The Sixth avenue line from Morris street to 59th street and Sixth avenue was opened June 5, 1878, and additions in the follow- ing order: Fifty-third street and Sixth avenue to 53d street and Eighth avenue, February 25, 1879; 53*^1 street and Eighth avenue to 8 1st street and Ninth avenue, June 9, 1879; 8ist street and Ninth avenue to 104th street and Ninth avenue, June 21, 1879; 104th street and Ninth avenue to 125th street and Eighth avenue, September 17, 1879; 125th street and Eighth avenue to 135th street and Eighth avenue, September 27, 1879; 135th street and Eighth avenue to 155th street and Eighth avenue, December i, 1879; Morris street to South Ferrv, November i, 1881. The Third avenue line was opened for business between South BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 79 Ferry and 42CI street and Fourth avenue, August 26, 1878; from 42d street and Tliird avenue to 67th street and Third avenue, Sep- tember 16, 1878; 67th street and Third avenue to 89th street and Third avenue, December 9, 1878; 89th street and Third avenue to 129th street and Third avenue, December 30, 1878. Tlie first ex- cursion train from South Ferry to 129th street and Third avenue was run December 24, 1878. The Second avenue Hue from Chatham square to 67th street, was opened March i, 1880, and from 67th to 129th street August 16, 1880. The Suburban hne was opened between 128th street and Second avenue and 133d street, ]\Iay 17, 1886; to 143d street. May 23, 1886; to Harlem River Bridge, November 29, 1886; to I56tli street, July I, 1887 ; to 166th street, December 25, 1887 ; to 170th street, Septem- ber 29, 1888; to Wendover avenue, ]\Iay, 1891 ; to 177th street, July 20, 1891 ; to Willis avenue, Jul\ 18, i8(ji. The foregoing makes the fact clear that it was in the years 1879-80 that Xew York began to experience the effects of adequate rapid transit facilities, and to this fact probably more than to all others put together is due the activity in real estate and the increase in values that commenced in those years. In 1879 the new elevated roads contributed much to the increasing strength of the market. Particularly on the upper East Side they stinndated the builder, who was already busy in that district. It was early in that year (1879) that the Xew York Elevated Railroad Company ]nu"chased the block, then used as the cattle-yards of Dutcher & Allerton, bounded by Third and Fourth avenues, 98th and 99th streets, paying for the property $120,000. At once a great number of tenements were erected in the streets adjoining Second and Third avenues, east and west, and between Madison and Fourth avenues, and adjacent thereto as far north as 125th street the speculative builder was ac- tive putting up row after row of stereotyped brownstone residences. In one week, that ending May 24, 1879, plans were filed for sixty- two dwellings to be erected on ^Madison and Fourth avenues, 112th, 114th, 115th and 124th streets. Prices were advancing, but were still much below the figures ruling before the panic. For instance. 8o A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, tlie block 201.10x420, between iMt'lli and Madibun avenues, io6th and 107th streets, was sold to William 1". \'an \'alkenl)urgh tor $180,000. In 1873 the same property was sold to T. A. \ yse for $370,000. Charles J\I. Field paid $204,050 for the property in 1878. Still the upward tendency of prices was marked. There was a brisk demand for lots, not alto,<;-ether normal, it is true, due to the un- healthy stimulus of the building loan, and there was a decided ac- tivity in the house market. Population was spreading into the East Side, now that rapid transit was secured, and it was clear that in that section of the city was to be continued the expansion and de- velopment which had formerly l^een confined to the central district, south of 59th street. Substantial capitalists began to operate on the East Side, and the northeastern part of the island. Arnold, Constable & Co. from time to time acquired much property there, and late in 1879 P^i*^' $200,000 for two blocks on the east side of Sixth avenue, between and upon 135th and 136th streets. Every- where on the East Side people were buying and selling and build- ing.* Population was pouring into the district. Xot only was As to the character and location of the new wc rk. the following record of new houses started in the fall of 1879 above 59th street, extending from 3d to 5th avenue, one year after the first excursion train was run over the 3d avenue elevated road to 129th street, shows both: 59th st, n s, e of 5th av, 6 brownstone houses, Mr. Todd, owner; 61st st, s s, cor 4th av, store and residence, F. Ehrmann; 01st st, s s, e of Madison av, 2 brownstone houses. J. M. Hazeltine; Olst st. n s, w of Madison av, 2 brownstone houses, Parsons & Breen; (ilst st. n s, e of 5th av. residence, W. B. Isham; G2d st, n s, e of Madison av, 3 brownstone houses, James Mc- Donnell; Madison av, w s, n of 62d st, 10 brownstone houses, I. E. Doying; Madison av, e s, cor 63d st, brownstone flat, Jas. Campbell; ()3d st, s s, e of Madison av, 5 brownstone houses; G3d street, n s, e of 5th av, 4 brownstone houses, Mr. Williams; G3d st, s s. e of 5th av, 3 brownstone houses. Mr. Sinclair; fi4th st, s s, w of Madison av, 2 brownstone houses, Wm. Johnson and D. & J. Jardine; 64th st, n s, w of Madison av, 4 brown- stone houses, Mr. Croft; 64th st, n s, cor 4th av, 9 brownstone houses. Mr. Cornish; Lexington av, w s. s of 62d st, 4 brownstone houses, Thos. Ken- nedy; Lexington av, w s, s of 65th st, 6 brownstone houses, Mr. Parsons; Madison av, e s, s of 65th st, 6 brownstone houses, Willett Bronson; 65th st, s s, w of Madison av, 5 brownstone houses, B. Spaulding; 66th st. s s, e of 5th avenue, 4 brownstone houses, Breen, Nason & Hughes; (i6th st, n s, e of Madison av, 2 brownstone houses, Breen & Nason; 66th st, s s, e of Madison av, 5 brownstone houses, I. E. Doying: 66th st, n s. w of 4th av, 6 brownstone houses, Willett Bronson; 66th and 67th sts. and 4th and Lex- ington avs, Seventh Regiment Armory, I. E. Doying; 67th st, s s, w of 4th av, 10 brownstone houses, J. Ruddell; 67th st, n s, e of 4th av, 11 brown- stone houses; 67th st, s s, w of Madison av, (S brownstone houses; 67th st, n s. w of Madison av, 4 brownstone houses, B. Muldoon; 68th st, s s, e of 5th av, 5 brownstone houses, B. Muldoon; 6Sth st, s s, BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 8l land advancing in value, but as early as 1879, due to building ac- tivity, the price of materials and labor advanced, though the en- hancement at first was not extravagant, as the following table shows: 1860. 1809. 187S. Sept.'T'J. Bricklayers if;i2@14.00 $27@30.00 $12.00@18.00 $18.00 Carpenters IJ. 15.00 27 30.00 12.00 15.00 12.00 Gas and steam fitters 16.00 .. 21.00 15.00 18.00 18.00 Hod carriers, etc 9 10.00 16 IS.dO 9.00 . . 10.50 Marble cutters 1(1 is.dO 24 :',(i.(iit l.'i.dd IS.iKi 1.").00 Marble polisiier S Ki.do 1.", IS.iio '.l.dit li'.do ld.2() Marble rubber 16 IS.dO 21 24. dO Id.dU 15.00 10.50 Masons 10 12.00 27 30.00 12.00 18.00 18.00 Painter 12 14.00 21 24.00 12.00 18.00 15.00 Plasterer 12 14.00 30 36.00 12.00 18.00 18.00 Plumber 12 15.00 18 24.00 15.00 18.00 18.00 Quarrymen 8 10.00 15 18.00 7.50 10.50 9.00 Roofer 10 14.00 24 30.00 12.00 18.00 15.00 Stair builder 12 16.00 22 27.00 10.50 13.50 15.00 Stone cutter— blue 15 18.00 24 24.00 10.50 13.50 15.00 brown 15 18.00 27 30.00 12.00 18.00 18.00 Stone rubbers 12 15.00 16 18.00 10.00 13.50 10.50 The fatal weakness in this East Side "boom," for boom it was during the earlier years, was its speculative character and the small amount of hard cash underlying the transactions. The fictitious element in prices was particularly large. Inflated trailing was heavy and nuich of the l)uilding was carried on upon extravagant building loans which enhanced the price of real estate ridiculously e of 5th av, 5 brownstone houses, ; 6Sth st, s s, e of Madison av, 3 brownstone houses, McCafferty & Bulkley; 68th st, s s, w of 4th av, 5 brownstone houses, Mr. Fowler; 5th av, w s, cor 69th st. brownstone resi- dence, David Dows; 70th st, s s. e of 5th av, 2 Nova Scotia houses, Van- derbilt and Henry Eastman; 70th st, s s, w of Madison av, 5 brownstone houses, Thos. Pearson; 71st st, n s, w of Lexington av, 3 brownstone houses. M. McDonnall; 72d st, s s, e of 4th av. 4 brownstone houses, Mr. Graham; 72d st, n s, e of 4th av, 7 brownstone houses, Mr. Webb; 73d st, s s, w of Lexington av, 5 brownstone houses, Mr. Hennessy; 74th st, n s, e of 4th av^ 4 brownstone houses, Aldhous & Smyth; 74th st, n s, e of Madison av, 5 brownstone houses, John Davidson; 75th st, s s, e of 4th av, brick boarding stable, Many & Osborn; Lexington av, e s, n of 74th st, 6 brownstone houses, W. H. Browning; 75th st, n s, w of 3d av, 4 brownstone flats, P. McQuade; 76th st, s s, w of 3d av, 4 brownstone flats, Mr. Stewart; Lex- ington av, e s, n of 76th st, 6 brownstone houses, H. McKenna; Lexington, av, w s, n of 76th st, 6 brownstone houses; 76th st, n s, e of Madison av, 6 brownstone houses; 77th st, n s, e of 5th av, 3 brownston- houses; 77th st, n s, w of 4th av, 8 brownstone houses; 79th st, n s, w of 4th av, 6 brownstone houses. Squires & Woolley; 4th av, e s,. cor 80th st, brownstone store and tenement; 80th st, n s, w of Lex- ington av, 4 brownstone houses; Lexington av, w s, n of Slst st, (> brownstone houses; 5th av, e s, cor 83d st, brownstone residence, Mr. Arnold; 83d st, n s, w of 4th av, 5 brownstone houses, Mr. Sturtevant; 83d st, n s, e of Lexington av, 6 brownstone houses. Judge Wandell; 85th. st, n s, w of 3d av, 3 brownstone flats, Mr. Johnson; 3d av, w s, n of 85th st, 2 brownstone flats; 86th st, n s, w of 3d av, 6 brownstone houses; 87th st, s s, w of Lexington av, 4 brownstone; S6th st, s s, e of Madison av. A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, before it passed into tlie hands of tlie builder, himself in many cases a man of small means. One example of this inflation will be suffi- cient. Early in 1879 six lots on 76th street, between Fifth and Madison avenues, were purchased for $30,000. A few months later they were resold with building loans for $90,000. It was at this pe- riod that John H. Deane entered the field. He was particularly ac- tive in lower Harlem, from iioth to 115th street. His practice, similar to that of many others, was to buy lots and resell at a heavy advance with a building loan. Dozens of speculative builders were thus induced to begin operations, and under this artificial stimulus prices advanced so quickly that for a time builders were able to borrow from the unwary sums large enough to give them a sub- stantial profit upon their transactions. Among this flimsy specu- lative class those of bad eminence were O. W. Hawkes, John Schappert, the infamous Buddensiek, W. H. and R. E. Johnson. So long as there was a rising market and the value of lots could be pushed up a thousand or more dollars a year, and excessive loans were obtainable, all went well. Street after street was built up in a monotony of brownstone. Indeed, in the early days of the period we are now considering the great East Side was created. The movement continued for four years, until 1884, which time fur- ther expansion was impossible. Prices had become stationary and a measure of collapse was then inevitable. In the latter year Deane 2 brownstone houses; 90th st, n s, e of 4th av, 2 brownstone houses. Q. W. Hawkes; Lexington av, s s, n of 91st st, 6 brownstone houses; 94th st, n s. w of 3d av, 6 brownstone houses; 95th st, n s, w of 8d av, G brownstone houses; 9oth st, s s, w of 3d av, 12 brownstone houses: 3d av, w s, n of 101st st, 5 brownstone flats and stores, Duffy Bros.; Lexington av, w s, n of 104th st, 12 brownstone houses; 109th st, n s. e of 4th av, S brick tene- ments and stores; lOoth st, s s, e of 4th av, 5 brownstone houses; 110th st, s s, cor of 4th av, 2 brick tenements and stores; lldth st, n s, w of Lexing- ton av, 3 brownstone houses; 110th st, n s, e of 4th av, 1(1 brick houses; 112th st, s s, e of 4th av, G brick houses; 114th st. n s, e of 4th av, 8 brown- stone houses; 115th st, n s, e of Lexington av, 3 brick houses. Mr. Heart; 115th st, s s, w of Lexington av, 4 brownstone houses, B. R. Richardson; 116th st, n s, e of 4th av, 7 brownstone houses; llGth st, n s, w of 3d av, 4 brick houses; 117th st, n s, e of Lexington av, 8 brick houses; 124th st. s s, e of Lexington av, brick residence; 125th st, n s, w of Lexington av, row of flats and stores; Lexington av, w s, n of 125th st, 2 brownstone houses; Lexington av, w s, cor 127th st, brownstone house; 125th st, n s, w of 4th av, brick residence and store; 124th st, s s, e of Madison av, brown- stone houses; Madison av, e s, s 124th st, 5 brownstone houses; Madison av, w s, n of 113th st, 6 brick houses; Madison av, e s, n of 111th st, 4 brown- stone houses; 111th st, n s, w of 4th av, 10 brownstone houses; 111th st, s s. w of 4th av, G brownstone houses; 111th st, n s. e of Madison av, 3 brown- stone houses; Madison av, w s, s of 111th st. 5 brick houses. BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 83 failed with Iiundreds of houses, finished and unfinished, on his hands — houses which he liad been forced to take from his ope- rators. The auction sale of his holdings was one of the memorable events in real estate history. Hawkes also went under. \\'m. H. De Forrest, a silk importer, who backed Mowbray & Lynd Bros., was another famous operator in this movement who subsequently, as we shall see, played an important part in the opening up of Ham- ilton Grange. Willett Bronson also deserves to be mentioned. The field of his activity was 61 st, 62d, 63d streets, between ^ladison and Fourth avenues. He began work in 1877, and with Ira E. Doying as his builder, erected hundred of houses before, like the others already mentioned, he failed. It must not be understood, of course, that all the activity on the East Side, the first result of better times, was purely speculative. On the contrary, a great deal of solid work was done, particularly in the more fashionable district immediately north of 59th street. Here such builders as Dugging & Grossman, and their successor, Charles Buck & Co., C. W. Luyster, O'Reilly Brothers. Terence Farley. Breen. Xason & Hughes and others carried on sulistantial operations which even to this day stamp a solid, if sombre, char- acter upon the better streets on the East Side. Besides, it was dur- ing the early years of this period that society firmly intrenched itself in the upper part of Fifth avenue and Madison avenue, ad- jacent to 59th street. In August, 1879, Wm. H. \'ander])ilt pur- chased the property between 51st and 52d streets at a cost of S700.- 000. Indeed, ]Mr. W. H. \'anderbilt and his family purchased about thirty lots on and contiguous to Fifth avenue at that time. His action was followed by a number of similar investments made by his friends and others. ^Ir. \'anderbilt also bought for $50,000, 75x100.5. on the northeast corner of Madison avenue and 52d street. David Dows commenced building a house which cost $125,000 on the northeast corner of Fifth avenue and 69th street. George W. Quintard bought the northeast corner of 73d street and Fifth avenue, 100x125, for $165,000. Henry Havemeyer se- cured the northeast corner of Fifth avenue and 67th street. 50x100. A plot of four lots on the northwest corner of 54th street and Fifth 84 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, avenue was sold to HolHs L. Powers for $200,000. Two lots on Fifth avenue between 56th and 57th streets, were sold by George Bliss, of Bliss, Morton & Co., for $70,000, Air. Bliss having paid $43,000 for these lots a few months previous, buying them from E. W. Strughton, U. S. Minister at St. Petersburg. D. O. Mills at this time purchased a mansion on Fifth avenue, opposite the Ca- thedral. Xo. 693 Fifth avenue was purchased by Frederick Van- derbilt for $125,000. and Henry M. Flagner took title to a house which Grififith Rowe had built on the corner of 54th street and Fifth avenue. Early in 1880 the Stuart Block on 69th street, be- tween Madison and Fifth avenues, was broken up by the sale of nine lots to Mr. J. D. Crimmins, who paid $27,500 for each of the lots. They are situated on the south side of the street, and it is in- teresting to note that it was in 1864 that the Stuart brothers bought this property from I\Ir. James Lenox, paying for the same $220,000. In short, the years following 1880 were particularly busy ones on the East Side. Trading was active in all classes of property. Prices advanced, and there was scarcely a block, excepting some on Fifth and ^Madison avenues, upon which building operations were not under way. At an early date in this period all lots, as far north as 85th street, between Fifth avenue and ]\Iadison avenue, passed beyond the reach of the speculative builder and into the hands of the richer classes. Thus before the year 1884, when Deane and operators like him came to grief, the whole East Side was thor- oughly defined and prices were so firmly fixed that speculation, in the ordinary sense of the word, had become impossible. The work that has been done since 1884 in this great section of the city has been a work of development upon lines already estab- lished. It cannot be said that operations subsequent to that date have materially changed the character of any of the streets or ave- nues from that stamped upon them by the building activity which we have considered in the foregoing. There was, indeed, for a time a hesitancy on the part of the wealthier classes to occupy Fifth avenue facing the park, north of 59th street, Imt within the last six vcars the step northward has been positively taken, and the erection of such residences as those of W. \\ Brokaw, F. C. ]\Iartin, BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 85 Mrs. Josephine Schniid, E. T. Gerry, C. T. Yerkes, Airs. X. E. Bay- lies, Isaac Stern and fashionable clubs like the Metropolitan has determined the character of the avenue and the streets adjacent thereto \vherc\er aii_\ douln existed. We have now to turn our attention to the other side of the island. \\'hile the developincnts just described were in progress on the East Side the first steps towards opening up the great West Side were making. We have already seen that some time prior to 1879 the better class of capitalists, merchants and others were begin- ning to regard with great favor the long undeveloped stretch of ter- ritory between Central Park and the Hudson River. It was evi- dent to all that due to some cause or other fortune had been par- ticularly unkind to this section, which possessed so many natural advantages to a far higher degree than any other portion of the island. Despite, however, the tardiness of development on the West Side, as soon as public attention was given to the great tide of population that in 1879 began to pour into the East Side, the conclusion was irresistible that before long a part of it at least would be diverted to the western district. It is indeed one of the anomalies of the history of New York real estate that the West Side was so utterly neglected, save by the speculator, for so long. In the earlier years with which our hi>tiiry deals a serious obstacle to the actual occupation of the West Side existed in the then defi- cient transit facilities, but between 1870 and 1880 that district was quite as well served in that respect as was the opposite side of the city. jMoreover, the elevated roads reached 59th street and Ninth avenue at even an earlier date than 59th street at Third avenue, though as an offset to this advantage was the fact that the Third avenue road was extended above 59th street prior to the similar ex- tension of the Ninth avenue road. Undoul)tedly this priority counted for a great deal. However, from the ver}- earliest days, the growth of the city along the eastern side of the island has been an easier movement than along the western border. It was so in Colonial and post-revolutionary days. And we have seen that in 1868 much building had already been done along Second and Third avenues and in manv of the cross streets, while there was scarcely 86 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, a modern house to I)e found along the West Side. This, though, was hirgely <7.ii(iu (same mortgage), sold in 1870 to John I). Criiiimins for .«l(t.000 (same mortsage), and In 1881 to Chas. F. Hoffman for SL':;,("in isam.- mortsaue). 72d street, north sidr. and T:m -ii- t, south side, .Mid west of 8th avenue, 2.-)xl(i2.2, sold in 187S foi- 1 1 .;;s.-.. l),.<-,.mber i::, isso, for $19,500, and in January, 1881, for $22.(t()0. Riverside avenue, east side, extending from 7!»th to SOth street (207.1'''/4) and extending C9.8M! on 79th street, 35.8i| „^ soth street, was sold January, 1879, to Samuel V. Hoffman for $12,0(1(1: in June, l.S7".i. it was transferred for $25,000; in November of the same year again for $25.(100; then in quick succession to Wm. H. Scott and Simon Sterne for $;!5,(i(J0, and to James Scobie (February, 1880), for $39,500. In May, 1879, James E. Mallory purchased some property on 9th avenue, west side, 25.10 south 84th street, for $7,000, which he sold on March 10, 1880, to John B. Conley for $10,.500. 83d street, south side, 225 west 8th avenue, 50x102.2, was acquired by Wm. H. Scott in May, 1879, for $10,000, sold in 1880 to E. H. Nichols for $19,2.50, and in 1882 to William Tilden for $2fi,000. Wm. H. Hewlett in 1877 paid $2,000 for 10th avenue, east side, 102.2 north of 84th street, 51x100, and sold the same for $5,000 in April, 1881. On December 6, 1877, Edward Kilpatrick sold to Wm. H. Scott for $13,000 85th street, south side, and 84th street, north side, 350 east 9th avenue, 50x102.2, who in 1880 resold to Thos. N. Fowler for !j;20,000. In 1881 Edward Clark paid $30,650 for four lots on south side 85th street, loo west 8th avenue, which were purchased by the seller in 1870 for $17,750. 92 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, well known to everybody ventured from time to time ujMjn what was in greater part experimental work. The future of the West Side of eourse was quite a blank, and in the long stretch of territory from 59th street to the Harlem there were few fixed points to guide the investor in determining the naturi.- of the buildings it would be most profitable to put uj). At 5()th street the undevelo]KHl West Side came into touch with a rather inferior class of structures, so that one could guess fairly well what was likely to l)e the line of operations for some few l)locks northward. Eighth avenue or Cen- tral Park \\'est and Riverside Drive were consecrated in the imagi- nation of property owners to the uses of millionaires, and from the first the price demanded for lots on those thoroughfares was prac- tically prohibitory so far as the spectdative builder was concerned. Elsewhere the elevated road stations at yzd, 81 st and 93d streets attracted the builder like magnetic points, although the early operators were even there groping in the dark. Xo one could feel sure as to whether he was working in what would be a tenement district or a region of first, or second, or third-class residences. Indeed, in 1881 plans were filed for tenements to be erected on the north side of 72d street, 100 feet west of Xinth avenue. They were never built, fortunately, but the circumstance shows in what A lot on 90th street, ncu-th j--ide, 4(l(i west Sth avenue, that sold in ISTS for $3,500 was sold in 1881 fi.r ."SJ.li.'.d. 9th avenue and 90th street, northeast corner, lun.Si:.xl(Hi. was bought by John H. Tingue February, 1880, for $11,200, and sold a year later to David B. Alger for $14,000. Certain property on the Boulevard, east side, south of 95th street, which sold in 1878 for .-<;!, 7n(i. was j.urchased by Alonzo R. Hamilton in ]SS(( for $8,000. 101st street, ncrtli si.l. . 17 1 1 wist '.(th avenue, lOxlKO.ll (with building), sold in 1878 for .-i^l'.^^.ji i, and in ilay, INSO, for $3,500. 9th avenue, east side, 25.3 north 105th street, 25.Sx1ihi, was acciuirt-d by the Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 1878 fur -SI. Odd. Tlie Comiiany sold it in 1880 for $3,000, and in 18S1 it was resold to Patrick Connelly for -SI. subject to a mortgage of $5,500. 100th street, north side, 175 east 9th avenue, 2.5x100.11, and 101st street, south side, 150 east 9th avenue, 50x100.11. was purchased by Simon Sterne January 16, 1880, for $7,500 (mortgage S;1.781). who ,,n March 23d of the same year resold to Benjamin F. Romaine foi- .^'.l.coo isann- niortsasrc). 109th street, north side, 250 east lOtli i.x . nu-. ."nx ri;ilf Mo, k, aii>l llnth street, south side, 250 east 10th avenue. .Mix haii hio, k. was smM in 1 s79 for $8,175 by Max Oppenheimer, and in Inmi was resold by the i.ur. baser, Samuel A. Lewis, for .S15..-.00. The foregoing instances, taken quite at random from the records of the period, are sufht ient to indicate the general advance in prices of West Side property that was in progress in 1879-80— an upward movement, by the way, which continued with marked results for ten years. It must not be for- BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. great obscurity as to the future the builder was naturally enveloped. The Clark houses constituted another fixed point, and up in West Harlem something had already been done in spots to determine local character. The rest was a wilderness of confusing possibili- ties, and it is curious to notice how far many of the early antici- pations were from the reality. Riverside Drive and Central Park \\'est would, it was thought, be seized upon first of all the avenues on the \\'est Side by the wealthy as the sites of mansions that would splendidly eclipse anything and everything on Fifth avenue. Tenth or Amsterdam avenue was preferred to Ninth or Columbus avenue. The Boulevard was to be the seat of lordly pleasure houses, and Eleventh, or ^^'est End avenue, to which small thought was given, was consigned by many to Ije the location of household stores. The future of property on Alorningside Hill was regarded as very prom- ising. Islnch of its was owned by the Leake and A\'atts Asvlum and by the Society of the Xcw York Hospital. The former owned three Ijlocks lietween Morningside avenue, Tenth avenue, iioth and 113th streets. The Hnspital Sijciety owned the entire tract with the exception oi a few luts between 112th, 120th streets, Tenth avenue and the I'.roadway Boulevard, together with a large piece west of the Boulevard, north of ii6th street, leaving only a gotten, however, that the prices we have given for 1S79-80 were still far below those that ruled in 1871-1872. as the following table shows: Prices. Prices. 1871-1872. ISSO. N w cor 8th av and 62d st. four lots .iil30,000 N w cor 8th av and fi;^d st, three lots .'fiGo.OOO S w cor 8th av nn l 'W.li -t, fnur lots ll.-i,00(l S w cor 8th ' rnd one st lot, five lots 120,(X)0 W s 8th av, Iv I ' -. . . sts. three lots 45,000 W s Sth av. IM 'M l. in.i i;Mh sts, two lots 50,000 Sth av. 2.-. n -i im 25,000 Front. r.4th Tm c.-.Ui st and two lots on 6.5th st, ten lots. . 255,000 .... S s c,sth st, .'iL'"> A Mh av. three lots '15,000 S S (iSth st, M2.") w Nth av, three lots fli.OOO S s 68th st,' bet 8th and 9th avs. six lots 42,000 N s 69th st, beginning lOd e 9th av, fourteen lots 91,000 S w cor Sth av and 70th st, and two street lots, six lots. . 130,000 .... S w cor 8th av and 76th st, three lots 83,000 30,000 Av lots, bet 76th and 77th sts, two lots .55,000 ^. . . . Av lots, bet Slst and 82d sts, two lots 27,000 N w cor Sth av and 8Sth st, two lots 47,000 28,000 X w cor Sth av and Slst st, two lots 2.3,000 N w cor Sth av and 82d st, one avenue and two street lots, three lots 2o,000 X w cor Sth av and S.'.th st, four avenue lots, four street lots, one gore, eight lots 95,000 94 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, comparatively small number of lots for private owners. For the strip on Morningside avenue, from 113th street to I22d street, averaging about 500 feet in width and on the front along the ave- nue, exclusive of the Leake and Watts asylum, there were only about ten owners in all. They were: Emanuel Garcia. Frederick de Peyster, General Jas. Watts de Peyster, James J. Goodwin, Joseph W. Drexel, Dwight H. Olmstead, The Central National Bank, Tracy, Olmstead & Treacy, Mary G. Pinckney and James Rufus Smith. Among the large owners of inside or street lots were But- ler H. Bixby, Roscoe Conkling and Dr. B. W. McCready. John Jacob Astor expressed it as his opinion in 1879 that build- ing would start from 72d street and move from that point south- ward and crowd out the shanties ; whereas others suggested that the city was destined to grow up the Fifth avenue side of the town and then swing across iioth street to Morningside Hill. Neither view, as we know, w-as entirely correct. Seventy-second street was the starting point of one set of operations, which moved in all direc- tions from that centre, but chiefly northward. Similar centres were also established at the elevated stations at 81 st and 93d and 104th streets — points, by the way, which mark the several high elevations of land on the West Side. As to the "swing-across-town" theorv, it was correct in principle, but the cross movement was not made at iioth street but at 125th street. It is needless to point out the determining influence in all this exerted by the elevated roads. To sum up: The earliest development of the West Side tended north- ward from 72d street, and north and south of 125th street, the greatest activity at first being in the upper locality. It w^as perhaps as early as 1880 that what may be termed the overflow from the East Side began to trickle into the northern part of the W^est Side. Rents in Harlem proper in that year were advancing rapidly and the beneficial influence of the Third avenue elevated road was stimulating building at the northern end of the island, along 125th street and other adjacent cross streets. A demand for upper W^est Side lots arose and prices began to move upward. In 1879 August Belmont sold the block, St. Nicholas and Seventh avenue, 112th and 113th streets, for $150,000. The plot BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 95 looxioo.ii on 125th street, south side, 150 feet west of Eighth avenue, inchiding looxioo.ii on 124th street, north side, 150 feet west of Eighth avenue, which sold for $10,000 in 1878, brought $21,000 the next year, while the plot 100.11x125 on 125th street, southwest corner of Tenth avenue, sold at $6,500 in 1879, $11,000 in 1880 and $16,000 in 1882. Considerable purchases on and around 125th street toward the west side of the island were made in 1879 l^y William Jennings Deniorest, Simon Sterne, Edward J. McGean, John D. Phillips, John H. Deane, David J. Selignian, The- odore W. Myers, Samuel L. Parish, Edward A. Jackson, John B. Hillyer, Edward J. King, John M. Pinkney, Richard H. L. Townsend, Frank Tilford, Wm. H. Scott, \Vm. R. Martin, John H. Hanki nson. Smith Eh', Jr., Wm. D. Whiting. In 1881 the builder was quite active in the upper West Side. Among the early pioneers were A. A. Teetz, S. O. Wright, R. M. Strebeigh, Kehoe, Hubner, Broas, Moore, Codling & Son, Brown- ing, E. S. Higgins, I. E. Wright, J. Van Dolsen, Cunningham, Thurston, T. Wilson, J. W. Stevens, Lynch, Harlow, Mulrein, Hutchinson. The field of operations was chiefly between Seventh and Eighth avenue, 126th and 133d streets. Eighteen hundred and eighty-one was an active year in real estate in all parts of the city. Prices were advancing. Indeed, since 1877 there had been a steady increase in the number of transactions as well as in the amount of money invested. General business was good. The prices of labor and material were advancing and there was a good demand for both. The East Side reaped the larger part of this harvest, but 125th street was a fertile tract, along which some of the seed was scattered into the West Side. The lower part of the West Side received less benefit. The Clark operations, at 72d and 73d streets, were still the chief ones, but in 1881 George J. Hamilton began to build on 73d street, near the Clark houses, and at the close of the year there were eighteen rows of buildings in course of erection in the district south of 125th street. Plans were filed for 139 buildings calling for an expenditure of $2,035,400. The building done in 1882 did not vary much, either in extent or character, from that accomplished in 188 1. At the same time the A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, activity was sunicwliat more marked, and many builders hitherto at work in other parts of the city began oijcrations on the West Side. Thus John \\\ Stevens buih a smaU row of dwellings in 87th street; John G. Prague filed plans for some tenements in 61st street and Ninth avenue ; Francis Crawford started in with some dwell- ings on / ist street, and Michael Brennan built a small experimen- tal row on 69th street. George W. Hamilton, also, was encouraged by his father's operations on 73d to follow Mr. Crawford's example on 71st street. In April of that year David Christie commenced work on Tenth avenue and 96th street, and James O'Friel on Ninth avenue and 78th street. John ]\Ialoy thought money was to be made by building on Ninth avenue and 61 st street, while Edward Mor- rison was imbued with the same idea regarding a location two miles further north on looth street, west of Ninth avenue. Furthermore, those who had come to the district previously were there to stay. John D. Crimmins and Edward Clark commenced the erection of new rows, the former at 92d street and Ninth avenue, the latter still on 73d street. Geo. Hamilton returned to 73d street later in the year, this time west of Ninth avenue. While these enterprises were fairly well distributed the centre of activity was in the imme- diate vicinity of 72d street, although on that street itself nothing- had been done as yet. Altogether there were plans filed for 177 buildings in the district, their estimated cost amounting to $3,159,- 100, against 954 buildings costing $14,990,375, for the section east of Central Park. Respectable colonies had been formed in the neighborhood of the 72d, 8ist, 93d, 104th and 125th street elevated railroad stations, representing an investment of between seven and eight millions of capital. No plans had been filed for buildings on W'est End ave- nue, and Tenth avenue was apparently more popular than Ninth avenue, which was only in the process of being paved. Some one suggested, under the illusion that the latter avenue was to be cov- ered with dwellings, that it would be a good idea to situate the houses as far back from the building line as would be consistent with the depth of the lot, and plant a row of trees in front to pre- vent the occupants from being annoyed by intrusive cinders from BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. the elevated engines. This ingenious method of defense did not, however, commend itself to builders. The year 1883 saw a con- tinuance of the progress made the year before, without, however, any notable acceleration of pace. Fred. Kruse began building on Tenth avenue, Samuel Colcord on 79th street, Casper M. Lawson on looth street. Christian Kruse on 83d street, A. Alonzo Teets on 122(1 street, John Richards and James Phelps on 61 st street, George Huhn on 67th street, Benj. Wallace on looth street, S. H. Mapes on 10th avenue, R. Townsend on looth street, Hugh Blesson on 76th street, and Richard Deeves on 83d street. Other names which may be mentioned are: E. M. Wadsworth, J. W. Guntzer and Richard Chaffy. At the same time many builders who had entered the district in previous years continued their operations with un- abated confidence and apparently with unvarying success. Throughout the year plans were filed for 183 buildings, to cost $3,398,075. Building on the East Side, however, still continued to be far more important in respect to the extent of operations than that on the West Side. Several large auction sales, joined to the greater facilities for access furnished by the elevated roads, served to advertise the West Side immensely. At the Carman sale, on March 25, 1880, 257 lots, between 148th street and Highbridge Park, were disposed of for $181,609. As the buyers refused to take title, owing to legal difficulties, a resale of the property was held in April, 1881. The first of the two famous Jumel sales was held May, 1882, and the second in November, 1,058 lots north of 159th street being knocked down for a total of $544,830. Another important sale was that by the Mutual Life Insurance Company of improved property and 227 vacant lots, mostly on the West Side, in 70th, 8oth and 90th streets, and northward to 158th street.* The dis- persion of property formerly held by a few individuals into the possession of many was an advantageous circumstance, and one that favored the promotion of building operations. But the ball moved slowly. As we have said, the speculative builder was not *For particulars of these and other noted auction sales, see Appendix. 7 98 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ready for the West Side, and tlie work of opening up the new territory for the habitation of the multitude could not be accom- plished without liim. Eighteen hundred and eighty-three was not a very good year for general business, and real estate slightly felt the mild depression. A considerable amount of buying and building was done in the upper part of the W'l'st Side, and in the lower part new accessions from the ranks of the solider builders on the East Side were made. George W. Hamilton, who con- tributed so much to the early development of the West Side, was busy in the vicinity of 72d street and 9th avenue ; Samuel Colcord filed plans for houses on 79th street. The building up of 72d street was conmienced in earnest. Cornelius ^\^ Luyster, in connection with James R. Smith, had plans prepared by D. & J. Jardine for ten four-story brownstone dwellings, to be erected on the north side of 72d street, 100 feet east of loth avenue; on the south side of the same street, 300 feet west of 9th avenue, Francis Crawford prepared to build by acquiring four lots with building loan at a cost of $58,000. B. C. \\'etmore tiled plans for another lot of dwellings on 72d street, between (;th and loth avenues. Edward Hatch announced that he would erect eight tenements on the north side of 6ist street, between loth and nth avenues; E. Purcell had similar plans, but for only four buildings, on the south side of 60th street, 200 feet west of loth avenue. Alichacl Brennan was associated with ^Ir. Purcell. In the same year John 'SI. Ruck filed plans for a flat to be built on 9th avenue, at the northwest corner of 71st street. L M. (irenell undertook three dwellings on the north side of 87th street, west of 9th avenue; Christian lilinn filed plans for six dwellings on 78th street, west of 9th avenue. S. H, Mapes determined to build tenements on the w-est side of loth avenue, 125 feet north of 74th street. Terence Farley purchased five lots on the southwest corner of 9th avenue and 73d street and other adjacent property, and Richard Deeves had ]ilans made for dwellings on the north side of 82(1 street, 175 feet east of 9th avenue. Most of the foregoing names the reader will recognize as those of operators who have played very important parts in the develop- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 99 ment of the West Side. The greater part of the new work was in the neighborhood of /2d street and along or between gth and loth avenues, and small in amount as the new work was in these early years it was of unusual importance because these initial op- erations did so much to determine the character of the cross streets and longitudinal avenues. Eighteen hundred and eighty-two and 1883 were the years when the outposts of the coming army of builders were established and it is noteworthy that so many of these first operators should be the very men who subsequently were the most active in developing the West Side. Over one hundred buildings were projected or commenced in 1883. Of apartment houses thirteen were under way in May, costing $209,000. North of 69th street and south of iioth there were seventy-seven dwell- ings under way, costing $1,192,500. As to the upper West Side, the distribution of the Carman and Jumel estates had an excellent efifect. The northwest side of the island seemed the most unpromising of any section south of the Harlem River. It was the most remote from the business quarter, and not accessible by the ordinary routes of travel. But the dis- The following table shows the buildings projected on the West Sid? in the spring of 188:!: Boulevard, w s, 60 n 60th st, 4-sty and basement brk and brownstone apartment house, J. H. Gautier, cost, .$40,000; Boulevard, e s, 79.4 n 74th st, 3-sty brk club-house and store, John D. Crimmins, $8,000; Boulevard, n e cor 83d st, two 5-sty brk and stone stores and tenem'ts. Christian Cruse, total cost, $30,000; 59th st, Nos. 303, 305 and 307 W., 4-sty brk stable, owner, O. L. Jones; 60th st, No. 215 W., 5-sty brownstone dwell'g, Thos. Cowman, $15,000 ; 60th st, No. 217 W., o-sty brk apartment house, Julia Mullaly, $20,000; 60th st, s s, 200 w 10th av, 5-sty brownstone tenem't, Edward Purcell; 60th st, s s, 219 w 10th av, three 5-sty brownstone tene- ments, same as last; 60th st, Nos. 285 and 287, w 11th av, two 4-sty brk and brownstone stores and tenem'ts, Mrs. M. J. Largau, each $9,000; 61st St. n s, 200 e 10th av, ."i-sty brownstone tenem't, $24,000; 61st st, s s, 100 w 10th av, 5-sty brk tenem't, Claus Ahrenz. S;i2,nO(i; 01st st, s s, 125 w 10th av, five 5-sty brownstone tenem'ts, John Richards, each $23,000; 61st st, s s, 350 w 10th av, two 5-sty brownstone tenem ts, James Phelp. each $18,000; 61st st. No. 532 W., 5-sty brk tenem'ts, Patrick O'Reilley, $14.fl00; 62d st, s s, 75 w Boulevard, 2-sty brk office stalls and dwell'g, Jacob Stock- inger, $1,500; 67th st, No. 1-20 W., 1-sty brk stable, Wm. Skelly. $1,500; 67th st, 150 w loth av. two 5-sty Isrownstone tenem'ts, P. Netter, each $16,000; 67th st, n s, w 11th av, eight 4-sty brk tenem'ts. George Kuhn, each $10,000; 69th st, s s, lOn w 11th av. ar.d 69th st, n s, 200 w Kith av, twelve 5-sty brk tenem'ts, E. A. Davis, each .-<18,(i00; 11th av, n w cor 68th st, one 1-sty brk store and dwell'g. Michael Flick, $1,500; 69th st, n s, 125 w 10th av, 2-sty brk dwell'g, Harriet I. Potter, $6,000; 71st st, s s. 80 w 9th av, five 4-sty brownstone dwell'gs, George W. Hamilton, total cost $100,000; 72d st, s s, 100 e 10th av, five 4-sty brownstone dwell'gs, Geo. J. Hamilton, total cost $130,000; 72d st, n s, 300 e 10th av, three 4-sty brownstone dwell- ings Margaret Crawford, each $20,000; 72d st, s s, 400 e 10th av, five 4-sty lOO A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, tribution of the Carman and Jumel estates had a very wholesome efifect. The purchasers who were attracted by the low price of the lots were not willing to pay taxes and assessments for ten or fifteen years without some return from the property, and hence com- menced to build. A sale of lots in the spring of 1883 above 140th street and 8th avenue told the story of the increased favor in which this part of the city was held. There was a surprisingly large ad- vance in the price of lots as compared with the sales made when the Carman and Jumel estates were auctioned ofT. During the first half of 1883 102 buildings, aggregating $386,650, were projected west of 8th avenue and north of 140th street. The proposed im- provement of the Harlem River doubtless encouraged building in this district, but the unexpectedly large number of plans filed dur- ing the six months in question was primarily due to the fear en- tertained by property-holders that the Legislature, then in session, would extend the fire limits over the whole of the island. Accord- ingly, with few exceptions, the plans filed were for frame buildings, many of which were projected merely for the purpose of tempo- rarily paying taxes, assessments and interest. brownstone dwell'gs, Margaret Crawford, each $25,000; 72d st, n s, 100 e 10th av, ten 4-sty brownstone dwell'gs, James R. Smith and C. W. Luyster, average, each $25,000; 73d st, s s, 275 w 9th av, 3-sty and basement brk and brownstone dwell'g, Roberta W. Marsh; 73d st, s s, 300 w 9th av, three 4-sty brownstone dwell'gs, Anna McDonald, average, each -$18,000; 73d st, n e cor 10th av, one 4-sty brk flat, Jonathan Allen and ano., ,$22,000; 73d st, n s, 28 e 10th av, four 4-sty brk and brownstone dwell'gs, J. Allen and ano., each .$15,000; 78th st, n s, 150 w 9th av, six 3-sty stone front dwell'gs, Christian Blinn, each $8,000 or .$9,000; 78th st, n s, 30 w Broad- way, three 1-sty brk and glass greenhouses, David Clark, total cost $1,200; 79th st, s s, 350 w 9th av, five 3 and 4-sty brownstone dwell'gs, Samuel Colcord, about, each $10,000; 82d st, n s, 225 e 9th av, six 4-sty brk dwell- ings, Mrs. Mary M. Williams, each $11,250; 83d st, s s, 225 e 9th av, six 4-sty brk tenem'ts, same as last, each $11,250; 85th st, s s. 300 e lUth av, 2-sty and cellar brk dwell'g, John Campbell, $2,500; 86th st. n s, 90 w 10th av, 2-sty brk and stone chapel, Eighty-foui-th Street Presbyterian Church, $20,000; 87th st. n s, 175 w 9th av, three 3-sty brownstone dwell'gs, I. M. Grenell, each $9,000; 100th st, n s, 300 w 9th av, four 5-sty brownstone apartment houses, Casper N. Lawson, each $9,000; 104th st, s s, 250 w 9th av, 2-sty brk dwell'g, Mrs. C. A. Brown, .$5,500; lOGth st, s s, 100 e 9th av, two 4-sty brk and brownstone apartment houses. Mrs. M. C. Jackman, each $15,000; 107th st, s s, 175 w 9th av, 2-sty brk shop, Julius Bush. $1,500; 8th av, n w cor 86th st, frame grand stand, Manhattan Athletic Club, $3,000: 9th av, n w cor 71st st, 4-sty brownstone store and flat, John M. Ruck, $20,000; 9th av, w s, 69.2 n 71st st, two 4-sty brownstone dwell'gs, same as last, each $10,000; 71st st, n s, 20 w 9th av, five 3-sty brownstone dwell'gs, same as last, each $12,000; 9th av, e s, 25.2 n liiOth st, 1-sty dwell'g. Anna Harms, $2,000; 9th av, n w cor lOOth st, four 5-sty l-rk and stone-trimmed tenem'ts. Benjamin Wallace, each $9,000; 10th av, w s, 75 n 74th st, 5-sty brownstone nat, S. H. Mapes, $23,000. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. During the year 1883 plans were filed for 183 buildings, to cost $3,398,075, between 59th and 125th streets, west of 8th avenue. In the same period 849 buildings, to cost $13,754,047, were filed for the East Side — a comparison which shows more clearly than any description where the real seat of operations was at that time. In the following year, 1884, however, the West Side movement be- gan to assume large pr-oportions. The activity on the East Side was declining. Land there had become relatively dear and specula- tion was beginning to reach the end of its resources. As we have seen, the failure of Deane, Hawkes et al., was not for off. In 1884 335 buildings, to cost $6,675,490, were planned for on the West Side. People began to make the discovery that class for class houses were cheaper on the West Side than on the East Side, and this assisted in sending buyers into the new territory which the builder was beginning to invade. In this year John D. Crimmins had plans made for houses on 68th street, between 9th and loth avenues: so did Edward J. King, on 71st street; Ralph F. Townsend, on \\'est End avenue, west side, south of io2d street; David H. Knapp, loth avenue, southeast corner 105th street; William Noble, 83d street, south side, east of 9th avenue, and Daniel Herbert. 8ist street, north side, 200 feet east of loth ave- nue ; Henry r)Ornkamp, 9tli avenue, east and west sides, between 95th and 96th streets. Joseph F. Navarro, who, despite his large operations on 59th street, and on the East Side, had made con- siderable investments in recent years in West Side property, filed plans for (but did not erect) four twelve-story flats on 8th avenue, west side, between 8ist and 82d streets, the site upon which the Hotel Beresford now stands. Geo. C. Edgar undertook to build on the north side of 70th street, 100 feet west of 9th avenue; Samuel Colcord on the north side of 79th street, west of 9th ave- nue ; Charles L. Guilleaume on the north side of 87th street, 325 feet west of 9th avenue. The building movement continued to be especially marked in the neighborhood of the elevated road stations. It was encroaching upon the vacant ground up to 74th street, and a good part of the ground around 8ist street; 71st to 73d street was largely built I02 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, over, and this was also the case with 82d and 83d streets. On the latter twenty-one private residences were to be erected, or in pro- cess of erection. Seven of these were built by William Noble, three by D. & J. Jardine, the architects, and two by Thomas Cochrane. The first stories of Architect George W. Da Cunha's three houses were making their a])pearance above ground while the six residences erected by Richard Deeves were rapidly approaching com- pletion. The same owner was building three similar houses on 82d street. Further west, between 9th and loth avenues, and on the same streets, the vacant ground for building purposes was decreasing month by month. Going north, the building activity was running beyond the 104th street "L" station. A number of houses were going up on 9th avenue, 96th, 97th and 98th streets, near 9th avenue, and it was declared that in a few years lots in this direction would become as valuable as in the neighborhood of the 72d and 81 st street elevated road stations. In the beginning of the year 1885 the prospect ahead for real estate was not the brightest. There had been trouble in Wall street during the previous year, there were bad times in Europe, and the unusually hot political contest between Blaine and Cleve- land had, or was supposed to have had, an unsettling effect upon the country. Builders, moreover, had been hampered by a number of petty strikes with their employes. The failures on the East Side and the practical failures of many big apartment houses to return sufBcient interest on the money invested had contributed to create something of an adverse opinion as to the profitableness of real estate. However, before 1885 closed these clouds had quite blown over, and in the new revival the W^est Side emerged as the recog- nized speculative area of the city. The operators already at work in that district undertook new and larger enterprises and they were joined by nearly all the larger builders in the city. J. G. Prague filed plans for dwellings on 73d street ; Lamb & Rich for twelve dwellings on the southwest corner of 75th street and West End avenue ; Gillie, Walker & Lawson for tenements on 62d street, west of 9th avenue ; E. S. Auchniuty for one apartment house on the southwest corner of 9th avenue and BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 93d street ; Samuel Colcord for residences on the north side of 8ist street, between 9tli and loth avenues; Robert Auld for resi- dences on 94th street, west of 8th avenue ; George W. Rogers for ten tliree-story dwelHngs on tlie northwest corner of the Boulevard and 84th street. George R. Reade sold for S. T. Meyer & Son twelve lots on New avenue, extending from 104th to 105th streets, for $55,000, to the Protestant Half-Orphan Asylum, and at the Drake estate sale, held in April of this year, four lots on the south- west corner of 86th street and nth avenue w'ere sold to Francis M. Jencks for $14,650, and four lots on 87th street and nth avenue were secured at private sale by Jacob Lawson and C. S. Wescott for $10,000. Chas. Batchelor filed plans for five dwellings on the north side of 72d street, 175 feet west of 9th avenue; Edgar & Sons, for four dwellings on 70th street, west of (;th avenue ; Wm. Noble for residences on the north side of 76th street, west of 9th avenue; M. Brennan for residences on the north side of 76th street, west of 9th avenue, and Henry Maihrunn for a residence on 78th street, west of 9th avenue, from ])laiis hy Alfred Zucker & Co., architects. By this time the attention of the city was directed to the phenom- enal progress which had been made ])y the West Side during the This list contains all the building: plans filed from the 1st of December, 1SS4, to May, 1885, in the district west of 8th avenue, and extending from 65th to 135th street. The total number of houses to be erected according to the plans amounted to l.'.T. the estimated cost of which is $2,314,500. It is safe to say that .S2,(MlO,000 would not cover the cost of the buildings, the foundations of which were laid within the specified five months: 65th St, n s, w 8th av, five flats, James Philp, cost .'.i. h .*:;(), (UHI: (;.-,th st. s s, w 10th av, one tenement, Henry Meyer, .$1().(i(mi; CiUh .^.i. n s, \n S li av. two tenements, John M. Ruck, each .$17,500; 6Tth st. s s. w Mh a\-, thr.'^ i. n- ements, John M. Ruck, each .$17, .".00; 70th st, s s, e 11th av, thrt-e dwell- ings, Tracy & Van Loon, each $12,000;71st st, n s, w 8th av, seven dwellings, Owen Donohue, each $12,000; 71st st, n s, w 8th av, three dwellings, Thomp- son & Mickens, each $10,000; 71st st, n s, w Grand Boulevard, seven dwell- ings, Elizabeth Steinmetz, each $12,000; 72d st, n s, w 9th av, five dwellings, Chas. Batchelor, each .$22,0(10; 75th st, n s, w Boulevard, five dwellings, Daniel D. Brandt, each $11,000; 76th st, n s, w 9th av, seven dwellings, Mar- garet A. Brennan, each $18,000; 76th st, n s, w 9th av, four dwellings, Wm. Noble, each $20,000; 76th st, n s, w 9th av, six dwellings, John T. and James A. Farley, each $20,000; 76th st, n s, w 9th av, twelve dwellings, John S. Kelso, Jr., total $210,000; 78th st, s s, w 9th av, one dwelling, Henry Mai- brunn, $20,000; 81st st, n s, e 9th av, one dwelling. Christian Blinn, $40,000; 84th st, n w cor Boulevard, ten dwellings, George W. Rogers; 87th st, n s,. w 9th av, three dwellings, I. M. Grenell, each $9,500; 88th st, n e cor West- ern Boulevard, one store, Wm. McCormack; 95th st, s s, w 9th av, twO' dwellings, Edwin and Chas. Eraser, each $6,000; 101st st, n s, w 11th av. one dwelling, Robt. T. Bellchambers, $12,000; 104th st, s s, e Boulevard, I04 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, past two years. As we have shown, the whole building force of the city seemed to have been transferred from the East to the West Side. In 1885 plans were filed for 689 buildings to be erected at a cost of $10,686,284 — very nearly double the number of the year before and equal to the number filed during the same year on the East Side. In 1886 money was easy, the general state of the country was prosperous, and in short, conditions of every nature favored extensive operations. The buildings already erected on the West Side had sold readily, so that builders were inclined and were financially able to undertake new responsibilities. Early in this year D. Willis James, with Messrs. Prague and Power, began his extensive operations on 86th street, which has resulted in the erection of nearly 300 houses. The only other operators whose enterprises can be compared in magnitude to these are those of the Clarks, and those of W. E. D. Stokes and his affiliations on West End avenue and elsewhere. Mr. Charles Buck, another op- erator who has made very large investments of the highest charac- ter on the West Side, also began to build in that district in 1886, having previously confined his attention to the fashionable region in the lower East Side, wherein he continued the work of Duggin & Grossman. seven dwellings, Martha A. Lawson, each .'i!12.5nn; lO.-.th st, s s, e Grand Boulevard, four dwellings, John F. Moore, each .?12,000; 9th av, s w cor 93d St, one apartment house, Mrs. E. S. Auchmuty, about !F150,000; 9th av, n w cor 94th st, and s w cor 95th st, two tenements and stores, John M. Pink- ney, each .$14,000; 9th av, w s, n 94th st, eight tenem'ts and stores, John M. Pinkney, each $1.3.000; 10th av, e s, 92d t'l n:;a st, ono brick building- (Home for the Aged), Methodist Episcopal riiun h Tbniic, .^liTi di (); Imii :\\-. ii ^\■ cor 104th st, three tenements. Franklin Thui -i-n ■ n. s_'r ii, i w o, . sis.iioi). Sfil,000; 11th av, s e cor T.'.th st, six dwUn.^s. .V; i;ich; Vi:\<\ st, s s, 8th to St. Nicholas av, six dwellings, II. .losi-pliin,- Wils.m. c-ach .S'.t.OdO; Same, two dwellings, same, each .1(14,000; 125th st, s e ci.r St. Nicholas av, five stores and tenements, James Cassidy; 12Gth st, n s, e St. Nicholas av, eight dwellings, The Nassau Building Co., each .1:12,0(10; K'.lst st, n s, w 10th av, one hospital, Manhattan Dispensary, $14,000; 8th av, w s, s llfith st, two flats and stores, James Connor, each $22,000; 8th av, s w cor IKlth st, two flats and stores, James Connor, each $17,000; 8th av, w s, s 12:!d st, runs to St. Nicholas av, one store and dwelling, John M. Pinkney, $10,000: 8th av, n e cor 12Gth st, one tenement and store, Marie T. McCormick, $25,000; 8th av, s w cor 133d st, one tenement and store, Peter McCormack, $18,000; 8th av, w s, s 133d st, two tenements and stores, Peter McCormack, each $18,000; 8th av, w s, s 1.33d st, one tenement and store, Peter McCor- mack, $18,000; 8th av, n w cor 134th st, four stores and tenements, L,. Wei- her, each $10,000. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 105 In this year, 1886, the number of plans filed was 948 and the estimated cost of buildings $15,169,000. In 1887 the amount in- vested had increased to $16,607,975. ^^'-^t the number of projected buildings slightly decreased, to 824. This year witnessed the cul- mination of the first great activity on the West Side. Building had been slightly overdone. There were, as a consequence, a few finan- cial disasters and many builders found themselves obliged to carry over their investments into another year. This state of affairs checked building so that in 1888 there were only 522 buildings planned for at a cost of but $10,383,500. By this latter year, need- less to say, the West Side as we know it to-day was clearly de- fined. Riverside avenue and Central Park West were still neg- lected, but the character of all the other avenues was settled. As to the centre of activity it had shiftcfl northward to 8rst street, but below 72d street, a great deal of work was in progress. When "The Record and Guide" made its first canvass of the West Side, in the fall of 1888, it was found that between April, 1886, and April, 1888, plans had been filed for 1,049 dwellings and 522 flats and tenements, with the following result: As to the value of West Side lots prices naturally were steadily advancing, as the following typical transactions show: Jan., 1877. Oct., 1885. Sept.. 1880. 9th av, s e cor 124th st, 7 lots ipiO.OOO .1:29.500 .$41,000 Dec, 1885. Sept.. 188(i. 9th av, n e cor 70th st, 2 lots .$20,000 .S28.000 .... Dec, 1885. Mar., 1S.8(!. Oct., 1886. 9th av, s e cor 90th st, 4 lots .$31,900 .«4(i,(iO(» .*i;|4,i)00 Dec. 18*5. Dor., I^sd aI m-.. IsSd. 9th av, w s, bet 98th and 99th sts, 8 lota. . .$45,000 .S-M; niiii *ST-,()(i0 Jan., 1886. Mar., 1886. Oct.. 1SS6. 8th av, w s, 119th to 120th st, 8 lots .$45,000 .$65,000 $75,000 Nov.. 1876. Jan., 1886. 72d st, s s, 175 w 8th av, 4 lots $.34,500 *$85,000 Oct.. 1879. Nov., 1879. May, 188.5. 72d st, s s, 525 w Sth av, 4 lots $39,000 $40,000 *$72,000 ♦Sold to a builder. io6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Prom From Frc 59-72. 72-81. Four-story dwellings: No. filed 127 214 273 92 4 1 711 Unfinished, &c 18 78 64 20 180 Rented, &c 3 23 20 2 1 1 50 Sold 26 56 75 .39 19() Unmarketed 80 .57 114 31 3 285 Three-story dwellings: No. filed 10 39 59 121 76 33 338 Unfinished, &c 3 15 17 45 12 92 Rented, &c 4 9 5 10 28 Sold 21 10 61 13 10 115 Unmarketed 6 6 34 38 8 11 103 Flats: No. filed 34 20 27 50 23 8 162 Unfinished, &c 2 3 7 4 16 Rented, &c 7 2 2 1 12 Sold 20 2 8 23 10 8 71 Unmarketed 7 14 16 18 8 63 Tenements: No. filed 103 17 62 124 38 16 3(50 Unfinished, &c 29 2 26 24 1 82 Rented, &c 4 1 4 12 1 22 Sold 47 3 12 25 7 10 104 Unmarketed 22 12 23 71 18 5 152 In 1889 plans were filed at the ikiilding Department for 839 buildings, estimated to cost $21,574,200, and with this record we reach the banner year on the West Side. The activity of that twelve months has never been exceeded, as the adjoined table shows: 1885. , 1886. . 1887. . No. Estimated Cost. 612 $9,480,284 932 14,904,000 824 16,607,975 10.383,500 839 21,574.200 804 639 1 I,.".;; 1.1 In 645 i:i.i5i,',i-j.-) 443 IT, 11 11, 45(1 476 10,440,775 699 20,860,820 358 11,563,775 445 13,471,350 By the year 1890 the permanent character of the several localities on the West Side, between 59th and 125th streets, may be said to have been determined by the improvements described in the fore- going. The one important exception was Morningside Heights, the more recent development of which demands attention. The improvement of real estate on Morningside plateau efYected BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 107 during the past five years is one of the notable achievements in the history of the West Side. Five years ago the region bounded by iioth and I22d streets, Morningside avenue and Riverside Drive was practically empty of houses, and the character which coming improvements would assume was a matter of uncertainty. To-day the presence of Columbia University, the Teachers' and Barnard Colleges, and some thirty high-class dwellings determine the architectural and social complexion of the district. The first impetus to improvement of real estate on the plateau was given by the sale of part of the grounds of Bloomingdale Asylum, in 1889. This institution was owned by the Society of the New York Hospital, which possessed the fee of between forty and fifty acres of land on the fairest portion of the heights. When the society determined to remove the asylum to White Plains an auc- tion sale was held of ninety-eight lots on Amsterdam avenue (then called loth avenue), the Boulevard, and 112th, 113th and 114th streets. The sale, which took place on April 4, 1889, was conducted by Adrian H. Muller & Son, and the prices obtained were con- sidered satisfactory. Lots on the Boulevard brought from $6,350 to $9,600 each ; on Amsterdam avenue, from $5,800 to $8,600. The 113th street lots realized from $4,450 to $5,000; the lots on 114th street brought from $4,350 to $4,575; and the 112th street lots fetched from $3,335 to $4,275. All lots were sold subject to re- striction, dwellings only being permitted on the streets, and flats and stores on the avenues. The sum of $500,400 was realized on the eighty-nine lots — an average of $5,106 per lot. The quickening effect of the distribution of this land among private owners is in- dicated by the increasing number of conveyances subsequently re- corded, although purchases appear to have been made for some years with a view to investment rather than immediate improve- ment. The next important sale occurred in October, 1891, when the trustees of the Leake and Watts Orphan House disposed of the three blocks bounded by iioth and 113th streets. JMorningside and Amsterdam avenues, to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, for $850,000. The parcel comprised 200 lots, giving an average io8 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, price of $4,250 per lot. This very low price is explained by the presence of considerable masses of rock on the site and by the circumstance that the trustees of the Leake and Watts Orphan House were affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and that, when the resolve was made to remove the asylum to Ludlow, it was thought that the founders' intention in regard to the land would be best respected by insuring its dedication to the use of religion. The filing of plans for a cathedral building in the following year, looking to an expenditure of five millions of dollars, reflected the judgment of experts as to the future of the neighborhood. It is true that financial causes of delay have arisen to retard the work on this splendid architectural monument. Nevertheless, its pro- jection produced an extremely beneficial efifect on surrounding property. The year following the purchase of the cathedral site, namely in 1892, St. Luke's Hospital acquired the block bounded by 113th and 114th streets, Morningside and Amsterdam avenues. The transaction comprised eight separate parcels, title to the first being obtained February 29, and to the last March 15. The block contains 44 lots and the aggregate purchase price was $530,000, making an average of $12,045 P^i" — a marked ad- vance over previous averages, due, partly to the proximity of the cathedral site, and partly to the circumstance that the land was purchased from private owners in comparatively small parcels. The largest single factor, however, in promoting private real estate and building activity on the plateau was the removal hither of Columbia LTniversity. During the three years previous to and including the year of the purchase of the present site, plans were filed for flats and dwellings to cost $245,000; during the three years following the purchase plans were filed for similar buildings to cost $780,000 — an increase of 218 per cent. These figures take no account of seven dwellings for which plans were filed in 1896 and for which the cost is omitted in the records. The Columbia University site was acquired in October, 1894, at which time the trustees of that institution purchased from the Society of the New York Hospital the four blocks bounded by ii6th and 120th streets, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. the Boulevard and Amsterdam avenue, for $2,000,000. The plot includes 294 lots, making an average price of $6,802 per lot. It is not necessary to cite all the important conveyances that have been made in the period under review, our primary object being merely to contrast the land values of 1889 with those of 1897. The transactions mentioned were the determining factors in producing the present condition of real estate on the plateau. If now, we proceed to a comparison of the prices of 1889 with those that obtained in the fall of 1897, we find that the advance was sufficiently marked to excite attention. At the sale held by the Society of the New York Hospital in 1889, the lot on the southwest corner of Amsterdam avenue and 114th street brought $8,600, which was also the price commanded by the lot on the northwest corner of the same avenue and 113th street. The highest price obtained for inside lots fronting on the avenue in this block was $6,050. In 1897 two inside lots on the west side of the avenue, 25 and 50 feet north of 113th street, respectively, sold for $13,000 each. The lot on the same side of the same thor- oughfare, 25 feet south of 114th street, brought $16,000. As to corner lots, the records show one transfer in 1897 (Jan. to Oct.), but as the lot in question passed as part of a larger parcel the transaction is useless for purposes of comparison. On the Boule- vard we find no conveyances in 1897 which may serve as an ex- pression of values, and the same is the case with respect of Morningside avenue, although it may be noted that the plot, 50X 100, on the southwest corner of that thoroughfare and ii8th street, sold for $22,500 in December, 1896. Practically no activity was felt on Riverside Drive cither in conveyancing or in building improvement until the spring of 1 897, when twelve lots were put under the hammer at a partition sale conducted by A. H. Muller & Son. On this occasion the lot on the southeast corner of 119th street sold for $28,000, while inside lots brought from $14,300 to $17,750. As a matter of fact, the lots on the avenues, the Drive and the Boulevard are held as investments in strong hands, and will hardly be improved in considerable number until the building up of the streets. The street lots have been the sub- 110 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE. ject of by far tlie largest activity both in conveyancing and in improvement. On 113th street, between Amsterdam avenue and the Boulevard, inside lots sold in 1897 at $8,100, as against $5,000 in 1889. We have no basis for comparison in the matter of 1 12th and 114th streets. If we are warranted in drawing a general conclusion from the particular data adduced, it is apparent that land values on the plateau have advanced in eight years between 65 and 164 per cent. Turning to a consideration of the improvements that have been made on the plateau, we find that buildings to the value oi nearly five millions of dollars ($4,974,550) have been erected dur- ing the period under review. In arriving at this estimate, we have accepted the values placed on projected structures in the plans filed with the Superintendent of Buildings ; and, with the exception of the cathedral, have included buildings in process of construction as well as those completed. Of this sum, roughly speaking, four millions represent public buildings, comprising those of Columbia University, the Teachers' and Barnard Colleges, St. Luke's Hos- pital, and the Home for Aged Couples ; one-half million represents dwellings, and a quarter of a million stands for flats. The marked preponderance of dwellings over flats is the result partly of the operation of natural economic conditions, but partly also the design, .\ccording to the terms of the sale held by the So- ciety of the New York Hospital in 1889, the lots on 114th, 113th and part of 112th streets, between Amsterdam avenue and the Boulevard, were restricted for a given period — 20 years, we believe — to the use of dwellings. Attempts have since been made, but withovit success, to obtain the consent of owners to a restriction of the entire plateau. It is not impossible, however, that this object may be accomplished by the ^Nlorningside Protective Association, of which Seth Low is president; Mr. Spencer Trask, treasurer; and Mr. J. P. ^Morgan, Jr., secretary; and of which ]\Ir. H. H. Cam- mann and Mr. Charles T. Barney are directors. But whether or not the formal restriction of the plateau is achieved its character as a high-class residence district is well established, both bv the improvements already made and by the sentiment of the prin- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. m cipal owners. Most of the vacant land is held as investments hy such corporations and individuals of wealth as the Astors, C. P. Huntington, RoI:)ert Goelet, Daniel S. Slawson, the White estate, Jacob Lawson, Amos R. Eno,* Jordan L. Alott, the Society of the New York Hospital, John Watts D. Peyster, James J. Goodwin, Lucy W. Drexel, the Central National Bank, Ivlary B. O. Dwight, etc. Furthermore, in the absence of better transportation facili- ties, the class of residents attracted to the heights is not of the kind that is housed in the average flat. The only transportational lines that traverse the plateau are the horse-car lines on Amsterdam avenue and the Boulevard, the nearest elevated stations being at 104th, ii6th and 125th streets. It is doubtful whether the change of power to the under- ground electric trolley system on Amsterdam avenue will materially affect the district, for this change will hardly achieve a sufficient reduction in the distance between the heights and the business portion of the island. However, the absence for the time being of adequate transportation facilities may not be an un- mixed evil, for if a considerable part of the land on the plateau is left vacant until the surrounding territory is built up, ultimate improvements are apt to be of a higher grade than those now warranted and it is only a question of time when the projected municipal rapid transit system, with a main line under the Boule- vard will bring the plateau within easy reach of the lower city. We will now consider the course of events subsequent to the year 1879 t'''^ mercantile section of the city. The reader will remem- ber that this was the locality that felt first the slow improvement which followed the dark days ushered in hy the panic of 1873. When that financial disaster arrived it cut summarily short a move- ment which had been in progress for a number of years, viz.: that of replacing old buildings by more modern ones, a movement which is essential if owners of property are to obtain to the full the bene- fits of the "unearned increment." Many factors, to be sought for in the larger circumstances of the life of the communitv, produce this increment, but within the range of our review the chief operat- *Lately deceased. 112 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ing cause of the great increase in the value of down-town lots has been the possibility of doubling or trebling the revenue obtainable from a given superficial area due to the elevator and the skeleton system of construction. These inventions have increased the poten- tial value of every square foot of city property, and in the down- town section have, economically, necessitated the erection of high buildings. We have seen that prior to 1879, what in the modern sense may be rightly termed the era of high building had commenced. The number of towering structures were few ; indeed, there were only two office buildings— the Tribune and Western Union buildings — ■ which would be ranked to-day among the "skyscrapers." The first factor that came to the aid of the property owner and enabled him to increase the capacity of his land and thus obtain larger income The following table shows the building operations projected during the period from 1892 to 1897, inclusive. The southerly side of 110th street, the northerly side of 122d street, and the easterly side of Morningslde avenue do not form part of the district under review: 1892. 111th street, s s, 175 w Boulevard; dwelling $3,250 112th street, s s, 250 w Amsterdam av; dwelling 12,500 115th street, n s, 375 w Boulevard; two dwellings 30,000 120th street, n s, 100 w Amsterdam av; two dwellings 20,000 120th street, n s, 300 w Amsterdam av; Teachers' College 300,000 Total $305,750 1893. Amsterdam, Morningside, 110th and 113th streets; St. John's Cathedral $5,000,000 Amsterdam, e s, between 113th and 114th streets; St. Luke's Hospital 1,000.000 Total $6,000,000 1894. Morningside, s w corner 114th street; St. Luke's Hospital $500 Amsterdam, n e corner 117th street; flat 00,000 Amsterdam, n w corner 122d street; shed 250 117th street, n s, 40 e Amsterdam; six dwelUngs 120,0(10 Total $180,750 1895. 110th street, n s, 75 e Boulevard; six flats $120,000 112th street, n s, 225 w Amsterdam av; three flats 54.000 112th street, n s, 140 w Amsterdam av; two flats 42,000 116th and 120th streets, between Amsterdam and Boulevard; Columbia College Library 750,000 Same location; Columbia College conservatory 300 117th street, n s, 150 e Amsterdam; ten dwellings 200,000 Total $1,166,300 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 113 from it was the elevator. This device made it possible to increase the height of buildings by three or four stories, scarcely more. But the limitation at this point did not arise from the fact that the capabilities of the elevator were exhausted. It was due to economic difficulties which arose at that height from structural necessities. Each foot of elevation demanded in the structure of buildings wider foundations and thicker walls, so that beyond a certain height much of the area gained in the upper stories was of¥set by the loss of space in the lower stories and by a much greater proportional cost of construction. It was at this juncture that the iron skeleton sys- tem of construction was introduced to supplement and extend the possibilities which the elevator had created. In addition to the pos- sibilities obtained from the elevator and the skeleton construction, the erection of high edifices has been further stimulated by the im- portant economies which have been made year after year in build- ing methods, economies that have reduced the cost of the typical skyscraper from $2 to 40 or 30 cents per cubic foot. Until 1879, the Tribune and Western Union buildings stood 1896. Amsterdam, n w corner 112th street; Home for Aged Couples. . . .$140,000 114th street, s s, 125 w Boulevard; seven dwellings Cost not given llGth and 120th streets, between Boulevard and Amsterdam; Co- lumbia College 375,000 Same location and owner 220,000 Same location and owner Cost not given Same location and owner; chemical laboratory 400,000 Same location and owner; gymnasium, etc ome said it was to be em- ployed as headquarters for the elevated mads and other> thouglit that perhaps it would be the site of a large- apartment house com- manding the superb prospect over the ri\ er and I)ay. In October the Xew York Steam Heating Co. commenced tlie erection of a portion of its building on the west side of ( ireenw ich street, between Cortlandt and Dey streets. The \ anderljilt Building on X'assau street, on the southeast corner of lieekman street, was also in course of construction in this year- — a year so prolific of import- ant improvements. In the following vear Cyrus W. Field bought Xo. 3 Broadway. 41.6x170. for $200,000. and started the \\'ashington Building. The old home of the "World." on the corner of Beekman street, opposite tile City Hall Park, was destroyed by fire in January, and Orlando B. Potter at once began to erect on the site the building that bears his name. Lamb & Rich prepared plans for an architecttirally noteworthv building, among the multitude of crudities and plati- tudes in its vicinitv, on the southeast corner of Broadway and Broome street, for William H. de Forest. A. J. Bloor was engaged with the designs for the building on the northwest corner of Libertv and Xassau streets, and at this time, obliquely opposite, on the corner of the same streets, the ^Mutual Life Insurance Company ii6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, was preparing- to build. Toward the close of the year the Goelets determined to improve property recently acquired by them on Whitehall street, between Stone and Bridge streets. It embraced the entire block on Whitehall street, and as it was occupied then by Kimball's cotton warehouse, that name was given to the new edifice. In 1883 the Williamsburgh Fire Insurance Company started to build on the northeast corner of Broadway and Liberty street on the property acquired at the Jumel sale, and in January plans were filed for the Merchants' Bank Building, Nos. 40 and 42 Wall street. These and the improvements already mentioned marked the beginning of the reconstruction of Wall street. Later in the year the Cotton Exchange was decided upon, the plans being filed in October. The Mercantile Exchange also was planned for. In 1884 the Standard Oil Company started work upon its headquarters on lower Broadway. No. 54 Wall street was pur- chased by J. A. Scrymser for $355,000, and No. 33 Nassau street by R. Stuart for $165,000. It is interesting to note that in this year the Stock Exchange, the removal of which has been discussed on several occasions, advertised for a site for a new building within the district bounded by State, Pearl, Duane and Church streets. The latter circumstance recalls the fact that it was expected for several years, and for a time it was considered as settled, that a movement further northward of the financial centre of the city from the neighborhood of Wall street was inevitable, and more than once there was serious talk of moving the Exchange. However, the suc- cess of the elevated roads and the erection of high buildings ren- dered shifting quite unnecessary. Early in 1884 the first sale of the old French's Hotel, facing City Hall Park, was made, the property g^oing to one of the heirs at $410,000. This was the first step in the replacement by modern structures of the old hostelry which represented New York of more than a generation ago. In this year the ofifice building for the Astor estate from No. 94 to g8 Broadway, with frontings on Wall and Pine streets, was commenced. The land on which this building was to stand was originally purchased at prices which seemed BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. u; absurdly low, compared with those which now obtain. The lot, No. 96 Broadway, size 21.9x100x20.10x100, was purchased by John Jacob Astor from Hezekiah Wheeler, merchant tailor, on April 14, 18 1.7, for $27,600; Xo. 94, which is 16.6x100x13.10x100, was purchased by William W. Astor, from the heirs of William B. Gilley, on ]\Iarch 16, 1853. ''Jr $3-oOO. Compare these prices with sales made at the time the Astors determined to improve — for in- stance, the building Xo. 62 Broadway and X'o. 21 X"ew street, near Exchange place, was purchased on ]\Iay 8, 1883, for $178,500. The house Xo. 68 Broadway and Xo. 17 Xew street, size 22.10x119.5, was sold on March i, 1883, for $170,000. Broadway, X'os. 52, 54 and 56, and 31 to 39 Xew street, 124. 11 on Broadway, X159.1OX 130. 1 on Xew street, x 135.2 on Exchange place, was sold on Feb- ruary 20, 1883, for $1,000,000. The northwest corner of Broadway and Liberty street, 25.4x85.2, with an L 25.4 and about 47.7 on Liberty street, was bought under the hammer at the Jumel estate sale, May 31, 1882, by the Williamsburgh City Fire Insurance Com- pany for $356,000. This shows the great dif¥erence between the prices which obtained before the Civil War as compared with those demanded for choice Broadway property twenty years later. Toward the close of 1885 there were labor troubles wdiich hampered and i^revcnted operations. By the first of the new year, however, they were all terminated, and bad times in Europe and the slight dullness in the mercantile world led to decline in wages and building material, which somewhat stimulated building operations down town. The Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank determined to build upon Chambers street, and appointed W. H. Hume to draw the plans. The final partition sale of French's Hotel was held in October and the property passed into the hands of Pelham St. George Bissell, for $460,000. In 1886 Aldrich Court was commenced at X"os. 41 to 45 Broadway. The Down-town x\ssoci- ation commenced its club building at Xos. 60 and 62 Pine street and 22 and 24 Cedar street. The Aletropolitan Telephone and Tele- graph Company was preparing to build at X^os. 16 to 20 Cortlandt street, and the Ecjuitable Life Insurance Company called upon George B. Post for plans for what was practically the reconstruc- ii8 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, tion of its old headquarters on Broadway, first constructed in 1868. Tlie Gallatin National Bank was building in this year, so was the structure adjacent, No. 38 Wall street. No. 54 Wall street was building. St. Paul's School, Church street, in the rear of St. Paul's Church, was under way. The Consolidated Exchange was planned for. The design of Stephen D. Hatch for the new Armory Building, on the site of the Produce Exchange, received a favorable indorsement from the Secretary of War. Following 1887 there was, for a year or two, a lull in large build- ing operations down town. The skeleton system of construction had not yet been adopted and architects were doing no more than experiment with iron in the vertical supports of buildings. The first edifices in which this j)lan of construction was employed were the Tower Building, at No. 50 Broadway, and the London and Lancashire headquarters, on Cedar street. The former building- dates from 1889 and the latter from 1890. With the adoption of the skeleton system the second period of the high iniiidiiig era l)egan. Roughly speaking, it dates from 1890. Among the ])rincipal oftice l)uil(lings which belong to it are the following,* the dates given being the years in which the plans were filed: 1889. The Times Building, 13 stories, and the World Building, 15 stories; the l^nion Trust Company's Building, Broad- way and New street, 10 stories ; the Farmers' Loan and Trust Com- pany's Building, Nos. 16 to 22 William street, 8 stories. 1890. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, northeast corner of Madison avenue and 23d street, 12 stories; Clinton Hall, Astor and Lafayette places, 7 stories; the Western L'''nion Telegraph Build- ing, Broadway and Dey street, 10 stories. t 1891. The Havemcyer Building, Cortlandt and Church streets, 14 stories ; the Mail and Express Building, No. 203 Broadway, 11 stories; the Mohawk Building, 5th avenue, soutlnvcst corner 21st street, 9 stories; the United Charities Building, l'\)urth avenue, northeast corner of 22d street, 7 stories; the D. L. &. W. R. R. Building, No. 26 Exchange place, 10 stories; the Wolf Building, Nassau, southwest corner of Fulton, 9 stories; the Vanderbilt Building, No. 15 and 17 I'.eekman *Not all the buildings here mentioned are constructed upon the skeleton fReconstructed after fire. The upper five stories are new. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. street, 15 stories; the building Xos. 39 and 41 Cortlandt street, 12 stories ; the Morris Building, Xos. 64 and 68 Broad street, 10 sto- ries. 1892. The Cable Building. Broadway, northwest corner of Houston street, 9 stories ; the Postal Telegraph Building, Broad- way, northwest corner of Murray, 13 stories; the ]\Iutual Reserve Building, Broadway, northwest corner of Duane, 14 stories ; the Home Life Insurance Building, No. 256 Broadway, 16 stories; the Church Mission House, southeast corner of Fourth avenue and 22d street. 6 stories. 1893. The Manhattan Life Insurance Building, Xos. 64 to 68 Broadway, 16 stories; the Lawyers' Title Insurance Co.'s Building, Xos. 44^ to 46 Maiden lane, 13 stories; the Corn Ex- change Bank lUiiMing. \\ illiani street, northwest corner of Beaver, II stories; the Continental l-"ire Insurance Co.'s P)uil(ling, Xos. 44 to 48 Cedar street, 13 stories ; the Wallace I'.uilding, Xos. 56 and 58 Pine street, 12 stories; the Kuhn, Loeb & Co.'s Building, Xos. 27 and 29 Pine street. 13 stories; the Shoe and Leather Bank Building, Broadway, southwest corner of Chambers. 12 stories; the Constable Building, iMt'th a\-ciuie. northt_a>t corner of i8th street; 12 stories ;the Downing Building. Xos. 106 and 108 Fulton street, 16 stories. 1894. The Presbyterian Building. Fifth avenue, northwest corner of 20th street. 12^ stories; the American Tract Society's Building, X'os. 144 to 150 Xassau street, 23 stories ; Xew York Life Building (rear). Elm, Leonard and Catharine streets, 12 stories; American .Surety Building, X'os. 100 to 106 Broadway, 20 stories ; the Wolfe lUiilding, X'o. 66 Maiden lane, 13 stories; the Fidelity and Casualty Building, Cedar street, north side, from Temple street to Trinity place, 11 stories; the CofTee Exchange, X'os. 113 to 117 Pearl street, 9 stories. 1895. The St. Paul Building, Broadway, Park row and Ann street, 26 stories; the Bowling Green Building, Xos. 5 to 11 Broadway, 16 stories ; the Xew York Life Building (front). Xos. 346 to 348 Broad- way, 12 stories; the \\'oodbridge Building, Xos. 98 to 106 William street, 12 stories; the Commercial Cable Building, Nos. 20 to 22 Broad street, 21 stories; the Syndicate Building, X^assau, southwest corner of Liberty, 15 stories: the Sampson Building, Xos. 63 and 65 Wall street, 16 stories; the Rhinelander Building, Xos. 232 to 238 William, 12 stories; the Lord's Court Building, Xos. 25 to 29 I20 A HISTORY or REAL ESTATE, William, 15 stories; the Weld Building, Broadway, southwest cor- ner of I2th street, 14 stories. 1896. The Central National Bank Building, Broadway, northeast corner of Pearl, 15 stories; the Em- pire Building, Broadway, southeast corner of Rector, 20 stories ; the Hudson Building, Nos. 32 and 34 liroadway, 16 stories; Queen's Insurance Co.'s Building, William street, northwest corner of Cedar, 15 stories; the Townsend Building, Broadway, northwest corner of 25th street, 12 stories; the Gillender Building, Wall street, north- w^est corner of Nassau, 16 stories; the Bank of Commerce, Nassau street, northwest corner of Cedar, 20 stories ; the St. James Building, Broadway, southwest comer of 26th street, 16 stories; Exchange Court Building, Broadway, Exchange place and New street, 12 stor- ies ; the Western National Bank Building, Pine street, northwest corner of Nassau, 7 stories; Ivins Syndicate Building, Nos. 13 to 21 Park row and No. 13 Ann street, 30 stories; the ^Metropolitan Tele- phone Building, Nos. 13 to 17 Dey street, 15 stories. 1897. The Washington Life Building, Broadway, southwest corner of Liberty. 19 stories ; the Singer Ihiilding, Broadway, northwest corner of Lib- erty. 10 stories; the Dun Building, Nos. 290 to 294 Broadway, 15 stories ; the Cushman Building. Broadway, northeast corner of Maiden lane, 12 stories; the building Nos. 9 to 13 Maiden lane, 15 stories ; the Chesebrough Building, Pearl, southeast corner of State, 15 stories. The multiplication of the tall building since 1879, and particu- larly since the crisis of 1893 (for in times of financial peril capital forsakes other securities and turns to real estate), has placed down- town mercantile property in a critical situation. Land values have adjusted themselves to the income producing power of the tall buildings, while the sudden increase in accommodations, resulting from the erection of these mammoth structures, has reduced ren- tals, thus increasing the pressure on the owners of antiquated properties to improve, and aggravate the competition for tenants. Building in the down-town section has unquestionably been tem- porarily overdone, as may be seen by a comparison of the increase in accommodations in a typical ofifice building district with the de- velopment of the city's business since 1880. The district selected is BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 121 the eleven blocks bounded by Beaver street, Battery place. Trinity place, Pine and \Mlliam streets, which houses the btilk of the city's tinancial business. In this district are located no less than forty- four modern office buildines, includincr the Bowling Green, Empire, Manhattan Life, Standard Oil, Johnson, Morris, Lord's Court, Commercial Cable, Exchange Court, Surety and Gillender build- ings. Offices under construction are. for obvious reasons, treated as if already btiilt. The groimd dimensions of each of these forty- four buildings have been obtained from the insurance maps, like- wise the number of stories which each contains. From an ex- amination of the plans of several typical structures, and from in- quiry among architects, the conclusion is drawn that 60 per cent of the floor space of modern office buildings is rentable. The aver- age number of stories in the old buildings that remain in the dis- trict under consideration is 43-11. This average has been accepted for the structures replaced by the forty-four new buildings, their total ground dimensions being, of course, the same as those of the latter. Inquiry similar to that conducted in the case of new build- ings fixes the average amount of rentable floor space in the old buildings at 70 per cent, ^\'ith the foregoing elements as a basis for computation, the following results are obtained: Rentable. Floor space in 11 blocks in 1880, square feet 2,600.871 Less since displaced for new buildings 1.1G7.891 Balance, square feet 1.432,980 Added by new buildings, square feet 2.481.004 Total square feet, 1807 ;!,9i;3,984 It is found that since 1880, there has been added to the rentable floor space 1,313,113 square feet, an increase of 50 per cent., or the equivalent of 13,131 rooms each 10 feet square. ^loreover. the ac- tual increase of gross floor space on the land improved was 2,466,- 591 square feet, or 147 per cent., and of rentable space, 1,313,113 square feet, or 112 per cent. The last mentioned figures show the capacitv of the high building for increasing office space, so far as it has been shown in this city over a series of years. Of course, it is proportionately very much greater as we come to present times, when twenty-story buildings are becoming somewhat common in the 122 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, district under review and where all such buildings have been erected in the last four years. Now, while in this period of seventeen years the rentable office space has been doubling, what has been the increase in business? A partial test will be furnished by the exports and imports at New York City. In view of the periodical changes in the tarifY it is im- possible to take individual years as a basis for comparison. This difficulty is overcome if we let the total value of the imports and ex- ports of 1880 be represented by the average annual im- ports and exports for the ten years from 1 871 to 1880, inclusive, and the value of the foreign commerce of 1896 by the average annual commerce for the period from 1885 to 1896. On this basis the total value of the imports and exports at New York was, in 1880, $728,034,111; in 1896, $963,- 465,761 — an increase of 32 per cent, in commerce as against 50 per cent, in rentable office space. The foreign commerce of the port of New York, however, is only one of the elements which require consideration in determining the demand for office ac- commodation. General business, as measured by the clearings of the New York Clearing House, does not show a correspond- ingly large growth. The average annual clearings during the decade ending in 1896 was $32,479,409,174 as against $27,627,943,- 031 during the decade ending in 1880 — an increase of only 17 per cent. Clearings fell from 36 billions of dollars in the year before the panic to 29 billions in 1896. The reports of the transactions of the Stock, Produce and Cotton Exchanges, show also a pro- nounced falling ofif in business since 1893, as the following state- ment of the number of shares and par values of State, railroad and government bonds dealt in on the New York Stock Ex- change, and of the grain in bushels, bought and sold on the New York Produce Exchange and the number of bales of cotton traded in on the New York Cotton Exchange each year, from 1892 to 1896. inclusive, will show: Shares of State & R. R. Government Cotton, Grain, Year. stocks. bonds. bonds. bales. bushels. 1892 Sr.,850,930 .foOl, 398.200 $1,662,400 53,359,900 1.585,154,365 1893 77,984,965 299,372,.327 2.021,450 37,894,400 1,.342,711,302 1894 42,275,736 352,741,950 4,293,300 39,4(19,800 1,475,811,925 1895 66,440,576 495.904,950 7.046,250 56.405,000 1,899,353.400 1896 54,490,043 353,815,850 27,121,550 35,113,000 1,285,903.500 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Foreign commerce recovered from the effects of the panic of 1893 in the space of a year, but it was not until last summer that the Exchanges witnessed a substantial renewal of activity. It is in this fact that a hopeful outlook for high buildings is to be found. Existing conditions make it reasonable to conclude that the volume of business will experience a substantial increase, and be accompanied by a sharper demand for money and bv ad- vances in the price of building materials, therebv giving a check to the building movement while augmenting the demand for office space. As to the effect of the introduction of the elevator and steel construction on the value of land in the heart of the downtown section, the following table of sales and prices, arranged chrono- logically, will give some idea: No. of Price. Broadway. No. 84. . Broadway. No. 2."4. Pine. No. .^4 Na.=sau 11 e ror Pi Broadway. Nn. l,:). Broadway, o s. i;T t Broadway. No. ISO. Wall No. : Broadway. B'way. n c Pine. No.s. r Maid Broadway. No. 170 Broadway. Nos. llL'-lll... Maiden lane. No. Ij Broadway. No. 02 Wall. No. 4 Wall. No. G Wall. Nos. S and 10 Broad. No. 11 Pine. No. Broad, Nos. 17-10. and) Exchange pi.. No. .i.i. . ( Wall and Broad, s w ror. Wall. No. 7. s w ror ) W all and New ( Wall. No. ;>.). and Broad. / Nos. la and 1.) \ Nassau. No. 10 Liberty and B way. n e coi Cedar and Nassau s e coi Wall. No- 12 B way and E.xchange pi. | Pine. Nos. 4 and (> Pine. Nos. 8 and 10 . Barney. . 1 Jan. ?.f>. 18;;0. Home Life Ins. Co... 2 Mar. 4. Paniel H. Baldwin.. 1 ■luiio IM-,'.). l-T,urth National Bank May — , 1^7i>. International Ins. Co. 2 Fib. 2.-.. ISTI. Continental Ins. Co... 1 April 20. 1S71. .nias. .1. Smull 2 ,luly ."1.1^71. ^\illiam Farman .... 2 .Vpril 20, 1.S7_'. .-Anthony .1. Drexel.. . . -\pril 27, 1V72. .\nthony J. Drexel. . . . 1 Mny 1, 1^72 W. stern Un. Tel Co, C, Mav :; 1>-T2. I". 11 .\lonzo Cushnian 1 Xi.v ^ IsTL' I -I, as. E. Vernam 2 I.. 11, IN,::. Saiiuiel D. Babcock. . F. h, 4, 1S7.-,. .Iiilia C. Witthaus... .1 ,Tune ^,1, l.Si.i, ,Tohn W. Simpson . July 1. lS,.e Llias. G. Baadouine. . 'J Oi t. 10. 1.S70. Ilenrv G- DeForest... 1 .\pril 4. IS.so. Thomas Maddock A May 1. l.N.xo. First National Bank.. : April 20. IS.SO. First National Bank. . 1 Aug. 14, 1880. Chas. F. Southmayd ) . e Wm Jan. 22. 1.8S1. J. J. Astor. Mar. 11. 18.S1. D. O. Mills Mar. 17. issl, J. J. Astor . April 27, 1,881. D, 0. Mills . 18.82. D. O. Mills :\Iay 10. 18.* May -.M. 18S2. July Julia F. Ludlow .... 2 Wmsb rg Fire Ins. Co .: Ins. Co. .1 1,S,S2. Germania Li 1882. 1883. 19.115 Ass. Co. 2,506 . 1885. Equitable L. . 200.000 80.44 100.000 57.07 (137.500 7.3.05 267.500 106.74 400.000 115.00 762.500 155.75 124 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Park I William x,, .... ( Park row and Ann st., / B'way, Nos. (i4 and fifi: / New. Nos 17 and 1!). .. . f B'wav. Nos. (i4 and Cfi; / New, No. 10 f Broadway. No. 'Sn B'way. Nos. :':2 tn 42.. . I New, Nos; 49 to 71 | B'way, s w cor 31st st.. . Broad. No. 22 ) New, Nos. 20 and 201.^. . f Nassau, Nos. 40 and 44. ) n e cor Liberty f Dey, No. l.'i Maiden lane. No. 11 Liberty. No. '98, s e cor / Trinity pi f John, No. 19 John, No. 90, s e cor / Gold f Liberty. Nos. 92 and 94. / s w cor Temple st. .. . ( Ann. Nos. lit and 12 Maiden lane. Xo. (12. s w I cor William f Wall, Xo. or, Broadway, Nos. 21S to I 222, s e cor Park row 1- Nassau, Nos. 3,j and 39, I Liberty, Nos. 56 and J- 58, s w cor J Fulton, No. 140 Exchange pi. No. 66, s e ) cor New st J Broad, Nos. 20 and 22;) New, "Nos. 18, 2(», 21 IH.. ( William. No. l.")7, n w / Nassau, Nos. 9 and 11, s | w cor Pine ■ Pine, No. 11 I William, Nos. 67 and 69, | Broadway, No. .'{9 / Trinity pi. No. 15 ( Nassau, Nos. 13 to 15. ] n w cor Pine J Maiden lane. No. 11 Broad wav, No. 57; New Church st, No. .'« or !• Trinity pi.. No. 95. . . J Broadway, No. 291, n w ) cor Reade J Wall. Nos. 41 and 4.'!.... Liberty. Nos. 95 and 97... Broadway. No. 290, n e ) cor Reade f William, No. 60 Spring. Nos. 139 & 141, ) Wooster. Nos. 94 to 98. f •Largely represented by si tincludes consideration for Date sold. No. of Purchaser. sq.ft. Cost. Mar. 15. 1887. Horace Waldo 3,283 351.000 Mar. 15, 1887. Niagara Fire Ins. Co. 2, .525 3.50. 2iiO Mar. 14, 1S90. Singer Mfg. Co .''..(idO-''.^, 541. 5n0 Dec. 3, 1891. Mrs. John Wolfe et al 6,587 770,000 Mar. 15, 1S92. Manhattan L. Ins. Co 2,830 375,000 Mar. 15, 1802. John Delahunty 1,263 150,000 Mar. 29. 18;'2. Joseph Pulitzer 1,317 208,000 April 4, 1892. Manhattan L. Ins. Co 5,413 850,000 April 4. 1,892. Manhattan L. Ins. Co 5,420 850,000 April 15, 1S!I3. Home Life Ins. Co. . 2,700 250,000 April 21, 1893. J. N. Golding .'B.OIG 1,900,000 April 24. 1893. Joseph Wechsler ... .12,187 7IHI.0OO April 25. Iso;}. J. M. Levy 4,410 31i).():i(i May 18. 1S04. Brooklyn Life Ins. Co 923 135,5ii0 Mar. 2 1, lSii4. .Met. Tel. & Tel. Co.. 1..S99 100,000 May 21. 18114. L. A. Fellows l,»;62i/. 128,0lX> M:iy 2:;, 1N94. W. E. Dennis 1.380 125,000 June 28. 1S94. M. S. Ives 1.777 126,2.50 Oct. 8. 1894. J. G. Floyd 846 50,000 Jan. 18. 1.S9.5. W. Agar 2,.828 2.50,000 Jan. 31. 1895. National Park Bank. 1,144 150,000 Feb. 1. 1895. T. G. Thomas 1,277 100,000 Feb. 2S, 1,S95. Duchess de Dino . . . 2,321% 138,905 Mar, 13, 1^05. H. 0. Havemeyer . . . 5,780 900,000 April 26, 1805. H. Lamb 9,188 tl,250,000 May 27, 1895. J. S. Lyle 2.725 1.36,2.50 June 24, 1895. J. H. Johnston 1,374 170,0u0 Aug. 22, 1895. Com'l Cable Bldg. Co. 7,536 *l,126.30O Nov. 12, 1895. Met. Tel & Tel. Co. . I.OOW3 116,000 Nov. 25, 1805. S. Palmer 1,4&3 82,.500 Dec. 5,1805. Hanover Nat'l Bank. 6,034 1,350,000 Jan. 15, 1896. Queens Ins. Co 3,137y3 340,000 Feb. 1,1.896. W. B. Bacon etal... 5,680 300,000 -Mar. 4,1890. (J. E. Searles for) 2,959 740,000 ( Equitable Life. $ Mar. 25. 1,896. N. Y. Realty Co l,662i/2 129,680 April 1, 1896. R.A.& W.A.Pinkerton 5,769 395,000 , ■, -cr.^ rW.B. Bacon et al,") April 10, 1896. J trustees will of 3,074 402,000 [ A. Hemenway. J April 10, 1.896. Wm. K. Aston 4,2.50 805,0O0 April 30, 1S96. N. Y. Realty Co 3,.562 125,500 May 1, 1896. R. G. Dun 1,132 125,000 May 2,1896. Com'l Union A. Co.. . 928 100,000 May 7, 1896. J. Weil & B. Mayer. . 5,300 258,000 ock of purchasing company, building loan, etc. 52.65 76.99 90.57 88.40 106.60 78.30 50.83 155.70 223.30 108.37 52.81 250.00 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK Location. Date sold. No. of Price, Purchaser. sq.ft. Cost. sq. ft. William, No. G2 May Ki, 1806. Germania F. Ins. Co. 3,101 200,000 €4.49 Walker, No. 81 June 27, 1896. E. Matheson .3,600 120,000 3."?..33 Broadway, Nos. 5 to 11: ) July 2.j. 1S9G. Broadway Realty Co. 29, 152 3,000,000 102.10 Greenwich, Xos. i> to 11 ) Lispenard, Xos. GO and 62 Sept. 1, 1896. E. G. Stedman 4.227 163,000 38 .jG William. Xos. 75 and 77. . Oct. 30, 189G. H. L. P. Stokes 4,081 408,000 99.97 Nassau, Xo. Sii Dec. 30, ISO*!, x. Y. Realty Co 3,538 160,000 45.22 Pine, Xo. 35 Feb. t!, 1S97. Union Assur. Society 1,722 150,000 87.00 Walker, Xos. In5 to luT. . Mar. 4, l.s:i7. W. J. Devlin 5,1.31 250,000 48.72 Maiden lane, Xo. G Mar. is, 1.S97. H. Marquand 1,884 141,000 74.89 Nassau. Xo. S(l June 7. 1S1I7. C. T. Harbeck 3,472 2(10.000 57.60 Broadway, n e cor of/ June — , 1,S97. G. F. Wilcoxson 24r,..-inii i:m;.4II An important movement down town is that which lias resulted in the conversion of the streets parallel to Broadway, between Canal street and Washington square, to warehouse purposes. This new expansion of the business part of the city has come to be known as the Mercantile District. As far back as 1879 there was consider- able activity in the lower parts of Spring, Greene and Mercer streets. Along Greene and Mercer streets a number of large warehouses and factories were constructed, and business began to encroach upon that part of the town. Before the expulsion of the Tweed Ring, there were a number of schemes afoot to regenerate certain portions of New York City. One company was partially organized to buy up property in the Five Points, and make this locality a business centre. (;)ther schemes were on foot to regenerate the old 8th Ward ; that is, that part of the city lying above Canal street and west of Broadway, but below Houston street. The argument was used that there was a section of the city within gunshot of the largest business marts, which could be reached readily, was adjacent to the docks on the North River, and was low priced. It was urged that the growth of the city, from the 5th Ward upward, would make this territory especially valuable. Indeed, it was in furtherance of this scheme that the Tweed Ring proposed to run a street through \\'ashington square, and extended South Fifth avenue in the 8th Ward. The breaking up of the Ring and hard times put a stop to these schemes. In 1879 far-seeing real estate owners began to pay some attention to this part of the city, with a view to future profit. Many large and costly stores and factories were erected upon IMercer street, and there were some efforts made to improve other streets parallel to Broadway and west of that avenue. 126 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, This region was once the home of a large middle class popula- tion, but the upward movement of population threw the old-fash- ioned residences into the hands of ordinary tenants, while Mercer and Greene streets, following the precedent set by Church street, began to abound in some of the vilest haunts of the metropolis. One by one the old malodorous dwellings along these thorough- fares were pushed out by large warehouses, occupied principally by the dry-goods and notions trades. The building done, however, in these and the following years cannot be properly included in what is known as the Mercantile District. The creation of the new locality may be said to have commenced in February, 1884, when the Cohnfeld Building was erected at the southeast corner of Bleecker and Greene streets. This was the pioneer structure, for which Mr. Alfred Zucker was re- sponsible not only for the plans, but for the selection of site. The friends of the owner and many experienced real estate men re- garded the placing of such a building in such a position as a foolish and ill-considered step — the reputation of the place was so bad and its advantages for commercial purposes were so far from being ap- preciated. A couple of years passed before ]\lr. Cohnfeld's example attracted any imitators. In 1886 some w'ork was done on Houston street, and in 1887 on upper Greene street without, however, greatly affecting the value of property. For instance, in 1884 a plot 25X 100, No. 163 Greene street, sold for $30,000, and a couple of years later lots at Nos. 159 and 161 of the same size but somewhat better improved were sold for $34,000 and $32,750 respectively. Late in 1889, however, a very active buying movement com- menced within the district bounded as follows: Commencing at Broadway, northwest corner of Canal street, thence running north along the west side of Broadway to the south side of 14th street. In two weeks in 1882 plans for the following were filed: Greene street, NO. 16, !?ix-story iron store; cost, .?;26,000; Greene street. No. 18, six-story iron store; cost, $32,000; Greene street, No. 45, six-story iron store; Greene street, Nos. 121 and 123, six-story warehouse; cost, $75,000; Greene street. No. 125, six-story warehouse; cost. .fliS.OOO; Greene street, No. 1.S3, six-story warehouse; cost, $48,000; Greene street, No. 135, six-story warehouse; cost, $48,000; Greene street. No. 137, six-story warehouse; cost, $48,0(10; corner Greene and Spring streets, warehouse; cost, $60,000; corner Greene and Spring streets, warehouse; cost, $80,000. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 127 thence west along 14th street to the east side of 6th avenue, thence running along 6th avenue to the southeast side of Carmine street, thence southwest along Carmine street to the northeast side of Varick street, thence southeast along Varick street to the north side of Canal street, thence east along Canal street to Broadway to a point at the beginning, nearly $16,000,000 worth of property was sold in one year and plans were filed for buildings to cost nearly $4,000,000. This decided the character of the district and produced one of the most extensive movements in real estate that has oc- curred down town within the period we are considering. The tenantry of the new mercantile district was drawn very largely from the wholesale firms occupying anticjuated quarters in Broadway, between Murray and 14th streets. Owners of Broad- way property, in order to meet the competition of the improved mercantile buildings in the new district, began, in 1890, to improve on a large scale, with the result that the supply of mercantile housing facilities has outstripped the demand. In January, 1898, there were no less than 177 buildings for rent, in whole or in part, in Broad- way, between Murray and 14th streets, of which 30 contained va- cant stores, 128 one or more vacant lofts, and the rest vacant of- fices. The supremacy of this section of Broadway as a seat of wholesale business makes it of interest to discover what the increase in mer- cantile accommodations has been since the reconstruction of the ave- nue began in 1890. The total store and loft space from Murray street to 14th street in 1890 was 5.637,374 sq. ft. Of this 1,713,300 sq. ft. were removed to make way for new buildings, leaving 3,924,- 074 sq. ft. in the old buildings standing. To this new store and loft buildings have added 3,699,121 sq. ft., making a total of that class of space existing to-day of 7,623,195 sq. ft., or an increase of about 40 per cent, on the total of 1890. Of the space deducted 405,300 sq. ft. was replaced by office buildings, which contain a fioor space of 1,066,050 sq. ft. The last mentioned figures relate to the space contained in the Postal, Home Life, Shoe and Leather Bank, Mu- tual Reserve, Central Bank, New York Life and Cable Buildings. Three other buildings might call for some further modification of 128 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, the figures, but as they are store, loft and office buildings, they have been classed among stores and lofts to prevent confusion by making too many divisions. Consequently the new store and loft space of 3,699,121 sq. ft. was substituted for 1,308,000 sq. ft., the proportion of new to old displaced being nearly 2.8 to i. Perhaps some little deduction should be made because of the fact that some of the old buildings removed were used as offices, everything hav- ing, in the first place, been taken as store and loft space for the sake of convenience ; but this would not materially change the result ar- rived at. It should be mentioned, also, that no account has been taken of the space in the Morton House Block, or that occupied by Grace Church, so that all important necessary deductions have been made. Another fact to be noted is that, unlike the floors in store and loft buildings, only 60 per cent, of the space in modern buildings is rentable, so that the new office buildings mentioned con- tain in 1,066,050 sq. ft. floor space only 699,630 sq. ft. rentable space. These figures may be summarized as follows: Square ft. Total floor space, Murray to 14th street, 1890 5,637,374 Less since removed for new buildings : — Square ft. For stores and lofts 1,308,000 For offices 405,300— 1,713,300 Balance 3,924,074 Added by new store and loft buildings 3,699,121 Total store and loft space, 1898 7,623,195 Total office floor space 1,(166,050 Total office rentable space 699,630 The rapid production of new mercantile housing facilities has naturally depressed rents. The upper lofts in unimproved build- ings are, to use the expression of a competent authority, sacrificed, while the rentals for upper, and, consequently, more desirable, lofts in new buildings have declined about 12 cents per square foot in the better part of the avenue, namely, betw-een Canal and 14th streets. The pregnant fact remains, how-ever, that, although rents have fallen, land has appreciated in value. This fact, taken in con- nection with the circumstance that very little property is ofTered for sale, undoulstedly means that Broadway realty is in strong hands, that modern improvements bring a fair return, and that BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 129 owners of antiquated buildings are waiting for a favorable oppor- tunity to improve. Since 1879 the extension northward of the business section of the city has been steady and persistent. Of course, what remained of a private character in 14th street has been utterly routed out, 23d street, from Third to Seventh avenue, has been completely transformed for the purposes of retail trade, and 42d street has been invaded by the shopkeeper. Sixth avenue, between 14th and 23d streets, has assumed a position second only to Broadway as a shop- ping centre. Fifth avenue, between the same parallels, is filling up with office buildings and the stores of leading publishing houses. Between 23d and 42d, or rather, perhaps, 59th street, in the cen- trally located avenues, the t_\'pical three and four-story private dwel- lings are rapidly being displaced by taller structures of a semi-pub- lic nature — store and ofifice buildings, studios, hotels, theatres, clubs, and high-class apartment houses. During the last adminis- tration large sums of money were expended on public improve- ments in this central district — 14th to 59th street — particularly in Fifth avenue. Furthermore, the change from horse power to the underground electric trolley that is taking place on all the princi- pal surface lines of the island has a tendency to facilitate local travel within the district. These several circumstances have given a marked upward turn to real estate values, as may be seen at a glance bv reference to the tax lists for 1898. During the past year the appreciation in the value of land, apart from buildings, in the tax section bounded by 14th and 40th streets, the Hudson and East rivers, was some $1 1,240,000. In the tax section bounded by 40th and 96th street. Sixth avenue. Cen- tral Park West and the Hudson River, it was some $9,470,000. In none of the remaining seven tax sections into which the island is divided did the appreciation exceed $3,510,000. MICHAEL A. MIKKELSEN. 9 130 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, APPENDIX. N tlic foregoing pages reference has been made to a number of the noted auction sales of Alanhattan real estate. Some of these deserve to be given in full because, by the partition and distribution among the public of large parcels of vacant land, they gave the first impetus to building improvement in new locali- ties ; others because, by a similar partition of extensive holdings of antiquated properties, they encouraged the replacement of old with larger buildings, which constitutes the most striking feature of real estate activity in the rapidly expanding mercantile section of the island. All auction sales are important as matters of record, inas- much as they furnish a surer index to prices than the values given in private sales, which are not infrequently purposely inflated to affect the market. The selection which follows has been made with a view to illustrating land values in certain localities, now prominent on the market, during what may be termed their formative periods. The three Dyckman sales (1869-7]) inaugurated the move- ment which has resulted in the breaking up of the great estates in the upper part of the island, many of which dated from Colonial times. The Dyckman sales took place during the speculative period which came to an end in 1873, and the property then sold brought higher prices than could probably be obtained at the present day. However, the distribution of this estate, which lay in the neighbor- hood of 200th street, has not, owing to its extreme northerly loca- tion, been productive of such marked results in the way of building improvements as have attended sales of parcels farther south. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. The Carman Sale. The next important sale that we have to notice is the Carman sale. The Carman property, comprising 257 lots, was originally disposed of at auction ]\Iarch 25, 1880. Owing to legal difficulties, however, tlie buyers refused to take title, and the lots were again put under the liammer April 6, 1881. In the former year the real estate market was decidedly speculative, being buoyed up by the re- turning tide of prosperity : in the latter year it is evident that capital had come to look for quicker profits than could be obtained from outlying unimproved lots, as may be seen from the subjoined table: Prices. Prices. 1880. 1881. Lots on new av, north of 148th st $1,625 $2,365 10 lots on new av north of 1.53d st 4,675 4,375 1 lot on new av north of 154th st 850 825 13 lots on 175th st, bet 10th and 11th avs 9,850 8,3(i5 1 lot on new av below 175th st 600 500 2 lots on 151st st, west of Boulevard 2,400 2.050 2 lots on 152d st, 525 west of Boulevard 2,400 2,650 Riverside House and lots 21,000 12,500 Lots, being 101.11 on 12th av. bet l.VJd and 1.5;!d sts. with water front on Hudson River ..f H'.i.ll 2,.j00 1,100 Lot No. 22, being 104.11 on 12th a v. lift ir.LM ,,,1.1 l.-,;;d sts, with water front on Hudson River i.f :•;» 1 1 2,500 1,100 14 city lots on a new av south of High Lii i.lg,- park. . . . 3,500 3.920 5% city lots on a new av north of High Bridge park 2,530 2,338 Mansion House, including 16i^ city lots on a new av north of High Bridge park 12,778 9,900 6% city lots, on a new av north of High Bridge park 1,713 1,300 4% city lots, known as No. 183 in catalogue, on a new av north of High Bridge park 1,065 1,065 5% city lots, known as No. 183, on a new av north of High Bridge park 1,575 1,171 7 city lots, No. 185, on a new av north of High Bridge park 2.660 1,760 7% city lots, known in catalogue as No. 186, on a new av north of High Bridge park 2,900 2,537 8% city lots, known as No. 189, on a new av north of High Bridge park 2,397 2,100 10 city lots, known in catalogue as No. 19D, and lying north of High Bridge park 5,000 2,600 9 1-0 city lots, known as No. 189, north of High Bridge park 4.616 2,313 6% city lots. No. 188, north of High Bridge park 2,365 1,385 10 city lots on 10th av, south of Boulevard 11,500 8,500 Total $103,649 $(i7.809 Decrease in price $35,840 132 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, The Mutual Life Insurance Co/s Sale. The Mutual Life Insurance Company's sale comprised nine par- cels of improved property and 227 vacant lots, and was held April 20, 1880, aggregating $663,455. The prices obtained were the high- est paid at any time since 1874, although 50 per cent, lower than the highest prices obtained for similar real estate before the panic of 1873. The prices obtained were certainly more than double the amoimt which could have been secured in 1874. Lots which were sold for $4,000 would not have brought more than $1,200 or $1,500 in 1874. Boulevard, s e cor 69th st, 28.6%xl3fi.8yox25.5xl23.8, to E. Llvingston.$13,000 Boulevard, e s, adj above, 56.2x123.8x50x97.11, to E. Livingston 18,000 Boulevard, e s, adj above, 28.1x122.11x25x110.1, to E. Livingston 9,000 Boulevard, n w cor 139th st, 99.11x75, stable, to M. B. Baer 11,000 Boulevard, s w cor 140th st, 99.11x75, frame dwelling, to Stephen B. French 17,600 Delmonico pi (Grove av), e s, 150 n Cliff st, 100x100, to J. L. Lindsay att'y) 1,0(10 51st st (No. 217), n s, 200 e 3d av, 20x100.5, three-story brick house, to James Hartigan 7,000 66th st, a s, 325 e 10th av, 25x100.5, to F. Toran 2,900 (i6th st, n s, 125 e 10th av, 150x100.5, to Samuel Adams 23,100 e9th st, s s, 136.8 e Boulevard, 25x75.5, to E. Livingston 5,100 76th st, n s, 100 e 10th av, 100x102.2, to F. P. Woodbury 15,200 76th st, n s, 200 e 10th av, 50x102.2. to John P. Huggins 8,000 77th st, s s, KK) e 10th av, 150x102.2, to James McCloud 15,300 83d st (No. 166), s s, 149.8 w 3d av, 15.7x102.2, three-story brick house, to Man & Parsons 6,6.50 95th st, n s, 100 e 10th av, 50x100.8 1 96th st, s s, 100 e 10th av, 50x100.8 1 to L. Friedman 11,200 95th st, n s, 150 e 10th av, lOOxlOO.S ' 96th st, s s, 150 e 10th av, 100x100.8 i to Samuel Adams 24,800 95th st, n s, 250 e 10th av, 100x100.8 1 96th st, s s, 250 e 10th av, lOOxlOd.S I to Samuel Adams 2(!,8()0 95th st, n s, 350 e loth av. .-(ixKiii.s I 96th st, s s, 350 e Kitli av, .-.(ixKm.S | to J. M. Lichtenhauer 13,800 95th st, n s, 400 e 10th av, .-.(IxKki.n J 96th st, s s, 400 e 10th av, .-.(ixKid.s ( to A. M. Lyons 13,7(10 95th st, n s, 450 e 10th av, 50x1()o.,s I 90th st, s s, 450 e 10th av, 50xl()(i.s | to R. W. Cameron 13,500 95th st, n s, 500 e 10th av, 50x1 (in s I 96th st, s s, 500 e 10th av, 50xl(i(i s I to Jas. D. Lynch 13,200 95th st, n s. 550 e 10th av, 5(lxl0ti.S I 96th st, s s, 550 e 10th av, 50xl(t()..s i to H. Babcock 13,100 95th st, n s, 600 e 10th av, .".OxKms | 96th st, s s, 600 e 10th av, .-(.xKhis | to R. W. Cameron 12,600 103d st, s s, 100 w 10th av, l(i.'..1 1xTSxl.")2.9x80.1, to R. W. Cameron. 10,800 121st st (No. 508), s s, Vi:\ e Av A, 17x80, three-story brick house, to Michael Hicks 3,450 121st st, s s, adj above, ITxSO, similar house, to John O'Brien.... 3,350 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 133 121st St, s s, adj above, 17x80, similar house, to J. L. Parley 3,500 121st St, s s, adj above, 17x80, similar house, to C. Saulinger 3,350 121st St, s s, adj above, 17x80, similar house, to E. A. Parker 3,300 123d St, s s, 100 w 8th av, 52.5x85.4x98.2, to R. H. L. Townsend 5,700 136th st, s e cor New av, 100x103.1x104.8x1.33.11, to A. M. Lyon 3,440 136th st, s s, 100 e New av, 218xl33.11xl89.1x abt 187.10, to R. W. Cameron 8,000 136th st, n e vov Now av, ll)()x!)0.11, to Brian MoKinney 3,120 13Gth st, n s, 100 e New av, 10(»xl!).").:',x10 l., to A. Lustig-. . 3,()8() 13Gth st, n s, 200 o New av, 75x16-1. .'.x7S.C)xl -1 1.5, to A. M. Waters. . 2,250 13Gth st, n s, 275 e New av, 67.C.xl41 .5x1 KM 1 xl 15, to A. M. Waters. . 2,580 136th st, s w cor New av, lOOxSOxlOl.Sx i;t.2. to .James Plunkett 1,840 136th st, s s, 100 w New av, l.no.Tx Ili.L^x 1 (il. 1 . 1.. same 1,000 136th st, n w cor New av, 10(ix!)'.).ll [ 137th st, s w cor New av, l00x!>!>.ll I to E. J. King- 5,7(!0 136th st, n s, 100 w New av, 50x09.11 1 137th st, s s, 100 w New av, 50x99.11 to B. McKinney 2,800 136th st, n s, 150 w New av, .50x99.11 1 137th st, s s 150 w New av, .">0.x99.11 | to T. Hisgins 2,800 136th st, n s, 200 w New av, 5i)xir).ll I 137th st, s s. 200 w New av, 5(ix!i!». II to H. P. Gray :'.,040 137th st, s e cor New av, lOO.Sx'.Ci.l lxl(iiix!i."..4, to B. McKinney. .. . 2,800 137th st, n s, 100 e 10th av, 2(it;.:!xii;i..-.x21.->.l(». to F. Yoran 2,520 140th st, s s, 325 w Boulevard, 125x!)!).ll, throe-story frame dwelling, to Carl H. Schultz 17,(100 140th st, s s, adj, 100x99.11, brick stables, to same 6.200 140th St. s s, adj. 191x99.11, to same 8,400 l.'iSth s(. s s. 1(11) (■ Kith av. .".OxlOO, stable, to H. P. Gray 2,950 :;il av, 11 (■ < oi- IdCtti St. --'x KM), to Jacob Bookman 7,700 :;d av, I- s, 25.2 n KKlth st, .".(1.6x110, to R. H. I.. Townsend 10,2(10 5th av (No. J:!()8), e s, (;9.6 s 86th st, 22x100, four-story Nova Scotia stone front dwell'g, to A. Rumiill 36,750 5th av, e s, 50.5 n 100th st, 50x100, to 11. McAleenan 27.0.50 5th av, e s, 75.8 n 115th st, 75.9x1(1(1. inci,-., to H, McAleenan 1S,.S25 8th av, n w cor 122d st. .5(1.1 1 x2S.(;n.V,1.9x.59.9, tn 10. J. KinK" 6,(V)0 8th av, s w cor 123d st. ."i 1. 1 1 x 1 ( k 1. I.. \l. H. L. Townsend Kl,2()U 8th av, w s, adj, 50x5'.l.'.ix."'iS.Sx',li i.."i, to same .S.dOO 8th av, w s, adj, 5(1xKkix."i2.Sx'.mi.,"., to J. M. Pinkney 4,6.50 10th av, e s, 2."..! s r.Tili si. 2.'i. 1x1(10, to R. H. L. Townsend 2,950 10th av, e s, MT.s 11 7.;. I si. sd.SxlOO, to John D, Crimmins 1(;,(t(iO 10th av, n e eoi- Tcili si. 27.2x10, to F. Yoran 5,100 10th av, e s, adj above, 7.'>xlOO, to A. J. Meyer 10,200 10th av, e s, adj above, 7.5x100, to P. J. O'Donohue '.i,0(.)0 10th av, s e cor 77th st, 27,2x100, to Thomas C. Hisgins 4,1.50 10th av, e s, 25.2 n 95th st, 75.6x100, to P. J. O'Donohue '.I.COO 10th av, n e cor ii.'th st, 25.2x1(10, to P. J. O'Donohue :;,900 10th av, s e cor '.Kith st. 2."i.2xl(i(i. {<< J. D. Crimmins ."i.:i50 10th av, e s, .50.4 2.". 2 s '.M'.tli si, 2."i.2xKio, to J. D, Crimmins :',.3O0 10th av, e s, 50. 1 s IMIth st. ."10.4x100, to D. Christie (;,575 10th av, s w cor lo:'.d st. 22x1(10, to B. C. Thornell :!,2.50 10th av, w s, .-idj .ibose. UOxlOO, to H. P. Gray 2,175 10th av, w s, adj above, 11.2xl(J0, to same 4,0.50 10th av, n o c.r J.".(itli st, 99.11x100, to H. Babcock 6.200 10th av, s e cor 137th st, 99,11x100, to S. B, Waterman 6,600 10th av, n e cor 137th st, 94.3x100x5.5x104.7, to E, J. King 6.OOO 134 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, The Jumel Sale. At the famous Jumel sale 1,058 city lots were disposed of for $544,- 830. The sale began on May 31, 1882. Despite the general impres- sion that the prices obtained were good, the sale was stopped. It was concluded on Novcnd)cr 15. 16, i; and 18, when prices ruled 30 per cent, lower than in May. On April 3, 1888, 79 lots were auctioned which had been bought by the Jumel heirs or by persons who had failed to complete their purchases, and which consequently remained in possession of the estate. The 79 lots brought a total of $250,752 in 1888, as against $187,505 in 1882. May 31, 1882. Broadway, n e cor Liberty st, 2.'j.4xS.").2 I Liberty st, n s, 85.2 e Broadway. 25.4x47.7x irreg- Nos. 150 Broadway and 71 and 73 Liberty st, fiye and six-story brick office buildings | Williamsburg City Fire Ins. Co. (Rent $21.970) .^50,000 Jumel terrace, 160th and 161st st and Public Drive— the block. r;.">9..T on Jumel terrace, xl73.3 on 160th st. x21fi.S on inist st. x irreg.. mansion. Nelson Chase . 45.000 Jumel terrace, n w cor 160th st. 2."xS0. F. Moriarty 1,200 Jumel terrace, w s, 25 n 160th .-^t, 2.'ixS4.S. f. Moriarty 950 Jumel terrace, w s, 50 n 160th st, 2.'xS9.4x2.-x04. Chas. Van Cott. . 900 Jumel terrace, w s, 75 n 160th st, I(i(ix04xl(illxl(l0. John D. Crim- mins 3_000 Jumel terrace, w s, 184.3 s 161st st, 50xl0(». Pat. Merrigan 1,750 Jumel terrace, w s, 84.3 s 161st st, 50x100. Geo. Fisher 1,700 Jumel terrace, w s, 34.3 s 161st st, 50x100. John J.Conlon 1,800 Jumel terrace, s w cor 160th st, 34.3x100. John J. Conlon 1,650 Kingsbridge road, s e cor 167th st, 31.5x89.4x30x79.9. S. J. Huggins. 1,010 Kingsbridge road, e s, adj, 26.2x79.9x25x71.11. S. J. Huggins 680 Kingsbridge road, e s, adj, 26.2x71.11x25x64.1. S. J. Huggins 050 Kingsbridge road, n e cor 167th st, 27.10x100.5x26.7x98.1 on 167th St. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,050 Kingsbridge road, e s, adj, 26.2x114.3x25x106.5. Chas. Connelly 875 Kingsbridge road, e s, adj, 26.2x97.2x25x114.3. Merrigan 785 Kingsbridge road, e s, 78.7 s 168th st, 25x97.2x25x105. P. Brun- ner 685 Kingsbridge road, e s, 52.4 s 168th st. 26.2x80x25x87.10. P. Brunner. 685 Kingsbridge road, e s, 26.2 s 168th st, 26.2x87.10x25x87.10. P. Brun- ner 815 Kingsbridge road, s e cor 108th st, 26.2x95.9x25x103.7 on 16th st. P. Brunner 1,245 Kingsbridge road, n e cor 168th st, 26.2x86.7x25x78.8. F. T. Van Buren 1,300 Kingsbridge road, e s, adj, 79x110.2x75x86.7. F. T. Van Buren 2,475 Kingsbridge road, e s, 57.7 s 109th st, 26.2xS5.2x— x93. Scott & Myers 820 Kingsbridge road, e s, 31.5 s ICOth st, 2(;.2x93x— xlOO.ll. Scott & Myers 850 Kingsbridge road, s e cor 169th st, 31.5xl00.11x— xllO.3 on 169th St. Scott & Myers 1,310 Public drive, n w cor 159th st, 25.1x107.8x25x105.1. B. P. Fairchild. 2,125 Public drive, w s, adj, 75.2x105.1x75x104.10. B. P. Fairchild 4,725 Public drive, s w cor 160th st, 27x132.9x25x122.6. B. P. Fairchild.. 2,200 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 135 Public drive, w s, 27 s 100th st, 77.2x104. l(ix7."ixT_'-J.<;. B. p. Fair- child . .' 4.4-i5 Public drive, n w cor lU2d st, 2.j.lx— . J. H. Sutplu n l.MOO Public drive, w s, adj, 100.6x— . J. H. Sutphen :!..S50 Public drive, w s, 25.1 s 163d st, 75.3x— . J. H. Sutphen :!,130 Public drive, s w cor 163d st, 25.1x— . J. H. Sutphen 3.130 Public drive, n v>- cor l(i3d st, 26.3x149.11x25x141. lo. Francis P. Knapp 1,500 Public drive, \v s, adj, IN. CxUl, 1(1x25x132.6. G. W. Mead 901) Public drive, w s, adj, 2(;.Sxl;i2.«;x25xl2:'.. Scott & Myers 721) Public drive, w s, adj, 2(;.Sx 1 2:1x25x1 13.7. Scott & Myers r,70 Public drive, w s, adj, 2r, Sxl i:;.7x_'5xl(i4.2. G. W. Mead .525 Public drive, s w cor lii ltli ^t. ^C.Cx'.M .(ix24.10xl00.11. Pat. Fox. ., . ,S75 Public drive, w s, adj, So.lxKin. 11x75x129.2. Pat. Fox 1,950 159th st, n s, 100 e St. Nicholas av, KKixlOO. B. P. Fairchild 4,600 160th st, s s, 112.4 e St. Nicholas av, 25x100. John Callahan 1,575 100th st, s s, adj, 100x100. B. P. Fairchild 4,800 101st st, s s, 172.7 e St. Nicholas av, 50x127.4. John Callahan 2,225 162d st, n s, 100 e St. Nicholas av, 2.5x112.6. j. Know i.-s 1,225 162d st, n s, 125 e St. Nicholas av, 50x112.1;. W in. I MppHrin.-in 2,n.5<) 162d st, n s, adj, 7.5x112.6. Wm. Dippernian 2,. •'.70 162d St. n s. adj, .50x112.6. Douglas Campl).'ll 960 162d st, n s. adj. 175x112.6. J. H. Sutphen 3,175 102d st, 11 s. adj, 50x112.6. J. II. Sutphen 1,300 163d st, s s, 100 e St. Nicholas av. 25x112.0. J. F. Cherry 1.0.50 163d st, s s, adj, 175x112.6. B. P. Fair, hild 5,461) 163d st, s s, adj, 100x112.6. Pat. l-.x 2,4S0 163d st, s s, adj, 2.5x112.6. Chas. F. I>:n 1 1 i.lu. 690 163d st, s s, 425 e St. Nicholas av, H'OxlPJ.O. J. H. Sutphen 2.990 103d st, n s, 100 e loth av, 25x112.6. M. B. Brown 1.040 163d st, n s, adj, 25x1 12.(;, Bouise Isabeau 825 163d st, n s, adj. 25x112.0. B.)uise Isabeau 710 163d st, n s, adj, 100x112.6. Douglass Campbell 2,440 16.3d st, n s, adj, 75x112.6. Philip Feuring 1.6.50 168th st, s s, 100 w Audubon av, 2.5x100. F. T. Van Buren .525 168th st, s s, 125 w Audubon av, 2.5x75. F. T. Van Buren 525 109th st, s s, 100 w Audubon a v. 50xS5. Alfred Roe 1,000 lG9th st, s s, 1.50 w Audubon av, 5(ixS5. D. Campbell 900 169th st, s s, 200 w Audubon av, 25xS5. Scott & Myers 500 Audubon av, s \v cor 100th st. 2.">x'.(0.4 to Kingsbridge road, x29.4x75. Joseph Brennan 1.015 Audubon av, w s, adj. :'.o.(!.\75x25,(;x52..".. Jos. Brennan 90.5 Audubon av, n w mv lOCth si. _'5xl2L'.7x26.2xl:',0.6. Pat. Fox 1.675 Audubon av, \v s, adj, 75xl3O.0x7.'S.7x1.")4.1. Pat. Pox 2,925 Audubon av, w s, adj, 50x90. B. P. Fairchild 1,:'.00 Audubon av, s w cor 167th st, 30x90. S. J. Huggins 910 Audubon av, n w cor 167th st, 26.7x100. Pat. Milligan S50 Audubon av, w s, adj, 50x100. P. Milligan 1.120 Audubon av, \v s, .50 s lOSth st, .50x100. Matthew Cox 1,080 Audubon av, w s, 25 s 168th st, 25x100. W. Callahan 5.50 Audubon av, s w cor 168th st, 2.5x100. D. Campbell 835 Audubon av, n w cor 168th st, 25x100. Alfred Roe 800 Audubon av, w s, adj, 25x100. Alfred Roe 525 Audubon av, w s, adj, 2.5x100. Michael Smith 490 Audubon av, w s, adj, 50x100. D. Campbell 1,060 Audubon av, w s, 25 s 169th st, 25x100. Alfred Roe 500 Audubon av, s w cor 169th st, 30x100. Alfred Roe 900 St. Nicholas av, n e cor 1.59th st, 25.5x100x2.5x104.8. M. A. J. Lynch. 3,000 St. Nicholas av, e s, adj, 70.;!x104.8x75xll8.8. L. J. Phillips 4,875 St. Nicholas av, s e cor looth st, 25,5x112.4x25x107.8. John Callahan. 2,500 St. Nicholas av, e s, adj. 25.5x1 o7.Sx25x103. John Callahan 1,675 St. Nicholas av, e s, adj, .5o.lOx!».;.,Sx.50xl03. John Callahan 3,150 St. Nicholas av, n e cor 160th st, 2.5..5xlO0. L. J. Phillips 2,050 St. Nicholas av, e s, 25.5 n 100th st, 2.5.5x100. L. J. Phillips 1,600 136 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, St. Nicholas av, e s, 50.10 n IGOth st, 25.5x100. J J Watson 1,525 St. Nicholas av, e s, ^C^.:^ n ICOth st, 101.8x112.8x100x98.8. J. D. Crim- mins 5,650 St. Nicholas av, e s, 177.11 n 1050th st. 25..5xll7.4x25xll2.8. H. Sonn. 1,475 St. Nicholas av, e s, 2(i;!.4 n KlOth st, .'?2.<>xl2:;.4x— x1 17.4. W. J. Barnes 1,S75 St. Nicholas av, e s, <)S s IHIst st, (;:i.4x7.'^. I x- xl 1 2.:i. H. Sonn 2,850 St. Nicholas av, e s, 60.4 s 161st st, :!1.8xll2.:;x— xi:n.O. John Calla- han 1,800 St. Nicholas av, e s, 34.8 s 161st st. .•!l..Sxi:'.1.0x— xl."1.3. John Calla- han 2.300 St. Nicholas av, s e cor 161st st, :'.4.Sxl."il.:!x— xl72.7 on 161st st. John Callahan 4,000 St. Nicholas av, n e cor 162d st, 2.".x100. Henry J. Carr 3.750 St. Nicholas av. e s. 2." n ir,2d st. .".Oxloo. Henry J. Carr 3.000 St. Nicholas av. >■ s. 7." 11 ICl''! st. ."OxloO. L. j. Phillips 3.350 St. Nicholas av, s, :.i 1 s 1i;:m si, ."lOxloo. Patrick Fox 3.400 St. Nicholas a v. r s, Si s ir,:;,i st, -J.'xloo. p. Fox 1,075 St. Nicholas av, s rur MV.;d st, 2.")xl(tO. P. Fox 2,.SO0 10th av. n e cor lc>;!d st, 25x100, Martin B. Brown li.O.'.O 10th av, e s. adj. 2.";xl00. M. B. Brown I.SOO 10th av, e s, adj. .">OxlOO. M. B. Brown :i.200 10th av, s e cor 1(;4th st. 24.10x100. 11. p. P.rnwn 2.650 10th av, e s, adj. l;.">\-1(io. M. P. Pmwn 1..500 10th av, e s, adj, 7.".xloo. M. p.. Pr,,wn 4.530 35% city lots, with water rights on Harlem River, north of line of 165th St. Charles A. Appleby 8,165 35 9-10 city lots, with water rights on Harlem River, south of line of 167th St. Charles A. Appleby 8.975 Xovembt-r 1."-1S. 1 SS2. Edgecombe road, n w cni- l.",'.ltli st. 2.".7xS4x2."ixS'.i.!>. A'. K. St' vcnsoii. .<1.2oo Edgecombe road. s, adj. 70.1 1 xloii. 11 x7.">xS'.i.'.». W. SteviMisun.. L'.475 Edgecombe road. ^\- s. adj, 7<;. 1 1 x1 "_' 1 ■_'x7."'ivl 1 ic.n . \- |<. stevi-nsi m . . 2 .")."iO Edgecombe road, s w ...r li;oth st, 2."i.7x 1 20. 1 1 x2."'ixl 24.2. ^■. K. Ste- Edgecombe niad, n w cur ICi'd st, 2."i.4x 10. 1 Oxl'." x42.6. Sutphcn. 500 Edgecombe road, w s. ailj. 7<;. 1 xL".i.7x7."x 12.0. Sutphen l.OVO Edgecombe road, s w ( nr lo.-'.d st. rji',.Sx7. 1 1 x 1 l:."'ix2;i.7. Sutphen. 1.750 Edgecombe road, n w c.r st. L'.".. I xO.s. 1 1 x-_'.''ix(;4.7. P. G. Duffy. 7.".0 Edgecombe roail. w s. adj. 1 1 H . I x t7.4x 1 ndxO 1.7. Alfred R.»' 075 Edgecombe roa.l. \\ s. l!.". 1' s liMth st. 70x."i'.i. Ix7."x72.4. V. K. Steven- son 1.290 Edgecombe av, s w i .t Pltili st. l.'."i.l;x."i.">x"J 1. 1 < ix.'i'.t. 1. A'. K. Stc\i-!isi m. 5oo Edgecombe r..;ui. 11 w . m,' loltli st. 1'.".. 1 x 1 1 ."..i'.x'J.'x 1 I'.i.O. C. F. Cantz. 7S5 Edgecoml,,- rnad. \n s. adj. 1 L.ls. C. F. Cniitz I.StiO Edge<-<.inb..- r.iad, w s. adj. I |m1s. 11. .Iiim.-l li.-KID Edgecombe mad, 11 « looth st. I'."., 1 x 1 o; 1. 1 1 . P. T.nditz 500 Edgecombe roa.l. s w ( mi- li;7th st. L'2..".x120.7xOl:. 11x100.11. L. Toplitz. 050 Edgecombe road, w s. -JlO.ll 11 Hilth st. 4 l-its. J,,hn M. Jones 8011 Edgecombe road, w s, adj, 4 l.ds. (i. F. Cantz 1.020 Edgecombe road, w s, adj, luts, G, F, Gantz 750 Edgecombe road, w s, adj, 2 lots. W. A. Cameron 490 Edgecombe road, e s, n 107th st, 2 lots, August Sbarbard 570 Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on south, 4 lots. J, J. llahuney. . . . l.OSo Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on south, 4 lots. J. J. Malioney. . . . 1,000 Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on south, 4 lots. S. Chester 1.480 Edgecombe road, s w Jumel pi, 130.4x63.8x100x147.3. Maclin . . 2.480 Edgecombe road, e s, strip 4.9 wide, extending from KiOth to li'.'Jd st. X — x87x to Croton Aqueduct, x irreg. Nelson Chase O.OOO Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on north, 1 lot. John I\li ( 'alluiii . . 200 Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on north, 5 lots. John IVIcCallum. . . . I.05O Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on north, 5 lots. John McCallum. . . . 1.110 Edgecombe road, e s, opposite 163d st, 2 lots. C. F. Partridge 700 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 137 Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on north, 100x124.6 to Croton Aque- duct. John Ruhl 1,000 Edgecombe road, e s, adj above on north, 100x126.4 to Croton Aque- duct. T. B. McKenna 1,000 Edgecombe road, e s, nearly opposite 104th st, 100x124.0 to Croton Aqueduct. G. F. Gantz 960 Edgecombe road, e s, north 164th st, adj above, 100.4xl.'50.8x60.2x 124.0. G. F. Lespinasse 960 Jumel pi, e s, 113.8 s Edgecombe road, 75x122.2 to Edgecombe road, X— xlOS.O. Mr. Presstman 990 Jumel pi, s e cor Edsrecombe road, 11.3.8 on Jumel pi, x — on Edge- comlif rM.ul. X 122.2. John Brown 1,110 Jumel pi. 11 w c.ir ICTth st, 01..'',xll9.3x6.2xl(M>. J. Gillies 820 Jumel i-l. w s. a.lj. T.'.xlOO. J. Gillies 1,020 Jumel pi, \v s, adj. 7.")xl00. Margaret Quinlin 750 Jumel pi, w s, adj, 100x100. J. R. Dorsett 800 Jumel pi, w s, adj, 100x100. J .R. Dorsett 940 Jumel pi, w s, adj, 100x100. J. R. Brown 920 Jumel pi, w s. 0.3.9 s Edgecombe rciad. ."Hxlun. H. Cochrane. .. . 000 Jumpl pi, e s. :'.0.4 n 107th st. 1 ( k ixl 7r,. 1 ( ix 1 1 14.T t.. 1-M -»:-ri ,mbe load. X147.0. G. F. Gantz 1,000 Jumel pi, e s. 1^,0.4 n 107th st. KMlxIMl. J. M. J,,nes 720 Jumel pi, e s, adj. 100x90. P. Fox 720 Jumel pi. e s. adj. 75x90. Thos. Curran 525 Jumel pi. e s, adj. .50x90. Jas. De Vanney 400 Kingsbridge road, 174th st and New av, gore, 2i5x()6.8x70.7. Thos. Walsh 400 Kingsbridge road, n e cor 171st st, 100.6x94.9x100x61.9. A. Foise 1,62:) Kingsbridge road, s e cor 172d st. 100. 6xS4. 9x100x1 1 7.8. G F. Gantz. 2,000 Kingsbridge road, n e roi- 172cl st, 100x121 .L'xOl.Ox.SS.C. V. K. Ste- venson, Jr 1.240 Kingsbridge road, s e cor 17.".<1 si. 1 1 ix 1 LI.'i. !■:. Cmwl'-y 830 Kingsbridge road, e s, adj, 7'.>.4x'.m;.L'x75x 1 ■_'2.4. I',. Follman 1 .0.80 1.59th St. n s. 1(1(1 e St. Xidiolas av, KldxKld, \'. K. Stevciison :'..2.50 lOdth st, s s. i;!7.4 e St. Xich.ilas av. KlOxKlO. V. K. Ste^■.•lls. ,11 :;.S(I() 10:irl St. s s. 1(l(» (■ Kith av. 1(1(1x112.0. H. Jum.'l li.SdO Jas. M.Cb.ud 1,280 1<;:!d st, n s. adj, .50x112.0. Tim. D.migaii 1,200 lG4th st, s s, 100 e 10th av, .50x112.4. William Lalor 1,280 164th st, s s, adj, 50x112.4. M. Lichtenauer 1,330 164th st, s s, 200 e 10th av, 75x112.4. H. Jumel 1.9.S0 164th st, s s, 275 e 10th av, 1(»(ix112.4. J. I\ratth.-ws --'.odO 164th st, n s, 100 e 10th av. 5dxl5(;.7x5d.4xl(^;.5. H. Juni.-i l,.-,(iO 164th st, n s, 150 e 10th av, 75x112.1 1x75.7x1.50.7. II. .Jumel L.'.49d 164th st, n s, 225 e 10th av, 75xl;!2.Sx75.7xl42.1 1. H. Jumel 2.250 164th st, n s, 300 e 10th av, 25x1:.".i.:'.x-_'5.i;xl:i2.S. H. Jumel 570 lG6th st, s s, 90.4 w Edgecombe road 25x121 x irreg. Mr. Caryl 570 166th st, s s, adj, 3 lots. H. Jumel 1.0.5(» 166th st, s s, adj, 4 l.)ts. Frank Luh.-r 2.440 106th st, s s. 95 Au.lubnn av, .".dx:i2,dx.'.MxS (.5. Ellen I'.arry.... 930 100th st, s s, a.lj, 1ddxld",».3xld2.Sx'.i-_','.i. .lain. s A'on Bien 1,910 106th st, n s, Idd w KUh av. :j5x".i5. T. Kitzsvrald 620 100th st, n s, 1dd.11 w Kiiuvrcmbe road, 75x100.9 to Kuth st, xSO.Ox 117.11. L. Tcplitz 1 575 166th st, n s, adj. Iddxldo. W. H. Morrell 1,800 166th st, n s, 95 e Audubcjn av, .50x95. Tim. Donigan 970 166th st, n s, adj, lddx95. H. Jumel 1.9(;0 167th st, n s, extending from Jumel pi to Edgecombe road. 153, on 107th st, xSO.4 on Jumel pi, xl47.0xll5.7 on Edgecombe read. Mr. Tresstman 030 167th st, s s, 119.3 s e 10th av, 4 lots. W. H. Morrell 1,780 138 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 107th St, s s, 100 w 10th av, 25x85. C. Schultz 450 Kuth St, s s, 125 w 10th av, 100x85. H. Jumel 2.000 IGTth St, s s. adj, 50x85. Ellen O'Hare 990 167th St, n s, 95 e Audubon av, 100x81.7. H. Jumel 1,G40 167th St, n s, adj, 75x81.7. P. V. Bussing- 1.335 168th St, s s, 100 w 10th av, 100x95. A. J. Robinson 2.120 168th St, s s, adj, 75x95. John and Herbert McCallum 1.530 108th St, n s, 100 w 10th av, 75x95. H. Jumel 1,680 168th St, n s, adj, 100x95. L. Sinsheimer 2,040 169th St, s s, 100 w 10th av, 100x85. Isaac Cahn 2.00O 109th st, s s, adj, 75x85. L. Sinsheimer 1,425 169th St, n s, 100 w lOth av, 100x81.7. Mr. Henry 2,2(10 169th St, n s, adj, 75x81.7. Thos. Penton 1,050 169th St, n s, 100 w Audubon av, 75x81.7. R. B. Saul 720 169th st, n s, adj, 75x81.7. W. Hahn 750 170th st, s s, 100 w 10th av, 100x95. Mr. Henry 2,080 170th st, s s, adj, 75x95. H. Jumel 1,890 170th st, ns, 100 w 10th av, 100x100. Mr. Henry 3.000 170th st, n s, adj. 75x100. p. Fox 1,890 170th st, s s, 100 e 11th av. 7.")x!».'.. Alfred Rue 075 170th st, s s, adj, 75x05. H. Jumel 870 170th st, n s, 100 e 11th av, 7.5x1(10. A. Roe 1.320 170th st, n s, 100 w Audubon av. 75x100. p. Fox 1,380 171st st, s s, 100 \v 10th av, 100x!t5. Mr. Henry 2,440 171st st, s s, adj, 75x95. H. Jumel 1,575 171st st, n s, 100 w 10th av, 25x95. A. Roe 325 171st st, n s, adj. I(i0x!»5. H. Jumel 1,100 171st st, n s, adj. .'(ix'.i5. H. Jumel 400 171st st, s s, 100 e nth av, 75x95. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,050 171st st, s s, 175 e 11th av, 75x95. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 900 171st st, n s, 100 e 11th av, 75x95. P. V. Bussing 1,050 171st st, n s, 175 e 11th av, 75x95. Th. Bryn 1,110 172d st, s s, 100 e 11th av, 75x95. V. Spader 1,170 172d st, s s, 175 e 11th av, 75x95. J. R. Dorsett 1,095 172d st, s s, 100 w 11th av, 50x94.0. G. W. Monnell 030 172d St. s s. 100 w 10th av. 25x95. Geo. Fisher 500 172d st, s s, adj. 7.5x95. Ellen O'Har? 1,125 172d st, s s, adj, 75x95. H. Jumel 000 172d st, n s, 100 w 10th av. 10(1x94.(5. J. J. Mahoney 1,7(50 172d st, n s, 100 e Audubon av, 75x94.0. J. J. Mahoney 1.050 172d st, n s, 100 w Audubon av, 75x94.0. A. Foise 840 172d st, n s, 100 e 11th av, 75x94.0. L. Sinsheimer 870 173d st, s s. 100 w 10th av, 100x100. J. J. Mahoney 2,360 173d st, n s, 100 w 10th av, 100x100. Wm. Lalor 2.400 173d st, s s, 100 e Audubon av, 75xiO0. J. J. Mahoney 1,(550 173d st, n s, 95 e Audubon av, 75x100. W. A. Cameron 1,710 173d st, s s, 100 w Audubdu av, 75x100. Geo. R. Dean 1.290 173d st, s s, 100 e 11th av, 75x100. John Renehan 1,800 173d st, n s, 100 e 11th av, 75x100. Pat. Fox 870 173d st, n s, 100 w Audubon av, 75x100. B. Fellman 840 173d st, n s, 100 11th av, 100x100. W. H. Morrell 1,240 173d st, s s, 100 w nth av, 75x100. J. A. Booth 915 174th st, s s, 100 w 11th av, 100x100. J. R. Dorsett 1,220 174th st, n s, 100 w 11th av, 100x105.7x100.5x90.1. John Whelan 1,400 174th st, s s, 100 w Audubon av, 75x100. B. Fellman 045 174th st, s s, 100 e 11th av, 75x100. C. Hagemeyer 090 174th st, n s, 95 e Audubon av, 275 to 10th av, x1.Gx270.:{x2(5.11. G. F. Gantz 1.000 174th st, s s, 100 w 10th av, 100x100. John Renehan 1,920 174th st, s s, 95 e Audubon av, 75x100. L. C. Ledgett 1,260 174th st, n s, 100 e 11th av, 75x(50. 7x75.4x07.8. Margaret Quinlan. . 1,200 174th st, n s, 100 w Audubon av, 7.5x00.7x75.4x53.0. J. M. Jones 840 Audubon av, n w cor 170th st, 25x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 050 Audubon av, w s, adj, 150x100 P. Fox 2,100 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 139 Audubon av, s w cor 171st st, 20x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 435 Audubon av, n w cor 171st st, 20x100. Geo. Dean 500 Audubon av, w s, adj. 75x100. Geo. Dean 1.080 Audubon av, s w cor 172d st, 20x100. V. Spader 500 Audubon av, w s, adj, 75x100. V. Spader 1,125 Audubon av, n w cor 172d st, 19.6x100. John Foley 450 Audubon av, w s, adj, 75x100. John Carlin 810 Audubon av, s w cor 173d st, 25x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 650 Audubon av, w s, adj, 75x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,200 Audubon av, n w cor 173d st, 25x100. J. R. Brown 510 Audubon av, w s, adj, 75x100. J. R. Brown 900 Audubon av, s w cor 174th st, 25x100. A. W. Gerloch 410 Audubon av, w s, adj, 75x100. L,. J. Phillips 810 Audubon av, n e cor 172d st, 19.6x95. Dan'l Brady 450 Audubon av, e s, adj, 75x95. V. K. Stevenson 810 Audubon av, s e cor 173d st, 25x95. J. J. Mahoney 710 Audubon av, e s, adj, 75x95. J. J. Mahoney 1,200 Audubon av, n e cor 17.'?d st, 25x05. W. A. Cameron 730 Audubon av, e s, adj. 75x0.". W. A. Cam-ron 1.200 Audubon av, s e cor liUli st. I^. C. Ledgett 510 Audubon av, e s, adj, 7."ix'.i."i. I>. ( L.-dsett 1.2.3() Audubon av, n e cor 174lh st. ;■.(;.. ".x'. i.'.xLlC,. 11 x!)5.4. B. Fellman .^OO Audubon av, s e cor ICCth .st, U.'x'.i.".. T. F. Sta1=l"nid 710 Audubon av, e s, adj, 4;i.0x0li.:;x— n'.i.". T. F. Slaffdi-.l Of.d Audubon av, n e cor IfiCth st, I'.'ixK.'). Tliunias ii n.-y 775 Audubon av. e s, adj, 75x95. Th..s. K. ain.'v 1.590 Audubon av, e s, adj, .")(lx!>5. Allica l.OOO Audubon av, s e cor Ki'tli st, :tnxfi.". Airi< ;l i;ne 720 Audubon av, n e cor lOTth st, 2r..Tx;)5. H. Jumel lUO Audubon av, e s, adj, 100x95. H. Jumel 1,80() Audubon av, e s, adj, 25x95. H. Jumel 430 Audubon av, s e cor ir.,sth st. 25x95. H. Jumel 525 Audubon av, n e cor lOSth st. 25x95. Alfred Roe 600 Audubon av, e s, adj, 75x95. Alfred Roe 1.230 Audubon av, e s, adj, 50x95. L. C. Ledgett 9.50 Audubon av, s e cor 169th st, 30x95. Alfred Roe 600 Audubon av, n e cor moth St. 26.7x95. H. Jum;d 825 Audubon av, e s, adj. 75x95. 'rims. F.-nt..n l.->7a Audubon av, e s, a.l.i. ."lOx'.i.'i. Saimu-l I'.niwii ^'"^'I.' Audubon av, s e C'or IToth st. 25x05. P. Fnx •'^7.) Audubon av, n e cor 170th St. 25x0.'i. 7. H. Jumel 8^5 Audubon av, e s. adj. 7."ix05. 'P. V. StalTord 1,57;) Audubon av, e s, adj, 75x05. Altn d Um- 1.3">0 Audubon av, s e cor 171st st, 20x05. Ellen Newman 02.^) Audubon av, n e cor 171st st, 20x95. H. Jumel 42.5 Audubon av, e s, adj, 75x95. H. Jumel ■*^--> Audubon av, e s, adj, 75x95. H. Jumel 900 Audubon av, s e cor 172d st. 20x95. H. Jumel -t80 Audubon av, s w cor 170th st. 25xloo, H. Jumel 570 Audubon av, w s, adj. .5(ixloo. H. Jumel 620 Audubon av, w s, adj. 75x100. Patrick Barry 1.080 Audubon av, n e cor 169th st, 26.7x1(m:). C. D. Mills 610 Audubon av, n w cor 174th st, 25x100. G. F. Gantz 380 Audubon av, w s, adj, 19xl00.5x28.6xl(X>. G. F. Gantz 340 New av, n w cor 173d st, 25x100 J. J. Macklin 925 New av, e s, adj, 75x100. L. J. Phillips 1.830 New av, n e cor 174th st, 25x100. L. J. Phillips 540 New av, e s, adj, 75x100. L. J. Phillips 1.-185 New av, n w cor 174th st, 25x100. M. Littman 500 New av, e s, adj, 90x100.5x80.7x100. M. Littman 1,215 St. Nicholas av, n e cor 159th st, 25.5x100x25x104.8. W. Moore 2,000 10th av, s e cor Edgecombe road, 100x96.9x77x100. A. Roe 5,800 10th av, e s, adj, lOOxlOO. L. J. Phillips 2,445 10th av, e s, adj, 200x100, L. J. Phillips 7,750 I40 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 10th av, e s, adj, 100x100. L. J. Phillips 2,415 10th av, n e cor 167th st, 361x119.2x70.2x100. J. Gault 2,430 10th av, e s, adj, 7oxl00. L. J. Phillips 2,400 10th av, n w cor 172d st, 19.(1x100. V. K. Stevenson 1,030 10th av, w s, adj, 75x100. V. K. Stevenson 3,900 10th av, s w cor 173d st, 25x100. V. K. Stevenson 1,850 10th av, w s, adj, 75x100. V. K. Stevenson 3,525 10th av, n w cor 173d st, 25x100. A. Roe 2,025 10th av, w s, adj, 75x100. A. Roe 3,675 10th av, s w cor 174th st. 2.5x100. J. Wickham 1^800 10th av, w s, adj. H. Jumel 3,300 10th av, e s, opposite 172d st, contains 41 city lots. James McCloud. . 25,215 10th av, s w cor KKld .=;t. L'nxloo. H. Jumel 2,275 10th av, w s, adj. 7.".xl(K). H. Jumel 4,0.-)() 10th av, n e cor l()4th st, 25x100. H. Jumel 2,300 10th av, e s, adj, 75x100. H. Jumel 3,075 10th av, e s, adj, 3 lots. H. Jumel 3.000 10th av, s e cor 160th st, 25x100. H. Jumel 1,475 10th av, e s, adj, 2 lots. Stephen McCarthy 2,5(K) 10th av, n e cor 166th st, 2.5x100. H. Jumel 1,500 10th av, e s, adj, 100x100. H. Jumel 4,280 10th av, e s, adj, lOOxlOO. L. Toplitz 4,400 10th av, s e cor 167th st, 71x100x6.11x119.3 on 167th st. Jos. McCloud. 2,025 10th av, w s, 25 s 166th st, 75x100. M. B. Brown 3,270 10th av, w s, adj, 30x100x13.5x101.4. Louise Isabeau 1,000 10th av, n w cor 166th st, 25x100. H. Jumel 2,000 10th av, w s, adj, 7-5x100. C. Schultz 3,630 10th av, w s, 30 s 167th st, 50x100. C. Schultz 2,200 10th av, s w cor 167th st, 30x100. C. Schultz 1,810 10th av, n w cor 167th st, 26.7x100. H. Jumel 1,9.50 10th av, w s, adj, 100x100. H. Jumel 4.680 10th av, w s, adj, 25x100. A.J.Robinson 1.3()0 10th av, s w cor l(!8th st, 2.5x100. A. J. Robinson 1.9(10 10th av, n w cor lOSth st, 25x1(10. H. Jumel 2.075 10th av, w s, adj, 75x100. II. Jumel 3,7.50 10th av, w s, adj, .5(1x100. H. Jumel 2.420 10th av, R w cor KiOth st, .".0x100. Catharine Kelly 2.2.50 loth av. n w rnv lO'.itli St. 2(;.7xlOO. Mr. Henry 2.000 loth av, \\- s. ad.i. 7.-xl(i(i. Mr. Henry 3,600 loth av, \v s. aa.i. .">(ixlOO. Mr. Henry 2,620 10th av, s w cor 170th st, 25x100. Mr. Henry 2.0(M) 10th av, n w cor 170th st, 2.5x100. Mr. Henry 2.725 10th av, w s, adj, 75x100. Mr. Henry 4, .500 10th av, w s, adj, 7.5x100. Mr. Henry 4,9.50 10th av, s w cor 171st st, 2()x1(i(i. Mr. Henry 2,125 10th av, n w cor 171st st, 2(ixl(i(i, J. A. Pa,sv 1,425 10th av, w s, adj, 7.-.xl(i(i. i;. C Wctm.ire 2,475 10th av, w s, adj. 7.->x1imi. <;,.,,. Fisher :'.,000 10th av, s w cor 172.1 st, 2(ixlii((, Geo. Fisher 1,450 11th av, n e cor lOOth st, L'C. 7x111(1. Geo. F. Gantz 1,000 11th av, e s, adj, 7.".xl!Mi. i;,.,. K. Oantz 1.800 11th av, e s, adj, .5(1x1(1(1, ( ;..m. F. t Jantz 1.000 11th av, n w cor 17(itli st, liHixTT.ll to Kint^shiiil^H iua..rs-tt 2,020 11th av, s w cor 171st st, '.CxTT.ll k. Kiniislni.lse toad, x K I5,.5xl 2:!.7 on 171st St. R. B, Saul 2 8110 11th av, n w cor 171st st, O.lxOd. A. Foice 1,C>20 11th av, s w cor 172d st, KKtxloo. K Sinsheimer 1,.500 11th av, n e cor 170th st, 25x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 880 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,140 11th av, s e cor 171st st, 20x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 600 11th av, e s, adj, 75xl(X). P. Feuring 1,230 11th av, n e cor 171st st, 20x100. George Dean ()25 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. P. V. Bussing 1,470 BUILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 141 nth av, s e cor 172d st, 25x100. V. Spader 640 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. V. Spader 1,500 11th av, n w cor 172d st, 19.0x100. A. Roe 4.30 11th av, w s. adj, 75x100. A. Roe 1,080 11th av. s w cor 173d st, 25x100. J. A. Booth 555 11th av, w s, adj, 75x100. J. M. Lichtenauer 1,170 11th av, s e cor 170th st, 25x100. John Wickham 900 11th av, n e cor 172d st, 19.0x100. L. Sinsheimer 500 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. L. Sinsheimer 1,050 11th av, s e cor 173d st, 2.5x100. P. Fox 1,030 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. P. B"ox 1,800 11th av, n e cor 173d st, 25x100. V. K. Stevenson. Jr 835 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,.530 nth av, s e cor 174th st, 25x100. K. Stevenson, Jr 700 11th av, e s, adj, 75x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,560 11th av, n w cor 173d st, 25x100. Wm. McDonald 660 11th av, w s, adj, 75x100. Wm. McDonald 1,320 11th av, s w cor 174th st, 25x100. Wm. McDonald 700 11th av, w s, adj, 7.5x100. Wm. McDonald 1,350 11th av, n w cor 174th st, 25xl(in. Mr. Presstman 700 11th av, w s, adj, 61.7xlO(i..-,x!)(!.l.xl(iO. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,230 11th av, n e cor 174th st, 25x100. \'. K. Stevenson, Jr 780 11th av, e s, adj, 52.2x100.5x42.8x100. V. K. Stevenson, Jr 1,100 Plot containing 35% city lots on e s Croton Aqueduct, opposite 105th st, and extending to Harlem River. H. Jumel 13,840 Plot containing 35 9-10 city lots adj above on the north. H. Jumel. . 7,890 Plot containing 38% city lots adj on the north. H. Jumel 8,855 Plot containing 31% city lots adj on the north. H. Jumel 6,615 Plot containing 21 2-10 city lots adj on the north. H. Jumel 5,724 Plot containing 47 city lots on e s Croton Aqueduct, at l.">5th st. H. Jumel 22,090 Plot containg 17% city lots adj on the north. H. Jumel 5.2.50 Plot containing 18-54 city lots adj on north. H. Jumel 5.150 Plot containing 33 9-10 city lots adj on the north. H. Jumel 10,170 Plot containing 27% city lots, bounded by Edgecombe road, Croton Aqueduct and High Bridge Park. Hugh Stevenson 7,562 Strip on Edgecombe road, north of lU7th st, 197.8 front xl.9xl50x ir- reg. Eugene Fountain 1,030 The Lorillard Spencer Sale. The initial sale of the Lorillard Spencer estate was held in the week ending ( )ctoher 20, 18S2. Its importance lies in the fact that it shows the prices of improved property at the time when mercan- tile structures of the type which prevailed anterior to the introduc- tion of steel construction began to replace the older style of build- ings. The prices obtained were considered remarkably good. Bank st. No. 46, s s, 19x91.3, two and one-half-story brick front frame house and one-story brick shop in rear. A. Altmeyer. (Rent, $180, and subject to life lease) 5,500 Bowery, No. 22, n w s, 25.1x99.6x25x97.8, four-story brick and one- story brick house in rear. Catharine R. Thomas. (Rent, $2,400, taxes, &c.) 35,100 Bowery, No. 65%, e s, 16.4x80x16.9x79.10, four-story brick house. Geo. Ruckert. (Rent, $1,535, taxes, &c.) 36.100 Broadway, No. 212, n e cor Fulton st, 29.0x76, five-story brick build- ing, French roof. M. A. J. Lynch. (1-25 part) 12.000 142 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Broadway, No. 393, n \v s, 25x100.5, five-story brick (stone front) house and one-story in rear. L. Spencer. (Rent, .1:11,000, taxes, &c.) 115,000 Broadway, No. 448, s e s, 25x120.2x24.10x120.3, five-story brick iron front house. L. Spencer. (Rent, ^0,000, taxes, &c.) 133,060 Canal st. No 331, n e cor Greene st, 20.1x77.11x20.i;x81.9, one three and a-half-story and one three-story brick houses. W. A. Spencer. (Rent, .?3,000) 41,000 Catharine slip. No. 6, w s, 20.3x40, four-story brick dwelling. Isidore Cohen. (Rent, $1,000) 10,000 Church st, Nos. 61 and 63, e s, 50x50, portion five-story brick ware- house. Estate H. D. Aldrich. (Rent, .$1,500) 31,800 Church st. No. 234, n w s, 20.2x74.11x19.9x74.11. three-story brick house. W. A. Spencer. (Rent, $1,800, taxes, &c.) 33.000 Chambers st. No. 49, n e s, 21.1x151.7 to No. 27 Reade st, x25.6x 151.6, five-story brick storehouse. J. I. Campion. (Rent, $12,000). 132,500 Chatham st. No 41, s s, 20.1x52.7 to North William st, xl6.10x41.3 two and one-half-story frame building. Henry Hart. (Rent, $1.- 200, taxes, &c.) 22,000 Crosby st, Nos. 13, 15 and 17, s e s, 75x100, three three and one-half- story brick and one four-story brick houses. John Burke. (Leased as long as grass grows and water runs) 10.000 Division st, Nos. 166 and 166y2, n s, 28x102.1x25.2x89.3. two and one- half -story frame house. H. Conkling. (Rent, .$84(t) 11.750 Division st. No. 186, n s, 21.6x611.8x19.6x69.3, three-story frame dwelling and one-story frame dwelling on rear. Louis Brulewitch. (Rent, .?.300) 6,725 East Broadway, No. 101, s s. 2-t.llxlOiix24.3x99.11. three-and-one- half-story brick house. S.Jacobs. (Rent, $1.000) 13,350 Eldridge st. No. 52, e s, 20.10x66.6, three-story brick house. H. Conk- ling. (Rent, $800) 10,000 Eldridge st. No. 521,2, e s, 20.10x66.6. similar building. H. Conkling. (Rent, $720) 9,.325 Elizabeth st. No. 40, s e s, 25x55, two-story frame house and two- story brick shop in rear. Chas. Golden. (Rent, $360) 7,-500 Elizabeth st. No. 44, e s, 2.5x100, two-and-one-half-story (brick front) frame house and two-story brick shop. Charles Golden. (Rent. .$420) 13,675 Elizabeth st, No 298, e s, 23.1x75x23.1x73.6, three-story frame house. H. Conklin. (Rent, $280) 8,400 Forsyth st, Nos. 181 to 185y2, n w s, 75x100, four three-ston' brick houses. W. A. Spencer. (Rent, $660 each) .32,000 Gold st. No. .34, s e s, 23.11x98.10x23x93.11, two-story brick shop, shed and coal yard. John W. Mason. (Rent. $600, taxes, &c.) . . 1,000 Grand st, No. 39, s s. 22. 6x72. (i, brick house. James Carr, (Rent, $.5.50) 8,850 Grand st, No. 73, s s. 22x75.4. four-story brick (iron front) house and one-story in rear. Mayer Eisemann. (Rent. .$288, taxes, &c.) . . 7,850 Grand st. No. 341. s e cor Ludlciw st, 21.11x74.9. three-story frame (brick front) dwelling and two-story brick dwelling in rear. Henry Waters. (Rent, $1..5ii(t. taxes. &■■.) 31,000 Grand st. No. 399, s w s. 20.1x80.1. three-story brick house. Cath. R. Thomas. (Rent, $1,200) 16,400 Greene st. No 6, e s, 22.10xl00.5x29.6x irreg., two-and-one-half- story brick house and one-story in rear. W. A. Spencer. (Rent, $1,600) 28,500 Hester st, No. 102, s w s, 25.7x100.9, three-story frame house. Aug. Berbert. (Rent, $750, taxes, &c.) 11,5.50 Lispenard st. No. 10, s w s. 2oxG9, two-and-one-half-story frame house, shed, &c. W. C. Lester. (Rent, $000, taxes, &c.) 10,000 Maiden lane. No. 86, s w s, 27xi:;i.7 to No. 15 Cedar st, x27.2x irreg.; No. 86 Maiden lane, three-and-one-half-story brick building and one-story in rear; No. 15 Cedar st, four-story brick house and one- story in rear. E. H. Kellogg. (Rent, .$3.600) 49,000 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Mercer st, w s, 72.4 n Canal st, 37x47.5x31.1x52.4, three-story brick building and one-story brick extension. W. A. Spencer. (Rent, $2,600) 37,500 Mulberry st. No. 25, w s, 2.5x74x22.1x69, three-story frame house and stables in rear. D. H. Dugro. (Rent, $300, taxes, &c.) 9,100 New Bowery, No. 32, n w s, 35..5x55 to No. 36 Roosevelt st, x24.11x 30.6, two-story brick house. W. A. Spencer. (Rent, .$450, taxes, &c.) 8,700 North William st. No. 18, e s, 16.11x18.1x20.1x7.6. four-story brick ' house. J. B. Simpson. (Rent, $420) 6,000 Pearl st. No. 480, e s. 23.llxll9.lx25.4x irreg-., two-and-one-half- story brick house and brick house and frame stable in rear. John Boyd. (Rent, .$90U) 13,.350 Pell st. No. 11, s w s, 25.4x84.1x24.9x89.5, two-story frame loft and four-story brick house in rear. P. A. Conkling. (Rent, $425, taxes, &c.) 8,000 Prince st. No. 134, s w s, 25x101, three-and-one-half-story brick house. Benj. Van Raclin. (Rent, .1(900) 14,850 Prince st. No. 138, s s, 25x101, two-and-one-half-story frame (brick front) dwelling and one-story brick stable in rear. Morris O'Brien. 13,300 Spring st, No. 94, s w s, 25x50.8, five-story brick (stone front) house. C. F. Wildey. Rent. .i;2,Sn4) 37,000 Spring St. No. 1.54, s s, 20x80, three-and-one-half-story brick build- ing. John Sullivan. (Rent, $l,(M)(i) 13.100 Water st. No. 1&3, s e s, 23.5x45x23.1x44.11. four-story brick house and one-story in rear. W.A.Spencer. (Rent, $1,320) 20,600 White st. No. 115, s e cor Centre st. 25.3x8(ix2(i.lx— . two-story brick house and one-story brick house, one-story frame house, shanty, &c. D. Knabe. (Rent. $1,.500) 18,100 White st. No. 117, s s, 23. 8x—, twostory brick house. John Boyd. (Rent, .$600) 8,500 White st. No. 119, s s, 23.8x— , two-story brick house. John Boyd. (Rent, $6.50) 8,100 White st, Nos. 116, 118 and 120, n e cor Centre st, .58.6x73.2x58.6x 77.4, three two-and-one-half-story brick houses and three-story and one-story brick houses on Centre st. Joseph Kuntz. (Rent, .$2,.5(J0) 36,000 Wooster st. No 226. s e s, 20.6x.5(i. two-and-one-half-story brick house. Miss Kath. Wolfe. (Rent, $600, taxes, &c.) 10,000 4th st, Nos. 31, 33 and 35 E.. s s, 75x132x75x130, four-story brick building, "Turn Hall." Francis Schneider 74,000 18th st, No. 140 W., s s, 23x92, two-story brick stable. H. Conkling. (Rent, $1,000) 15.000 3d av, No. 272, w s, 21.6x75, three-story brick house. J. J. Mathews. (Rent, $1,200) 18,3-50 The Jones Sales. The distribution of the Jones estate by the sales of November 22, 1 888, and February 19, 1889, was a notable event in the history of ^Manhattan realty, on account of the choice location of the prop- erties. The first sale disposed of a large quantity of mercantile property, including part of the site of the Mail and Express Build- ing, at the opening of the steel construction period ; and the second, which distributed 100 vacant lots in a most select residential neigh- borhood, gave immediate rise to important building improvements. The prices realized were regarded as excellent. 144 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Central Park W. (8th av), n w cor 74th st, 25.8x100, vacant. Judge P. Heni-y Dugro 28.000 Central Park W., adj, 25.Gxl00. Same 1C),(!(M) Central Park W., s w cor 75th st, 25.8x100. V. K. Stevenson 25,100 Central Park W., adj, 76.4x100. Oppenheimer & Metzger 48,4.50 Central Park W., adj, 51x100. Same ;i2,S00 74th st. No. Ill, n s, 100 w Oth av, 20x102.2, four-story brick and stone dwelling. D. L. Pulsivi 2(),0 lO 74th st, No. 113, 20x102.2. Charles Mayer 20.050 74th st. No. 115. C. W. Luyster 20,0.-0 74th st. No. 117. George Stake 26,200 74th st. No. 110. C. W. Luyster 25,850 74th st. No. 121. Philip Rosenheim 20,200 74th st. No. 123. C. W. Luyster 25,850 74th st. No. 12-5. M. M. Sternberger 27,100 74th st, No. 127. C. W. Luyster 25.850 74th st. No 129. D. Lord, Jr 26,100 74th st, No 131. C. W. Luyster 25,8.50 74th st. No. 133. O. C. Faurbach 20,050 74th st, No. 135. C. W. Luyster 20,050 74th st, No 137. P. B. Marshall 20,050 74th st. No. 130. A. E. Putnam 26,050 74th st, n s, 100 w Central Park West, 600x102.2, vacant. Henry Morgenthau, Wm J. Ehrich and R. A. Cunningham 283,200 75th st, s s, 100 w Central Park West, 600x102.2, vacant. F. de R. Wissmann 2(!4,000 75th st, s s, 100 w 9th av, 100x102.2, vacant. Jacob Rothschild 44,100 75th st, adj, 100x102.2. Ottinger Bros 42,000 75th st, adj, 100x102.2. Fisher, Adler & Schwartz 42,800 75th st, n s, 100 w 9th av, 100x102.2, vacant. B. A. Sands 40,000 75th st, adj, 100x102.2. A. J. Robinson 37,400 75th st, adj, 75x102.2. F. J. Drummond 28,050 Greenwich av. No. 90, n e s, 27.1 s e 13th st, 20x84x irreg. x83, three- story brick store and tenement, and one-story brick building on rear-. Charles Simpson. (Amount due .$10,722) 2 11,250 5th av, No. 246, s w cor 28th st, 28.4x100, four-story brick and stone| dwelling I 28th st. No. 2, s s, 100 w 5th av, 25x112.10, brick stable in rear.l Geo. De F. Barton |229,000 9th av, n w cor 74th st, 25.8x100, vacant. Judge P. Henry Dugro. . 30,000 9th av, adj, 25.6x100. B. P. Fairchild 16,000 9th av, adj, 25.6x100. Oppenheimer & Metzger 14,500 9th av, s w cor 75th st, 25.8x100, vacant. Jacob Rothschild 26,000 9th av, adj, 76.6x100. Same 44.100 9th av, n e cor 74th st, 25.8x100, vacant. Owen McCrorken 27,250 9th av, adj. 51x100. Same 28,000 9th av, adj, 25.6x100. L. J. Phillips 13,950 9th av, s e cor 75th st, 25.8x100. A. W. Frazer 25,100 9th av, adj, 76.4x100. Same 42,000 9th av, n w cor 75th st, 25.8x100, vacant. C. W. Luyster 26,000 9th av, adj, 25.6x100. Alex. McSorley 10,300 9th av, adi, 51x100. Jacob Bookman 30,000 Briadway, No. 203, w s, 33.10 s Fulton st, 24.9x100.3x25x100.3, five- story building. R. C. Alexandre for Elliott F. Shepard 211,000 Chambers st. Nos. 91 and 93, n s, 97.6 e Church st, 52.8xl.-)0.9x50.2x 150.8, through to Reade st, five-story brick and stone buildings. William Cruikshank, for R. T. Auchmuty 255,000 Duane st, Nos. 72 and 74, s s, 140 w Elm st, 50x78.10x49.4x79, two five-story Nova Scotia stone front stores. Louis F. Emilio 130,01)0 Duane st. No. 129, n s, 100.2 w Church st, 25x175.11 to Thomas st, five-story stone and brick front building. Sol. Zickel 108,000 Duane st. No. 102, s e cor Hudson st, 3.5.6x77.1x89, gore, two-story attic and brick house and two-story brick house on rear. P. H. Dugro 45,000 BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX .V£[r YORK. 145 Franklin st. X^.s. liiT-ll:'.. s s. ITn.d w Church st. Ttl H »xl( i( 1. tive-stoi y stone front buiiainy. A. Xewb.ilil Mniiis, fi.r Jas. H. J.nies. an heir 2l'T,0imi Front St. No. l^.',. e s. VJ.l n Pine st. lUxHl . luxl S.(ix(;4 s. f.iur- stoi y brick house. K. L. Montgomery •_'n,i.Hj(> Fulton st, Nos. ltJ4-l(i8. s s. ln(i.4 w Broadway. (;(;.i;xT7.4xiit;.;ixT7.T. four and four-and-a-half-story buildings. li. ( '. Alfxandrt-. f.ir Elliott F. Shepard lol.OOO Hudson st, Nos. 5(j-(J0, Thomas st, Nos. 93-97. n e cor, 78x78.3x100.3 X irreg., five-story brick building. R. C. Williams & Co 155,500 Liberty st, No. 121, n s, 30.8 e Greenwich st. 2.">xln( ( lixi:." x K 11 1. K 1, five- story stone front building. L. E. Ransom 48,000- Maidei lane. No. 32, s s, 34.2 w Nassau st, li; ^x^.';x 1 .'.x7'.Mi, l^iur- story brick building. Helen Langdon. an heir GO.OOO Alaiden lane, No. 34, adj. lS.:!x4-_'.4xls,.".x:;'.i li\ aii.l-a-hall -stui y brick building. Same 4I111111 Warren st. No. 30, n s, 2.">.:'. w <'lnnvh si. l:."..-Jx 1 1 ii M nxL.'.-,.-Jx K mi.'.p, liv.-^ story stone front ston-. F. .1.- I;. Wissni.iiin i;'.i..")(M> Washington st. No. 280, w s. sii.M 11 W ai i ^ n st. L.'r,.;ixT4.:;x li'jix iri>-g.. five-story brick house, "'harl. s II. \V linn ;. 4i,5UO Washington st. No. 27'..t. >■ s, n W aii. n st. l!i ;x7."i. 1 1 ixLii l.."'ix7."i.'.t, five-story brick house. T. S. ciaiks.m 4U.UUL> !_tth av. s c c(.r 7.'th st. 2.'i..Nx H M 1. P. H. Dugro 20,300 •Jth av, e s, adj 2."). 1 1x1 (Id. William Gillespie 15,300 9th av, e s, adj, 51x100. G. L. Lawrence 30,40U The Morgenthau Sale. The ]\Iorgenthau sale, which took place Alay 30, i8(;i, disposed of 411 vacant lots on Washington Heights. The properlN was origin- ally part of the Chesebrough estate, and was bought in 1879 by George Ehret, the brewer, for $350,000. Governor Morgan pur- chased it in 1881 for $450,000; when his estate was wound up it was secured by Morton & Uliss for $400,000: in the early part Kingsbridge road, adj, 25.4x8.5.9x25x90.1. Mahoney Bros 3.0.50 Kingsbridge road, s e cor 179th st, 25.Gx90.10x85.8x25. S. W..lf 4.70() Kingsbridge road, adj, 70.0xlOG..3x75x90.10. F. Koch 10..35O Kingsbridge road, adj, 70.6x90.8x75x81.3. A. Moses 10,500 10 14b A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Kingsbridge road, n e rm- IT.Sth si. L:ri.(;xl(H.:)xL:r.x'.t<;..S. E. J. Marsh. 5,8»H> Kingsbridge read, s e ccir INuii st. lTiCxST.Cxl'.'.x.si:, 1. A. Bluck ."i.l.jK Kingsbridge road, adj. :2.").(;x'.rJ.7xL'."pxST. I'. ]'. Knt-anian o,()(K> Kingsbridge road, adj. .".IxKH' Kix.'.iix'.il' 7 'I'hus. Alexander 7,00(1 Kingsbridge road, adj. J.". (;\S.;xL.'.'.x77 in K. L. Kennelly 3,000 Kingsbridge road, adj. ',7 x'.i:; .".x.'ii ixs:; I: F. Kearns 7,000 Kingsbridge road, adj, L'r).i;x'.t:',.:;xUrix',is ifame 5,(!50 Kingsbridge road, s e cur l.Slst st. li.j.(;xN 1. 1x25x75. F. T. Higgins. . . 9,2(M) Kingsbridge road, adj, 70.UxU5.0x75x(l Audubon av, s w cor 180th st, 25x100. L. K. Ungrich 3,50(1 Audubon av, s e cor 179th st, 25x95. M. Friedsam 3,20(1 Audubon av, adj, 150x95. Same 12,1,50 Audubon av, n e cor 178th st, 25x95. Same 3,-575 Audubon av, s w cor 178th st, 25x100. Esther Silberman 3,450 Audubon av, adj, 50x100. Same 4,(300 Audubon av, adj, 100x100. Wurtzburger & Hecht 8,100 Audubon av, s w cor 179th st, 25x100. H. W. Hartman 3,4.50 Audubon av, n e cor 180th st, 25x100. L. K. Ungrich 4,000 Audubon av, adj, 25x100. Same 2,-500 Audubon av, adj, 25x100. Geo. Ebert 2,5-50 Audubon av, adj, 19.6x100. Alexander Bros 2,700 Audubon av, n w cor 180th st, 25x100. L. Schlesinger 4,000 Audubon av, adj, 75x100. A. E. Fountain, Jr 8,4(J0 Audubon av, adj, lit.C.xKio. J, H. Fink 2,000 Audubon av, adj, s t- c ,,i isjii st. J.^xlOO. B. F. Kearns 3,750 Audubon av, adj. 5(ixl(i(i. Saini' 4,850 Audubon av, s w cor l.s^a st. 2.")xlO0. L. Schlesinger 3,450 Audubon av, adj, 5Uxl(JU. Same 4,925 Wadsworth av, n e cor 178th st, 25x100. J. G. Johnson 3,275 Wadsworth av, adj, 50x100. Dr. Steers 4,750 Wadsworth av, adj, 75x100. Newman Cowen 6,900 Wadsworth av, adj, 25x100. R. S. Abrams 2,325 Wadsworth av, s e cor 179th st, 25x100. Henry Stlckweh 3,200 Wadsworth av, s w cor 179th st, 25x100. L. K. Ungrich 3,400 Wadsworth av, adj, 100x100. W. W. Watkins 10,500 Wadsworth av, adj, 50x100. L. K. Ungrich 4,8-50 Wadsworth av, n w cor 178th st. Same 3,400 Wadsworth av, s w cor 178th st, 25x100. T. Donovan 3,325 Wadsworth av, adj cor, 50x100. Frank Demult 4,300 Wadsworth av, adj cor, 25x100. Wm. McCarthy 2,325 Wadsworth av, s e cor 180th st, 25x100. W. H. Elting 4,000 Wadsworth av, adj, 50xl(J(J. C. Trinks 5,15(.* Wadsworth av, adj, KjOxlOO. Wurtzberber & Hecht 10,400 Wadsworth av, n e cor 179th st, 25x100. F. T. Higgins 4,0(J0 Wad&woith av, n w cor 179ih st, 25x100. D. W. Ronde 3,700 Wadsworth av. adj, 2.5x100. F. T. Kee 2,575. Wadsworth av, adj. 25x100. W. J. Brown 2,500 Wadsworth av, s w cor 182d st, 25x85. C. E. Schuyler 3,0J0 Wadsworth av, adj, .50x75. Same 3,750 Wadsworth av, s e cor 180th st, 25x100. E. W. H. Elting 4,000 Wadsworth av, s e cor 182d st, 25x100 Mr. Coffey 3,000 Wadsworth av, adj, .50x100. J. W. McCarron 4.1.50 11th av, s w cor 182d st, 25x100. Alfred Miller 5,050 11th av, adj. .")(lx1(iO. A. B. Humphrey 6,400 BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. 11th av, n e cor 178th st, 25x100. Thos. Colton 5.500 11th av, adj, 25x100. Same 3,525 11th av, adj, 25x100 Otto Boelsen 3,400 11th av, adj, 75x100. J. Davis 10,425 11th av, adj, 25x100. Thos J. Colton 3,500 11th av, s e cor 179th st, 25x100. Same 5,900 11th av, s w cor 179th st, 25x100. H. A. Sohl 5,400 11th av, adj, 25x100. Thos. H. Friend 3,300 11th av, adj, 25x100. Geo. R. Conklin 3,200 11th av, adj, 50x100. Vollman Bros 6,500 11th av, adj, 50x100. J. Edgar Leaycraft 3,350 11th av, n w cor 178th st. Same 5,450 11th av, s e cor 180th st, 25x100. L. Walton 6,000 11th av, adj, 75x100. Same 10,800 11th av n e cor 179th st, 25x100. B. F. Kearns 5,350 11th av, adj. Same 10,950 11th av, n w cor 178th st, 25x100. T. Boumeister 5,200 11th av, adj, 25x100. Carl Thomson 3,625 nth av, adj, 25x100. B. L. Kennelly 3,625 11th av, adj, 75x100. C. Shormeier 10,950 11th av, adj, 25x100. P. Somers 3,850 11th av, s w cor 180th st. A. Block 6,100 11th av, n e cor 180th st, 25x100. J. F. B. Smith 7.(100 11th av, adj, 25x100. A. Block 4 1.50 11th av, adj, 25x100. John Delaney 4,100 11th av, adj, 25x100. L. B. Knickman 4.100 11th av, adj, 19.6x100. M. J. Mulqueen 4,300 11th av, n w cor 180th st, 25x100. John Reilly 6,750 11th av, adj. Same 15,975 11th av, s e cor 182d st, 25x100. P. Ward 5.000 11th av, adj, 25x100. J. H. Little 3,350 11th av, adj, 20x1000. Mrs. H. Purvis 2,875 The Arnold Sale. The 143 lots disposed of at the Arnold sale, April 15, 1892, were located on the East Side and in Harlem. The competition was free and unrestricted, and so far as known there was absolutely no pro- tection or bidding by representatives of the estate. Lenox av, n w cor 128th st, 99.11x75, vacant. Leopold Kahn 44,000 i:!3d st, s s, 325 e 7th av, 75x90.11, vacant. Francis J. Schnugg-. .. . 20,700 134th st, s s. 260 w 5th av. 20(1x99.11, vacant. E. C. Bell 40.000 87th st, n w cor Madison av. 95x100.8. vacant. Higgins & Kane 65,.5O0 S7th st, n s, adj, 100x100.8, vacant. Peter Summers 52.000 87th st, n s, adj, 50x100.8, vacant. Andrew H. Smith 27.400 88th st, s w cor Madison av, 95x100.8, vacant. J. Wehrum 63.500 S8th st, s s, adj, 125x100.8, vacant. Max Danziger 58,750 88th st, s s, adj, 97.9x100.8, vacant. J. Keiser 50,800 90th st, s s, 113.4 e Madison av, 76.8x100.8, vacant. Max Danziger. 33,300 94th St. n \v cor Madison av, 42.9x100.8, vacant. L. M. Jones 30.000 94th st, n s, adj, 125x100.8, vacant. Same 63,750 94th st, n s, adj, 100x100.8, vacant. Sonn Bros 52,800 94th St. adj, 50x100.8, vacant. Francis J. Schnugg 27.000 95th St. s w cor Madison av, 42.9x100.8, vacant. Newman Cowen. . 29,000 95th st, s s, adj, 75x100.8, vacant. John Hamey 32,100 95th st, s s, adj, 100x100.8, vacant. Max Danziger 43.200 95th st, s s, adj, 100x100.8, vacant. Geo. F. Johnson 46.000 97th st, s s, 100 e 5th av, 75x100.11, vacant. A. Cameron 26.100 102d st, s s, 100 e 5th av, 25x100.11, vacant. Geo. Wolff 7,400 102d st, s s, adj, 225x100.11, vacant. Geo. F. Johnson 63,000 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 134th St, s s, 75 e 7th av, 100x99.11. vacant. Jacob M. Newman 28,400' 134th St, s s, 375 e 7th av, 275x99.11, vacant. Henry M. Bendheim. . 72,(500 133d St, n s, 350 e 7th av, 100x99.11, vacant. Henry M. Bendheim.. 20,800 135th St, s s, 125 w Lenox av, 50x99.11, vacant. A. J. Bruen 19,000 130th st, n s, 75 w Lenox av, l.")0x99.11. John Harney 33.000 137th St, n s, 100 e Lenox av, 1(10x99.11, vacant. Alex. Cadoo 16,800 138th st, s s, 175 e Lenox av, 275x99.11. S. Manges 33,000 139th st, n s, 370 w 5th av, 75x99.11, vacant. M. Greenbaum 8.550 Lenox av, n \v cor 138th st, 99.11x125. vacant. J. M. Newman 29.000 Lenox av, s w cor 139th st. 99.11x125. vacant. H. Hirsh 28.2oa The Bemheimer-Schmid Sale. The Bernheimer-Schmid sale was held March 7, 1895, under a decree granted in friendly partition proceedings. The eighty-two- lots put up, located on io8th and 109th streets and Columbus ave- nue, were eagerly competed for. The total realized was $550,050. Columbus av, n w cor Insth st. 25.5xl(>n. this and all other parcels vacant unless otherwise mentioned. W. R. Rose 15..50(r Columbus av, adj above. 25.2x100. Wm. Rankin 9.200 Columbus av, adj above. 75.6x100. Heilner & Wolf 26.800 Columbus av, adj above. 50.4x100. Adler & Herrman 18.550 Columbus av, s w cor 109th st, 2.5.5x100. Heilner & Wolf 18.500 Columbus av. s e cor 109th st. 25.5x100. Wm. Rankin 17.50O Columbus av, adj above, 25.2x100. Same 10..3(UI Columbus av, adj above. 25.2x100. Cohen & End^l 9.50ii Columbus av, adj above, 75.6x100. Ottinger Bros , 27,45(1 Columbus av, adj above, 25.2x100. Wm. Rankin 9..50(V Columbus av. n e cor 108th st, 25..5xl00. Same 13..S0() 109th st, s s, 100 w Columbus av, 25x10(111. Adler & Herrman 7.1(10 109th st, adj above, 25x100.11. Heilner & Wolf 6,0(M> 109th st, adj above. 100x100.11. Wm. Rankin 1S.S(MI 109th st, adj above. 50x100.11. Conrad Schlosser 9.3.50 109th st, adj above, 125x100.11. Sonn Bros 27,400 109th st, adj above. 25x100.11. David Christie 5.700 109th St. adj above. .50x100.11. w. P. Silleck 11.725 109th st, adj above, 50x100.11. S. J. Luckings 18.200 109th st, adj above. 25.100.11. Anton Schwartz (5.200 109th st, adj above. 50x100.11. Adler & Herrman 13.500 109th St. adj above, 50x100.11. Jared Bell 14.400 109th St. adj above, 50x100.11 Peter Wagner 15. suit 109th St. adj above and extending in front to point 0.4 e of Amster- dam av. 49.8x105x20.9x100.11. John Flanigan. Carmel. X. Y IT.OOO 109th St, s s, 100 e Columbus av, 2.5x100.11. W. R. Rose 5,575 109th St. adj above, 25x100.11. Geo. E. Mott 4,700 109th St, adj above, 25x100.11. W. R. Rose 4,650 109th st, adj above, 25x200.11. Geo. E. Mott 4.825 109th st, adj above, 75x100.11. Sonn Bros 1(;.175 108th st, n s, 100 e Columbus av, 50x100.11. Same lo.l'.oo 108th st, adj above, 100x100.11. W. R. Rose 1S.250 108th st, adj above. 25x100.11. Jacob S. Bernheimer 5,(_iO(» lOSth St. adj above. 43x204.10 to l(i9th st. x.Sx201.10. Same 7,5(!0 108th st, n s , 100 w Columbus a v. 7.5x100.11. John Jones 14,575 108th St. adj above. 2.5x100.11. W. R. R.ise 4.550 108th St, adj above, 50x100.11. David (^hristie 9,075 108th St. adj above, 50x100.11. W. R. Rose 9,050 108th st, adj above, 50.9x100.11, two-story brick and two-story frame houses. Geo. E. Mott 10,600 108th st, adj above, 149.2x100.11. W. R. Rose 26,850 108th st, adj above, 75x100.11. Joseph Carr 13.750 BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 151 lOSth St, adj above, 25x100.11. R. D. Elder 4..")r» 108th St, adj above, 25x100.11. W. R. Rose 4,.50O lOSth St, adj above, 2.5x100.11. David Christie 4.000 KiSth .'^t, adj above, .VlxlOd ll. Jared Bell 10.200 KiSth St. fidj abdve and extending in front to a point 58.1 e of Am- sterdam av. 41. lIxin.-xTO 0x100.11. Same 12.700 The Ward Sale. The Susan B. Ward partition sale on November 19, 1896, and Oc- tober 19. 1897, disposed of 238 lots on Washing-ton Heisjhts for a total of $444,250. November 19, 1S96. Kingsbridge road, s w cor 170th st, 28x01 x2.5.3xlO,''..l. this and parcels described below vacant. c\ Buckman 5.50 Kingsbridge road, adj above. .5r,xl27.4x."0.r,xlO,'^.l. G. W. Van Allen and C. Buckman 12.000 Kingsbridge road, adj above. 28x1 14. r,x25..'^xl 02.4. Same 5.700 170th st, s s, 01 w Kingsbridge road. 125x90. Same 14 000 170th st, adj above, .50x90. David Kahnweiler 4 170th st, adj above. 100x90. Edward Oppenheimer 7 000 170th st, adj above, .50x90. J. Bleecker & Son for a customer n.70() 170th st, adj above, 100x90. M. Hecht 7,800 170th st, adj above, 70x00. T, G, Smith 7,800 Fort Washington av, s e cor 170th st, 25.3x05x25.^x00.2, r. T. Bar- ney 4.700 Fort Washington av. adj above. l(ll..SxO(».8xl(»0.11x9G.2. Same 11.100 Fort Washington av, adj above, 25.8x80.3x25.3x90,8, Jane O'Neill. 2,1.50 Fort Washington av, adj above and n e cor 109th st. as proposed, 2.5.9x80.9x2.5..3x8r,..3. Mrs. F, Hack or Mack 3.000 109th st, as proposed, n s. 80,9 e Fort Washington av, 45x80.7. C. T. Barney 2,800 IfiOth st, adj above. 1.50x8(;,7, A, Herzb?rg 8.000 in9th st, adj above. .50x80.7. D, J. Timoson 2.90O 109th st, adj above. 200x80.7. William Hays 10,200 IfiOth St. adj above, .50x80.7. Edward M. Timmins 4.700 IfiOth st, adj above, 2.5x100.11. D. Markey 2.900 109th st, adj above, 2.5x75.8. A. M. Geraty 2,000 Kingsbridge road, n w cor 109th st, as proposed, 20,3x11 8.3x25.:;x 11.3.9. C. H. Douglass 9.000 Kingsbridge road, adj above, .50x.89.0x5o.(;x1 13 9 <• K, Henderson. 10 8.50 Fort Washington av. s w cor 1 Tot h st, L'." x 1 ( m ixL'.'. x'. i.s, 1 1 , r, T. Bar- ney 4.000 Fort Washington av. adj alMl^-.., T5x! is.."ixT.5x'.i.s, 1 1 , .T. Romaine Brown 10..500 Fort Washington av. adj above. 75.0x107,3x75x08,5. C. T, Barney. 11,900 Fort Washington av, adj above, 33 (^x111x31,7x107,3. James C, Hus- sey 4,850 Haven av, s e coi- 17otli st, 25,111x110.1 x25xln3.S. C. T, Barney 4, .300 Haven av, adj ;iho\ ,.. TT.OxS l,2x75x 1 n:!,8. Same 0,3,oO Haven av, adj .iliox... ■_'."i.lOxl-J7,iixL',"ixi:;4,2. Adelaide Murdock,,. 1,.'<.5(> Haven av, .50.0x1 14, Ox.'Hx 127,0, Donohue 3.000 Haven av, adj above. 31 .5x100. 1 1 x31 ,Sx1 1 4,9, John McSherry 1 ,S0O 170th St. s s. 100 \v Fort Washingt..n av, .5ox1oo. J, Romaine Brown. 5.300' Fort Washington av. s w cor 170th st, 25x100x25x98.11. C. T. Barney 4.000 Fort Washington av. adj above. 75x'.i.s..".x75xO,S,ll. J, Romaine Brown lo,50O Fort Washington av, adj above. 75 0x1 07,:!x75,9S.5. C, T. Barney.. 9.900 Fort Washington av, adj above, .33.0x114x31.7x107.3. James C. Hus- sey 4,85f> 152 -4 HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Fort Washington av, n w cor 170th st, as propost-d. r)(ix!»5x.">0x07.a. Fort Washington av, s \v cor 171st st, as proposeil. 1 4<;xln:',. K ixl-45 xQl.X C. T. Barney 15,700 17(lith st, as proposed, 9r> w Fort Washington av, 10. Same.. 10,00(» 171st st, as proposed, 103.10 w Fort Washington av, 12.')x97.(). Mrs. C. C. Carroll 5,250 Haven av, as proposed, s v mv 171st st. .">1.8xl08.11x.")0x9.j.n. J. F. Weber 4,800 Haven av, adj above, 1'." UtxSK.CxJ.'xlt.'.ll. Henry Holdman 1,550 Haven av, adj above, 2:i.:'.xS:'..Sx2'J.r.xS!).C.. C. T. Barney 1,700 Haven av, n e cor 17(»th st, l(M».9xSa.4x!)9.6xl08.7. Henry B. Cohen.. 9,500 Fort Washington av, n w cor 171st st, as proposed, 50x95x50x92.9. J. A. Zimmerman 3,250 Fort Washington av, adj above, 25.1x90.0x25x92.9. James S. Car- ney 1,050 Fort Washington av, adj above, 25.2x87.625x90.0. W. A. Toll 1,075 Fort Washington av, adj above, 25.3x112.6x25x108.9. S. A. Ludin.. 1,000 Fort Washington av, adj above, 39.11x101.6x31.11x108.9. J. S. Ehrich 2,900 171st st, as proposed, n s, 95 w Fort Washington av, 25x100. C. Shulander 1,325 171st st, adj above, 75x151. 6x75.3xl.")0.1] . James L. Wells 4,650 171st st, adj above, 25x149.9x25.1x151.0. Lottie Waldmar 1.425 171st st, adj above, 25x147.11x25.1x149.9. J. A. Curry 1,(;00 171st st, adj above, 25x146.1x25.1x147.11. D. J. Murphy 1,725 Haven av, as proposed, n e cor 171st st, as proposed, 141. 7x84. (ix 120.4. L. J. Phillips 11,400 Haven av, \v s, opposite n part 170th st, as proposed, 25x103.4. M. Hecht 2,750 Haven av, s of and adj above, 100x103.4. J. Romaine Brown 10,000 Haven av, adj above, 75x103.4. W. E. Patch 4,125 Haven av, adj above, 50x103.4. M. Hecht 2..300 Haven av, adj above, 35.0x103.8x35.4x103.4. Sol. Prowler 1,1. ")0 Haven av, w s, opposite n line proposed 170th st, 75x10.'!. 4. Wm. Miller S.iVjr, Haven av, n and adj above, 2.5x103.4. Reeber's Sons 2,300 Haven av, adj above, 25x103.4. M. Hecht 2,100 Haven av, adj above, 50x103.4. T. G. Smith 4,600 Haven av, adj above, 25x103.4. M. Hecht 1,850 Haven av, adj above, 25x103.4. Anna M. Cardana 1.875 Haven av, adj above, .50x103.4. T. G. Smith 3,7.50 Haven av, adj above, 25x103.4. C. A. Mannie 1.675 Haven av, adj above, 50x103.4. Caspar Iba 3,100 Haven av, adj above, 26.8x100.11x21.8x103.4. Alex E. Mitchell 1,825 October 19. 1,S!»7. Fort Washington av. w s. 175.7 s 170th st. runs w 107.3 x s 31.7 X s e 113.11 to av. X n w l.",.:; x ii ■-:o.4 to lieginning. H. W. Money. 2,400 Haven av, e s, ISd.'.i s ITnth st. :n..-x1(i(;.nx31. 7x114.9. H. W. Money 1.000 Boulevard Lafayette, e s. -JC!).;; n 17oth si, 1o1 .;ix2L".>.:!x!)i;.Sx223.".l. W. F. Carroll 4.5.50 Boulevard Lafayette, e s. r,.", C, n 17oth st. Io;',x220xlooxl0;!.2. .\(1olph Wurzburger 4,700 Boulevard Lafayette, s, 1 tL'.C. ii IToth st. 1 o:!xl77.:ix K lOxl 01 Charles B. Hill "'.325 Boulevard Lafayette, s w c ,,r l'i i\ ate st. adj Fort Washington Park, 2S..-,.5xl00.04x-xl(io, va.ant. P. A. Cassidy o.-<>0 Boulevard Lafayette, w s, adj. l.-.lxluo. I'. .\. < "assiily 11.5.50 Boulevard Lafayette, adj. L'.">x1iiO. Mrs. A. lUi.ld 1.150 Boulevard Lafayette, adj, L'.'.xloO. S. L. Pn.wh-i- 1.200 Boulevard Lafayette, adj, 50x100. J. J. Fredericks 2,400 Boulevard Lafayette, adj, lOOxlOO. E. ('. Lyons 4,S0i> BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 153 Boulevard Lafayette, adj, 200x100. J. D. Butler 14.000 Boulevard Lafayette, adj, 116.11x115.10x116.11x100. C. H. Scholer- man 9,600 Private st, adj Fort Washing-ton Park, s e cor Private st, e of N Y C R R. 108.9x107.57, vacant. W. H. Douglass 12,100 PPrivate st, e s, adj, 125x180.90. W. H. Douglass 2,600 Private st, adj, 50x108.90. J. J. Fredericks 800 Private st, adj, 100x108.90. E. C. Lyons 1.800 Private st, adj, 75x108.90. William Hayes 1,850 Private st, adj, 125x108.9. W.A.Martin 2,300 T>rivate st, adj, 104.1x109.98x106.84x108.90. A. W. Miller 2,200 Private st, s w cor Private st e of N T C R R, 7.10x112.25x0.14x110.0, vacant. W. L. Douglass 500 Private st, w s, adj, 473.59x irreg. Wm Rankin 6,750 Private st, adj, 25x82.6. J. J. Fredericks 350 Private st, adj, 50x125.43x53.24x82.26. F. C. A. Maurice 900 Private st. adj, 27.86x126.15x25x125.34; also irreg strip w of N Y C R R. Geo. B. Ward 1,000 Prices of Fifth Avenue Lots, 18724882. The following- is a list of actual prices paid for Fifth avenue prop- erty between the years 1872 and 1882. The list shows the havoc which the panic of 1873 wroug-ht on the prices that ruled during the preceding speculative period. A'alues apparently continued to fall until 1877, when they seem to have reached the low-water mark : TSr e cor 81st st, 2.".Sxl(»0: also one on Slst st, 25x102.2. June 22, 1872 .$102,.">00 25.8 n 81st st, 51xl(l(l. June 8, 1872 100,000 Same property. Dec. 2.1, 1875 55,000 Same property. June, 1879 50,000 Same property. Jan. 15, 1881 76.000 76.8 n 81st st, 25.6x100. July 5, 1879 26,000 Same property. March 19, 1881 40.000 S e cor 82d st, 102.2x125. May 25, 1872 225,(100 S e cor 83d st, 102.2x160. March 23, 1872 22(1.000 Same property. June 1, 1872 250,000 Same property. Dec. 25, 1875 145,000 Same property. July 5, 1879 132,500 Same property. Nov., 1879 142,i500 Same property. May 8, 1880 180,000 N e cor 83d st, 50.2x100. Feb. 3, 1872 95,000 51.2 n 83d st, 52x100. June 1, 1872 91.000 Same property. August, 1879 75,000 Same property. Jan. 15, 1881 78,000 S e cor 84th st, 25.8x100. June 8, 1872 71,500 Same property. Feb. 28, 1874 71. .500 Same property. Sept. 19, 1874 7.S,500 Same property. Foreclos. Nov. 14, 1874 43.500 Same property. Feb. 15, 1879 26,000 Same property. Feb. 15, 1879 33.000 Same property. April 24, 1880 39,500 26.6 s S4th st, 25x100. Feb. 3, 1872 38,000 Same property. June 8, 1872 40,000 Same property. July 3, 1875 35,000 Same property. Aug. 21, 1875 32,736 N e cor .S4th st, 22.2x125. March 2, 1878 .50,000 154 ^ HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 22.2 n 84th st, 20x115. April 18, 1874 120,000 Same property. Aug. 26, 1870 80,000 Same property. Aug. 11, 1877 80,000 Same property. March 26, 1881 80,000 Same property. Dec. 17, 1881 60, .500 Same property. Dec. 17, 1881 80,000 42.2 n 84th st, 20x125. Feb., 1878 25,000 Same property. Feb., 1880 50,000 62.2 n 84th st. Feb., 1878 25,000 Same property. Feb., 1880 50,000 82.2 n 84th st. Oct. 13, 1887 43,000 Same property. March 13, 1880 50,000 Same property. March 20, 1880 43,000 127 n 84th St. 25x100. Sept. 11, 1875 42,000 Same property. April 22, 1876 23.300 S e cor 85th st, 27.2x100. April 6, 1872 47,500 Same property. July 18, 1872 42,.">00 Same property. Jan., 1882 55,000 27.2 s 85th st, 25x100. Feb. 24, 1872 30,000 *50.8 s 85th st, 50x102. March 2, 1872 68,000 Same property. March 2, 1872 65,000 52.2 s 85th st, 25x100. June 8, 1872 40,000 Same property. June 8, 1872 35,000 N e cor 85th st, 25x100, with two on n s of 85th st, 50x102.2. Dec. 5, 1874 : 80,000 *25 n 85th st. 21.1x100. Feb. 21, 1874 70,000 *46.10 n 85th st, 22x100. May 10, 1873 80,000 Same property. June 24, 1876 38,000 ♦68.10 n 85th st, 22x100. Nov. 2, 1872 So.OOO Same property. Sept. 11, 1873 .">7,.500 Same property. Oct 9, 1873 S.-,.000 Same property. Sept. 19, 1874 !t7..'')00 Same property. Sept. 2, 1876 32,000 ♦90.10 n 85th st, 22x100. May 20, 1876 34,000 ♦112.10 n 85th st, 22x100. Oct 12. 1872 80,800 S e cor 86th st, 25.8x100. July 3, 1875 00,000 Same property. April 21, 1877 23,000 ♦25.8 s 86th st, 21.10x100. Jan. 27, 1872 75,000 Same property. April 19, 1873 75,000 Same property. July 8, 1876 38,000 Same property. April 29, 1870 26,800 69.6 s 86th st, 22x100. April, 1879 26,000 N e cor 86th st, abt 4 lots. Junt 5. 1S7."> 95,000 Same property. May 1, 1S79 80,000 Same property. Jan. 10, 1880 86,000 50 n 80th st, 75x102. Jan. 29, 1881 95,000 Same property. Jan. 29, 1881 75,000 Same property. Dec. 31. 1881 120,000 S e cor 87th st. 25.2x102.2. April 21, 1877 24,000 25.2 s 87th st, 25.2x102. April 28, 1877 19,000 50.2 s 87th st, 2.5.2x102. April 28, 1877 18,000 N e cor S7th st, 25.4x140. May 18, 1877 25,600 25.4 n 87th st, 25.4x140. May 19, 1877 14,000 50.11 n 87th st, 25x140. July, 1879 17,000 50.8 n 87th st. 50x140. March 12, 1881 70,000 Same property. March 12, 1881 70,000 75.8 n 87th st, 25x140. March 19, 1881 17,000 Same property. Feb. 21, 1880 25,000 Bet 87th and 88th sts. 50x140. April 6, 1872 83,000 50.8 s 88th st, 25x102. July 8, 1876 15,000 75.8 s 88th st, 25x102. Aug 5, 1876 15,000 75.11 s 88th st, 25x140. April 1, 1870 28,000 50.4 n 89th st, 50.4x102.2. 2-3 part. Oct 12. 1872 53,333 Same property. Aug. 5, 1870 28,500- BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Same property. Dec. 25, 1877 36,000- S e cor 90th st, 25x100. May 25, 1872 48,000 Same property. April 12, 1873 50,000 Same property. Feb. 21, 1874 55,000 50.5 n S9th st, 50.4x102.2; s e cor 85th st, 27.2x100. Aug 10, 1872. . 135,000 Same property. Aug. 17, 1872 .50.000 75.6 n 05th st, 25.2x100. Jan. 17, 1874 6,000' 75.9 s 101st st, 25x100. Nov. 24, 1876 5,000 S e cor 85th st, 27.2x100; 50.4 n 89th st. .'0.4x102.2. Aug. 10, 1873. . 135,000 *Improved. Population of New York. The Old City, including, from 1874, the 23d and 24th Wards. 1653 1.120 1825 166,136 1661 1,743 1830 202,589' 1653 1,120 1835 253,028 1673 2,500 1840 312,710 1696 4,455 1845 358,310 1731 8,256 1850 515.547 1750 10,000 1855 629,904 1756 10,530 1860 813.669 1771 21,865 1865 726,836 1774 22,861 1870 942,292 1786 23,688 1875 1,041,886 1790 33,131 1880 1.206,299 1800 60,489 1890 1,515,301 1805 75,587 1892 I,801,a39 1810 96,373 1893 1,891,306 1816 100,619 1897 *2,000,000- 1820 123,706 1S9,S 13,388,000 *Estimated. tGreater New York. iS6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Prices of Lots in 1847, t857 and 1868. The following;- comparative table of estimated prices is taken from the Record and Guide for December, 1868: Value in Value in Value in Location of Lots. April, November, 1868. ^1847. 1857. 19th St, bet 5th and Gth avs . . . .$1,650 $7,000 $18,000 21st St, bet 5th and 6th avs . . . . 1,950 I nnn 17th and 18th sts, bet Gth and 7th avi s. .. 2,350 4,000 IS AAA 18,000 18th St, bet 6th and 7th avs , , . 1,200 4th av, bet 50th and 51st sts 450 1 s^n ^AAA 50th St. bet 3d and 4th avs 350 32d St, bet 4th and 5th avs 1,500 19 AAA 1^'aaa 43d st, bet 5th and 6th avs 1,200 3,000 15, OU 45th St, bet 5th and 6th avs 775 3,000 51st St, near 4th av 450 1,800 AAA Lexington av and 52d st 450 2,000 A A ^!^'aaa 4th av., 52d st (inside) 420 5th av, 56th to 57th sts 575 O.OOU qAAAA 5th av., 58th st 500 Q AAA 58th st, bet 5th and 6th avs 220 9'nnn 2,000 19 000 Near 5th av ir'oAA 8th av., 65th st 400 1 ^nn 19 AAA (cor.) 64th St., near 8th av 225 66th st, near 3d av 700 1 ftnn 1,W)U -AAA 2 AAA Lexington av, 65th and 66th sts 800 3d av, 7th st 750 1 9^^AA 71st st and 3d av 480 AA ^000 80th st and 3d av 290 I'inn 3d av, 80th st 525 19 AAA 79th st, near 3d av 295 r OQQ 4th av, 83d st 400 1 AA ■-AAA 83d st, 3d and 4th avs . . . . 275 1 nnn 000 5th av, 86th st, (cor) 850 F-AA h'^aa 9- 1AA 5th av, at 86th st (inside) 505 4,500 9A AAT 86th st, near 5th av 510 2,o00 8,000 Lexington av, bet 51st and .■'>2d sts. : Inside 1,400 2,000 8,000 2,100 2,750 10,000 58th to G2d sts, bet 5th and 6th avs. 5th 700 ^ 000 10 000 64th to 68th sts, bet Gth and 7th avs, 5th 600 1,750 (i.OOO 74th to 78th sts, bet 5th and Gth avs, 5th . . . . 750 1,500 5,000 77th st, bet 4th and 5th avs, 5th and Mad- G50 1,250 8,000 74th st, bet 3d and 4th avs 600 1,200 8,500 5th av, 7th st 1,000 2,000 42,000 80th st, bet 3d and 4th avs, on s s 950 1,500 3,000 And on 4th av 2,000 8.000 12,000 116th st (100 ft. st), bet 3d and 4th avs . . . . 500 700 3,000 117th st, bet 2d and 4th avs 600 600 2,000 BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Comparative Tables of Conveyances Since 1868. 1. The Old City, including from 1874, the 23d and 24th Wards. Total No. Considera price per Year. of Conveys. tion. No. Nom. Convey. 1868 10,070 $160,027,469 592 .$15,892 1809 8,155 14.s,:5os,,s7S 696 18,186 1870 0,032 106,750,732 810 16,096 1871 7,070 146,446,743 625 20,710 1872 7.599 107,599,852 639 22,055 187:'. 145,285,753 880 20,248 1874 7 22:! 119,030,668 1,254 16,470 1875 7,214 102,646,802 1,555 14,090 187(i 7,133 89,841,680 1,656 12,595 1877 7,076 73,594,864 1,692 10,400 1878 6,861 66,481,006 1,927 9,846 1879 8,969 87,882,097 2,301 9,798 1880 9,588 115,505,306 2,564 12,083 1881 11,678 148,219,490 2,931 12,692 1882 9,975 170,764,163 2,724 17,218 188:5 10,620 164,534,012 2,813 15,499 1884 12,262 182,044,304 3,061 14,846 188.-) 11,412 184,837,797 2,514 16.109 188(i 13,569 243,981,539 2,404 17,988 1887 13,896 258,663,980 2,684 18,513 188.S 217,732,936 2,846 18,090 1889 15,085 269,873,442 3,474 17,908 1890 15,857 282,047,609 4,042 17,1.56 1891 14,013 231,908,649 4,058 16,548 1892 13,944 228,608,599 4.458 16,394 189:i 13,244 216,825,732 4,963 16,371 1894 13,436 149.614,843 5,705 19,352 189.-. 14,040 151,968,784 6,782 20,938 189(i 14,072 132,522,092 7,434 19.970 1897 14,988 111,232,874 8,072 16.083 ^58 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Comparative Tables of Conveyances Since \Z6Z— Continued. Total No. Considera- price per of Conveys. tion. No. Norn. Convey. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874 $4,833,059 161 $4,685 1875 3,641,240 168 4,199 1876 749 3,107,875 146 3,361 1877 897 2,125,579 224 2,482 1878 852 2,361,819 218 2,901 1879 916 2,318,184 213 2,519 1880 853 3,838,670 219 4,617 1881 1,056 3,727,302 268 3,520 1882 1,067 3,889,064 296 3.645 1883 1,366 4,343,545 371 3,179 1884 1,849 4,382,975 404 2,382 1885 1,625 4,787,848 , 379 2,946 1886 2,120 7,911,185 340 3,731 1887 2,505 11.226,480 449 4,481 1888 2,048 8,219,576 477 4,013 1889 2,773 11,535,266 668 4,156 1890 2,875 13,332,374 668 4,637 1891 2,775 11,153,950 670 3,947 1892 2,826 11,066,795 758 3.916 1893 2,457 10,092,668 796 4,462 1894 2,587 8,750,644 903 5,1}H5 1895* 3,512 11,114,409 1,453 5,398 1896* 4,192 10,733,782 1,897 4,685 10,937,273 2,163 4,478 *Including the district east of the Bronx annexed in June, 1895. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. Total Number of Buildings Projected Since J 868. The Old City, including, from 1874, the 23d and 24th Wards: No. of No. of Average plans buildings Estimated cost per field. projected. cost. buildings. 964 2,014 $34,51 7,(iS2 $17,138 2,348 40,352.058 17,185 1,206 2,351 34,Gt;8,998 14,74(; 1,416 2,782 42,.jS,-,,:!ltl 1. -..:{( )7 1,009 1,728 27,NS4,S7() i(;,i:!T 1,311 24, !».■;(;..-,:■„-, i;i.ir_>l 1874 . . . 1,388 Ki.c.tM. (1 1 iL'.dl l,S 1,406 l.s.L'i^r,.,s7ii 1870 . , , 760 1,879 15.! M i:;.:(,sn 1 1 ..->;!2 1877 773 1,432 13.;;ti.-.,l 1 1 :».;!;',:) 18711 960 2,065 l(i„si»;i 188(1 1,065 2,252 1881 1,247 2,682 43.391,:'.()n ]0.17!» 1882 1,264 2,577 44,793,180 17,381 1888 1,450 2,623 43,214,346 10,498 1884 1,663 2,812 42,215,423 15,012 188.-. 3,370 45,918,246 13.024 188t;., , 2,085 4,097 58,479,653 14,273 1887, , . 2,131 4.385 66,839,980 15,242 1888 1,760 3,076 47,142,478 15,332 18811 2,046 3,621 68,792.031 18,998 18! 1(1 2,000 3,507 74,670,373 21,282 18U1 1,625 2,821 56,072,624 19.977 1892 1,783 2,967 59,107.(;i8 19,921 1893 1,433 2,172 55,102,<»5:! 1894 1,589 2,592 51.42(i,.-mT 2,184 3,838 84,11 l.n;;:; i.'i,in2 189(! 1,894 3,149 71,s,si^i,70.-. 1897 1,988 3,510 83,G68,84(» 23,790 *The CO ist of building was abnormally high in these years. i6o A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, I J I J I m " 1 1 Ti Til "! 1 Tj! 11 1 " " 11 i B5 B!1 Sj: S|H ' ri 1 liTh ^^^^f^^ O HQ -fO 3 ^ i H ^ ^ = - - £ - ^1 Til IITii ipj ij n H m\ '^1 1 2 ll^ I I I I I 11 Mr. Geo. R. Read. There IS no name Ijetter known Dr more prommentlv identified with Xew ^'ork reaUy than that of Mr. ( ieo. R. Read, of Xo. lO Wall street and Xo. y I'ine street. The hnsiness managed hy Air. Read is eomijarable only to that of a large banking or financial insti- tution in its extent and solidity. It would not be fair to say his of- fices handle all the first-class realty in this city, but there can be no exaggeration when it is stated that Air. Read handles a reniarkal)ly large portion of desirable Xew ^'()rk realty. The business in brief is a general real estate business ; it embraces auctioneering, broker- age agency and appraisals. Mr. Read is retained by the largest financial institutions and executors of large estates as an adviser in matters appertaining to real estate values. In this connection Air. Read's judgment is considered authoritative and final. That he is a leading ex])ert in the metropolis can readilv Ije substantiated bv the fact that Air. Read has been instrumental in carrying to a suc- cessful conclusion many of the large, if not the largest, real estate transactions ever recorded in this citv. It must be further explained that Air. Read's business has be- come much more important and dignified than that of a successful broker. A financial institution, corporation, or estate will place a property in his hands for improvement. They rely on his judgment as to the nature of the improvement, and in this resjiect he stands in the most intimate relation to his clients. The Corn h^xchange Bank ofificers ])laced the im])rovement of tlieir ])ro])erty at William and Beaver streets in his hands, lie siil)mitte(l a scheme in which the data showed a ]>rofound and most accurate knowledge of con- ditions suitable for the proposed imi)rovement. The American Tract Society Building, a twenty-two story building, was built un- der his advice, lie now manages, as general agent, the following, among a long list of buihhngs: Home Life Insurance Building, Metropolitan Life Insurance Huilding, Wallace Building, Taylor Building, Corn Exchange Bank Ikiilding. Bank of Commerce Building. Astor Building, Constable Building, Park Row Syndicate Btiilding (now in course of construction, and which will be when completed the tallest ofifice building in the world), the P>eard Build- ing and the Exchange Court ISuilding. The direction of a business of this magnitude naturally re- quires a well-equipped ofifice and management of the soundest character. When one learns that in addition to matters of appraisals, auctions and expert advice which enter so largely into a real estate agent's l)usiness that the agent stands in the position of landlord to the tenants, pays the taxes ami other assessments of his clients, then one can more easily judge of the extent of the business carried on in Mr. Read's office. In 1884 Mr. Read opened an ofifice for the carrying on of a real estate business at No. 19 X'assau street. In the comparatively short time which has elapsed he has become the most prominent mem- ber of New York real estate circles. He has third filled w ith honor the position of president of the Real Estate Exchange, and he is held in the highest esteem by all its members. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 169 REAL ESTATE LEADERS. American Real Estate Company. In the Xew ^'ork Held tlu- Anicrican Real I^.^tate Company is one of tlie earliest and oldest companies of it> kind, as w ell as one of tlie most important. In 1888, when the oentlemen who organized it tir>t conceived the idea of handhng- large real estate holdings by means of a stock cc)m- pany, for purposes of investment and development, the idea was new. To-day, New York City has hundreds of real estate corporations, and the business of corporate holding of real estate is recognized as one of the belongings to the extraordinary development of this im- perial city. The plan of the American Real Estate Company differs from that of other companies, in that it atTi)rds a continuously open field for the smaller investiir, combining his ca])ital with its own foundation capital, and dividing profits on a basis of earnings. It owns, among other ]iroi)erties, I'ark Hill on the Hudson, the nio.^t beautiful sub- url) of Xew ^'ork City. Its success in this inve-iment has been ])he- nomenal. Park Hill, eight years ago, was a piece of rugged wilder- ness, overhanging the Hudson, and opposite the centre of the Pal- isades. X'o one dreamed of its adaptabilitv for a residence suburb. 1"he American Real Instate Com])anv took hold of it and with land- scape gardeners and engineers, and the experienced skill and taste of its own officers turned it into a magnificent residence i)ark and at- tracted to it some of the most desirable people from the denser resi- dence districts of ^lanhattan Island. Park Hill differs from the ordinary real estate enten>rise in that it is a community with coinmunitv interests, growing u|) with the growth in the neighborhood. It has a country club that is famous throup;hout up])er Xew York, and manv other associations for en- tertainment and im])r< ivement that make life here as desirable as on the borders of Central I'ark. The Company has. besides I'ark Hill, other holdings on Manhat- tan Island and in the ( .reater Xew \'ork. Among which are. "The Cliffs," which it owns and is holtling for future development on the same lines as Park Hill, consisting of over 17 acres on upper Broad- way, Xew York, with a frontage of one thousand feet on Xan Cort- lendt Park, and is a property of great promise. It is on the direct line of the great West Side development, and is already rapidly ris- ing in value. The American Real Estate Comjiany in Park Hill and its other investments has laid the foundation for an extended business in what has come to be regarded as the safest security this country affords. The offices are located in Xo. 290 Broadway. I70 A HISTORY OP REAL EST A Til, Ashforth & Co. Tlic firm of Ashfortli ( n., of Xo. 1301; llmadwaw stands in a wrll rc'C(),iL;niz(.(I i)nsition of pronnnt'nci- anion^ Xcw ^■()rk■s sub- stantial and lii,<4li-class rcaltx dcalcTs. It is one of the favored few rvdl (.'State firms in tlu' .Mi'tro])olitan district that lia\H' ^c-rx-ed as tlie Mcwai'ds (if tlu' e>tat(,'s of wealtliN .\\\\ Y^ivk famili(,'s and in addi- li> n lia\c k(|it well in totudi with the realt\ movements in recent \(ars. riie firm and Imsiness is wt'll estahlished, and durin.i;- its career its r(,] >ntation for jiroliity and honorable (K'alini;- has never hi en (itiestioned. It has liandU'(l very lar,L;e leases and manatjed st nie of the most extensive estates in the cit\ , and it continues to do -o The firm had never before reached its jjresent hii^ii state of etfi- cieiiCN in re,i;-ard to coni])rehensi( m of detail and know led.^e of value. Xor did it carr\ on a real estate business on so larj^e a scale. The business was established in 1832 bx Mr. James !■. Chamber- lain, wlio now is ])robablv better known as the founder of the I'raidvlin ."^axiuLis r,ank, of which he was for mau\ \ears the jjresi- 'lent. Me was an attorne\- b\ avocation and i>ractise(l the profes- sKin in connection with his main business, that of real estate. In iN()(j, .Mr. ( ieor.^e .\shforth was admitted into the firm and its name thereu]>on became ( 'hand lerlain iX .\shforth. ddieir offices were then located at the corner of 43th street and l^ii^hth avenue, but were subse(|U(.'ntl \ moxed to I'lroadwaN', between 42(1 and 43d streets. In 1 SS4 Mr. C hand )erlain , who had i;Town old in the busi- n(.'ss, retir(.'(l, and tlu' btisiness was then carried on 1)\ his |)artner, Mr. ( ieor.t^e .\shforth, until the hitter's death in iScjo. Air. hTlward .Vshforth, his brother, who had been connected with the real estate business for man\ vears, and was a ca])able successor to the sulj- and toi^i'ther, under the name of .\shforth X Co., the}' continued the successful career of the tirm. In iX^S- -^1''- lUackhurst retired, leaxiui; to his fornur senior |)artn(.'r tlu- (.ntire control of the larg'e .•nd im])ortaiU business. The name .Vshforth X Co. has been main- tained. The m an a. gem en t of estates, the in\estnients of ftmds in hi,!,;h-class realty and other \ nf Daniel Hinlsall. Frank Lonl an b.- CMiiverted i<, business us'e. Mr. L< .rd has been ass,,ciated with Mr. Ihrdsall since 1X75 and .Mr. I'.urch.am sjnce 1878; the firm shi m\ > ,,ne .if the cides! and must hmidrable reC'^rds nf realty firms in the citw Its long e\i)erience thniu.gh jierinds of changing v.alues fits it ] larticukarl \- well fur tlu accurate apjiraisals of values, and in this department it has re] iresenied a, large number of proi).rty-iiwners in scIumiI su^ e. .m lemuatMn ].r..eeedmgs and the proceedings f, ,r the wi.Ieiniig ,.f C, liege Place an.l I'dni s;reet. ddie firm has lieen rettiiued by the joint nw ners , ,t the new lltdl .if Rec- ords' site, at vdiambers. Reade and ( eiitre streets, ti 1 represent them in the proceedings to be instituted for the ;ic(|uiring by the city of this l)lock of land, ddie ;icti\ it\ 1 if this tirm in the rental nuirket mav lie judged from the ftict th.at in spite nf the great ci mipetitii ui the\ suc- ceeded 111 prnvi.lmg with premises the nuiiierMUs leiiants who \s er- disturbed by the t;dns. The firm enjoys the distinction of possessing thtit reliability which causes their clients to seek their advice and to maintain an intimacy with regard to financitd and other investments sinhlar to the close relations in which the luiglish business law\er is held by his client. -As to the firm's thorough knowdedge of realty in the mercantile and stock districts of Xew \'ork there is no better evidence than the ('emand in which the\- are held as apjiraisers in those localities. The Firm of Leonard J. Carpenter. The hdrm of Leonard J- Carpenter is one of the most reliable and stable in Xew York : indeed, there are few real estate firms which 172 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, iiavc attained tlu- status and \\clM Iia\ e managed tlle^e pn ipertie-. lia\'e directed in- vestments, and fiillowed rather than determined reah\' nKnenients, with the result that their principals and clients repose the utmost confidence in them. There are comparatively few such realtv deal- ers in this city, and as a result they are fjenerally placed in the top notch when a list of reliable and prominent real estate dealers is made. In this list of reputable an. d lu- estates and fund> ,i^i\H-n to their care have ])ro(hieeil hest ])ossil)le rc'snU^, te,stif\ iti.L;- in a de.i^ree to the stability of the lirni and its methods of hnsiness. d he l.nnider of tlie linn was Air. Wilhaiii Cruikshank, father of Wilhani M. Cruik.shank and h'.dward A. Crnikshank. the i)resent nieinl)ers of the tirni. \\c entered the otViee of James I'rnikshank, his miele, in 1.S33, and heeame associated with him as liis iiartner. At that lime the real estate lirm of Cruikshank was very prominent in realt\' transactions in Xew N'ork. and had been for many years ])re\-iousl\-. Sliortlx after the partnershi]) of William and James C rniksliank, the latter's son. |{. A. Cruikshank, entered tlie l.usi- ness. and the hrm snl)se(|uently ])ecame Wm. iv !•'. A. Cruikshank It was known 1)\ this name for ten years, wlien in iX/f) the jjartner- ship was dissolved, Mr. W illiam Cruikshank continnin.^' the man- a.i;ement of the husiness until his death in i.Si^. dhe care of the l.nsiness fell to his son William M., who has studied Xew N'ork realt\- in his father's office, and was in every \\a\ a coiupetent suc- cessor, hi iX(j4, on the father's death, a |)artnershi]) was foriued be- tween W illiam .M . and his brother iulward .\. Cruikshank, and the name of the firm was changed to W'm. Cruikshank's Sons. The business consists luainly of the luana^ement of estates and in this respect is amons^- the first in .\ew \'ork ; it consists of the en- tire nianagemen of mercantile bnildiiy^s and dwellings owned h\ wealtin .\merican families at liome and abroad. The managanient of personal ])ro])erl\ consists of investments in Ijonds, iuortg:ages and reputable stocks for their clientele. The present tinu is thoroui.^-lily familiar with realt}' values in all parts of the cit\' and arc meiubers of the Real Estate Kxchanj^e. W hile the ])olie\- of the firm is con- servative, as behooves a well-established house, yet it keeps wc-ll in touch with various realt\ luovemeiUs in the cit\. d'he late .Mr. William Cruikshank was one of the trustees of the e-tate of. William .\stor ami was ver\- i)rominent in .Xew \'ork reaUw circles. The t^rm'^ addre- i> Xo. 51 Liberty street. John F. Doyle & Sons. A.mou- the 111 \ 1- re.d estate firms in this cit\ is that of John V . Doyle .X Son^. JmIhi I '. I )o\ le. llie senior luciubu" ami foimder of the firm, in his v,,uu-er d,a\s studud law and was admitted to the bar in 1862. Mr was then in the ofhce of .Mexaudcr Hamilton, the grandson of the tir-^l .^t cretarx of the d'rcasurx . the firm bein.q- Hamilton, l\i\e~^ X l\..-i rs. I lii'> firm was lart^ely interested in the maiia,^emenl of e^i.-ites which e\entually came to the hands of .Mr. Dovie as a-eiit and huall.\ induced him to abandon law and take up the business of rival estate, ddie t'states which fell into his hands to luaiia.ge at that time embraced amon.s^- others the estates of James BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. '75 M. I'endleton, Nathaniel I'endkton i\o,i;\T>, l''ranci> R. Kivcs, Ak'x- ander Hamilton, (leors^e L. Sclunk-r, John l'\nc Marcli, Harriet L. Schuyler and .Mor, Au-uMu^ .\\\\I,..ld Mom-,, jame> \\. Jones, John Steward. Jr., Ivisal I'hd].-.. .Mr-. M.xaii.ler Hamilton and others, tod mnner(in> fur nientinn in (k-tail. and it is a si.^"nificant fact that the hnsiness connectinns thus lMrme(l in the earlier days are intact and endure to the ])re-ent time. Although ^Ir. Doyle has heen larL^el} interested in the manage- ment of estates, he has not cunlined himself tu that sprcialtx . The purchasing and selling of ] )r( i] )erties, appraising, insurance, i)lacing of monies on hond and mortgage, and all other matters connected with real estate have s])ecial attention. .Some large and important sales have been nuule l)\ him, notahlx the .sale to John Jacol) Astor of 130 acres of lots in the J.^d W ard, a part n\ the estate of Wm. H. .Morris, the s;ik- of tlu- ])resenl site of the ("okunbia Iknlding ;it the corner of I'.roadwax and .Morris street, the hlock front cmlnacing Xo. S W ashington' place, an.l Xos. 13 to W est l om ili .treet, millions of dollars worth of lots in the i()th War.l. ;md the -reat sale of Gowanus l'.a\. South i:ro,,klvn. lots in which it is said he received one of the largest commis>i(ins r\ cr i);iid to ;i kroker. The clientele of .Mr. l)o_\le's offnT ma\ l)e s.nd to 1,,- uni(|ue in this respect: viz., that it is coinposi'd cMuirek of old historical names: the names of families iikntifn-d with the cark histoiw of the Nation, State and City, including several descendaiUs of tlie .Signers of the Heclaratioii of Independence. The tirm consists of John F. Doyle, his sons. C olonel [olni 1-k Doyle, Jr., and .\lfred k. I )ovle, and their offices are at .\o. 43 William street, in the kuilding of the Liverpool and London and (dobe Insurance C'om])any, whose real estate and mortgage in- vestments are managed by them. Horace S. Ely & Co. There is no more substantial or i)r()minent real estate firm in New York than that of Horace S. kdv X- Co., ,,1 Xo. 64 Lcdar street and 27 West _V'tli street. 'Idu' firm eiijoxs a rei)Utation of !)eing conserva- tive \et i)rogressive, wliile its kirsiness status is not surpassed ky any realty firm in the city. It rei)resents the kest elenu'ul.- of tlie trade, and numker among its clients nian_\- of ike wealtkx .\inerican families at home and akroad. Tlie ])roperties managed k\ tlie firm consist of every form of realty and are located in all parts of tke cit \ . This firm has been connected with the real estate trade in .Xew York for the past fifty years. The founder of the kusiness was Mr. Abner L. Elv, the uncle of the present senior member of the firm. It is, therefore, one of the oldest real estate firms in the city, and during its long career it has been prominent in the various move- ments which have resulted in the development of the city. In 1871 1/6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Mr. Horaci' S. I'.Iv s,u-cc-i'(K-r]<. until i(Si;4, when lie admitted into parliu'rshi]) .Mr. .\h'red h'.. .Marhni^. Air. MarHiii;- liad been cl()sel\ identihed with the (iffice for upwards of twenty years and was ihnri uiiL^hl V faniihar with the- linn's methods of I)nsiness. On liis admission tn tlie hrm tlie name was ehaiii^ed to that of Horace S. I'dy ( the ]. resent title. The htisiiu i)f the tirm ei insists maiiil}' of the maiiai^ement of estates; this einhraees the reiitini; and care of stores, oHices, ware- houses, piers, dwellings, factories, a|iartnieiits, storage houses and various kinds of business and residential ])roperties. These proper- ties, as has been said, are located in different sections of the city; it ma\ be added there is scarcely a street or avenue in the entire cit\- in which there is not some projierty managed ])\ Horace S. Ely lo. The estates are owned by wealthy Xew York families or are managed for trust conijianies and other financial institutions. In conjunction with architects the firm has su|)ervised the erection of buildings for their clients. Many of these Iniildings are among the more prominent in the city, ."^oiiie of them are the Prescott Building, John and Nassau streets; ( libbes Ihiilding, West Broad- way and ]\Jurray street; W'ilks I'.uilding, I'.road and Wall street; Presbyterian Building, Fifth avenue and joth street ; Mohawk Build- ing, Fifth avenue and 21st street; I'-ancruft Muilding, Xos. 3, 5 and 7 West 2gth street. Hoffman Brothers. The tendency of the present day is towards specialization, and this is as true, i)erliaps, of the real estate business as of anv other. X(j better e.xaniiile could be found of the good results of this con- centration than that furnished l)y the remarkable success of HofT- man Bros. From 18S1 to 18X4, Mr. l liarles V. Hoffman, jr., was in the real estate business at \o. I'.roadway. 1 )uring the latter year he removed to Xo. 4 Warren street, the present address of the firm, and a partnership was formed with his brother, Mr. W. M. \'. Hoff- man, the style becoming Hoffman Bros. The new firm decided that in a city so large as Xew York, where conditions and values were constantly changing, it were more ad- visable that thev should confine themselves to one localit\-. Con- secpu'iitlv. thev gave their attention almost exclusively to the de- velopment of downtown property, and more especially that lying along I'.roadway, so far north as 14th street. From 1886 to the present dav, with occasional exceptions, thev have held to this pur- pose. The direct results of this decision were readily apparent. They became intimately acquainted with the growth and value of realty BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IX XEIU YORK. 177 in their clKJsen section. Thw liave lieen cldsely in toucli with cverv chani^f in concHtion tliat has taken jilace ali)ni^ llroadway (hirini:^ the last twelve or thirie.'n years. At tlie same time the\ ha\-e occasionally dealt in other than downtown propertv, thouii'h thev have never sonfjlit trade whicli would take them out of their district. lltjffman llros. have undoubtedly disposed of more IJroadway propertv than anv other real estate firm in Xew York. To the Weld Estate of I'xiston. alone, thev have sold l)U>iness ])ro])erties to the amount of about Si 1 ,000,000. To the W ard l-~^tate thc\ sold Xos. 707 and 709 Uroadwaw and for them .\os. if)3 and \t)j on the same a\ emie. .Another lartje transacticjn was the sali- of the projierty .\'()S. (>22. 624 and 626 Urtjadway, runnin,q- through to Crosliy street, for about $750,000. In i8()5, they sold the Hotel Lo.^erot at h'ifth avenue and i8th street, for nearly $400,000 to Mr. .\. I). Tell. The propertv on the northeast corner of liroome and .Mercer streets was disposed of for $225,000, and that on the northeast corner of I'.roadway at Howard street, for $j(;(),o()(): tlie\ re>ols -if lloffiuan llros. has been due in no small nieasin-e to tlu'ir s]).'cializa;ion,the fact nuist not be overlooked that tlie\- were, in a sense, i)ioneers. Tlie centre of the real estate business had been for \ ears Pine and Libert \- --treets. con- secuiently, their move to Warren ^{wvi wa> somewliat m the nature of an experiment. How sticcessful tins e.\i). rimcnt proved to he is now a matter of history. ( )win.i^ to the care of their father's estate devolvin.!;- ujion them, on the 1st of January, 1898. this firm retired from the brokerajje business, but has continued for the i)ur]Kjse of buviui; and sellino- on its own account. S. F. Jayne & Co. Amonf^ the well-known real estate firms operatin.e: chiefi\- on the W est -Side of Manhattan Island there is none so well and favorably known as the firm of S. F. I avne & Co. Kstablished for nianv vears, its reputation for reliability has s.;-rown w ith the jiro^iress of vears. and from confinin.c; the field of business to the nei.i;hl >orliood of 8th ave- nue and its vicinity, the firm now successfully operates in all parts of the citv. V. Javne & Co. are the successors of the old firm of J. & W. Denhaiu, which be^an business at the corner of 8th avenue and i6th street in 1845: in 1867 the location of the office w as chanp^ed to West 23r(l street, near 8th avenue. The Denham brothers at that time hafl succeeded in establishing- the most extensive business in what was then considered an uptown district. They conducted a business in w hich the manas^ement of over lOO estates was involved. A UISTORy Ul- REAL ESTATE, and in aildition hnilt ihv cnlire front of 8th avenue, on the east side from 37th >treet to i,i)ih street. It was in their oftiee that Air. S. 1'". Jaync learned tlie real estate business as a clerk, and studied with careful scrutiny the uj)toun movement which began to be a marked feature in the days of his apprenticeship. After a few years Mr. Jayne was admitted into i)artnershi]) along with two others, Messrs. John I). W alley and George \\'. Mercer, and after the death of their old employers, they continued to transact business inider the old firm's name. In 1876 Mr. Jayne withdrew and o])ened an ofifice at the present address. No. 254 West 23d street, where he kei)t pace with the marvellous improvement in matters appertaining to real estate. In 1880 he associated himself with his jiresent partner, Mr. Albert M. Cudner, and the name of the firm changed to S. I*". Jayne & Co. They have made their old ofifice on 23rd street, which is centrally located in the field of metropt^litan real estate, their main ofiice, but in order to collect rents and to rent the houses and estates managed 'by them with greater convenience they have established agencies for that purpose in difTerent parts of the city. In the management of property and the many branches of real estate brokerage the firm has been greatly successful. Mr. Jayne is well known as an appraiser of New York real estate. He is a charter member of the Real Estate Exchange and Board of Brokers, in both of which his partner, Mr. Cudner, holds membership. He is at present President of the Real Estate Board of Brokers of New York and he has been for many years a director of the New York County National Bank. J. Edgar Leaycraft. For the past quarter of a century the name of Mr. J. Edgar Leay- craft, of No. 1517 Broadway, has been very prominent in New York real estate interests. His agency business is one of the largest in the city, which, considering the fact that Mr. Leaycraft succeeded no one in business, nor was he connected with any one in the real estate trade, certainly reflects honor upon him as a successful real estate dealer. It was in 1872 when Mr. Leaycraft opened an ofifice on Eighth avemie, near 42d street. He did not have an auspicious commencement as one would desire, for he lacked any special experience in the business, and he did not possess a single client at the outset. He was energetic, however, and gave strict at- tention to his business. His aim, from the beginning, was to build up a settled business in which the renting, collecting of rent and management of estates were the main features. He also gave due attention to the brokerage department in which the knowledge of values entered. According to the records of building improve- ments, the district between 34th and 59th streets was a scene of g-reat activity about twenty-five years ago. Mr. Leaycraft kept well in touch with the various movements, and as he possessed BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 179 a thorough acquaintance with the character of the district and its suitabiHty for various kinds of improvements, his advice was much sought after by investors, whom he afterwards retained as his cU- ents. To-day he numbers among his chents the largest owners and operators in that section. He has been actively identified with the West Side, and associated with those who have iielped to develop that beautiful section of the city. He is treasurer of the West End Association, and has been for a number of year>, and is also a mem- ber of the Board of (iovernors of the Colonial C lub, and treasurer of the same, the Colonial Club being coni|)OM-(l of re^-idents of that particular neighborhood. But it must not be understood that Mr. Leaycraft has confined his operations as an agent or broker to that, the central district of New York. Those same qualities which inspired confidence among his clients in his ability as a real estate agent brought him success in other parts of the city. The properties now managed by him are located on the East Side and West Side, from the Battery to Harlem, and also in the annexed district. The secret of J\Ir. Leaycraft 's success exists in his faculty for suc- cessfully transacting his clients' real estate affairs in a manner that inspires implicit confidence in him. That he has never violated that confidence can readily be judged by his continued and steadily in- creasing success. He has made a great many sales and has placed a great amount of money on bond and mortgage. He has, more- over, always been identified in any movement tending to the ad- vancement of realty interests in New York. ]\Ir. Leawraft was one of the earliest subscribers to the Real Estate Iixchange ; when the Board of B.rokers was being organized as a separate and distinct class of realty operators, Mr. Leaycraft was one of the small group who advocated its establishment. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Real Estate Exchange, and is also treasurer of the same. He is a member of the Real Estate Board of Brokers and of the Chamber of Commerce, New York Historical Society, the Union League Club and several other clubs. The Colonial and Republican clubs and the West End Association have showed their apprecia- tion of his ability as a business man by electing him to the office of treasurer. He is a trustee of the hVanklin Savings Bank, and is chairman of its Building Connnittee. Cord Meyer & Co. In the realty business in New York, there are various specialties which, at the present time the real estate broker learns to master. The general real estate business is changing somewdiat. It is not by any means followed by a retinue such as was the case some years ago. The tendency toward the specialization in real estate shows it- self particularly in the case of Cord Meyer & Co., of No. 62 William street. This firm has given the development of Elmhurst, L. I., their l8o A JUS TO My 01' RI-AL ESTATE, special attention, ami snhstantiatrd it hy a wide kni iwledj^jc of <^cn- cral realt\, and it niav 1)e truthtullv remarked that thev have scored an inKjnaiitied snccess. l-dnihnrsi has been made one of onr ])rettiest and most suitable suburban honie>. It is practically the creation of .Mr. I'ord Mever, who for many years has bc-en one of the leaders in the deve]o])ment of Long Island. W nh practical foresi.^ht, .Mr. .Me\er ])erceived the natural advantaj^es both of its location and ])ro.\imit\ to .\e\v ^'ork, and for these reasons concluded it would jjrove an admirable loca- tion for the homes of business and professional men within easy communication of their ofifices. Four years ago .Mr. Cord .Mever purchased an immense tract of land, somewhat north and ailjacent U) the old settlement of Newtown. There were in all over 1,700 lots in the ])urchase when the survey was made. To the development of this ])ropert\' the energies of Cord .Meyer iK; Co. have since been directed. It was laid out in the most advantageous manner, the streets graded, gas introduced, water mains laid and a water com])any formed. The roads are macadamized and the sidewalks ])ave(l; Cord Alcycr & Co. succeeded in ])lacing on the market suljurban lots compared witi: which none were better. The com])any jjromptly set about the erec- tion of modern dwellings, of which they have already erected two hundred, every one of which presents a difYerent ajjpearance. This was done to prevent that sameness in dw ellings w liich is so unpleas- ant in some suburban settlements. Cord Meyer & Co. have made it a special feature in the develop- ment of I'dndnu-st that there shall be no speculative building, neither shall the\ sell lots to persons unless a guarantee is given that the pr(.)])erty will be im[)roved at once. Klmhurst is three nnles from 34th ."street b'erry and can be reached by two trolley systems and by the L. 1. Railroad. The City Hall can be reached from Elndiurst in a ride of forty minutes. In addition to this they have 1,000 lots at North \\'oodside, at prices from $350 and u])ward. Porter & Co. The real estate firm of Torter ».\: I'o., of Xo. 159 West 125th street, is probably the oldest and best known real estate firm op- erating in Harlem. ( )rganized in by .Mr. David V. Porter, with an office at the corner of Third avenue and \22d street, the business has been ])roniinentl \ identified with realt\' move- ments in Harlem u]) to the ])re.sent time. It can be readily understood that .Mr. I'orter, the founder of the firm, was a pioneer real estate man in that vicinity at the time he conmienced business. Harlem was dotted here and there with small dwellings, and the ])ro\ erbial 1 larlem goat was in evidence evervwhere. Mad- ison avenue was built u]), interspersed, however, with manv vacant lots, as far as 82(1 street, but there was not the slightest inkling of BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. i8l what the future had iu store for that locaHty, around which Mr. Por- ter was beg-inning to operate. In 1875 'i^^ moved to what was then a more central location, and what it has still remained, the corner of Third avenue and 125th street. The realty movement in Harlem was beginning to take definite shape, and Mr. Porter was foremost among those who were directing tlie tendencies of the investors. The great thoroughfare of Harlem, 125th street, had begun to as- sume a commercial aspect and was stretching itself westward. Again Mr. Porter moved his office, to Xo. 173 l-"ast 125th street, and again, to No. 77 East 125th street. In 1877 Mr. Porter associated with himself John W'.Leggett, and the firm's name was changed to Porter & Co., under which name it still exists. 'I'he tendency westward became so marked that in the Dtfices were again moved, this time across Fifth avenue into the W est .Side, where they have since remained. In 1887 Mr. Leggett died, leaving the entire charge of their large business to Mr, Porter. l"or tlie jjast ten years he gave CGnsidera])le attention to the management of estates, and this ])rancli of the business had assumed sucli large proportions that the broker- age business which characterized Iiis early career was in a measure oversha(l(Jwe(l. lie had as.sunied control of a large number of estates, many of the owners of which were his friends lor whom he had procured profitable investments. The man;igement of estates had sought him as their manager because of his reputation, Xo one stood higher in the estimation of tlie l)usiness men and investors of Harlem than David I", i'orter, lie was president of the Hamilton Bank of New N'ork City for man\ xcars, and was twice elected Presidential elector. He died in ( )ctober, 1nch a ])ers(in lidlds a distinct advanta,L;e and jxissesses many of the c|ualificati()ns necessary to a successful career. Amoni; the new hrms which have s])rnn.i;- into ])n)minence dur- inte(l in tlie management of his business by his son. His address is (»^_:; .Xintli avenue. Ferdinand Fish. Ferdinand Fish began his business career as a real estate agent in Plainfield, \. J., in 1870. In 1872 he opened an office in New York, at Xo. 160 liroadway. In 1873 went into the office of the late James AI. Tavlor, at Xo. \ h Pine street, continuing with him until the death of Air. Taylor in 1882, when he succeeded to the i84 // HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Ixisincss. He huilt uj) a lar,i;r htisiiK'ss in tlic rcntin.t;' and niaii- a.L^ciiUMit lit |)ni])iTt\. AiiKini; the iinialiK' traiisacliim^ with whicli I 11 1 lailw a\ , to the Siii.i;er Al anutacturini; ( n., tor $(^5(),()<)(), which, at 814^.')-' i)cT foot, wa.s at that time the hi^he^t price ever paid for r.roadway jiropert} . He sohl als,. \"o>. 177 and t7(; llroadway. and No. 10 C'orthan(h street to the I'auhhnt;- estate, and Xo. 104 Broad- way to the American Snretx Co. In iS(;5 lie (hspo^ed df the rent- in;:^ and cohection l)ranch of his hnsiness. and lia> since devoted hi.^ time more i)articnhn-l\ In ^elhn.i;- real e-tate. In addition, he carried on a lar.i^e expert hnsines^, on hehalf of the L'nited States ( iovern- nunt. tlu' ( it) of Xew \'ork, Manhattan I'devated Railroad, and a number of corporations and e^tates. lie organized several corpora- tions, which have contributed to the development of properties, amoni;- which is the W ater W itch C lub, in the highlands of Xave- sink, X. j.. which ha> l)een \ er\ successful. His latest undertaking is the ori^anization of the .\areek l'ountr\ Cdub, which has ac- quired a beautiful lake property at l'oni])lon. X. j. His name also appears as one of the directors of the Realt\ I )evelo|)in<4- 1 nvest- ment Corporation, recently incor])orated. His address is 150 liroad- F. H. Gunning. Mr. 1'". H. CnnniuL;' is an eneri^'ctic and ])rominem real esta'O broker and a.qent, with offices in Xo. 41 luist l'"ift\-ninth street. He makes a si)ecialty of h'asi Side residential i)ro])ert\- from l"ort\- second street to Xinety-si.xth street, between l-'ifth and Le.xin.titon avenues. In that locality his books show the names of a ver\ large nund)er of high class apartment houses, and his sales as a broker entitle him to be i)lace(l in the hig-hest class of operators in that held. .Mr. (.unning has been established seven vears, and during tiiat time the records of realt_\ transactions in that localit}', of which he makes a s])ecialty, show him to be |)rominentl\- connected with most of the large transactions. This fact is jjrobably the best test of a bn iki i 's efficiencN'. The change from the old style high-stocjp house to the .\merican basement residence, wliich admits of a more liberal treatment 1)\- the architect, has in a great measure been due to the efforts (jf Mr, ( iunning. He interested his clients in the advantages the .\merican basement house undoubtedlv possesses and the builders and archi- tects carried out the wishes of his clients. Xot only in the res])ect luentioned was .Mr. Ciunning's intiuence brought to bear, but he was also instrumental in influencing merchant builders to modernize the old style bn.wnstone houses and develop the section in which he oj)eratt's into tlie most desirable residential section 1 if the citw It is a well-know n fact that he has been pre-eminentl\- successful in the development of street into a po])ular and modern business, studio and office section. The evidence of the trtith of this statement BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 185 is sufficient! V amjilc when we consider the class of l)uil(Hns;s whicli are under his management. They are all of a most desirable class and stand as material vouchers to his energy and successful termina- tion of his efYorts. It may he added tliat Mr. Cunning is an untir ing worker as a broker and agent. His client's interots are always foremost and he gives his jjersonal attention to all business entrusted to the office. Tohn R. Hamilton. John R. Hamilton, real estate broker, belongs to the careful yet energetic class of realty dealers who contribute regularly a large quota to the sales, transfers and exchanges of the week. Mr. Ham- ilton is a re])resentative .\ew ^'ork broker, who is familiar with realty values in the sections in w hich he operates, and stands at any time ready and competent to judge the values of properties which may come under discussion. He was born in Xew York. For the first few years Mr. Hamilton jjaid ])articular attention to loans on bond and mortgage, and while engaged in this branch of the busi- ness lie became familiar with .\"e\\ \'ork rcalt\' values. .\s a rule Mr. I iamilton confines his 1 )])erati( ms in that secti( )n ( if the city north of 14th street in the residential and conunercial distri. :-. In iX(j5 he changed h'\> polic\- soniewliat, and added to the loan departnient a genera] real estate brokerage. In this capacitx .Mr. Ilannlton has met with the steady success which lias characterized hi> move- ments in the realty arena since he first ])ecame connected with that business. Mr. Hamilton indulges in no |)olicy of misrepresentation or exaggeration of fact. His clientele end)races a cla.ss of investors who repose the utmost confidence in liim as their liroker and agent. His address is Xo. 206 IJroadway. "k'Nening Post" iluilding. Charles Martin. The u]»]»er ])ortion of the Twentieth Ward and the lower portion of Twenty-second Ward have not to any great extent been the centre of realty movements in the past decade. Brokers and operators as a rule did not make fhat portion of the city the scene of their operation on that account. Nevertheless there have grown up in that locality several substantial real estate firms, among which is the firm of Charles Martin, whose office is located in Xo. 627 .Xinth avenue. Mr. Martin established himself in the real estate business in May, 1889. in Xo. 401 West 48th street. He had at the time very little experience in general realty, but in a j^ractical way began to study the general features of the business. He possessed some experience in the matter of collection of rents, renting and the management of estates. He passed from those rudiments of the business to the study of comparative values c){ pro])erties in his neighborhood. His suc- cess can readil\- be i)ercci\-ed when it is learned that during the pa.st A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, three \ tTirs he has sold more realt\- in tlie loeahty in wliieli lie oper- ates tlian any of his e()ni])etiti irs. Mr. Alartin (ii)erales to a ,L;real extent as a ])r()ker in the Twenty- seccmd W ard. .\s an a,i.;ent, lie niana^'es estates, rents tenements, flats and husine>.s properly, collects rents on the West .Side, hetween I02(l and 23d streets. His snecess can he attrihnted to a careful study of the l)nsiness coinhined with careful nianaL;'enient. 1die ])uh- lic learned to rel\- on him, and he kept their confidences, lie is now in a position to operate on his own aeccnmt. In connection with his realty business Mr. Martin also manages a large insurance depart- ment. Charles Griffith Moses. One of the youngest and most enterprising real estate firms in tlie city is that of Charles Grififith Moses and Eugene S. L. Moses. While operating to a greater extent in that section of the city known as Washington Heights and its vicinity than elsewhere, the firm is also very much in evidence in downtow n realty transactions. To keep better in touch with the movements in both sections of the city, the firm has two offices, one in Xo. 56 Liberty street, and the other, the main ofifice, is located at the corner of 157th street and Amsterdam avenue. Mr. C. G. Moses, the senior member of the firm, has been connected with New York realty matters for many years, but it was in January, 1894, he opened an ofifice and commenced operations on his own account. Seeing the great opportunities that Washington Heights offered as a realty arena, Mr. Moses at once began to pay special attention to realty values in that district. It is well known that the territory referred to became greatly overcrowded with real estate dealers, and the successful brokers were few. The status of the firm of Charles (iriffith Moses at the present time may be judged readily from the fact that to-day the firm transacts one of the best, if not the best, real estate businesses in the Washington Heights district. Roth members of the firm are recognized expert appraisers in the field in which they operate, and are also thor- oughly familiar with realty values throughout New York; It may be added that one of the most familiar names appearing in the rec- ords of sales and realty transactions in this city is that of Charles Griffith Moses. Allen W. Smith. Real estate merchants or brokers, as the case may be, find that in order to successfully compete in the realty arena of this city, their preparatory experience must not be obtained after they have opened an ofifice and made their announcement. If, as some dealers have BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEIU YORK. 187 found to their sorrow, they attempt to estabhsli a business on such a basis, there is no question but that misfortune will soon overtake them. We refer to this point in order to bring forth the connection of Mr. Allen W. Smith, of No. 252 West 14th street, with the New York real estate trade. Mr. Smith has but recently opened an office at the address stated for the transaction of real estate business in all its branches, 1)uth as broker and agent. He will also manage, in con- nection with the agency business, estates that have been under his control for the past twenty years. Mr. Smith transacted a renting bus- iness for the past twenty-nine years, during which time he rented from various portions of the Aster estate's entire buildings, and subse- quently re-rented them under his management and full control. He has, during this long period, acquired a full knowledge of the values of realty, and is capable of transacting not only a brokerage busi- ness in which exact values of properties is absolutely necessary, but is also able to appraise realty, particularly on the West Side, from Barrow street to 72d street. Mr. Smith is extremely conscientious in his dealings, and his future as a real estate merchant in the wider sphere is a fixed quantity. David Stewart. The peculiar iieograjjliical position of New York and its re- markable growth have combined to give to the ui)i)er portion of the city during the last few years a wonderful imi)etus. What is com- monly known as the Washington Heights comprises that section of the city north of 125th street and west oi 8th avenue. Here are being built a large number of private dwellings, for the most part of high grade, and also some apartment houses. This is but a beginning to the fulfillment of the idea that this locality is destined ultimately to become a great residential section. New York has been driven gradually northward by the encroachment of business. The great West Side is at last almost entirelv l)uilt up, and notb.ing remains but to take up the march still farther north. It is obvious that W'ashing- ton Heights lies directly in the path of progress and must be the first to feel the effect of the movement. The rivers on both sides of Man- hattan Island form and always will form, to some extent, a barrier to the growth of the city on their other shores necessary to accom- modate the increase in its population and business. There is only one direction in which this growth can occur, and that is northward. David Stewart started in the real estate business on Washington Heights in the employ of Howard G. Badgley, in November, 1886. He remained in charge of this office until he went into business for himself in August, 1893. Mr. Stewart became intimately acquainted with Washington Heights property, and, as the especial field of his labors has since been confined to this section, he has been phenom- i88 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, cnall\ succrssful. His sak-.s lia\c far cxccriK'd those of any other hrokcT in that locahlv, nimiin- from Si. 000,000 to over $2,000,000 a year. Mr. Stc-warl doo a ,i^\-iu-ral real estate business throug-hout Manhattan Ishimh Mr. ."-^tcu art's office is at .Xinsterdani avenue, corner of i55tli street, and 203 I'.roa(h\ay, Mail and Exi)ress lUiilding. The Wm. S. Anderson Co. The W in. S. .Xnderson Co., of Xo. 1^54 Le.xin.^ton avenue, between 6yth and joth streets, was established by Mr. .Vnderson in 1868, as a firm i>t which he was a member. In iX(_)3 it was incor])orated as a com])any with Harold 1). Keeler Presi- dent; Wm. .S. .\nders(in, \'ice- 1 'resident and Treasurer, and Charles 11. .Stocking-, .Secretary. The com])any has inaui^urated one of the Lest systems yet m vo;.iue in .\'ew ^'ork real estate. ( )n the princi- ple that no man can co\ er the Island thoroughly and familiarize him- self with district investors and conditions thereof, the company opened four offices in as many sections of the citv, managed mem- bers of the comiiany who have made that district a subject of close study. As agents they are able to transfer their clients. As brokei s thev can secure buyers or investments from a wide source and a large field. Jacob Appell. Mr. Jacob Apj^ell, of Xo. 271 West 23d street, is one of the oldest realty dealers in that section of the cit\- formerly known as Chel- sea. He has been established since 1870. and his ofiice has alwavs been located near his present address. Mr. .\.])])ell is uncptestionably one of the best judges of real estate values in the ]6th and 20th Wards. He has watched with an observant eye the changes from year to year in the values of |)roi)erties, and his long experience has made him a most competent broker and a])praiser. His agency business is an extensive one, embracing the management of resi- dential and commercial i)ro])erties. It may be added that Mr. Ap- pell has contributed largelv to the commercial development of Tenth avenue, near 23(1 street. lohn Armstrong. One of the best known real estate concerns with oftices in the uj)- per section of the city is that of b;)hn .Xrmstrong, of it)S4 Third ave- nue, corner of io()th street. lie has maintained for some years past one of the largest brokerage businesses in that section of the city and his energetic ap])lication to work has resulted in i)ringing him a clientele of investors who besKnv the utmost confidence in him. Mr. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. i8g Armstrong combines both brokerage and agency departments in his business. He operates as largely on the West Side as on the East Side and for the purpose of better accommodating his clients he has opened an office in Xo. 2270 Eighth avenue, near I22d street. His agencv department embraces mercantile buildings, flats, tenements and j)rivate resiflential i)ro])erty in all ]jarts of the city. Ashforth & Duryee. Ashforth & Duryee was founded in November, 1896, by Albert B. Ashforth and Harvey H. Duryee. Their office is at Xo. 4 West 33d street. They are associated with a number of estates, among which are those of William Waldorf Astor and John Jacob .\>tor, whose holdings are very large in their vicinity. The name of .\sliforth has been identified with these estates for tlie ])ast fift\- _\'ears. Ashforth & Duryee make a specialt\ of business, residence and investment property above 23d street. They liave played a promi- nent part in improving that section of the city. Judging from the fact that they closed over one hundred leases during their first eight moiuhs of l)usiness, beside >e\ eral large sales of investment ])ro])erty, it can be seen that tliey have made them- selves a factor among tlie u])-to\\u real estate fraternity. Franklin S. Bailey. The real estate business which is being carried on by Mr. b'rank- lin S. Bailey, 336 ISroome street, is, probably with one or two excep- tions, the oldest established real estate business in the city. In 1832, Air. J. E. I'.ailey, grandfather of .Mr. l-ranklin S. Hailev, opened a realty office in which the management of estates was made the si)e- cialtv. He in turn was succeeded by llenr\ M. Ilailes . his son, and in January. 1897, the present occuiiant took charge of the business. At present the brokerage and agency are combined. Mr. llailev is devoting more time and study to the brokerage de])artment tlian did his predecessors, who, to a great extent, managed estates, lie is young and energetic and pays close attention to reah\ operations over the entire city. His clientele is of the lust class — persons whose estates have been under his and his family's control for many years. Max Bargebuhr. Mr. Max Bargebuhr, of Xo. 2136 Eighth avenue, is one of the suc- cessful realty operators and agents in Harlem. He has had an ex- perience extending over fourteen years, beginning on the East Side and dealing largely in property from Yorkville to Harlem. Coming to the West Side when the realty market, especially for experienced brokers, oft'ered good scope for one's abilities, he remained there and A HISTORY 01' REAL RSTATE. lias c;irricil mi a lir( ikcras^'e business which he was successful in work- int;- up, Mr. I '.ari;cl>uhr deals in improved ])r()i)ert_v. Jie is shrewd and thoiou-hlv accpiainted with all Xew \'()rk reahw He is known widely as a careful investor, and his client's interests are always uj)- ])ermost. He is one of the oldest estahlished real estate firms on iMijhth avenue in that localitw Jesse C. Bennett & Co. Mr. Jesse C. Bennett, senior member of the firm of Jesse C. Ben- nett & Co. (established in 1888). belongs to that class of energetic and skilled real estate brokers who have made New York one of the greatest real estate markets in the world. While making a special field on the upper west side, of which Columbus avenue is the great artery, Mr. Bennett operates over the entire city. His operations embrace the various forms of realty, in all of which Mr. Bennett is an expert. As an agent he manages many large estates in several sections of the city, but they are to a great extent located ,on the western side of Central Park. Mr. Bennett is a thorough student of realty movements and is frequently called in appraisals. His address is No. 338 Columbus avenue. Bronn & Bronn. The entry of Miss Cecile Bronn and Miss Jeannette Bronn into metropolitan realty circles was marked with interest, but the decided success with which the firm has met since its establishment a year ago, afifords another example of woman's success in the realty field. The firm carries on a general real estate business in buying and sell- ing, renting and collecting rents, negotiating loans, etc., in their office, No. 41 Union Square. They have made a special study of the wants of several classes of people, and they have striven to meet these in a way that augurs well for their future success. As a specialty, Bronn & Bronn have entered the field of buying and selling mining lands which are known to be as represented. J. Romaine Brown & Co. On the first of May, 1856, J. Romaine I5rown started in the real estate business at No. 1235 Broadway. After five years he re- moved to 1270 Broadway, where he remained for seven years. In 1868 he moved again, this time to the south-east corner of Thirty- third street, at Broadway, and finally, in 1885, to his present office at No. =;q West Thirty-third street, under the Alpine. In 1887 a copartnership was formed with Mr. Alexander P. W. Kinnan, the new firm being known as J. Romaine Brow'n & Co. A large feature of their business is the management of estates. They have charge of the real estate of the Farmers" Loan & Trust BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Co. and the Manhattan Elevated Railroad. Amon^;- the esta'es which they manage are those of Jay Gould. Washington E. Connor, Charles A. Peabody, Herman T. Livingston, J. Henry Livingston, \\m. F. Cochran, D. H. AIc.\lpin and Warren B. Smith. J. Romaine Brown & Co. also do a general real estate business. Among the sales which they have efYected are tliose of French's Hotel — now the site of the new World Building — the property now occupied by Hammerstein's Olympia. the Alorris Race Track and many large tracts in the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Wards for the Peter J. Shafer estate. D. & M. Chauncey Real Estate Co., Limited. The D. & ^I. Chauncey Real Estate Co., Limited, is un(iucsti()n- ably the most jirominent real estate concern in l'.n)i)kl\ ii. The busi- ness was established in 1843, '^i-it the present concern was incor- porated in i8Mi^ with a caj^ital of $I50,(X)0. They coml)ine every branch of the real estate business and sufficient attention is paid to each department that every branch of the business is made a spe- cialty. The members of the com])any are ( ieurge W. Chauncey, President; Cornelius Donellen. \ ice- ['resident ; Ezra D. Bushnell, Treasurer ; Thos. Hovenden, Secretary. One may obtain an idea of the business status of this firm when it is learned that the largest appraisement ever made in Xew York, Brooklyn, or the entire met- ropolitan district, was made by this company in the case of the ap- praisal of property bordering on the East River for the Brooklyn Wharf and W'arehouse Company. Their address is No. 207 Mon- tague street, Brooklyn. John J. Clancy & Co. There is probablv no member of the real estate fraternity on Broadway, from r>owling Green to Central Park, who has been es- tablished on that thoroughfare as long as the subject of this sketch, Mr. John J. Clancy, whose ofifices are at Xo. 1783 Broadway. In 1873, Mr. Clancy began business as a real estate agent and broker, and since that time he has proven to be a shrewd observer of the tendencies of the times, and as a result he himself has been as suc- cessful in his transactions as the latter have proved to his clients and principals. Mr. Clancy during his career has sold and resold blocks of realty which in the early days brought him one-twentieth of what they are worth to-day. He has operated on the West Side gener- ally, and is intimately conversant with property from \\'est 42.1 street to Washington Heights. His knowledge of realty in those lo- calities is so well known that he is frequently requested to act as ap- praiser for various companies and institutions. 192 A insroRV 01- real estate, Clarkson & Edgar. Tlic firm (if Clarkson cK: I'.d.i^ar is a rcspMiiNihlc realty Hrni whicii, besides lm\in^ and sellin.i;- ])r(i])ert\ a> ix-al t'>tale hrcil^ers, makes a the senior meniher nf the tirni, |)>esses the e(;iifi(leiice of many lar,i,u' investors and wealthy corjxirations and has been frequentlv in- strnniental in negotiating- loans ran,s4in<^' from $250,000 to $1,000,000. P^e has bought and sold for Xew \'ork and I'.oston estates, and has been transacting- in Xew York realt\ circles since 1865. His partner, Herman Le Koy iulcvar, has been associated with him in bnsiness since iS(;o. I heir office is located at Xo. 31 Xassau street, in the I'.ank of Connnerce I'.nilding. Isaac K. Cohn & Co. The firm of Isaac I\. I'ohn iS: C"o., of Xo. 1479 ISroadway, is one of the representative real estate firms o])eratinederick A. Condit. of Xo. 13-' .\;issaii street, has had a h)n,i^- and successful experience. l-"or tliirt\- years he has lieen connected with metropolitan realty cir- oi prop- erties to he sold or of those which have ])asse become iironnnent in .\ew Wivk Real I-:.state, until some ten year> ago, when Henry W. AlcX ickar wa.s admitted as a partner. The original office was at 1X2 (.rand street. From that office the business grew to such an extent that it now has probabb charge of more large estates than any other firm in the city. Their main office is at 187 Fulton street, with two branches, 1368 Broadway, and 246 East Houston street. The firm does also a large brokerage business. Mr. S. \'. R. Cruger is comptroller of Trinity Corporation, although said cor])oration is in no way connected with the firm of S. \'. R. Cruger \: McX'ickar. George W. Dakin. Mr. Ceorge \V. Dakin is undoubtedly one of the best known real estate brokers in llrooklyn. He has been iilentihed with realty op- erations in that citv since 1K75, when lie opened a real e>tate office and dealt in real estate generalb . Ili> operation,- extend not only in the city proper, but also in Kings county, and he lias ])een partic- ularly successful in the I'.edford section. Mr. 1 )akin's business for the past decade has grown into the highest class of the realty busi- ness, that of brokerage, in w liich ex])ert knowdedge of values must be possessed. In addition, Mr. Dakin also manages estates and deals in acreage in the 2yt,h, 30th, 31st and 32nd wards. His clients are mainly builders and private investors. 1 lis address is .\o. 189 Mon- tagtie street, Brooklyn. X. Y. J. Clarence Davies & Co. The most prominent real estate concern in what is known as the Borough of The Bronx, is that of J. Clarence Davies & Co., of 149th street and Third avenue. The firm has been established about ten years, and during that time the members. J. Clarence Davies and H. L. Phillips, have become well-known members of New York's real estate fraternity. The Borough of The Bronx, where they operate offers a wide field for a brokerage business, and it can be said they 1.3 1^4 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, liavc iK'cn siK-ci.-ssful in covering' it. They represent the oldest and hirgest estates in that section, and also maintain a very large agency business in their locality. un(|uestional)ly a credit to the firm, when it is considered the territory is comi)aratively new. Their liranoh offices arc located at Xo. 156 I'.roadway, and 156th street and Westchester avenue. Joseph P. Day. Among^ the energetic younger element of New York's realty deal- ers who have made New York the greatest real estate market in the world, there are some whose capabilities for their position are sucn that in a few years they will be found in the foremost ranks. To this class Mr. Joseph P. Day. of Xo. 932 Eighth avenue, undeniably belongs. bjidowed witli an energetic nature he has succeeded in the past t\\() xears in estal)lishing the groundwork of a future suc- cessful business. He has made a specialty of renting and collect- ing- rents, but has already entered the higher field of buying and selling. He operates to a great extent on the West Side around Central Park. He manages the estates of Jas. J. Phelan, and also that of his father, John W. Day. C H. Diamond & Co. Prominent among the real estate brokers and agents in the mer- cantile districts of Xew York, is C. H. Diamond & Company, of No. 603 Broadway, who have risen rapidly to the front and bid fair to be- come the largest office in their districts. Mr. Diamond is a close student of realty conditions and has j^erfected a system by which his concern is enabled to make records of those transactions and mat- ters of importance which afterwards become invaluable. This con- cern is already one of the largest real estate agents in the wholesale district and along Broadway from Chambers street to 14th street. The fact that they have figured prominently in nearly all the impor- tant realty deals in the mercantile section, testifies in no uncertain manner as to their status as brokers and agents. John H. Dye. John H. Dye, real estate iMoker and agent, is an example of what can be accomplished with energy and perseverance. In 1877, he commenced business in a moderate way, and by strict application to. and a thorough knowledge of, the real estate business, has placed himself among the foremost in the profession. Mr. Dye was formerly connected with John W. Castree, under the firm name of Dye & Castree. Mr. Dye makes a specialty of managing and appraising property, especially on the lower west side of the city. His office is at 73 West nth street. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Charles H. Easton & Co. The leading real estate firm in Forty-second street is that of Charles H. Easton & Co., of Xo. ii6 West Forty-second street. Mr. Easton has been operating in that locality since 1893. In 1897 lie formed a partnership with Robert T. McGusty. The firm, as brokers, makes a specialty of that district between I'ourteenth and Fifty-ninth streets bounded by Eighth and Third avenues. In that territory every sale and every realty movement is recorded, and there are no better or shrewder operators in that field. The recent great improvement of Forty-second street is in a measure due to the efYorts of the elder member of the firm. As agents their prop- erties lie all over the island, both in mercantile and residential dis- tricts. E. U. Edel. Mr. E. C Edel, of 315 Madison avenue, near 42(1 street, is a repre- sentative New York real estate broker and agent. He has lived in this city over 30 years, and is familiar with real estate values from the Battery to Mt. X'ernon and Vonkers. bOrnicrh- Air. Edel was in the fancy dry-goods business, but recognizing that his knowl- edge of the city and its realty values would be of great Ijeiiefit to him as a broker, he decided to enter the realty market, b'or some time Mr. Edel was active in real estate transactions in the upper West Side, with an ofiice in No. 432 Columbus avenue, but in 1897 he changed his field to a more central location. He now operates not only over the whole of Manhattan Island and surrounding territory, but also in all parts of the Union. One recent sale included a pul)lic sale of property on the I'otomac, below Washington. His marked success in the realty field has undoubtedly been due to his energetic applica- tion to business and an extensive acquaintance among private in- vestors. As a broker, Air. Edel makes a specialty of exchanges, hav- ing been particularly fortunate in this branch of business. H, G. Eilshemius, Mr. H. (j. Eilshemius, of 265 llroadway, has been connected with metropolitan real estate in the capacity of manager of a large estate in Arlington, New Jersey. Air. Eilshemius has converted a strip of land containing over one hundred acres, extending from Arlington proper to West Arlington, into city lots, with macadamized streets and other improvements. In this connection Mr. Eilshemius has built residences for his clients, and has otherwise beautified this suburban district. He has been connected with the development of this district for twelve years. 196 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Austin Finegan, Anioiiij tlic downtown real estate l)rokers Austin Finc^an, of Xo. 7 I'ine street, lias succeeded in csla1)lisliinL;- a re])Utal)le and suli- -.tantial Iin ilscra^x- Imsiucs:-. In iSS:;, Mr. I'inci^an entered rcaity circles, and l)y his ener^x and lanliful attenti()n to business was soon able to transact sales of more than ordinary ini])ortance. .\t pres- ent he makes a s]H'cialt\- of tenements, flats and a])artments, which he l)uys and sells. T.csides the general brokera.i,^- business iie manai^es estates and is a w ell-kni i\\ n a,L;cnt > if enipli lyers' liabilil v insurance, and secures bomK i' 11- ci iiui-acii irs aimmL^ whom he has a wide ac(|uaintance. .\lr. kinci^an. it may be added, is in a position to operate in Xew ^'(irk realty on his own account. J. Arthur Fischer, Mr. J. Arthur Fischer, of Xo. 667 .Sixth avenue, is a real estate broker and general agent. He was connected with the firm of Morris B. Baer & Co., but six years ago decided to enter the business on his own account, and his entry soon became a decided success. His bro- kerage and agency business has become so extensive that the field covers Manhattan Island and also a part of I'liiniugh of llrooklyn. In order to keep more in touch with realty movements in the north- ern part of the city, and to manage numerous properties now in his charge in that section, Mr. Fischer has opened a branch office at Lenox avenue and 1 14th street. As a broker Mr. Fischer is familiar with values of properties over the entire city, and his agency depart- ment embraces the management of valuable estates for prominent families at home and abroad. Loans on bonds, mortgages and insur- ance, also enter into his ljusiness. Harris B. Fisher, Mr. Harris Il.I'isher is a real estate agent and broker with offices in the W allace llmlding, Xos. 56 and 58 Pine street. He has been connected w ith down tow n realtv since i8c)5, when he began business in his own name. Previously Mr. I^'sher had been in the office of Mr. George R. Read, under whose tutelage lie obtained a thorough and extensive knowledge of high class Xew York real estate. He has to a great extent made a specialty of down town property, but in connection therewith he has made many sales and transfers of residential realty uptown. Mr. Fisher is a member of the Real Es- tate I^xchange and keeps in close touch with all realtv movements. Francis & Wilson, The real estate firm of Francis & Wilson, of No. 353 Fifth avenue, is composed of Mr. Arthur W. Francis and Howard Wilson. The firm deals to a great extent in residential and commercial property lying between 23d street and 72(1 street and Sixth and Lexington avenues. As brokers, however, thev operate over the entire city. Th eir clients consist of a desirable wealthy class of people. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 197 Lionel Froehlich, One of the most prominent real estate brokers operating in the ehte section cast of Central Park is "S\r. Lionel Froehlich, whose office has been located at Xn. i6(j f'ast 61st street, for the past twenty \-ears. In order to com|)l\- with numerons requests of his patrons and ])artl\- follow the tendenc\ oi residences, he has moved his offices to Xo. 149 Lexington avenue, between Jijth and 8oth streets, where he will be permanent after .Ala\- 1, i8(;8. Mr. b'roelich is ])rol)ablv the oldest real estate agent in the 19th A\'ard, and he undoubtedly manages the principal real estate busi- ness in that district. He makes a specialty of |)rivatc residences, and is peculiarly successful in securing the best class of tenants for his clients, not only in ])rivate residences, but for his tkits and stores. His sul)stantial and trustworthy re])Utation makes him, especially in his section, a successful medium for any transaction in realty. John N. Golding:. John X. Golding, among the best known of Xew York's realty merchants, began business in 1879. He first became prominently connected with the trade as the agent of the property under the control of the Iu|uitable Life Assurance Society. He has made a specialty of the agenc\- of large buildings, and now rents and col- lects rents of the .\nierican Suret\- I'.uilding, luii])ire Building, Commercial I'nion I'.uilding, (Jueen I'.uilding, German-American LUiilding. .Schermerhorn Muilding and the Kuhn-Loeb Building and many other large buildings. As an appraiser and broker, es- pecially in the residential districts, Mr. Golding ranks among the best in Xew NOrk. ills ujitown office is located at No. 570 Mfth avenue. His downtown address is Xo. <.) fine street. Max Goldstein, Mr. Max Goldstein, whose office is in Xo. 187 I'.roadway, has been in the real estate business in Xew ^'ork for the i)ast twelve vears. \\diile he is a general real estate dealer and manages estates, makes collections and rents the houses of his ])atrons, yet it may be said that ]\lr. Goldstein ])a\ s particular attention to tlie exchang- ing of properties ])otb in the cit\- and in the coiintrw In this branch of the realty business Mr. Goldstein has been ])eculiar]v successful, due no (knibt to his extensixe ac( |uaintance among inx estors .-md his own thorough knowledge of realty as an apj^raiser. lie also nego- tiates loans to builders and private individuals. Guerineau & Drake, Of the old established firms engaged in general real estate busi- ness, none, perhaps, is better known than the firm of Guerineau & Drake, whose office is now located at X'^o. 1 1 Bible House, 8th street. iy8 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, hftwcen y\ and 4tli avcmu's. arc the successors to VV. L. I. new Ov ('().. who operated extensively on the h'.ast Side, and in whose employ W. II. Drake had heen i)revions to his enterin<^ the tirni. It is now twent\-ti\e \ears since the present firm connncnced fjperations, and since that time they have heen uniformly successful. Mr. (lUerineau was aj^pointed an a])i)raiser for the I'last River bridge valuations on account of his coni])letc knowledg'e of property in that vicinitv. Robert W. Haff. Mr. Robert W. Haff, of No. 189 Montag-ue street, Brooklyn, is one of the energ-etic real estate brokers in that boroufjh. He has been actively en,t,^-i.i;-ed in the real estate business since 1884 and has fig-ured in many of the hw^^v and important realtv transactions since that time. Mr. Haff is a broker; he buys, sells and exchanq-es in all parts of the I'nited States, but confines his operations chiefi\- t(j F)rooklvn and Lonf,r Island. He has been ])articularly successful in Long Isl- and property, so much so, indeed, Chat he is considered an authority on value in that district. In connection with his extensive brokerage business Mr. Haff also attends to the agency business of his clients arising therefrom. Wm. E. Haws & Son. The founder of the real estate firm, \Vm. E. Haws & Son, of No. 97 Cedar street, is one of the best know^t dealers in the New York realty arena. He is one of the few- expert dealers now living form- ing a link with the old-time dealers whose transactions have been for many years a matter of history. In the beginning of his career Mr. Haws was a real estate broker, but for the past twenty-five years he has devoted himself almost exclusively to appraisals. Dur- ing that time he has been retained by various corporations and indi- viduals in every appraisal of importance that has occurred in the city. His values are generally accepted among high-class realty dealers as exceedingly trustworthy, by reason of his extensive expe- rience. His son, Walter I). Haws, is now connected with the firm and pavs special attention to brokerage and insurance. K. Hayden & Co. The development of \\'ashington Heights ])roperty opened a wide field to real estate brokers some years ago with the result that the in- flux of realt\' o])erators in that district became excessive. Compe- tition thereu|)on grew from a healtliy stimnlatingf factor to the extent that fewwere able to standthe i)ace and the survival of fittest followed. Among the latter is tlie substantial real estate firm of K. Hayden & Co., whose office is situated in West 145th street. Established in 1885, both K. H. Hayden and T. J. Hayden have watched and studied and taken part in most f>f the realty transfers in their locality. Besides making a specialty of Washington Heights property thev manage a general real estate and insurance business. Management BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. of estates, appraisements, collections of rents, the renting- of houses, flats, stores, and every detail ])enainin.L: lo a ,i,^eneral real estate and insurance business is carried on 1)\ tlieni. Charles M. Heymann. Established in 1881, Mr. Charles M. ]le\inann has maintained the principles of complete reliability and business- inie-rit\ , to obtain the reputations of which was his o^oal in the earh da\ ^ of his career. Mr. Heyniaiui has succeeded in establishing a substantial general real estate business, in which the management of estates, the collec- tion of rents and the selling of real estate form a large part. His op- erations are not confined to any particular part of the city, for he is as equally well known below 14th street as he is in the Lenox Hill dis- trict. He is a member of the Real Estate Exchange and is looked upon as one of the shrewdest and most successful of those operating in the city. His offices are now located at No. 487 Fifth avenue. Hugo F. Hoefler. Mr. Hugo I'". Hoetler is one of the youngest and at same time most enterprising among the builders, real estate agents and brokers in the city. Mr. Hoefler combines the building business with a large rental and brokerage business, located to a great ex- tent in the ui)i)er section of the city. He has been well known to builders and realty dealers for the last five \ ears. In five months he completed Xos. 302, 304 and 306 West 154th street, and at the same time was erecting four handsome Hats fitted with the best im- provements at 153d street and Eighth avenue. Mr. lloetler is also making preparations to erect a l)lock of ten flats on I^ighth avenue, between I4(jth and 150th streets. In that locality he i> a ])ioneer in its improvement. Mr. lloeller is located at Xo. i()4 St. Xicholas avenue, northeast corner 1 18th street. Hopkins & Van Slyke. Operating largely in that class of dwellings in lower Fifth avenue and in the vicinity of Washington Square, the firm of Hopkins & Van Slyke, of X"o. 70 Fifth avenue, has come rapidly forward into prominence during the past year. The firm is composed of J- Jor- dan Hopkins and E. Sheldon Van Slyke, two energetic young men who will undoubtedly enter a large field in realty circles in the near future. From 23d street down to Bleecker street on Fifth and Sixtii avenues and Broadway, the firm has the renting of numerous stores and lofts, while their residential territory extends from 34th street to Washington Square in the more as familiar with the nicr- c-anlik- W is fannliar with the ruail and rrs.d.niial disin.t alu.vr ilial ih, ,n ni-hfarc. .Ah.rcovcr Mr. S. A. I|..n,un/ ,,|H ratrs , ,n his , ,u n acconnt, and deals t.. a .L;reat exieiu in | )i ( i| )erty , which after some im])rovement under his inana.L;(-'nicni becomes rea ])ioneer in real estate, by his foresight and discrinunation, sncceuded in build- ing up a large business. This was done in the face of what would have discouraged at the outset a less deternnned man. in time hi> son, John J. Kavanagh. became associated with him and learned in this practical school how to conduct the ])usiness that was destined some day to become his. The present office is at 1031 .Madison avenue. Bryan L. Kennelly & Co. It is generally conceded that the well-known real estate firm. Bryan L. Keimelly e^- Co.. of Xo. 66 Libertv street, have sold in the last two ^■ears more |)ro])crt\' at public auction order of L'xecutois and owners in the ])ublic auction room than an\ otlui- tirni or com- pany in the citw The firm is composed of I'.ryan L. I\enne11\- and Henry J. Sills.' Air. Kenncllv naturallv is a real estate broker and auctioneer, llis father was the most prominent ;uictioiieer and reai estate broker as early as 1S4;. and on his death .Mr. Kennelly branched out for himself. I'.esides large l)usiness as brokers and auctioneers, the firm makes a specialt\' of loans on real estate and also builders" loans, l-'rom his long connection with Xew ^ ork realty Mr. Kemielly is one of the best known a])praisers for lawyers, corporations and other institutions in the city. Mr. Sills is a son of John Sills, of the large wholesale grocery firm of Smith eX- Sills. 202 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, William Kennelly. AmonjT the i)r()niinent real estate men in this city, tlie name of VN'illiam KeimelK, auctioneer, a])])raiser and ijroker, stands in the foremost rank>. In 1X7X Mr. Kennelly entered into ])artnershi]) with his father, \vli(i>e ])u>iness career in real estate bes;an in 1847: a few months after, his father died and Mr. Kennelly succeeded to the entire business. Mr. Kennelly conducted one of the largest cash sales in this city — that of the Albemarle, bring-ing $1,208,000. As an ap- praiser he is in constant demand, especially by municipal officials. His partner is Mr. William AI. Lawrence, son of Judge Lawrence of the Supreme Court. They are located in the basement of Trinity Building; Xo. 111 IJroadway. George J. Kenny & Bro. The firm of George J. Kenny & Bro., 80 East Houston street, is the successor to the late well-known firm of James Kenny & Son, 278 Mulberry street, which was estal:)lished in 1863. Possessing a rep- utation of reliability and nf l)tisiness integrity, the present firm is one of the most favorably know n in the citv. It makes a s]X'cialty of the management of estates, and is particularly favored in this respect, as it is one of the verv few who are agents for the old Knickerbocker families at home and abroad. The firm conducts also a large brok- erage business. In addition Mr. ( ieorge J. Kennv is nnich sought for as an appraiser, by reason of his tiKjrough knowledge of city real estate; he is a charter member of the Real Estate Exchange. Jacob A. King. Mr. Jacob .\. King, now located at 4()i and 4(^3 liroadway. began his career as a real estate l)roker at the age of 24. He had pos- sessed himself of the necessary experience, and March 1, 1894, Mr. King opened a small office at Xo. 699 Broadway. T.y his untiring energy and strict allegiance to the motto "Xo misrepresentation," his name came rapidly in prominence among those interested in real estate in all its branches. Mr. King has made a sjjecialty of real estate below 23d street and is also a fire insurance agent. His busi- ness includes the hianing of money on mortgages, buying, selling and renting projierty and the management of estates. He is a mem- ber of the Real Estate Exchange and Auction Room, Limited. John P. Kirwan. Among the real estate men who carry on a general brokerage busi- ness with the agency business that arises therefrom, is Mr. John P. Kirwan, of Xo. 1305 llroadwav and 60 Cedar street. He operates over the whole of Manhattan Island and the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Wards. He is a stock member of the Real Estate Exchange, and is thoroughly conversant with realty values in Xew BUILDISG ASD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK York. Mr. Kirwan ijosscssc^ a wide acquaintance among investors, l)uil(lers and ()])crat(ir>. and liis knowledge of real estate is so com- jjlete that he is frequent]) retained as an appraiser. lie maintains one of the best sxstems 1)\ whicli ownership and values, j^ast and present, of properties can l)e learned for his own advantage and that of his clients. "Sir. Kirwan estal)]ishe(l liis husiness in iS()0, Init pre- vious to that he was connected witli real estate matters as an agent and in negotiating loans wliicli lie still continues and which is now an important feature of his lousiness. Henry G. Leist. Mr. Henry (j. I.eist is one of the jiromincnt real estate men oper- ating in the upper East side of Xew York, in that district com- monly known as \'orkville. lie has heen established about thir- teen years in that localit\' and nnw manages a large agencv Inisiness there. As a broker, .Mr. Leist has extended his territory until it now covers a greater portion of Manhattan Island. He keeps himself thoroughly posted on all brokerage transactions and has studied values of realty with the result that he is now an exjjert ap- praiser. Mr. Leist operates on his own account and manages an insurance department in connection with his real estate business. He has acted as broker in many of the largest sales in the York- ville district. His office is at 204 East 86th street. Georg:e D. Lcnnon. Mr. George D. Lennon, of X(x 1915 .Amsterdam avemie, has been j)rominently identified with Washington Heights realtv ever since the movement in that direction began some years ago. To-day he is recognized as an expert apj^iraiser in real estate there, and has acted in a large number of condenmation proceedings. Ixnh for the city and private individuals. Mr. Lennon has had over eleven years ex- perience and during that time he has figured in some of the largest transactions. He combines an agency business with his general brokerage in which he gives close attention to the management of estates, renting of properties and the collections of rents. Mr. Lennon also negotiates loans on bonds and mortgages. It may be added that Mr. Lennon's advice on Washington Heights realt\- is much sought for by real estate brokers who are not in touch with the movements in that territory. Tames L. Libby & Son. James L. Libby started in the real estate business in 1884, on the upper West Side. For several years he did the largest brokerage business in dwellings in that section of the city. In 1887 he formed a partnership with Scott Bros., the name of the firm being Libby & Scott Bros. Its ofifice was located respectivelv at 146 Broadway, in 204 A HISrOR)- OF REAL ESTATE. the F.<|uital)k' I'.uiMino-. ami at 7., ( , .la;- -Irert. l-mni tlu- last 0^00 the Hnii was e. )iii|)elle(l t,, nin\ e nn aceMunt . .f the huildin- hein.!-- t(jni down to make room for the ( Karini; lloiise. Seoit ilros. re- tired in l8()l. and the hrm was reorganized a> jame> 1.. l.ihhy & Son. The present oftiee of the firm is at Oi; Lil)ert\ street. James L. Lil)l)\- tK: Son do a t^eneral real estate ljusiness, hnt deal more particularly in business properties. They were instrumental in the erection of the Mutual Reserve Building-, at Duane street and IJroadwav and the Spinqler Uuildinic: in L'nion Scjuare. To Louis Sherry, they leased the ])ro|ierty at Forty-fourth -treet and l^fth avemie, for a term of t\\ ent\ -one year.s. ( )n the site now stands the mai^nihcent new Sherr\' lUiilding. lames L. Lihhx »!v Son ]ilace large sums of money on bond and mortgage. E. H. Lyons Co. The tendency of a large number of well-known New York real estate brokers to enter the comparatively new field of realty in the Borough of the Bronx leads one to believe that it will be the centre of the real estate mo\-ement in the next few years. If sucli be the case, those who are well estal)lished in that locality and have been successful, possess a great future. Among that class we do not hesi- tate to place the enterprising firm of E. H. Lyons Co., of Xo. 2778 Third avenue, near 147th street. Mr. Lyons' experience in 23d and 24th Ward realty dates back over seven years. He has been actively engaged on his own account for the past year, during which time his record of sales show him to be a prominent factor in the realty mar- ket. He deals in both vacant lots and improved property. , Henry Marks. ;\Ir. Henry Marks, of Xo. 2216 8th avenue, near i20tli street, has alread}- attained a proiuinence in Harlem realty circles hy reason of his activity as a factor in many transactions, although he has as yet not been established quite three years. The majoritv of his broker- age business is transacted in Harlem, from 72d street upwards, as far as the river. '\\r. Marks is an untiring worker and his clients, it may be remarked, find him staunchly true to their interests, with the result that they are his permanent customers. liesides a brokerage business Mr. Marks also manages estates, collects rents and rents properties, is himself the owner of pro])ert \ , thoroughly reliable and financially responsible in everv respect. A. H. Mathews. Mr. A. H. Mathews, of No. 82 Nassau street, takes rank among the old established real estate firms in this citv. The business was estalilished in 185Q by the father of the present owner of the business, BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. and after the death some years ago of the elder Mr. Mathews tlie concern fell to his son, who has successfully managed it ever since. While doing a general real estate business, the firm make a specialty of the management of estates and the renting of down-town business properties. Mr. Mathew s has l)een particularly successful in secur- ing for his clients a good class of tenants and has the reputation of looking out for the interests ol l)oth. Mis extensixL- ac(|uaintance among investors and the substantial reputation of tlie firm, wliich he has maintained, renders him an excellent medium as a broker. Linton B. Matthews & Co. The firm of Linton I'.. Matthews & Co. is composed of Linton B. INL-itthews and [. ^McC lennen. They are engaged in a general real estate business in all that the term embraces, the management of estates, rents collected, loans on bond and mortgage and general brokerage. The firm represents some of the best insurance cr)m])a- nies, comprehensively known as fire, plate glass, accident, life, bur- glary, steam boiler and employers' lial)ility. As real estate ])r(ikers and agents the territory covered by them lies between 59th street and Washington Heights, more particularly on the West Side. The firm, although established but a year, has succeeded in securing the agenc\- of several well-known flats and ai)artment liouscs and a large nund)er of private dwellings. ( )ftice, .\"o. 31; West 125th street. Paul Mayer. Among the high class realty dealers in the upper ]iortion of Man- hattan Island, there are none whose operations show a more thor- ough knowledge of realty values than those of Mr. T.-iul Ma\ er, of No. 251 West 135th street. He has rapidly acquired a reputation among his fellow brokers as being most energetic and conscientious in his operations. Mr. Mayer combines a brokerage and agency business; as a broker he makes no special field, but maintains an intimacy with all transactions and movements throughout tin citv. His agency business is largely in Harlem, along Columbus aveinic and the streets adjacent thereto. Mr. Mayer has a downtown office in No. 261 Broadwa)-, by which he keeps in touch with downtown realty movements. George W. Mercer. The real estate business of the firm of ( ieorge W. Mercer, of No. 266 West 23d street, was established in 1845. ^^'^^ t'^^" carried on by John Denham, in whose employ Mr. Mercer was at that time, with whom he afterwards entered into partnership. In 1879, after the death of Mr. Denham, Mr. Mercer carried on the business in his own name. He has been greatly successful and his reputation for reliability is widespread. Mr. Mercer makes a specialty of rent- A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, inj;- liiin>(,'s ami rolU'ctiiiL; rents, kc(.'|)ini;- tin- ])r()|)c'rl_v in ro|)air. and his cla-> (It tcnant> arc the boi. lie c,])erates rliietiy in the 8th, 9th, lOtli, _'()th and _'2(l W ards. He has the nianayeinent of estat;-s which have been on his books since the establislinient of Ids firm. H. T. Metcalfe & Sons. The founder of the firm of H. T. Metcalfe & Sons, of No. 171 Broadway, who, \vc regret to state, died a short time ago, was a widelv-known resident of Staten Island. He entered the real estate trade in 1886, and besides making a specialty of Staten Island prop- erty, he succeeded in working up a moderate business in New "^'ork realty. The sons, of whom there are three, (ieorge, Charles^and H. T., are energetic and shrewd operators. The firm have been instru- mental in disposing of large properties on the island and have charge of Arrochar Park, on which they are building five houses. Edmund S. Mills. The real estate trade in this city comprises a branch of dealers who make a specialty of out-of-town property for country estates and residences. Probably there is none who has a wider or more exclusive patronage in this class of real estate than Mr. Edmund S. Mills, of 479 Fifth avenue. Mr. Mills has made this business a study for thirty years, and it is safe to say there is none more thor- ough, nor are there anv dealers who can of¥er their clients such a variety and choice of out-of-town properties. Through the Mohawk Valley, in the Adirondack Woods, and the choicest scenic districts of New England, Mr. Alills has pre-eminentlv the l)est to be had. Mr. Mills also deals in liigli-class town ])roperty on l-'ifth avenue, Madison avenue, Murray Hill and Lenox Hill. Knox McAfee. Mr. Knox McAfee, of No. 242 West 23d street, is one of the best known and reputable real estate dealers operating in that section of the city, of which 23d street is the centre. He has been established ten years, during which time he has operated both as a broker and agent. His agency business consists of the management of estates of wealthy families, and to this department he pays special atten- tion. The properties which are residential and mercantile are lo- cated almost entirely on the West Side. He has been particularly fortunate as a broker, his success being due to his thorough knowl- edge of realty values and an extensive accjuaintance among investors. James A. McCloskey. Mr. James A. McCloskey, of No. 263 West Thirty-fourth street, is one of the live real estate agents operating in the West Side. His BUILDING AXU ARCHITECTURE IX XEir YORK. field as a broker extends from Fifth avenue to the North River and from Fourteentli street to ( )ne Hundred and Twenty-fifth street. He makes a speciahy of securing good sites for buil(Hng investor^, and his intimate knowledge of properties renders him a reliable source of information to them. As an agent, Mr. ]\IcCIoskev handles nothing but a good class of residential property, including apartment houses and i)rivatc dwellings and stores and lofts on Seventh and Eighth a\cnnc>. His record as a broker and agent shows him to be extreniel\- energetic and alive in that now keen field of realty movement in Xew York. Stephen McCormick. Among Harlem's representative high-class real estate brokers is Mr. Stephen McCormick. of Madison avenue, corner East 129th street. He has been established in Harlem for the past four years, although for sixteen years previous he had been identified with build- ers and Xew York realty men bv reason of his connection with the Yellow Pine Company, of Beaver street. Mr. McCormick is a gen- eral real estate broker, operating througlujut the city, and manages property in all sections. He has a clientele to whom he is able to transfer some of the best realty on the market. He is most thorough and conscientious in his business princii)les, and never endorses a misrepresentation, however slight it may be. that may assist him in procuring a transfer or sale. McMahon & Welch. The enterprising real estate firm of McMahon & Welch, of No. 65 West 125th street, is composed of George J. McMahon and Charles J. Welch. Both possess a thorough knowledge of real estate values in the northern ])art of the city, and the records of their sales show them to be active, energetic and successful. The firm was established in 1894, and although of comparativelv recent origin its brokerage business, that test of a successful broker, is one of the largest in Harlem. The field of their operations, while to a great extent located above 59th street, is, however, bv no means confined in that district. A separate feature of the business is that of fire insurance, of which they have made a signal success. The firm holds the Harlem Branch of the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society of England. G. Nicholas. Mr. G. Nicholas, whose main office is located at No. 1483 Broad- way, manages an extensive real estate business, which comprises both a brokerage and agency department. He has been promin- ently identified with New York realty for the past fifteen vears, and besides buying and selling for others, he operates largelv on his own 208 A HISTOKY Of REAL ESTATE, acoMUiU. .\> a 1>rMk(r, Mr. Xirln ilas ()])rratc's t<> a '^vvM extent in '.Ik- rcMilnuial an.l mniincn-ial disincN m tlu- WcM Sulr iVoni I'nxn- titaiih siix-ri 11)) in ( )iu' Hundred and I- ilt \ -I'lltli. He lla^ l)een par- tieularh sneet>sl'ul in tindin^ |)urella^ers for old business and ajtart- nu'Ut |)ro])ert\ . an a.L;ent .Mr. Xieliolas niana,i4'e.s estates from 34tli street up to and alonj^;' the l)orders of ( entral i'ark. .\ branch office is located in No. 617 Seventh avenue. Joseph Oatman. Mr. Josepli (Jatman, of Xo. 135(1 r.road\\a\ . ]io>^esses an experi- ience extending over ei.yliteen \ ears in the real ( state business in that section of the city on the W est Side, betw een 34th and SQtli streets. He was formerly connected with .Mr. S. Al. IHakely. in whose office he acquired a coni])lete knowledge of realty values in the section referred to. In 1S92, Mr. ( )atnian opened an office on his own aceoimt, and by his energetic application to ljusiness he has succieded in establishing a brokerage business unsurpassed by any of the Long .\cre Scjuare brokers. Brokerage is Mr. Oatman's s])ecialty, and as an appraiser in the locality named he cannot be ini])roved upon. J. H. Oeters & Co. Real estate dealers on the West Side from 29th street northward are reputed to be the most active in the metropolitan realty arena. Prominent among the active firms is that of J. H. Oeters & Co., of Central Park West, and 104th street. Mr. Oeters has divided his business under two heads. The brokerage business, over which he has control, and which made him prominent in many realty transac- tions, particularly in Harlem. His son, Henry M. ( )eters, a member of the firm, has charge of the collection of rents, renting and manage- ment of estates. Mr. J- H. Oeters has dealt largely in improved property as well as unimproved, the latter of w hich he has been par- ticularly fortunate in disposing to builders, by wdiom he is considered a high authority in real estate matters. Mr. iM-ederick Schlueter is also an active member of the firm. Pease & EIHman. The com])aratively new firm of Pease & Elliman. 532 5th avenue, are the successors of the oldest real estate business in that district. Both members of the firm, Lawrence I!. Elliman and Walter A. Pease. Jr.. are energetic young men and thoroughly experienced in metropolitan realty. They make a specialty of 5th avenue general real estate, and have done one of the largest businesses in their neighborhood during the past year in renting and selling. They have already many large estates on their books, and their extensive ac- quaintance in that district will doubtlessly add much to their suc- cess. The office is centrally located, opposite Delmonico's. Mr..N. W. Riker, of the old firm, is still associated with the new firm of Pease & Elliman. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. R. Pehlemann & Son. The firm of R. Pehlemann & Son, of Xo. 493 Columbus avenue, is one of the oldest real estate firms in the city, having been established in 1868. The firm, which consisted of Rudolph Pehlemann, oper- ated in East Side property in the commencement of its career, with the office at 57th street and at 55th street and Third avenue. From there he moved to 14th street, but seeing the possibility of Columbus avenue as a mercantile thoroughfarCj he moved to that locality. The firm now makes a specialty in corner property, both mercantile and residential. It has unquestionably made larger sales in that class of realty than any other dealer in competition in that locality. Besides this specialty the firm does a large general brokerage business on the West Side and the upper West Side. Rudolph Pehlemann, Jr., is as- sociated with his father as his partner. The firm also manage es- tates, which have been in their control for many years. Pell & Sutphin. Although the firm name of Pell & Sutphin, of No. 509 Fifth ave- nue, is comparatively new in New York real estate circles, yet the individuals composing it are men long and most favorably known to the trade. The firm is composed of H. Archie Pell, S. Osgood Pell and W'illiam F. Sutphin. A partnership was formed on January I, 1898, between .Mr. S. ( )sgood Pell and William L. Sutphin, and subsequently 11. Arcliic I 'ell, the well-known real estate dealer, en- tered the partner.ship, tlius giving it additional strength. Facli mcm- \k v is a s])ecialist in the various branches of the realt}- trade, and there is no (|uestion Init that the firm will become an important factor in Metropolitan real estate circles. The estates formerly managed by the individual members of the firm consisting of high class realty in all parts of the city are now managed under one department. Brok- erage and loans are also specialized, thus afTording better results to all concerned. L. J. Phillips & Co. The real estate firm of L. J. Philli])s & Co. was established in 1876. It is one of the large expert real estate firms in this city, com- bining an extensive brokerage agency and auctioneering business. The members of the firm are Louis J. Phillips, senior, D. L. Phillips and Lewis Phillips. The founder of the business, Mr. Louis J. Phil- lips, senior, is recognized as one of the leading experts in New York realtv. His knoAvledge of values has been frequently called to the aid' of the city, corporations and private individuals in all the large ap- praisals made for many years past. As brokers the firm operate over the entire Manhattan Island and in the Twenty-third and Twenty- fourth Wards. As agents, it manages many larg-e estates, both re- garding the renting and collections of rents and their entire super- vision. The downtown office is located in No. 158 Broadway and the uptown office at 72d street and Columbus avenue. 14 210 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Homer W. Presdee. Among" the representative real estate dealers in the uj^per portion of the West Side of the eily is :\lr. Homer W. I'resdee, of Xo 401 W'e^t 50th street. C'c )inl )inin!^- an a,i;'ene_\- and brokerage bnsiness, Mr. I'resdee is regarded as one of the best (i])erators in the locality whieh he covers. He devotes nmre nf time and study to the brokerage department, however, tlian to the agency l)usiness. He has maintained a close relationshi]> witli all realty movements ii! the upper West Side, and his advice, both in matters of appraisal., and the choice of sites for business or residential purpose, has been much sought for by investors. ]\lr. i'resdee has frequently acted as ajjpraiser for private individuals and corporations. The William P. Rae Co. The William P. Rae Company was incorporated under capitaliza- tion of $50,000 in 1890, to continue the general real estate business in the management of property and estates, and auctioneers in Real Estate Exchange. Mr. Rae, who is president of the company, while a voung man, has been established as broker and auctioneer in Brooklyn since 1879. This company, aside from their large clientele in the management of property, have been most active in the management in the de- velopment of Sea Gate, transforming what was Icmiw ii a> Xorton's Point into a most beautiful select seashore resident .'^cttlenK■nt. 'J'he company is representeil in the directory of the Norton Point Land Com])any. New I'trecht I m])r()venient Company, and Sea Gate Improvement Conipanw The business offices are located at 203 Montague street and 3<)4 (iates avenue, ISrooklyn. Thos. L. Reynolds & Co. The finn of Thomas L. Reynolds & Co., of corner of Lenox avenue and 135th street, is one of the largest operators in West Side Harlem ])nipcrtv. The l)usiness was established by Mr. Thos. L. Reynolds in iSSo, ;mil CMinhicted for some time at Colum-bus avenue and ! 041)1 street>. Mr. Reynolds has sold a very large amount of prop- erty from West 59th street along the Heights, and on W' est Side ave- nues and the adjoining side streets. His business done for the past decade has netted hiiu commission and profits of $40,000 to $60,000 a year. A> an agent, lie manages property in the locality covered by himself as a Ijroker. .Mr. Reynolds operates largely on his own ac- count and is known to be one of the shrewdest of our Harlem oper- ators. T. B. Robertson. Mr. Til.. mas I'.rand Robertson, whose ofifice is located in the Mutual liaiik Ihiilding. corner Eighth avenue and Thirtv-fourth street, possesses an actual experience of over twentv vears in New BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 211 York circles. During his career he has merited and maintained the confidence of a large clientele in his management of estates, as an agent, executor and in other fiduciary capacities. Air. Robertson has a keen appreciation of values, and in his long experience has suc- cessfully negotiated for investors and corporations many large and important transactions. He is also agent for several insurance com- panies, also conducts a general insurance brokerage business. Douglas Robinson & Co. Of the many real estate firms in Xew York, that of Douglas Rol)- inson & Co. has always been considered in the first rank, both on account of the large amount of city property which cliangcs hands through their offices, and because of the large estates in Xew York wliich they manage. They also pay special attention to the appraisal (if city jiidprrty. Mr. Douglas Robinson, the senior member, has a large acciuaintance among the best class of investors, and the firm is thoroughly equipped for the transaction of business through their two large offices at 55 Liberty street, corner of Nassau, and at 500 Madison avenue, corner of 52d street. The junior member is Mr. Frederick Winant, who has charge of the uptown office. Wm. J. Roome. The real estate business carried on by William J. Roome. at 410 6th avenue, is one of the oldest in the city, having been established in 1852, by the father of the present pro|)rietor. Air. Roome entered his father's firm and studied Xew^ York real estate in all its branches. On his father's death, the firm became known as W. H. Roome's Son, which was afterwards changed to W. J. Roome. Mr. Roome pays special attention to transactions with investors and investment property. His knowledge of real estate is so widespread that he is in constant demand as an appraiser for institutions and the legal frater- nity. Air. Roome is one of the founders of L'niversity Heights, and is a graduate of the University of the City of Xew York, of the class of '78. Ruland & Whiting'. The list of well-known Xew York real estate dealers would not be complete without the name of Ruland & ^^■hiting, of No. 5 Beek- man street. This firm has been established for over thirty-one years in its present location. It has sold a large amount of valuable land in the office district, from Wall to Duane street, although its operations have by no means been confined to this district. The members of the firm are Alanly A. Ruland, William H. Whiting and Irving Ruland ; the latter is a member of the Real Estate Exchange and Board of Brokers, while Air. \\'hiting is a member of the Ex- change and Treasurer of the Aletropolitan Realty Co., having its office with this firm. 212 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Charles E. Schuyler & Co, Mr. Charles E. Schuyler, of No. 967 Boulevard, it is generally conceded, is the most prominent real estate dealer in the upper west end of the city. His first office was located at 71st street and Columbus avenue, when houses were most scarce in that locality. He was the first in that field, and to his efforts much of the rapid and solid development of Columbus avenue and adjacent streets is due. A few years ago he entered again as a pioneer in Morning- side Heights realty and has contributed greatly to the development in high class residential property along Riverside Drive, West End avenue, the Boulevard and Morningside. Mr. Schuyler's knowledge of values in that locality is so thorough that his appraisals are con- sidered as final. The business is now conducted under the firm name of Charles E. Schuyler & Co., incorporated, near 107th street. Sharrott Brothers. Among Harlem's high class real estate brokers is the firm of Shar- rott Brothers, of 2164 7th avenue, near 128th street, from whence they removed May ist to more desirable and accessible quarters, 2088 7th avenue, near 125th street (Hotel Winthrop). Chas. F. Sharrott and Frank R. Sharrott compose the firm, and operate both a brokerage and agency business. Mr. Charles F. Sharrott makes a specialty of the exchange of properties, in which branch he is quite successful, while Frank R. Sharrott gives attention to the sale of va- cant lots with loans to builders. The renting department is in charge of Edgar Sharrott, who acquired his knowledge of this branch of the business through an apprenticeship of several years in a promi- nent downtown ofhce. The field where the firm has operated to a large extent, is in upper West Harlem and Washington Heights. Both members of the firm are men of sound business judgment and integrity. They are thoroughly conversant with realty values in the districts where they specially operate. Henry W. Sherrill. Prominent among Brooklyn's realty dealers who have contrib- uted to the development and settlement of some particular portion of the city of Brooklyn stands Henry W. Sherrill, whose main office is located in No. 13 Willoughby street, Brooklyn. Mr. Sherrill is both a broker and agent but it is by reason of his successful management of the large estate of John Lefifert that he is so prominently identified with Brooklyn real estate matters. In the Twenty-ninth Ward adja- cent to the beautiful I'rn^prct I'ark, Mr. Sherrill has developed the property, sold lots nn w hicli modern houses of the highest type have been erected, and l)v his wide acquaintance among investors has succeeded in ])rocuring purchasers for the buildings. He is a thor- ough student of the trend of realty movements, and his advice in matters of investment in property is much sought. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. T. W. ShotwcII. Among the careful and considerate real estate brokers operating to a greater extent in Harlem than elsewhere is Mr. T. W. Shotwell, of No. 291 Lenox avenue, near 125th street. Mr. Shotwell has a long experience in New York realty, an experience extending over fifteen years, and his knowledge of the fluctuations in values of realty and its present value is of the highest type. He operates gen- erally above 72d street, although he frequently transacts sales below 14th street, as his records will show. He is a successful broker mainly because he keeps in touch with the market and knriws what can be sold and with whom the property can lie best placed. His clientele embraces many Iniilders and ])rivate investors. Mr. Shot- well is an energetic broker, and is thoroughly conversant with all matters pertaining to real estate. E. de Forest Simmons. Mr. E. de Forest Simmons, of No. i East 58th street, is a real estate broker and agent. In the former branch of the business Mr. Simmons operates for his wealthy clients in residential propertv and business propertv for investment. In this line he has secured in realty investments large amounts of funds, not only for New York investors, but also for Boston and San Francisco clients. In con- nection with a partner, he sold the site of the American Surety lluild- ing, on Pine street and Broadwav, a sale involving one and one-half million dollars. As an agent he handles desirable properties in Fifth avenue, Murra\- Hill and Lenox Hill. He is a careful and pains- taking business man and has frequentlv figured in some large trans- actions. Allen W. Smith. Allen W. Smith, No. 252 West 14th street, has conii)leted exten- sive alterations to his building. No. 252 West 14th street, one door east of Eighth avenue, and lias removed his office thereto, where he has largeh^ increased facilities for l(,a>ing, renting, collecting, selling, managing and exchanging all chisses of real estate, and of ef- fecting loans on l)ond and mortgage. A renting experience of twentv-eight \ ears, the last eighteen of which he has rented and is still renting property of different branches of the Astor estate, may be considered a sufficient guarantee of his integrity and ability. It can be readily seen that all property placed in Mr. Snnth's office for renting, collecting or management will receive the full benefit of a long experience and perfected methods. He has also secured the agency of many of the best and most reliable insurance companies, and he is, therefore, in a position to make the most favorable terms on all classes of insurance — fire, life, accident and plate-glass. He has made it a special point in his business that all orders, delivered personally or by mail, for selling, l)uying, exchanging or renting 214 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, property, or for insurance, or for loans on bond and mortgajje, shall be pronii)tl\ attt-nded to. Frank E. Smith. Mr. PVank E. Smith, of Xo. 35 Nassau street, has been connected with the projecting- element both in real estate and general contract- ing- in New York for the past eighteen years. During that time he devoted himself to building on a specidative basis. lie built, to a great extent, in Harlem. For the ])ast few \ ears he lias ])aiil ])artic- ular attention to realty movements below b'ortx-second street, be- tween Eighth and Tliird avenues. He makes a specialty of promot- ing new buildings, and his advice is sought for when a firm or cor- poration are contemplating improvements, particularly in the mer- cantile districts, between Twenty-third and Forty-second streets. His wide experience in real estate greatly aids him in procuring and influencing investments. Thomas C. Smith. ]\Ir. Thomas C. Smith is a real estate broker and appraiser. Mr. Smith belongs to the higher class of realty brokers in Xew York, who have made New York realty a subject of research and study with result that they have become experts in values. Mr. Smith has been prominently identified with realtv transactions since 1886. He has made no special district his field of operations, but has covered the entire island, from the flattery to High Bridge. There is prob- ably no ward in New York proper in which Islr. Smith has not sold or purchased property. In appraisals he has very frequently been called to act for owners and corporations in all parts of the city. His ofifice is in No. iii Broadway. Stabler & Smith. Among the old and well established firms operating on Columbus avenue the firm of Stabler & Smith, of No. 674 Columbus avenue, ranks high, not only in the comparative duration of its establishment, but in the amount of business done. The firm is composed of Mr. Walter Stabler, whose ofifice for some time was located downtown in the mercantile district, and Mr. L. M. Smith. Both are practical and experienced real estate men. They make no distinctive specialty in their business, combining their brokerage and agency depart- ments, and giving each their proper share of attention. In the brok- erage department they number among their clients builders, private and corporate investors, while as agents they manage apartment houses, stores and tenements along Columbus avenue and side streets. The firm has been established eig'ht years. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 215 John B. Streeton. There is a branch of the real estate business which confines itself almost exclusivelv ti) tlie rentinir nf mercantile IniildinQS. offices and lofts. In this branch there pniljably no lar.ijer (ii)eratr)r than 2\Ir. John JJ. Streeton, of Xo. 15J Mmadway. Mr. Streeton has had an extensive experience in this particular line of the realt\ bu-iness and is thoroughly familiar with its details. The tield in which he operates lies downtown below Houston street, in which he lias a large number of stores, offices and !■ )tt-, and 1 if many 1 if w hicli he has full control. On so large a scale doe- he transact hi- busine-- tliat there is no question Imt that he i- able to hi! tlie want- of a client, no matter wdiat the conditiim- and circuni-tances are. 1 lie bu-iness, in which he hini>elf ha> liad o\ er t\\ ent_\ -f(.)ur year^' experience, has been established fort\- \ears. Strong: & Ireland. This well-known firm of realty brokers wa- e-talili-hed in June, 1894. the copartnership being formed of Mr. j. M ontL;onier\" ."strong and J. de Courcy Ireland. Each had ])o>>e>>ed a thorougli training and ripe ex])erience necessary for a downtown real e-tate dealer. The firm was able to combine all features of the real (..-tate bu-iness. As brokers they operate over the entire Islanil and are able lo ^ive expert testimony in appraisals. Their agency departments are no small feature of the business of managing e-tate- and collect- ing rents in ditferent parts of the city. They kee]i a record of e\ ery sale, transfer, lien or mortgage filed. >o that they are intimately in touch with every movement. Their addre-- i> X(.). 60 Liberty. F. G. Swartwout & Co. F. G. Swartwout & Co., of 157 East 125th street, have been oper- ating in Xew Yi irk realty for the past twenty years. The com])any have an extensive brokerage business throughoiU the entire city, although to a great extent they have ojierated in the Twelfth, Twenty-third and Tweni> -fourth War-Is. In Harlem. \\ e-:clie-ter county and X'ew York's annexed district the company ai-e ])articu- larly well-known, and manage a large portion of a desirable class of property in those locations. As agents they rent and collect rents of estates throughout the citv. V . G. Swartwout is a member of the Real Estate Exchange of Xew \'ork and is considered a shrewd realty operator. The compan\- -tud\- all sales, tran-fers and realty movements and are thoroughh w ell posted in ^"alue^ of properties. Mr. E. G. Swartwout is ver\ fre<|nentlv retained b\ ci\ic authorities, institutions and cor])orations as an a]iiirai>er in their "1 lehalf. Thomas & Eckerson. Among the highest class real estate firms in the city is that of Thomas & Eckerson, of X'o. 7,5 West 30th street. The firm is com- 2l6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, posed (if William II. 'riioiiias and John C. R. Eckerson, both of whom arc hii^hly cslt'cmc-d in .\\\v York reahy circles. The part- nership was fornu'd in iXKo, and since that time the firm has been en- ga^'ed in an (.-xtensive jjmkera^e and ac;-enoy business, and also man- ages an insurance departnicni. As brokers, the firm makes no spe- cial held n to be located from the liattery to ] larleiu. Thonia^ 1-A'ker^on ha\ e made a specialty of the manage- ment of estates. Thompson & Pryor. The firm of Tlioni])s(>n iK: I'ryor succeeded that of Joihn M. Thom])son iX: (_'o. six innnths a-o. li is composed of John ThomiKson and S. .Morris I 'r\ nr. loi-nu rly a partner of D. Phoenix Ingraham & Co. The l)u>ine>> of the firm consists of expert bro- kerage appraisals and auctioneering. .Mr. Thompson is a tliorough student of high-class realt\' niovenient> and o])erates among the best class of investors. He has made a particular study of the mercantile realty below 14th street. In this market he is an authority and is frequently consulteon, whose oihce is located in the Xational Park J'.ank Huilding, .\os. 214 and 2 if) llroadway. is a reiM-esentative real estate dealer of this city who has accunuilated a large and val- uable record of transactions covering many \ ear.s. He was a client of the late E. H. Ludlow and Homer Morgan, and his knowledge of \ alnes ])articularl\ in re^ideiuial cpiarters of Xew ^'ork is most auihoritati\-e. .Mr. Thoni]),son jiaws s])ecial attention to his brokerage and ap])raisal del )artments, for these he regards as the most im- portant ftalures of his business. He is a Commissioner of the Bureau of .street 1 ipenings. Mr. Thompson is a successful o])erator having been buyer and ow ner by inheritance of many properties on Murray I lill. the lower W all street section and tracts of land now a portion of Creater Xew Vovk. A. E. Thomson. Among the brokers who are known to buy and sell large parcels of land and high-class imj)roved realty in Harlem, Air. A. E. Thomson, of X^o. 29 East 125th street, is undoubtedly one of the most promi- nent. Air. Thomson has been established four vcars in business on bis own account, although his active ex])erience in Harlem proj^erty antedates that ])crio(l by several \ ears. Air. Thomson makes a spe- cialty in his general real estate business in that he finds himself BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. peculiarly adapted for the selling and exchanging of realty. He deals, to a great extent, with heavy operators. He knows Harlem realty values, as a large operator must of necessity know them, and his personal qualities as a broker make his transactions nearly always successful. He negotiates building loans and advances money on bond and mortgage. Stephen H. Tyng-, Jr. Stephen H. Tyng, Jr., is one of the prominent members of the real estate profession. Eleven years ago he opened his first office at 25 Pine street, which he still retains as a branch office. His headquarters at the present time are in the Hartford IWnlding, Xo. 41 Union square West. :\Ir. Tyng confines himself to tlic care and management of estates, and deals in liigli-class hu.sincss property exclusively. Hi.s name has ])ccn connected witli many large oper- ations. .Vmong Iiis transactions \va^ tlie sale for Meyer Kahn of the Daniel Drew property, at tlie corner of T-th street and I'.road- way, to the W'ad^N ortli estate, .^ul .se(|Uently lie was responsil)le for the tearing down of ilie old Drew mansion and the construction and the leasim^- of the new Hartford Building on that site, notable as a particularly successful uptown office building. Mr. Tyng's clientele is one of the largest and wealthiest in the city. S. R. Walker. Among the enterprising real estate men operating extensively across the Harlem River, Mr. R. W alker. of \o, 74S l-.ast 138th street, ranks undoubtedly among the I'Henio-t. To lii-^ efforts the rapid development of real e-^tale \-aliie^ oi that •-eeiion ln.tli in its residential and business district^ al".\e iJ3tli -treet on the I'ast Side is mainly due. He is in intimate toiu li with the inan\ in\ est- ors, builders and architects interested in that locality and his thor- ough knowledge of realty values often directs realtv mo\-ements. Resides his large brokerage Inisiness, ^Ir. \\"alker manages an agenc\- department in which the care and full management of busi- ness and residential property enters. He also negotiates mortgages and is an expert appraiser in the many classes of properties. Pos- sessing branches in different sections he keeps well in touch with the demands of his clients. S. de Walltearss. Mr. S. de Walltearss, of Xo. 171 Broadway, is one of X^'ew York's largest downtown realty operators. By the term "downtown," it is not meant that such real estate men that deal only in property in the lower end of the city, but it is in that portion of X^ew York where large deals are generally consunmiated. Such dealers are recognized as experts in realty and to this class ^Ir. de \\'alltearss certainly be- longs. He has been connected with Xew York real estate since 2l8 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE. 1866, when he formed a partmTsliii) witli 11. W l-'airchild, who at that time was a heav\' iipcrator and rcalt\ a.t;c-nt. This i)artncrsliip was continued until i.SSX, when Air. I^'airchild's interests were with- (h-awn. In 1895, a co-partnersliip was formed between Mr. de W'alhearss and David Rothschild, which continued unlil iXi;7, when the latter withdrew. Mr. de Walltearss has heen ])romincntly identifu'd with the Real Estate Exchan,L;e since its inceptidu: lie has lon,!^' l)een a director and is now secretary of the h"!xchan^e. James Walsh. Mr. James Walsh, real estate broker, of No. 222 West ii6th street, has been permanently identified with upper New York's realty interests for the past nine years. For the last three years Mr. Walsh has confined his efforts entirely to the brokerage de- partment of his business and has been, as is shown by the records of his sales, one of the foremost brokers above 72d street. The scene of his operations has been in both the East and West Sides of the territory named, and as Mr. Walsh in the betjinning of his career as a real estate merchant bought and sold on his own ac- count he enjoys a large clientele of the better class. He is an en- ergetic and untiring worker, as may be judged from the fact that he made 25 large sales of separate properties last year. A. Ward. Mr. A. W^ard, a pioneer in the real estate business of the lower west side, is still one of the foremost real estate dealers and apprais- ers, not only in the district named, but throughout the island. Mr. Ward has been established thirty-three years, with his office at the address now occupied, No. 516 Ninth avenue. In the beginning of his career he took charge of the Cairns and Ward estates, of which Mr. Fred D. Tappen is still the trustee. One of Mr. Ward's main personal business is the appraising of property located in all parts of the city for various institutions, firms, individuals and corporations. Ware, Gibbs & Card. The firm of Ware & Gibbs, of No. 451 Columbus avenue, consist- ing of William R. Ware and Albert E. Gibbs, has been in the real estate business, as a firm, four years. Each had an individual experience in realty circles previous to the copartnership, and formed an extensive accpiaintance among property owners. They have made the collection of rents and renting their specialty, while they transact the brokerage business, which necessarily follows, as an issue. Columbus avenue ])n)i)erty, from 59th street as the south- ern limit and along the parallel avenues, is the location of most of the propertv over which they have control. The firm is one of the most reliable in that territory and number among their clientele a large proportion of prominent ])ro]ierty holders. Jas. \ andyke Card, who recently joined the firm, has also been an operator and broker for 20 years. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 219 Whitehouse & Porter. Althoug-h the firm of Whitehouse & Porter is a new one in name, it is really a continuation of an older business. Mills, Whitehouse & Hall was founded in 1890, with an office at Xo. 17 East Forty-sec- ond street. A couple of years later the firm was re-organized as Mills & Whitehouse, their office being Iocs ted at No. 503 F fth avenue. This firm, in its turn, was succeeded, in 1896, by Golding & Whitehouse. Last year the firm became Whitehouse & Porter, with offices at 509 Fifth avenue and i Nassau street. Whitehouse & Porter deal principally in Fif.h avenue piop(rty and in high class dwellings and unimproved lots in the vicinitv of the avenue. They sold No. 871 Fifth avenue to Mr. A. L. Barber for $572,500, the largest sum ever paid for a dwelling in this city. Other large sales which they have made are No. 8 East Sixty-ninth street to Mr. W. D. Sloane; and the Langdon place, at Hyde Park, to Mr. Frederick Vanderbilt. 220 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. OPERATING ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS, AND REAL ESTATE MEN. Philip Braender. There has Xyjvn i)n il);il)lv no heavier builder and real estate oper- ator in the past t\vtnt\ years than Philip Braender, of No. 47 West 125th street, lie has built extensively on the East Side during the years 1877 to 1892, and has also built large fire-proof business struc- tures below 14th street. During the last six years he has erected a number of buildings on the West Side, from looth to 125th street. Mr. Braender began as a mason builder in 1871, continuing in the contracting line until 1877, when he saw the advantages of build- ing for the market, and he grasped the opportunity. An idea of his work may be gained when it is said that there is scarcely a block from East 63d street to East 125th street where he has not erected houses for the market. jNlr. Braender is a ma-^oii liy trade, and has erected, since 1877, over 1,500 private house-, aiiartiiuiit-, flats and fire-proof buildings throughout the city. Charles Buek. ]\lr. i^harles Buek is the successor to the once well-known firm of Duggin & Grossman, which dated its foundation to back before the war. He became connected with this firm in 1870 and remained with it until its dissolution nine years later. Duggin & Grossman built exclusively on the east side of the city, and had a wide repu- tation, both on account of the quantity and the quaHt\- nf their work. Mr. Buek remained in business alone as tlieir >uci e-si ir for about two years, then, in 1881, he founded the firm of Gharles Buek & Co., with ]\lr. Gharles Duggin, the head of the old firm, as special part- ner. Mr. Henry F. Gook, who had also been connected with the old firm, became another partner. The new firm confined its work to that portion of the citv along Lexington avenue and in the neighborhood of 36th and 37tii streets, and on jNIadison avenue up as far as 68th and 69th streets. Among other residences which it built at the time, were those of Gharles A. Dana, Geo. G. Moore, Gharles F. Glark, of "Bradstreet's" on Mad- ison avenue; John A. Stewart, president of the United States Trust Go., and Gharles M. Fry, president of the Xew York Banking As- sociation on Lexington avenue. In time it became plainly apparent that the East Side was being 222 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE. ra])iill\ rxliaiisteil and that no nmre lots remained to l)e built ui^on, so a rlianm- ol" l>ase was decided on ami in icSSj the firm moved the field of its operations to the W e^t Side. They built extensively on 72d street, and in all that section lyini;- about it. participating in the great building boom which occurred in that vicinity eight or ten years ago. In connection with the building ojjerations of Air. Buek on the East .Side, it is interesting to note the change that has taken place in the x alue of real estate in that i^ortion of the city. Xew Yorkers ]ia\e come to lodk upon I'ifth avenue as such an established fact that tlie\ n;uurall\- disa>sociate it in their minds with any such rapid ad- vance as is called to their mind by the musliroom growth of the up- per W est Side. Yet onlv twenty-five years ago building lots 25x100 on Fifth ave- nue, below the Park could be bought for $25,(X)0, while those off the avenue and in the side streets, like 51st and 52d, brought $15.- 000. Practically the same proportion is preserved to-day, though with vastly larger figures. At the present time a lot in the avenue is worth i)erhaps $100,000, and one on an adjacent side street about $60,000. It was only recently that a lot facing the Park l)v 64th street, sold for over $130,000. Mr. Buek has hitherto built only private dwellings and apartment houses, and those of the highest class, but is now engaged in the erection of a nine-story business building at No. 64 Fulton street, and intends hereafter to give attention to fine mercantile building. He has also erected several stables to order, notably those for D. ( ). :Mills, W. S. (iurnee, and Harvey Fisk. Harry Chaffee. Among the merchant builders of New York there have been none whfjse operations have been conducted more successfully than those of the subject of our brief mention, Air. Harry ChafTee, whose of- fice is now located in one of his handsome structures, that in No. 29 East 19th street. Mr. ChafTee has built extensively in the mercan- tile section of the city, and also in the residential sections. His pro- jections have shown him to be a complete judge of realty values in New A'orlc, ;ni(l the style of the buildings erected on the sites chosen have been exceedingly appropriate. He has built several store and loft ])ui](lings. which have been finished with the latest and best improvements. Francis Crawford. Air. Francis Crawford is one of Xew A'ork's most extensive build- ers. He has been connected with the ])rojective element for the past thirty-four years, and has practically lined streets witli houses of a class that is a credit to the builder and the communitw In the upper West Side, in that locality of which 72d street is the centre, was the principal scene of Mr. Crawford's operations. He built al- BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 223 most entirely private houses, and the ready sales testify- t(j the work- manship and style of houses Iniilt. In \\'e>t Jjd street he erected twentv-eitjht houses and six in East Jjd street. I )rin,L;in,q- on sale about $2,500,000. In West X^th street, between Central I'ark West and Columlnis aveiuie, ]\Ir. L'rawford built nineteen houses, besides manv other niat^nihcent residences in variolic Idealities on the East and \\\>t sides of the citw lli> >ucce^> atte>ted his j^reat skill as a I uilder of hi.i^h class hou>e> and demonstrated Ins ])ers])icuity and excellent jud^-ment in the selection of localities free irum objection- able elements and well adapted for dwellings of a .superior character. Georgfe C. Edgar's Sons & Co. The founder of the firm of (ieorge C. Edgar's .Sons & Co. was Mr. George C. Edgar, a builder whose re])utation for high-grade work has since been well maintained by his sons, George and Thos. C. Edgar, and since ^larch, 1894. Theodore and William Kilian. In 1889 the firm assumed its present name, and it has, to a great extent been instrumental in building uj) the West Side from 69th street to 95th street. It is a low estimate Xo state that the firm has built one hundred and seventy-tive private houses of a sub- stantial type. The best example of their work is Xo. 228 West 72(1 street, a house which has few peers, and none l)etter in that sec- tion of the city. Their greatest work, winch will be completed Oc- tober I, 1898. is an immense a]iartnient honse in Central Park West and 88th street, costing S.350.000 for the ])uildings alone. James A. Frame & Son. Among the builders who have ojjcrated on their own account, bv which we mean the construction of buildings for sale, the firm of James A. Erame & Son, of Xo. 107 East 70th street, has always been regarded as one of the most substantial and of the best ty])e. Mr. James A. Erame has long been connected with the building trade in X'ew York and during his thirtv vears" connection he has erected many of the costly residences and apartments located in n])pvM- resi- dential section of the west siying apartments w hicli afforded so much con- venience, filled more than two-tliirds of the sjjace before the struc- ture had ])een comijleted b\ the contractor. .\s a s])eculative i)ro- jection, the Royalton was a financial siR-cess from the outset. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 229 The architects of the Imihhn.y; are ]\Iessrs. Rossiter & Wright. It is constructed of stone, brick and architectural terra cotta, with a skeleton steel frame work. The huildintj is the most modern fire- proof structure in the cit\-. c-ver\- re-mircc- havin.i;- l^een drawn upon to attain that end. It i^ a t weIve--stor\ ])uildin.-;-, extending from Nos. 47 and 41; West 4,vl street to Xos. 44 and 4*) \\"e>t 44th street. The site chii>en was a most fortunate one, a result of the bu^iness foresii^ln of the comi)anv. It is conveniently located near the Astor-Tilden-Lenox Lil^rary, liar Association of Xew York and the (irand C entral Dejjot. It is the social as well as the club centre of the city. The management were given carte l)lanche in matters of equip- ment. The result has bevn that the Royalton is tlu' most perfect example of an up-to-date building in America or iuirope. Every want of the tenants has been considered. Telephones have been placed in everv room, giving a house and general connection. The electrical devices are the most recent, the energy being obtained from an electric ])lant in the building. .\ no\-el featiu-e whicli has proved most successful is that of a circtilating system of refrigera- tion, bv which the temperature of the compartments of the refriger- ators is regulated from twenty-h\-e to tliirt\->i\ degrees, Fahrenheit. The plum])ing is in keeping with the other im])rove- ments ; it is exposed and completed according to best sanitary principles. The officers of the com])any are I'rederick liillings. pn's; lent ; F. A. Isham, vice-president; V.. (i. r>aiK\-, treasurer; ( i. I.ixby, secretary; B. S. Harmon, counsel; J. 1'. .Merriam, general manager. Mr. Billings is a son of the late I'rederick Hillings, formerly i)resi- dent of the Xorthern Tacitic Raih-oail. a man well known in the financial matters of the nation. Xo small measiu-e of the success of the X"ew York Realty Savings C"om])any is due to the financial stand- ing, conservatism and business sagacitx' of its president. .Mr. Hil- lings. To Air. Merriam"s long and ])ractical ex])erience in expert realty matters, combined with his legal training, the si;,-,t-,-, ,it the comi)any has also depended. The offices of the coni]i;ni\ .are located at Xo. too ISroadwa}. John Pettit Realty Company. The John Pettit Realty Company, of X'o. 30 b'.ast Twentv-third street, was organized by John Pettit, one of .\e\\ \'ork's most ])rom- inent real estate and building men. Its authorized ca]iital is $2,000,- 000, and its charter from the State of Xew jersey is perpetual. The companv was organized for the purchase, improvement and opera- tion of none but high class industrial real es;;ite in the Rorougli of Manhattan. The officers f)f the compan\- are |ohn I'ettit. I'resident and Treasurer: J. W. Spencer, h'irst N ice President; Herman De Selding, Manager; Alex C. Ouarrier, Secretarv. 230 A HISTORY Of REAL ESTATE. The founder of tlie coni])any, Mr. Pettit, is a New York realty dealer of wide and tliorouiili experienee. lie lias been identified for the ])ast twenty-tive years witli tlie I)nil(hnj^ and improvement of the business district of this city. Durini;- tliat time he has erected over one hundred and fify of the l)est class of commercial buildinf^s; as a real estate man he has S(jld, anioni^' his more ])rominenl transac- tions, such ])r,il(!ings as the Electrical I'lxchantje, \\'ashin^ton street and l iberty street: Hanover .S(|uare lluildin^-; Xassau Cham- bers to I^evi \\ -Morton; l)o\vnui.L;- Ihiildini;-, Inilton street, to West- ern investors. He organized the i:iresent coni])anv l)ecause of the fact that first class i ro])i'rty in \ew ^'ork has become so valuable that it requires the ma>.-.iny ot ca])i:al and the etificiency of depart- ment organization. The financial status of the company may be judged when it is learned that at present it owns two of the best rent preducino- ]')roi)erties of their class or \-alue in the city: they are the Bennett lUiilding' on Nassau and h'ulton street-, and the l!eekman Building- on i'earl and Beekman ,-treets. The ISennett I'.uilding was sold to the lohn Pettit Realty Cf)mi)any for $1,600,000, and $256,000 was paid for the Beekman Building. These two properties have been made the liasi> of the John Pettit Realty Company's stocks. The sub^cri] ition> lia\e been very large and since the or- ganization and launching of the company not a single adverse criticism has Ijcen raised. The name of Pettit is in itself a suffi- cient guarantee ()f bona fide transactions so long has it been con- nected with honorable and ui)rig]n dealing. As has been stated the intention of the companv is the purchase and improvement of high grade Xew ^'ork real estate on a co-opera- tive plan, thus affording stockholders the same privileges, no matter what their wealth may be, as those which the capitalist receives by reason of his wealth. Petty, Soulard & Walker Realty Company. The growth of ilie section of the city lying across the Harlem River during the la>t few years has been remarkable. With the appointment of the Conmnssion of Street Improvements of the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth ^^'ards, a new life began for this locality, for the laying out of streets and the building of sewers gave a wonderful stimulus to building. Perhaps the largest operator in this locality has been the Petty, Soulard & Walker Realty Co. This company was founded in 1895 as the firm of Petty. Soulard & Walker, with an oflfice at 73 Cedar street. In I\la\-. iSt)'), lhe\- removed to 156 and 158 Broadway and 69 Libert\- street, and in jul\- of the same year they organized the Petty, Soulard W alker Realty Co., with a ca])ital of $50,000. The bulk of their large real estate business has been confined to the Twenty-third Ward, in close ])roximity to the elevated railroad stations. i)uring the ])ast few years they have bought hundreds of BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 231 lots in this neigliborhood and sold them to builders. Through their instrumentality a great number of four and five-story flat houses have been erected on these lots. The company's treatment of build- ers has been such as to enable them to carry through their building operations and make the company popular among that class of buyers. William H. Picken. The promptness whicli characterized the sale of the private houses erected by William H. Picken, of No. 61 West 113th street, leads one to believe that the properties for sale were of superior merit. Time has proved the truth of the supposition, and from various sources we learn that Mr. Picken has made the attainment of superior merit in the construction of his houses a goal which he was success- ful in reaching. In 1892 he built six three-story and basement houses on 113th street, near Lenox avenue, which sold at $16,- 000 each. In 112th street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, he built fourteen three-story and basement houses which sold at $18,- 000 each. He has completed eight three-story and basement houses in 98th street, near Riverside Drive, three of which have been sold for $25,000. Mr. Picken was a member and founder of the well- known real estate firm of Picken & Lillv. Francis J. Schnugg. The comparatively recent development and prosperous growth of the upper sections of the city has, as every New Yorker knows, been little short of marvellous. For two or three decades past, streets lined with houses sprang up under the magic touch of our speculative builders, and when sold or transferred the l)nil(lers sought other fields, and next year the occurrence was repeated. The Upper East Side, and then the West Side were changed from the primitive appearance of a settlement in a nartiallv deserted lumber village to districts with beautiful streets lined with costlv i)rivate residence.;, spacious apartment houses and well designed flats and tenements. There can be no cjuestion but that this marvellous change for the better was in a great measure — many have said wholly so — due to the enterprising builder or investor who, taking advantage of the rapid growth in the population, built their struc- tures, hoping to find a fortunate market. There have been many large private investors who have played a prominent part in the development of the middle and upper sections of Manhattan Island. The subject of our sketch, Mr. Francis J. Schnugg, is unquestionably one of the best known pro- jectors in New York bv reason of his prominent connection with the improvement and consequent building in both the East and West A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Sides of tlu- city. lie lias extended his operations from above 14th street to the Harlem l\i\i'r. liis buildins^ operations have in- chided the ereetion of nuniei-niis private d\velhnq-s, handsome apart- ment liMUses, theatres, store and l(jft l)uildino-s, and mercantile build- ins^-s and laet..rK>. :\Ir. .^chnn.i;- i> yet a \oun,t;- man. lie studied the real estate movements while a ])aid< clerk, and liecame familiar with the condi- tions which usually iletermine the values of realty in different sec- tions of the city. He left the bankini;- business and entered the build- ing arena. Possessed of a sound jud,i;-ment and giving' the whole of his untiring energy to his work, his operations at once met with suc- cess. His failures and drawbacks afterwards redounded to his credit for he soon learned to profit by them and those of others. Mr. Schnugg is now looked upon as one of the largest and most success- ful building operators. Special attention is called to the Avadon, a handsome apartment house on the southwest corner of iiith street and Seventh avenue. The Pleasure Palace, a theatre on the south side of 58th street, near Third avenue, was also built and leased bv Air. Schnugg. Other imjKjrtant buildings \Vhich Air. Schnugg has built, and in a large ma- jority of cases sold, are the apartment house at 1 17th street and Lenox avenue: northeast corner 115th street and St. Nicholas avenue, and eighteen private houses on 95th street, between Lexington and Park avenues. S. W. B. Smith. In the present record of the development of upper New York, especially on the West Side, the name of Mr. S. W. B. Smith, of No. 28 West I20th street, evidently takes a prominent place. Mr. Smith, during his career as a merchant builder has erected flats, apartment houses, and private residences that beautify many of the prominent business streets and residential districts above Central Park. He has endeavored to place on the market structures which on completion would reflect favor on him as a builder by reason of the workman- ship displayed. In this Mr. Smith, it is generally agreed, has suc- ceeded, and the high standard maintained in all his structures has broitght about many ready sales. P. M. Stewart and H. Ives Smith. The firm of P. M. Stewart and H. Ives Smith, of No. 459 Boule- vard, has been in existence ten years. It is a contracting and build- ing firm, -whose operations have been mainly confined to the erec- tion of private houses. Both members are men of practical ex- perience, and the class of houses they have erected have sold for sums ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. They have built over 100 houses in the locality between West End avenue and Riverside Drive, from 75th to 107th street. The structures are to a great ex- lent American basement houses. BCILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IX XEIV YORK. Leopold R. Treu. Air. Leopold R. Treu, of Xo. 114 West 34th street, is one of our general contractors who builds for himself and, if the market is fa- vorable, disposes of the structure which he has erected. He has been a structural iron contractor and is ])erfectly familiar with that branch of the buildin_q- trade, .'^even years a.^o. however, he entered the general contracting- field and has since superintended the erection of his buildings in every department. He has built Xo. 48 University place and N'o. 50 Bleecker street, both seven-story sture and loft buildings. Other buildings which he has constructed arc Xns. 141 and 145 Wooster street, an eii^ht-story building, and Xo. 60 Uni- versity place, an eiglit-^tory store and loft Iniilding: also Xo. 7 Great Jones street, an eiglit->tor\- hre-proof building. Clarence True. ]\Ir. Clarence True is probably the best known X^'ew A'ork archi- tect designing almost entirely residential structures. Ik- !>cgan the study of architecture seventeen years ago with K. M. Upjohn, of .\'o. Ill Broadway. X'ine years ago, he opened an office for liini-clf. and his work as exem])lified by his houses is a credit both in liimself and the city. Tt was Mr. True who originated tlu- .\merican ba>ement house which style he has used in most cases. He has de-igned aliout four hundred houses for the West .'^ide. 'Sir. Trui-. in tlu- beginning of his career, practised first in the Tiothic style of arcliitecture, liut for the past few years he has taken to the Fdizal)ethan Renaissance, which is more free ai-id adaiits itself readily to the conditions one meets with in building houses in Xew York. Air. True is one of the few architects wlio builds liimself, en-^iiring the carrying of his plans to a correct issue. Hi> addres> i> Xo. Boulevard. W. Ormiston Tait, Among the architects who have helped to make the Apartment Houses of Xew York the best in the world, the name of W. Ormiston Tait, of X'o. 1236 Aladison avenue, at once comes into prominence. Mr. Tait is an Englishman by birth and is a graduate of the firm of Power & Wheeler, well-known London architects. He came to New^ York in 1883, and afterwards went into the office of Hubert, Pirsson & Co., where he became proficient in X'ew York architec- ture. In 1890 he opened a Brooklyn office, but soon afterwards came to X^ew York, where he has been uniformly successful. One of his best works is the Arbutus, an apartment house, corner of 91st street and \\"est End avenue. P. Wagner. Among the merchant builders contributing to the rapid develop- ment of the upper residential sections of Xew York. Air. P. Wag- 234 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE. ner, of No. 266 Columbus avenue, takes rank among the foremost. Mr. Warner lias built a good and substantial class of structures, sit- uated mainly in the upper West Side of the city. He recognized the fact that while many of the dwellings placed on the market were of an inferior type and were a menace to the speculative ele- ment generally, yet a high-class apartment house or private dwelling was always in demand. To the erection of the latter class of buildings Mr. Wagner devoted his energies, and the ready sales of his structures testify to the manner in which they were completed. Robert Wallace. Mr. Robert Wallace is one of the prominent builders who have contributed to the improvement of the upper West Side. Mr. \\'al- lace built almost entirely private .houses of a substantial class situ- ated in desirable residential localities. His most important work has been the handsome block of flats between 87th and 88th streets on Amsterdam avenue. In all, he has built in private houses, somewhat: over fifty. For these he has had ready sales, the purchasers testify- ing in a manner to the class of work completed. Some of his im- portant rows of houses constructed are eleven houses in 88th street, between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, eight houses in 80th street, between the same avenues; five houses in 75th street, between same avenues ; six houses in 78th street, between \\'est End avenue and Riverside Drive ; eight houses in 68th street, between Eighth avenue and Columbus avenue. Mr. Wallace's office is at No. 320 West 70tli street. Weil & Meyer, The firm of Weil & i\Ieyer, with offices at No. 35 Nassau street, are among the largest o])erators in the building line in the city. For the past twenty years they have built, as operating builders, not only in the apartment house districts of the East Side but have recently entered the mercantile section of the city. The firm was organized in 1872, but it was not until 1876 that the buying of suitable sites for tenements and flats and the erection of the build- ings thereon was engaged in. In the initial period of their copartner- ship they became known to New York's building circles by their judi- cial loans to builders, and afterwards, when they began to build on their own account, the class of structures they completed were generally spoken of by builders as belonging to the best class. The first field in wliich they built was on ist and 2d avenues, above 59th street, and on the adjoining side streets. It mav be mentioned that ^\'cil & ^leyer never entered the \\'est Side to any great extent, but found their greatest success in the downtown dis- tricts of the East Side. Here in the locality of Monroe, Cherry and Lewis streets, they entered as pioneers in that dilapitated district BUILDISG A.\D ARCHITECTURE IX NEJl' YORK. some years ago, destroyed the rookeries that existed there and erected a substantial class of tenements and flats. In Monroe and Cherry streets the firm built twenty houses in each street, and in Lewis street eighteen houses were erected. In the Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh, Seventh and Twelfth Wards, Weil & Meyer have erected in the neighborhood of fifty tenements a year. It will be readily seen, therefore, that they have erected several hundred of that class of buildings in different parts of the city. These buildings, with the cost of ground included, have involved an expenditure of from $25,000 to $35,000. As example of their ventures on the W'est Side we submit the block of houses on Tenth avenue, between 133d street and 134th street, and another block on Eighth avenue, be- tween 15th and i6th streets. Weil & Meyer of late have operated to a great extent in the commercial district of the city, between Canal and 14th streets. The firm has completed such buildings as Xos. 585 and 587 Broad- way, a twc'lvc-str)ry l)uil(ling, 52 by 200, which sold for $925,000; another si\-eii->t(iry structure on the northeast corner of Spring and Woostcr streets, worth $250,000. They also erected the seven- story store and loft building in No. 20 liond street; Xo. 47 Great Jones street. No. 30 Great Jones street, No. 50 Bond street, all of which brought on sale over $100,000. It wall be seen that \\'eil & Me\er have contri])uted in no slight manner to the development uf New York. I'.oth members of the firm are conscientious and shrewd business men, studving care- fully the details of all their projects, which usually have met witli marked success. 236 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, TITLES TO REAL ESTATE IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. NEW YORK was first settled by tlieDutcli, and not l)y the English, and under the names of Xieuw Nederland. Xieuw Amsterdam, Fort Oranje, was governed by the Roman Civil Law, which was the law of Holland and The Netherlands. In 1623 the States Gen- eral of Holland granted all the Island of iManhattan to the Dutch West India Company, and in 1626 that company bought up the title of the Indians, and paid the tribe of the Alanhattoes sixty guilders, about twenty-four dollars, for the whole island. This was not such an unfair price as it seems. The island was a wilderness, in the midst of a wilderness, covered with forest, inhabited by bears, panthers and other wild animals (including savages). It has turned out to be a good real estate speculation. But if you take $24 and lend it at interest at six per cent, per annum, in the year 1626, remembering that money doubles at compound interest at six per cent, every eleven years, we find that that $24 would now, in 1898, after having doubled about twenty-five times, amount to over $800,000,000, which w'ould be a pretty high valuation of all the lots on this island if they were all vacant, no buildings on them ; probably more than they would be appraised at, even after the State Board of Assessors had "equalized" it by taking off from the rest of the State, and adding on to New York City all that they dared. The Dutch West India Company had the powers of a govern- ment, its charter gave it authority to enact laws, establish courts, and deal in land as well ; and most of the original titles to land in this city came from that company, generally in the form of a "pat- ent'' from the governor of the colony; elsewhere in tlie State there were a number of grants or patents of large tracts, since called manors, to patroons, who undertook to settle them. The first Dutch speculator in land in New Amsterdam was Isaac de Forest ; he was a Dutchman of Huguenot descent : his ancestors fled from BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 237 France, at tlie Revocation of the Edict of Xantes, to Holland which was at that time, as it has ever been, the land of the free and the home of the brave: in the middle of the sixteenth century Hol- land began to resist religious oppression, and interference with lib- erty of conscience, and to that cradle of liberty fled all the op- pressed. Huguenots from France, Jews from Portugal, Puritans from England. After The Netherlands had whipped Spain, William the Silent, in his instructions to the Dutch ufhcials enjoined upon them to "see that the word of God is preached, without, however, suffering any hindrance to the Roman Church in the exercise of its religion," and forbade the persecution of the Roman Catholics whose ecclesiastical tyranny they had been fighting. The Mayflow^er Pilgrims got to the City of Leyden, Holland, in 1609, and stayed there eleven years, learning religious toleration, the value of free schools, the Dutch method of recording titles, and many other points of value.' I say they learned "religious tolera- tion," because the "Pilgrims'" of Plymouth Rock were not the big- oted "Puritans" of Massachusetts Bay and Boston: the former burned no Quakers, hung no witches, persecuted none who dif- fered from them in theolog^■, but they sheltered Roger W illiams as the Dutch of Xieuw Amsterdam received Mistress Annie Hutch- inson. About the time that the Pilgrims left Leyden, that "(joodlic and pleasaunt citie which had been their resting place near twelve years" as William liradford called it, Jesse de Forest, in 1621, applied to the English ambassador at the Hague, Sir Dudley Carleton, in the name of fifty-six families at Leyden who wished to go to A'irginia, and asked permission and assistance of the King of England. His petition in full, with the names of the subscribers, is given in Dr. Baird's History of the Huguenots in America: permission was granted but assistance refused; so in 1622 de Forest sent a similar petition to the States General of the United Provinces of The Neth- erlands, by whom permission was granted, and his colony of thirty families sailed from Flolland in the ship "Nieuw Nederland," in March, 1623; they reached the mouth of the Hudson in May, and hoisted the Dutch flag on the Island of Manhattan ; part of the col- 238 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, onists settled here, and the rest went on to where Albany now staijds, and built Fort Orange. The names of all of these families are not known, but Jesse de Poorest was one of them. When the Holland Society of New York visited Holland in 1888, we were entertained, among other places, at Leyden, where there was arranged for us a remarkable historical collection of manu- scripts, maps, printed books, pictures, and among them the manu- script "Register of State Affairs, Vol. A. folio 123, August, 1622," in which was written the authorization given to Jesse de Forest for enrolling Walloon colonists; this was dated August 27, 1622. We were also shown the "Register of Common AfTairs, Vol. L., folio 52," dated January 4, 1624, wherein was granted permission to Gerard de Forest to take the dyer's place of his brother Jesse, "gone lately to West Indies," as America was called at that time. The court minutes of the city of Nieuw Amsterdam do not be- gin until February 6, 1653, thirty years after Jesse got here, and by that time he must have been an old man ; we have no record of his death, nor of any of his dealings; but according to the list of baptisms in the old Dutch Church, the first son of Isaac de Forest, who was named Jesse, was baptized here November 9, 1642 ; fcom this it is probable that Isaac was the son of Jesse, naming his first son after his own father in accordance with Dutch custom. (By the way, Isaac had eleven sons and three daughters before he got through. Another Dutch custom). Isaac de Forest had many transactions between 1653 and 1657, his name appearing in the rec- ords more than one hundred times. The first time he appears as assessed for 100 florins for the defense of the citv, and the next time he obtained a judgment against Adrian Keyser for a balance of 230 florins due him for a house and lot. Another time, in 1655, he com- plained that next to his house and cellar (in the present Stone street, about 60 feet from Whitehall) there was a waste and unoccupied lot, from which his cellar was filled with water, greatly to his dam- age, and requested that Daniel Litschoe, the owner of the said lot, be ordered to build on it according to the law under which the lots had been sold, or else to have the lot appraised, in which case, he, de Forest, would build on it; and the court ordered Mr. Litschoe to BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 239 build on his lot, and to keep the petitioner, de Forest, harmless. He was one of the petitioners to have Stone street paved, in 1655, and it was the first street paved in this city. In 1656 he bought a lot on the north side of Pearl street, about 80 feet north of Whitehall, then known as the "Old Church Lot," where a wooden church had been built as early as 1633, and he built a house on it which was de- clared to be "an ornament to the city," in consequence of which he obtained in 1664 a grant of the lane adjoining on which to Iniild a woodshed, etc. The first record of the sale of city lots, according to Mrs. Lamb's history of the City of New York was in 1642, from Abraham van Steenwyck to my ancestor Antony Jan^cn van Fez, a lot on Bridge street (which then had no name), being thirty feet front by one hun- dred and ten deep, for the consideration of fourteen florins, $9.60! Antony van Fez was also called Antony van Salee, because he had lived in both places in Algiers, having been one of those Dutch sailors called "Beggars of the Sea," who fought Spain. He finally settled in Nieuw Amsterdam, and his daughter Eva married, in 1652, my direct ancestor, Ferdinandus van Sicklen. In 1639 Gov- ernor Kieft granted to h'un, van Salee, a tract adjoining Gravesend, ever since known as the "Turk's Plantation" ; it is now Benson- hurst. Mr. Robert Bayles, now, in 1898, President of the Market and Fulton National Bank of New York, has a brazier which has come to him through the Gulick family and which was brought from Algiers by our ancestor, the Dutch sailor, Antony Jansen van Salee, "the Turk." The first ordinance of New Amsterdam relating to real estate, that I have been able to find, was passed February 7, 1650, although a city surveyor to lay out lots properly, x-Vndries Hudde, had been appointed in 1642, at a salary of 200 florins, and some small fees. This ordinance of 1650 declared all contracts and conveyances of real estate void and of no value which should be passed and signed after that date, Feb. 7, 1650, without the approval and confirmation of the Director General (Peter Stuyvesant) and his Council. But in 1664 an English fleet appeared in New York harbor, the unprepared Dutchmen had to give up their city and province, and 240 ^ HL'^TORV Ol- REAL ESTATE, the Dutch Jvonian Civil Law i^ave phicc to the English Common Law. ( )iR- chief distinction hciwccii these two schools of law, in relation to real estate, is the method of calculating equal degrees of consanguinity; for instance, under the Roman law hrothers and sis- ters are relatives of the second degree, while under the common law they are of the first degree. This is because the civil law begins with the intestate and ascends from him to a common ancestor, and then descends from that ancestor to the next heir, counting a degree for each person, each step, up, and for each person or step down ; so that an intestate's father is in the first degree, and then from the common ancestor, the father, to his brother, another step, makes the brother in the second degree ; thus his grandfather is also in the second degree ; while his nephew is in the third degree, just the same as his grandfather's brother would be ; while his own cousins w^ould be a step further, that is in the fourth. But the Common Law rule is to start with the common ancestor, and not -with the intestate himself ; so if you start with his father, then it is only one degree from the father to the intestate's brother, who is thus in the first degree instead of the second, as in the Civil law^ And his uncle is only in the second degree because their com- mon ancestor was the grandfather of the intestate, from whom the latter is two degrees distant ; and brothers, being in the first degree, inherit directly from each other, and don't have to go back, around, through a common ancestor. Tlie old Dutch grants were mostly confirmed by new grants or charters from the English Government, and again were reconfirmed by the proclamation of Governor Andros in 1675, when New York was again given up to England, this time by a treaty of peace which stipulated that both England and Holland should give back all they had captured in the war immediately preceding; there being then no Atlantic cable, neither nation knew, at the time the treatv was signed, that a Dutch fleet had appeared in New York harbor in 1674 and recaptured this citv. One of the old Dutch titles still existing is that of the Hopper- Stryker-Mott property, around .Stryker's P.ay, in the vicinitv of 55th street and the North River. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 24I But when the EngUsh Common Law came in, not only were the individual titles to property undisturbed, but the Dutch method of registering or recording titles in vogue here was let alone ; and most wisely. This was undoubtedly a Dutch system. Andrew Yarranton, a shrewd Englishman, published over two hundred years ago a book with the following extensive title: "Eng- land's Improvement by Sea and Land: To Outdo the Dutch With- out Fighting; To Pay Debts Without Aloneys ; To Set at W'ork the Poor of England with the Growth of ( Jur Own Lands ; To Pre- vent Unnecessary Law Suits with the ISenefits of a A'oluntary Reg- ister ; Directions Where Vast Quantities of Timber are to be had for the Building of Ships; With the Advantage of ALiking the Great Rivers of England Navigable ; Rules to I'revent Fires in London and other Great Cities ; With Directions how the several Companies of Handicraftsmen in London may have Cheap Meat and Drink. By Andrew Yarranton, Gent., London; printed for the Author, by Roger L'Estrange, 1677." Andrew had been sent abroad by eleven private gentlemen, who paid from their own pockets his expenses, and those of an inter- preter, that he might study and report upon all trades, mamifac- tures and improvements which he should deem it advantageous to introduce into England. This book was written on his return. The following extract gives his view on the subject of "Land Title Re- form :" "Now. I will demonstrate to all men unbiased the truth of what I assert, and show them the condition the gentlemen and jieople of England are in this day, and also the condition the Dutch are in at this day, in all their provinces. Let a gentleman now in England, that hath a thousand pounds a year in land, that owes four thousand pounds, come to a money scrivenor and desire four thousand pounds to be lent on all his land, and produce his writings, and the estate hath been in the family two hundred years, I know at this day the answer will be, that by the law of England, as it is now practiced, no man can know a title by writings, there being so manv wavs to encumber land privately. And therefore, the answer com- monlv is, 'Bring us security for the covenants, and we will lend vou 16 242 .1 lllSTOKY 01' RH.IL ESTATE, tlic inonoys." Tlie j^eiitk-nian ,i;cts such friends as he can procure to be Ixjund for liis covt'nants, whcjni. if ihey accej)!, then the prcj- curator and the continuator liave their j^anie to phiy ; but if he briiiL^- not such securit}- as they lii contiiuu's pri\ ate for --ome \ e;irs : the while the gentleman strixx's what he can to be honest, and prejiare moneys to pay ofY one of the mortgages. "]>ut it commonly falls out otherwise, either through 'bad times' or decay to tenants, great taxes, or the eldest son matching con- trary to his father's will, or oftimes it is worse — he is so debauched no one will match with him. Xow the gentleman's miseries come on, and what must he then do? For the ])ersons that have the land mortgaged will not slay, because by this time it is discovered the land is twice mortgaged. I tell you, the lawyers' harvest is now come on, and the estate torn to pieces, and the gentleman, his wife and family, and, it may be, creditors, too, undone. I'or, seeing all is in danger to be gone, the friends of the wife tnmi]) u]) a former title to the two mortgages, and fence to get all the estate that sherifif, bayliffs, solicitors and lawyers leave, to be to the ii-es in- tended or pretended in the jirivate settlement. I'.ut von will ask me what the jioor gentleman shall do to secure his ])ersoii. 1 will tell vou what some have done, and many more. I know, must do — even turn over either to the Meet or I'lench. () i)ity and sin that it should be so in brave luiglaiid! birst, i)ity that a poor gentleman cannot have moneys at such interest u]^on his lands as the law di- rects, to pay his just debts, and for the good and comfort of his familv. .'Secondly, it is a sin that a gentleman of a thousand pounds ,-1 \ear should be the occasion of ruining so many families as he does, l)v putting them to such vexatious suits for their moneys lent, and it mav be, at last, lose all." BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 243 "In this posture, as you see, are many poor men in England, which cannot borrow four thousand pounds of a tliousand pounds a year land. I pray, let us see what posture a Dutchman stands in, that hath one hundred jjounds a year, and wants four thousand pounds." "Now, I am a Dutchman, and I have one hundred pounds a year in the province of West Friezland, near Groningen, and I come to the bank at Amsterdam, and there tender a particular of my lands, and how tenanted, being one hundred pounds a year in West Friez- land, and desire them to lend me four thousand pounds, and I will mortgage my land for it. The answer will be, I will send by the post to the Register of Groningen your particular, and at the re- turn of the post you shall have your answer. The Register of Groningen sends answer, it is my land and tenanted according to the particular. There is no more words, but tell out your moneys." "Observe, all you that read this, and tell to your children this strange thing, that paper in Holland is equal with moneys in England. I refuse the moneys, I tell him I do not want moneys, I want credit, and having one son at Venice, one at Noremburg, one at Hamburg and one at Dantzick, where banks are, I desire four tickets of credit, each of them for a thousand pounds, with let- ters of advice directed to each of my sons, which is immediately done, and I mortgage my lands at three in the hundred. Reader, I pray observe, that every acre of land in the seven provinces trades all the world over, and it is as good as ready money ; but in England a poor gentleman cannot take up four thousand pounds upon his land at six in the hundred interest, although he would mortgage a thousand pounds a year for it. No, and many gentle- men at this day, of five hundred pounds a year in land, cannot have credit to live at a twelve-penny ordinary. If this be so, it is very clear and evident that a man witli one hundred [pounds a year in Holland, so convenienced as their titles are, and at the paying but three in the hundred interest for thj moneys lent, may sooner raise three families, than a gentleman in England can raise one or pre- serve the familv in being, for the reasons already given." Our New York system was evidently the child of the Holland 244 -'^ HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, system of our Dutch ancestors ; but it grew to such dimensions here that it had to be reformed again, and after some study, and after the usual opposition from the forces of self-interest, inertia and conservatism in human nature, the Block system of recording deeds, mortgages and other instruments was put in operation in this city, to the considerable relief of the pockets of real estate pur- chasers, and of borrowers on bond and mortgage. While the in- troduction of this system was most powerfully advocated by Mr. Dwight H. Olmstead, Judge E. B. Hinsdale, and other gentlemen of the Bar, its practical use was developed and introduced by Mr. George W. Van Siclen, originally for lessening the cost of titles to borrowers from the College Point Savings Bank, which Mr. Van Siclen founded in 1873; order to have the work done once for all, and to avoid repetition, Mr. Van Siclen obtained and system- atically analyzed and arranged a ledger account of the old farm titles, partitions, transfers and mortgages of the property in the village of College Point, in which he was most kindly assisted by the property owners there, Messrs Poppenhusens, Funkes, Schles- inger, Stratton and others, so that the collection of al)stracts of title of the College Point Savings Bank have annually received the praise of the State Banking Department. The development of this idea in Mr. \"an Siclen's mind led to his drafting and obtaining in 1882 the charter of the present Title Guarantee and Trust Co., under the name of the German-American Loan and Trust Co., with a capital of $500,000, with which that company began business in 1883; a number of Philadelphia conveyancers bought up large in- terests in the new company, and when IMr. Van Siclen made a motion to invite the New York Bar to take part in it, he was out- voted, and from growing divergence of views, he withdrew. There have since been founded by others the Lawyers' Title Insurance Co., now one of the largest institutions in the countrv, and the German-American Title Insurance Co. The original cor- poration has grown to have a capital of $2,500,000. with a surplus of $2,000,000, and in the year 1897. it loaned on bond and mortgage in New York and Brooklyn, and sold to investors over $25,000,000 of mortgages, with guaranteed titles. Its stock sells on 'change at BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IX NEIU YORK. 245 288; and it is a child of the intellect of which to be proud. Still, real estate is not used as active capital in this city to the extent that it might be ; it is perfectly feasible to deliver a certificate of guaran- teed title to either a house and lot, or to a bond or mortgage, in a form similar to a certificate of capital stock of a corporation; and when men of business and courage, not speculators, come to take it up, that will be the next step in the history of real estate titles. There are many famous lawyers, firms and individuals, whose opinions on questions of title are deservedly sought and paid for, among them Martin & Smith, Charles Coudert, \\'illiam G. Choate, John Webber, Theo. F. Jackson, ^Nlyer S. Isaacs, Benjamin F. Lee, J. Evarts Tracy, David B. Ogden, Herbert B. Turner, John T. Lockman, John Duer, Henry E. Howland, J. Lawrence Marcel- lus, F. Coggeshall, Fred, de Peyster Foster, E. Ellery Anderson, William Allen Butler, James M. \'arnum, Joseph H. Gray, B. Aymar Sands, William P. Dixon, Truman H. Baldwin, Carter & Ledyard, Strong & Cadwallader ; Peahody, Baker & Peabody ; George J. Kil- gen ; William C. Orr ; Hoadlev, Lauterbach & Johnson ; A'ander- poel, Cuming & Godwin, and a score or two more, who have ex- amined the titles to real estate in this citw either for the i)urchasers, or for those who lent monev upon bond and luortgage, to a total of thousands of millions of dollars, and who have never lost a dollar of their clients' money, so careful and accurate have been their in- vestigations, and so correct their judgment. There have also arisen of late years corporations which guarantee the payment of a bond and mortgage, principal and interest, called mortgage gtiarantee companies, where the title is insured by a title company, and payment by the mortgage company. These give almost absoltite security, of cotirse at a low rate of interest, to those ■ who buy their mortgages and debentures ; but they are onlv moder- ately successful, so far, because their managers have failed to grasp the condition which would insure them full success. In addition, many people of small means have lately invested in building and loan associations ; it remains to be seen if these will prove more successful in their wind-up than those which were popu- lar in New York and Brooklyn, fifty years ago, and in Philadelphia 246 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, tliirty years ago, which generally, at maturity of their final series, found the remaining shareholders obliged to take, instead of money, pieces of real estate, which they themselves could not use, and with which the market was overloaded. The time will yet come when the real estate of the City of New York will be made active capital in business. But the object of this article is history, not prophecy. GEORGE If. F.-LV SICLEN. BUILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE L\ NEW YORK. 247 LEADING REAL ESTATE LAWYERS. Bowers and Sands. The leg'al firm of liowcrs and Sands, of X'o. 31 Nassau street, was founded in 18 13 by Janics W. Gerard. In 1838 Mr. Gerard asso- ciated witli him ]\lr. James X. I'latt, and the firm became known as Gerard and Piatt. On November i, 1849, James W. ( ierard, Jr., and Thomas C. T. Buckley were admitted as partners, and the firm assumed the name of Piatt, Gerard and Buckley. Air. James W. Gerard, Jr., retired in 1867, and in 1877, Thomas C. T. Buckley died, the name then changed to Piatt and Gerard. In 1878 Jolin M. Bowers was admitted as partner, and the firm's name was changed to Piatt, Clerard and Unwers. ( )n September 20, 1881, James W. Gerard retired, and the name was again changed to Piatt and Bow- ers. B. Ayniar Sands became a partner on Nnveml)er i, 1885, and on February i, 1894, Frederick J. Aliddlebrook was aihnitted, the name changing to Piatt, Ilowers and Sands. Air. james N. Piatt retired on May i, 1894, and the business of the firm has since been carried on under the name of Bowers and Sands. Evarts, Choate & Beaman. There is probably no legal firm so well-known in America for the past cjuarter of a century as that of Evarts, Clioatc t!v Beaman, whose ofifices are located in No. 52 ^^'all street. In general corpora- tion law the firm unquestionaljly is one of the most powerful in the American bar. The cases in which this firm has been retained are markedly those of national importance, testifying tn the high legal status of the firm. The history of the firm runs as follows : Charles E. Butler, who was born in 181 S. when (|uite a }i)ung man l)ecame associated in business with the late Jonathan Prescott Hall in the practice of the law in the City of New York. In 1842 the firm of Butler & Evarts, composed of Charles E. Butler and W illiam M. Evarts was formed, Air. Hall being interested in the liusiness as counsel, although not nominally a member of the firm. The firm of Butler & Evarts continued in practice until January i, 1852, when Charles F". Southma\'d was admitted as a partner, and the firm of Butler & Evarts became lUitler, Evarts & Southmayd. December 31, 1858, Charles E. Butler retired from the firm, which then became Evarts & Southmayd ; this firm continued for only five months, and Jtme I, 1859, Joseph H. Choate and Jeremiah Evarts Tracy be- came members of the firm, and the firm name became Evarts, Southmayd & Choate. After about three years of absence, Mr. 248 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, lIutkT ri'-i'iitcrcd the finn, the nanic of which remained unchang-ed. .!;iini;ny 1, 1S74. C'liarles \ \. Tweed, l'resc(jtt Hall Butler, a son of ( hark's Ihitler, and Allen W. l-.varts, a son of William AI. l-'.varls, hecame members of the firm, the name still remainin,^- im- chan.i^ed. January i, 1879, Charles C". I'.eaman, a son-in-law of Air. William Al. Evarts, became a member of the firm, and December 31, 1882, Charles E. Butler a.^ain retired from the ])ractice of the law, and Charles H. Tweed withdrew, and January 1, 1SS3. Trcadweil Cleveland became a member of the firm. July 1, 1884, Charles E. Southmayd retired from the practice of the law, and the firm name was changed to Evarts, Choate & Beaman. Since July i, 1884, the firm has continued and still continues with the membership un- changed. During the long j^eriod of upwards of fifty-five years since the firm of Butler & Evarts was established, the firm has had an ex- tensive practice in all branches of litigation and affairs relating to real estate, and the important cases in which different members of the firm have been engaged relating to both public and private inter- ests are too numerous to mention. Air. Evarts, as is well known, was counsel in the celebrated Lemmon Slave Case, in important cases arising during the Civil War, the trial of the im])eachment of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States ; Ijefore the Elec- toral Commission; the so-called Alabama Claims Tribunal; the defence of Henry Ward Beecher, and Air. Choate was counsel in the Del Valley case for breach of ])romise, in which the plaintiff claimed $50,000, but recovered $50 ; the Cesnola Lil)el case, involv- ing the general honesty of the Art Collection of Anti<|uities, the Behring Sea case before the United States Su])reme Court, the In- come Tax cases, the Chinese case, California Irrigation cases and numerous others. Hoadly, Lauterbach & Johnson. Prominent in the ranks of well-known legal firms, with a reputa- tion not merely local but national, stands the firm of Hoadly, Lauter- bach & Johnson. The personnel of the firm consists of George Hoadly, Edward Lauterbach, Edgar M. Johnson, William N. Cohen, Louis Adler, h>rdinand R. Alinrath, William H. Page, Jr., and John Vernon Bouvier, Jr. h'or many years this firm has maintained a clien- tele worthy of its status in the \ew York legal fraternity. In title work and the passing on mortgages and purchases the firm has been par- ticularly active. Its experience in this department is especially val- uable. This work has been under the management of Ferdinand R. Alinrath. The offices of the firm are located in No. 22 W^illiam street. Hobbs & Gifford. In 1874 the two law firms of I'.eebe, Donohue & Cooke, and Wil- cox & Hobbs, of this citv, consolidated under the name of Beebe, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. Wilcox and Hdbbs, and continued under this name until 1883. In that year Mr. Edward H. Hobbs withdrew from the firm practicing alone until 1885, when he associated with himself Mr. James M. Gififord, the name changing to Hobbs & Gifford. Two more part- ners, Jesse Stearns and Charles B. Hobbs have since been admitted. The firm has always been active in examination of titles and in in- vestment of private and estate funds on first mortgage cDvering Xew York City ])roperty. Special attention has been given to atlmiralty and corporation law. The address is Xo. 56 I'ine street. Seth R. Johnson. Among Xew York's legal men. who have been connected with the bar, both in litigation, cor]:)oration law, the realty department and commercial law, ]\Ir. Seth R. Johnson, of Xo. 71 ^^'all street, stands prominent in the list. Mr. Johnson entered the ofifice of Mr. Silas B. Brownell when a bov. was admitted to the bar in 1864, and then entered his former tutor's office. A greater |)()rti()n of Mr. Johnson's business is, hmvever, realt\' law. His large clientele give him their investments with the i)(.)wer of pro]ierIy securing them, in which connection he examines titles and passes upon mort- gages. Mr. Johnson is intimately acquainted with the history of New York's legal fraternity for the past forty years, and is conver- sant with the many changes which have occurred during that time. He has been one of the attorneys for the "Record and ( iuide" for many years. George J. Kilgen. Among the local l>irristers ])rominent in banking, building and loan a^-oriatioii^, and the laws thereof, is Mr. George J. Kilgen, of No. 100 r.roadwaw ^\v. Kilgen was admitted to the bar in t886, and is a pleader in the Supreme Court of Xew York State, the State of Washington, and L'uited States Supreme Court. He was at first associated with [Melville Kellogg, at Xo. 18 Wall street, but on the latter's death, Mr. Kilgen opened an office in Xo. 120 Broadway, where he entered largely into the corporation laws. He is unf]ues- tionably one of the highest authorities on State laws af¥ecting build- ing and loan associations and banking corporations. Mr. Kilgen makes loans for his clients and passes upon titles before investments are made. Edward E. McCall. Mr. Edward E. ]\IcCall, of Xo. 346 Broadway, has been connected with the legal department of Xew^ York realty for the past twelve years. Mr. McCall is well known as one of the highest authorities in general estate law, and the fact that he has been connected with several large and wealthy corporations testifies to his high status as a legal luminary in corporation law. He was admitted to the bar in 1886, and immediately formed a partnership with W. C. Arnold, 250 /] HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, in wlTicli real estate law was practised exclusively. Sliortlv after- wards Mr. AlcC'all became connected with ( leor^e I'. Deniorest in the law department of the ^lutual Life Insurance l'()m])an>-, hut suh- se(|uentl\- resij^ned and he.i^an a i)ractise himself. Mr. McCall's ser- \ices were a.yain in demand, however, and he accepted from the ]''(|uital)]e Life Insurance l"i)nipany the responsible ])ositi()n of at- torne_\- for that C(im])any, su])ervising its lar,qe realtx' interests. He remained five years in this capacity, but in iS(j2 he became the ])er- sonal att(jrney of the Xi'w York Life LTsurance and lias entire char^'e of the real estate interesls in Xcw \'()rk and ci intit^uous states. In this capacity Mr. IMcLall e.xanunes yearly the titles of millions of dollars in realty. He has been for eight years one of the examining counsel of the Lawyers" Title Insurance Co., and is one of the direc- tors of the Lawyers' Engineering and Surveying Company. ]\Ir. McCall is also the advisory attorney for the Park I'.uilding and Loan Association. William C Off. Mr. W'illliam C. Orr has been prominentlv connected with some of the largest transactions in New York realty, and is one of the best known men in metropolitan realty circles. He is not a broker in the general acceptation of the word, neither is he a real estate agent. Mr. Orr occupies the position of confidential adviser to clients wish- ing to invest money on bond or mortgage, or on the other hand to dispose of property. In America there is no such term by which one could designate such an ofifice; in England such duties are performed by the family lawyer. Although Mr. C)rr has placed many large properties on the mar- ket, it has been through brokers that the sales have been made ; his complete knowledge of realty values in all parts of the city and his wide acquaintance with brokers and other investors render him a successful medium for such transactions. His connection with New York real estate has consisted to a great extent, therefore, of placing loans on bond and mortgage settlement and management of large estates, and as an advisor of trust companies, jirivate individuals and other investors. For nearly eighteen years Mr. Orr has occupied the position of examiner of titles for the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank; he is one of the examiners of the Lawyers' Title Insurance Company; he holds the responsible position of attorney of the Fifth Avenue Bank, in 44th street and Fifth avenue; he was Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Real Estate Exchange, and is a member of the Committees on Rapid Transit and Arbitration in the Real Estate Exchange. Peabody, Baker & Peabody. The firm of Peabody, Baker & Peabody, of No. 2 Wall street, is one of New York's conservative and reputable legal firms. It was BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 251 established over thirty years ago by Charles A. Peabody, who as- sociated with him Mr. Fisher A. Baker. Ten years after the estab- lishment of the firm Mr. Peabody's son, Charles A. Peabody, Jr., was admitted into partnership, and the name assumed its present form, Peabody, Baker & Peabody. The firm does a general law business, in which the real estate law department is managed by Mr. Charles A. Peabody, Jr. He is a graduate of Columbia law school of the class of '71. Strong & Cadwalader. The legal firm of Strong & Cadwalader, now most prominently known of the many legal luminaries of the metropolitan bar, was established prior to 1818. It was then known under the name of Bid- well & Strong, the component members being Marshall S. Bidwell and George W. Strong, uncle of the lately deceased member of the firm. George T. Strong was afterwards admitted and then in 1878 the firm became Strong & Cadwalader, the members being Charles E. Strong and John L. Cadwalader. In 1886 George W. Wickersham and George F. Buttervvorth became members of the copartnership. From its long connection, not onlv in a l)usincss manner, but socially, the firm holds many responsible jiositions. It is the legal adviser of many well known New York families at home and abroad, and also for the members of many of the oldest and wealthiest Xew England families. A very large number of the immense loans made by our wealthy estates have been certified to by this firm, particularly in passing upon titles. In the real estate , lia\ ing i>sued over 30,000 policies, insuring many millions of dollar>. lia^ lucn but $12,653.37. Financial success has neci.'>saril\ fojluucd careful and conserva- tive management. The com])an\'^ siirphi> on J;in. 1st, iS(»S. was $684,074,44, all of which is earnings e.\ce])t the sum of $125,000. which was paid in as a surplus on the increase of its capital to $1,000,000. While tlu- limitation by law as to the investment of its capital restricts its income Ironi such in\-cstment, it ne\-ertliek's> protects the capital, and this ])rotiction is >till further materiall\ extended Ity a ])ro\ision of law, not ai)])licable to any title com])anies except those organized under the same law as the Lawxer^' ("ompanw which re- (|uires that a sum eipial to two-thirds of the ctipital shall be ki.i>t in- vested in certain si)ecihc secm-ities. to wit, first UKjrtgages on im- jM-oved real estate. ( io\-ernnient. ."-^tate. City and Cenmtx' llonds and real estate, and prohibits the is>uing of a polic\- upon the impairment of this guarantv fund until stich inipairmen; is made good. The ad\'antage w hich the Law N er.s' Conipan\' offers to its insured of the opinion of their own counsel as well as the Coni])an_\ 's opinion and policy is cpiite evident, as without additional C(jst the>- obtain the best professional judgment and the most adequate c()ri)orate guarantv as collateral security. X'aturally the Lawyers' Company has attained a high and assured position in the public confidence, and with its complete machinery by way of plant and well tested methods seems destined to achieve still more notable success in the future than in the past. Its hand- some and admirably e(|uii)ped buihling, the first erected in this city bv anv title company, u ill well repay examination. (See illustration.) I niSTORV OF REAL ESTATE, Material Men's Mercantile Association. The Material Men's Mercantile Association, Limited, was organ- ized for the purpose of pr(jtectinq- huildint,'- material dealers from builders who throujj^li speculative ()])erations or other means were running far ahead of their rating and credit. The Association gives to its members the most important information concerning builders, building contractors or sub-contractors. It keeps a record of liens, judgments, mortgages, conveyances and all transactions afifecting builders or building contractors. The records of the latter are carefully preserved and the connection of builders and those who are behind them are carefully noted. The need of such a source of information is readily ai)])arent, because the mercantile agencies cannot give sufficient and reliable information regarding them. Mr. Irving M. Avery is president of the association, and the counsel is the well-known legal firm of Phillips & Avery. The of- fices of both are in the Tribune Building. New York Security and Trust Co. The New York Security and Trust Company was organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of New York in 1889. The company is one of the strong trust companies in this city, and its executive department is composed of practical and sound business men. Its capital is $1,000,000, with a surplus of $1,500,- 000. The officers of the company are the Hon. Charles S. Fairchild, ex-Secretary of the Treasury, President; ex-Mayor Wil- liam L. Strong, of New York, First Vice-President; Abram M. Hyatt, Second Vice President; Osborn W. Bright, Secretary; Zelah Van Loan, Assistant Secretary. There are twenty trustees, consist- ing of men prominent in mercantile, legal and financial circles; they are Charles S. Fairchild, William H. Appleton, William L. Strong, James J. Hill, William F. Buckley, Stuart G. Nelson, Hudson Hoag- land, James Stillman, James A. Blair, Edward N. Gibbs, M. C. D. Borden, John C. McCoUough, Edward Uhl, Frederic R. Coudert, B. Aymar Sands, John W. Sterling, John A. McCall, H. Walter \\"el)b, Edmund F. Randolph and F. W. Stearns. The company performs and is authorized to ijcrform the many duties of a trust company. In brief, it acts as an executor, trustee, administrator, guardian, agent and receiver. It is a legal depository for court and trust funds. It will manage and take entire charge of realty and personal ])roi)erty, collecting the income and profits thereof and attending to details as one's lawyer or real estate agent dc-es. In addition it receives deposits subject to sight drafts, allow- ing interest on daily balances and issues certificates of deposit bear- ing interest. In its bond department the company offers its clients the best class of securities. The company's offices are at No 46 Wall street. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. New York Realty Savingfs Company. This company was organized and incorporated in 1896 for tlie purpose of placing loans on high class realty and constructing new buildings on a basis of profitable investment. The field for such a company was a wide one; the members of the concern were well acquainted with the conditions of Xew York realty and had made th.cm a subject of study and investigation ])reparatory to the organ- ization of the company. One of their methods which since has been carried to successful termination was the selection of a suitable site for the improvement of the property thereon, and its subsequent sales. Along this line of investment and improvement was the construction of the now well known Royalton Hotel, located in Xos. 44 and 46 West 44th street. As this work is un(|uestional)ly the greatest the New York Realty .'Savings CV)ni])anv has \ct conipk-ted, it is desirable to give it more than ])assing notice. Tin- Royalton extends from Nos. 47 and 49 W est 43rd street to Xos. 44 and 46 West 44th street. It is a twelve story model apartment house, devoted exclusively to the use of bachelors. The site chosen by the company was a most fortunate one, inasmuch as it is the club center, as well as the social center of Xew York. It is conveniently located near the Grand Central depot, the proposed Astor-Tilden-Lenox Library and I'ar Association of Xew ^'ork City. The building was designed by Messrs. Rossiter and Wright. It is constructed of stone, brick and terra cotta, with a structural injn frame work. The ground floor was so designed to admit of it being used as club rooms for various clubs. Every want has been considered bv the architects, and the result is that it is complete in every respect from a valet service in connection with the hotel to a barber shop and bicycle room. The electrical equipment consists of the latest ap- proved devices. A system of refrigerators has been introduced so that air, refrigerated to a temperature of 36 degrees, I'\-direnlicit, can be introduced in every room. The plumbing is in keeping with the other improvements; it is exposed and completed according to the best sanitary principles. Before the Royalton was half completed, applications for two- thirds of the space had been filled. The occupants were then jier- mitted to choose what decorations would be used and what altera- tions tjhey desired; in all cases they w^ere completed by the builder. The officers of the comoany are Frederick Billings, President; F. H. Isham, \'ice-President ; E. G. Bailey, Treasurer; George S. Bixby, Secretary; lienjamin S. Harmon, Counsel; J. F. Merriam, General Manager. The President, Mr. h>ederick Billings, is a son of the late Fred- erick Billings, President of the Xorthern Pacific Railroad; ]\Ir. F. A. Isham, \'ice-l'resident, and ^\r. (I. S. liixby, are attorneys experi- enced in realtv matters, and j. h". Merriam is a jiractical real estate man with a legal training. 258 /] IIISTORY OF RliAI. liSTATIi, Real Estate Trust Co. of New York. The Real Estate Trust Company, of No. 30 Nassau street, was organized in October, 1890. It fulfills the duties usually performed by trust companies in acting as executor, guardian and trustee, but its special business is to receive deposits on which interest is allowed. Its depositors are mainly composed of a high class of realty opera- tors and brokers and those connected with the real estate trade. The ofificers are: Henry C. Swords, president; Hermann H. Cammann, vice-president ; Henry W. Reighley, secretary ; and the board of trustees is composed of some of the largest realty owners, builders and real estate brokers in the city. The semi-annual dividend de- clared is 3^- per cent. Bl'ILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE /.V XEIV YORK. REVIEW OF THE MECHANICS" LIEN LAW. INTRODUCTION. HE history of the mechanics" Hen law in the State of Xew York is one of gradual development and steadv expansion in scope and purpose. The Legislature has placed 52 Acts upon the Statute book in its efYorts to afiford this method of security to mechanics and materialmen, the first act being Chap- ter 330. of 1830, and the present act, Chapter 418, of 1897. This original act seems small and meagre in comparison with the present Statute, yet, ])erhaps, it accomplished as much as its more preten- tious descendant. The first act of 1S30 api)lied only to Xew York City, and was intended to secure i)ayment to "'every meclianic, work- man or other jx'rson doing or performing any work toward the erec- tion, construction or finishing of any building." The thoughts of the law-makers of those days did not concern themselves with the palaces and sky-scrapers of to-day, and did not consider the division and subdivision of contracts, which are now of everyday occurrence in this city. It was the mechanic, the day la- borer, whose protection they were considering, and the method they devised was the simple one of notice to the owner, who thereupon stood by with the money in his hands, with which contractor and workman arbitrated their differences. But this apparently proved too simple, for in 1844 it gave way to a law (limited also to Xew York City) which required the filing of every subcontract in the county clerk's office, before the work on it was begun and which discharged the lien by voluntary release on payment or by a joinder of issues in court on written notices of claim or set-off, served by one upon the other, and proceeding to judg- ment in the usual way. This also proved unsatisfactory, doubtless because of its unnec- 26o A HISTORY OF RliAL ESTATli, cssary i)nl)Iicit \-, and it was rc])ealc'd by a law of 1851, applicable to New \ iirk t ity. which first introduced the notice of lien to l^e filed and docketed substantially as we have it now, although it allowed the notice to ])e filed within six months after completion. In 1844 an act similar to the Xew York City act was made ap- plicable to all cities and certain villages named, and in 1851 it was amended to permit the filing of the contract at any time before com- pletion and for 30 days afterwards. Meantime, in Richmond Count}-, a jilan had been put in practice which gave every one w i irking on a building a lien for one year without filing any notice and which jjermitted an owner to dis- charge all liens on six weeks' published notice to present claims to him or be barred of their liens. This plan, however, never went beyond Richmond County and it is obvious that it could only lie successfully operated in a small conuuunity, where neighborhood gossip could be trusted to give general information. Provision so far had (inly been made for the cities. In 1851 three counties were given a lien law, next year four more counties re- ceived their law; in 1853 Kings County got a Special act: in 1854 thirteen C(Tunties were included under one act, and in 1858 this last act was made general among the counties, except Xew York and Erie. At this last date there were seven or more difTerent lien laws in force in various parts of the State, and from then down to 1885 the confusion increased, as year l)y year new acts were passed for special localities and this or that county or city put under the provisions of some act or exempted from the provisions of some other acts. In Xew York City the act of 1851 gave way to the act of 1863 and that in turn to the act of 1875. I" 1876 ])ublic works were brought within the scope of the Hen law by s])ecial act, and in 1885 the legislature passed the first general law applicable to all parts of the State and repealed most of the existing statutes. However, public works, oil wells, railroad bridges and a few other acts were still left on the statute book. This was a good ste]i forward, be- cause the new act was carefully drawn in the first ])lace, and in the second place, as soon as uniformity and certainty were introduced BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IX A'£H' YORK. 261 into the statute, it was possiljle for the courts to begin to construe it in a logical way and to Iniild up a series of precedents worthy of being followed. Consequent upon this, the whole subject of mechanics' liens has developed into a branch of equity jurispru- dence, closely akin in its principles and rules to those governing real estate mortgages. The act of 1897 has recodified the law in a still more logical and orderly method. The intent of the lien law, as clearly evidenced in the early stat- utes, was to protect the ordinary mechanic or day laborer, whose labor had gone to enhance the value of the owner's property but who had no claim against the owner, and who, apart from the lien, could not reach the fund in the owner's hands until he had obtained judgment against the contractor. It was speedily broadened to include the man who furnished material, and again broadened to include all who furnished material or performed labor, no matter how remote from the owner, and still further broadened to include every improvement of property, in addition to ])uildings. Tile result has been that nine-tenths or more of the liens tiled are filed by materialmen, i. e., dealers in building materials, who in the keen competition of business are tempted to give credit to builders or general contractors not entitled to such credit, from lack of capital, reputation or skill, because the materialmen relv on the supposed protection of a mechanic's lien to save them from that which their business judgment would otherwise disapprove. 262 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, THE NEW LIEN LAW. CHAPTER I. "Who May Have a Lien and What It May Be Had For. The object of the Hen law, from the enactment of the first statute on tills subject, has been to give some security to the mechanic or materialman, whose labor or material has passed from Ills possession by the very act of doing the labor or furnishing the material. The operation of the rule of law which provides that everything attached to the land passes to the owner of the land has prevented and must always prevent the full realization of this security to the laborer and materialman. (See second chapter on this point.) In the early statutes the benefit of the act was confined to the contractor and those in immediate contract with him ; but now the rule is established that anv one who performs labor or furnishes material for the improvement of real property with the consent or at the request of the owner thereof, or of his agent, contractor or sub-contractor, shall have a lien for the principal and interest of the value, or the agreed price of such labor or materials upon the real property improved or to be improved and upon such improvement, from the time of filing a notice of lien as prescribed. We may classify all possible lienors as (a) contractors; (b) sub- contractors; (c) materialmen; (d) laborers. Anyone may be a contractdr. whether he be regularly in the business or engage in it specially or for the first time; in fact, the act defines the contractor to be a person who enters into a contract with the owner of real pr()])erty for the improvement thereof. He is free to cni])l(>y any of the usual ])uslness methods and so may act through an agent in taking the contract or doing the work. Tn fact, the agency of the agent need not be disclosed until the filing of the lien, and if the Hen be filed in the name of the principal, and BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 263 proof of the agency be given at the proper time it is sufficient. So a woman may be the principal and act through her husljand as agent. Hut tlie proof of agency must be clear, and there must be no taint of fraud. It matters not where the lienor resides, whether in the state or out of it, or where the work is to be done or the material is to be furnished, or where the payment is to be made, or where the contract was made, provided only that the work or material is actually used in the improvement of the real property. Again, it matters not whether the lienor be a corporation, foreign or domestic, or an unincorporated association, or a person or two or more persons, the same test of the actual use of the work or material in the improvement is all that is needed. A sub-contractor is now defined to be a person who has con- tracted with a contractor or with a person who has contracted with or through such contractor for the performance of his contract or any part thereof. So that it is of no im])ortance how many inter- mediate sub-contractors may stand between the lienor and the con- tractor, provided he be working on part of the jol). iUu only one who is actually under contract for the work or some part can have a lien, so that a person who should purchase from a sul)-contractor his right to receive money due him could not have a lien, although if the sub-contractor turn over his contract before the work is be- gun with the consent of the owner, the man who thus actually did the work or furnished the material could have a lien without anv new written contract. A materialman is a person, other than the contractor, who fur- nishes material for the improvement of real property. Of course, this is only another term for sub-contractor. A laborer is one who performs labor or services to the contractor upon the improvement of real property. This mav mean more than a day laborer, for it might include the services, for example, of an architect or a foreman or manager. The courts in their desire to extend the benefits of the act to those for whom it was intended, have sometimes evolved the relation of contractor or sub-contractor from a change of circumstances, al- though such relations were not contemplated in the first place by 264 ^ niSTOR)- or REAL liSrATB. the i)artics. Tluis, if on al)aiulonnK'nt of the work, the owner makes use of huihUng- material left on the ground the courts will treat the owner of the material so used as a contractor, and sustain a lien filed for their value ; or it may be that a surety or endorser will be recognized as a principal and his lien enforced. A lienor may stipulate to waive his lien, but he cannot cut off the right of those under him to file liens. A lien may be assigned, and as soon as the assignment is re- corded, the assignee stands in the i)lace of the lienor. As the lien is merelv security for the debt, the assignment carries with it the lien, but this will not stand against subsecjuent rights acquired bona fide, unless it is recorded. The same rule ai)plies here as in the re- cording of mortgages. Liens may be filed against public improvements in the same way as against improvements of real property, and the same principles apply, with the exception that the public money appropriated for the improvement stands in lieu of the land. A lien may be had for any improvement of real property, which means any erection, alteration, or repair of any structure upon, connected with or beneath the surface of any real property or any work done upon such j^roperty or materials furnished for its per- manent improvement ; and by real ])roperty is included real estate, lands, tenements and hereditaments, corj^oreal and incorporeal, fix- tures, and all l)ridges and trestle work, and structures connected therewith, erected for the use of railroads, and all oil or gas wells and structures and fixtures connected therewith, and anv lease of oil lands or other right to operate for the production of oil or gas upon such lands, and the right of franchise granted by a municipal corporation for the use of the streets or public places thereof, and all structures placed thereon, for the use of such rig-ht or franchise. Under such definitions it is difficult to con- ceive of any work upon real estate which would not be included, and the decisions of the courts on doubtful points or on cases which seemed close to the border line have been in favor of the lien. Thus liens have been sustained (to mention a few instances) for a gas- compressor in a brewery, for a furnace, for terracing and sodding. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 265 for grading, and for improvements for a specific purpose, wlien in- tended to be afifixed to the freehold. The original contract between the owner and the contractor is usually in writing, and if drawn in proper and unambiguous lan- guage, defines the duties of the contractor and fixes the liability of the owner. This contract may be seen or its terms demanded by any sub-contractor, and the refusal by the owner or his agent to make them known or their falsehood in stating them, makes the owner liable to the sub-contractor so injured, and he may be called upon to pay if a judgment against the contractor ])roves unavailing. There has not been a mention of "extra work" in any lien law yet, luit a lien based on such claim is good, provided the other ele- ments are present, such as consent of the owner, etc. The basis for such a claim for "extra work" is, of course, a contract supplemental to the original agreement, and the difficulties encountered on such claims are the usual ones of insufficient ])ro()f on the two questions; first, of the meeting of the minds, and. second, the value of the work or the materials furnished. Claims for extra work may arise from two sets of circumstances : first, where there is a written agree- ment, definite in terms, and the claim is based on work or materials clearly outside of this agreement, or, second, the claim mav arise out of a controversy as to whether the extra work is or is not in- cluded in the original agreement, the difticulty being found in the vagueness or looseness of that agreement. In such cases, lienors frequently fall back on proof of what is the- custom of the trade in question, but it often becomes a mere question of construction of language by the court, as where it was decided that "blasting"' was not included in "excavating." On the question of extra work a con- tractor is not bound to furnish extra materials and labor at cost, but may make a reasonable profit to himself. 266 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, CHAPTER II. Against Whom and What. A ineclianic's lien is security for the debt clue the lienor, just as a mortL^aye is security for the bonds. Just as it is i)Ossible for one man to give the bond while another gives the mortgage to secure it, so the contractor may owe the debt to the sub-contractor and the lien be given (by operation of law) on the owner's interest in the land and building. As this lien is given by the law against the will of the owner, the conditions un- der which it w ill be given are tightly drawn. We must, therefore, determine 1. Who is the owner. 2. That he has consented to the improvement. 3. What his interest is. 4. What encumbrances are prior to the lien. 5. What, if anything, he still owes to the contractor. First, who is the owner : We cannot determine this (juestion simply by finding in whose name the deed stands, for such a person may be under contract which would make him sim])ly the agent for others. When such questions first arose, the courts held that an owner who had agreed to sell, but who had not yet given his deed, was the owner, and this rule was embodied in the general act of 1885. But in the new revised lien law, which took efifect Sept. i, 1897, this rule has been completely reversed, and it is now declared that the vendee in ])()ssession under a contract for the purpose of real property is the owner. So that now the lien will only attach to such right as this vendee has and still must depend on the contract be- tween him and the owner of the fee. The very fact that the deed is withheld by the owner for his protection will show that the vendee's interest is only a small margin. BUILDING AND AKCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. 267 In cases where the title stands in the wife's name, while the hus- band is the operator, no rule can be laid down, and each case must be determined by the facts as they are developed. A lessee or a life tenant in possession is the owner, and the lienor cannot reach the remainder. Formerly, a purchaser at a foreclosure sale did not become the owner until the deed was delivered to him, but now the lien law has reversed this and provides that his title shall date back to the time of the sale. The effect of this, of course, is to cut of¥ the right to lien, instantly on the sale. Second, the consent of the owner: If this be expressly given by the owner, it binds him, and it may be given verbally or in writing; if in writing, it cannot be explained orally to mean something else. If the owner joins in or actjuiesces in the order given by the contractor, his consent is clearly given. But the owner's consent once given, may be withdrawn before the work begins, and after such withdrawal, there is no duty on the owner to use force to prevent the work, and his consent being ab- sent, no lien can be had. Formerly, the tendency of the courts was to extend the consent given by the owner, but the latest decision in the Court of Appeals sharply limits this and declares the rule in these words: "It seems that the requirements of the statute as to consent are not met by a mere general agreement to the effect that a third person may, at his own expense, make alterations in a building occupied by him. The statute requires more. It requires that the owner shall expressly consent to the particular alteration made or that, with a knowledge of the particular object for which they are employed, he acquiesces in the means adopted for that purpose." But consent may be implied from circumstances, or from the terms of the contract and without proof of express consent on the owner's part. It may be inferred from his conduct and attitude. Actual knowledge on his part may be enough. The consent may be given by his agent or architect. But in all such cases the burden of showing it is on the lienor, and the lienor must satisfy himself 268 J HISTOKV or RliAL ESTATE, tliat tlic actual owner lias really "consented." And, on the other hand, if the lease forl)i(ls alterations without the owner's consent in writing-, or if there he no clause in lease permitting alterations, etc., no consent will he implied, and since the rule is now that a vendee in possession under a contract of purchase is the "owner," such a contract is no longer evidence of consent by the liolder of the fee. Third, what is the owner's interest: The Lien Law extends the lien to the owner's right, title and in- terest in the real property and improvements existing at the time of filing the notice of lien, with the proviso that a general assign- ment for the benefit of creditors shall not prevent the filing of liens as prior claims witliin thirty days after such assignment. The wis- dom of this proviso, viewed from the standpoint of the contractor or sub-contractor, cannot be doubted, for it reserves to them the right for thirty days to come in on the job in advance of general creditors of the assigning owner. If the owner be a lessee, only his leasehold interest is covered, and in such cases the security is, of course, small. As the lien binds only such interest of the owner as can be sold on execution, no lien can l)e acquired against a trust estate, for that cannot be sold ; and for the same reason no lien can I)e had on an inchoate right of dower. No private agreement between owner and contractor can cut ofif the sub-contractor's right to a lien, and the Lien Law now pro- vides that if any part of the real property be removed, the lien shall still bind the part removed and the remaining part. When a lien is bonded or a deposit made, the owner's interest is released, and the lien is transferred to the bond or deposit. Fourth, what encumbrances are prior : As the lien attaches only to the owner's right, title and interest existing at the time of filing the notice of lien, there may be prior encumbrances upon this interest. The Lien Law gives the lien a preference over any conveyance, judgment or other claim, not docketed or filed at the time of the filing of the lien ; and over any BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. 269 advances made upon any mortgage or other encumbrance thereon after such fihng ; and over the claims for work not yet performed or materials not yet furnished on a job, where tlie (jwner has made an assignment for the benefit of crethtors witliin thirty days before the fihng of the hen. This cuts ofif ah cjuestionable or fraudulent encumbrances and gives the liens in their order priority over everything not bona fide existing encumbrances. The new Lien Law now adds another preference and says that liens shall also have priority over advances made u])(in a contract by an owner for an improvement of real property wliich contains an option to the contractor, his successor or assigns to purchase the propert}', if sucli advances were made after the time when the lal)()r began or the first item of material was furnished, as statetl in the notice of lien. So that hereafter if the owner makes the building loan, his whole interest, advances in- cluded, is subject to the liens. The advantages of this to material men are apparent. The new Lien Law also provides, in the case of conflicting liens under an operation involving several houses, for i)riority upon the separate houses, according to the actual work performed and mate- rials furnished. Nothing but actual payment in good faith will relieve an owner ; hence an attempt on his part to create a fraudulent mortgage is null and void, and if he gives a mortgage to the contractor in payment, such mortgage will be held to be in trust for the lienors. A fraudu- lent mortgage will, on proper proof, Ije set aside in a suit to fore- close a lien. Fifth, what, if anything:, the owner owes the contractor: As the owner is not under contract with a sub-contractor there is no direct liability on his part to such sub-contractor; but the inten- tion and operation of the lien law is to sequestrate such liabilitv from the owner to the contractor, as may remain undischarged, and to divert this to payment of the sub-contractor. The compulsion to such payment is effected by the giving of the lien with the right of foreclosure and sale. Hence, before it can be known whether the zyo A lilSTOKV 01- REAL ESTATE, lien is of value, it must be determined what, if anything, is due from the owner to the contractor. This is the problem of greatest difficulty under the lien law, and can only be touched upon here. Let us simply note now that under the act of 1885 the rule by which to determine the balance due the contractor was to deduct from the whole contract price the amount paid the contractor plus the value of the work not yet done. The balance was the amount earned and due, and hence covered by the liens of the sub-contractors. The new Lien Law declares the rule to be that the balance due the contractor (and hence available to the lienor) is the sum earned and unpaid on the contract at the time of filing the notice of lien and any sum subsequently earned thereon. The thought is the same; it is simply another way of stating it. The practical efYect of it, however, will be to shift the burden of proof on such questions from the owner to the sub-con- tractors. While the rule reqtiired the deduction of the value of the work yet to be done, it was the owner who necessarily had to bear the burden of showing how much this was. Now, however, the rule gives the lienors the sum earned, and they must prove what that is. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 271 CHAPTER III. The Acts of the Owner as Affecting the Lien. The consent of the owners as one of the elements of the Hen has already been discussed. The act of the owner may af¥ect the lien in four ways: 1. By shifting the title. 2. By performance on his part. 3. By collusion with the contractor to defeat the lien. 4. By election to proceed on abandonment by contractor. First, shifting: the title: Since the lien 1)inds only the interest, etc.. of the owner, existing at the time of filing the lien, and since the consent of that owner to the making of the imjirovement must be shown, it follows that a bona fide conveyance will destroy this right to lien, for the consent of the new owner will l)e utterly lacking. The Lien Law seeks to guard against this chance in the only way open to it by providing that a lien may be filed before the work is done. This safeguard, however, is completely neutralized by the ethics of business which forbid a lienor to file his lien until in actual danger of loss. If good faith be lacking, the conveyance is, of course, null and void and will be set aside in the action brought to foreclose the lien. In the case of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, the lien law suspends the operation of the above rule for thirty days and permits liens to be filed during that period under claim of priority. Formerly, it was held that when the owner died there was such a shifting of title as to cut ofif the right to lien, but among the changes in the new Lien Law is one expressly providing that this right shall not be affected by the death of the owner before lien filed, and few will be found to ciuestion the justice of the new rule. Second, performance on owner's part: The onlv obligation resting on the owner is to pay the agreed price, and if this be done in good faith, there remains nothing to 272 HISTORY ()!■ REAL ESTATE, which the hen can attach. Wlicn the payment is made in cash, the question of good faith can generally be readily determined, but when payment consists of the giving of a note, or the repayment of a loan or an allowance in settlement of accounts, the (juestion be- comes involved. Thus the mere deliver}- of a check is not sufficient proof of payment ; and if the owner make a ])aynient to the contrac- tor after lien filed, but before notice has Ijeen served ou the owner, the presumption will be against the owner. The mere agreement to take a ])romissory note in ])ayment does not cut off the right to lien, if the note is not paid when due, and the taking of a promissory note for the amount due, tloes not cut off the right to a lien, but only suspends the enforcement of it during the period for which credit is given, and the notes being due and surrendered at the trial, they will not stand in the way of an enforce- ment of the lien. Adjustment of accounts and applications of payments in a partic- ular way will be ])ermitted, if done in good faith, especially if the question be simply between owner and contractor. W'lien a con- tractor has two claims against the owner, one secured by lien and the other unsecured, it is proper for him to apply a payment re- ceived from the owner on the unsecured claim, especially if that be the older. So an agreement to j^ay for repairs by an allowance in rent is computed as soon as the allowance is made and no lien can attach. As between owner and contractor, a personal loan from the former to the latter may be used in settlement. But there being no contract liability on the owner's part to any one but the contractor, ])ayments made in good faith to the con- tractor will cut of? the right of a sub-contractor to lien ; and similar pavments to a sub-contractor will have the same effect on his cred- itors, and this is not altered by the fact that subsecjuent ])ayments under the contract may become due to the contractor. Third, collusive or advance payment: Any payiuent made by the owner for the purpose of avoiding the act or in advance of the terms of ])ayment, shall be unavailing against a lienor, and the owner shall ])ay the sum over again, or as much as mav be necessary to satisfy the lien or liens. BL'ILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. 273 In such cases the presumption is against the owner, and the courts will hold him strictly to proof of good faith ; and if by any act on his part lienors have been induced to defer filing liens, tlu-y ma\ recover from the owner the amount due at the time they were lulled into a feeling of security and deferred action. Fourth, the owner's election to proceed on contractor's abandon- ment: All building contracts may be (li\'ided into two great classes; one, in which there is no provision for continuance on abandonment of work by contractor, and the other in which it is provided that the owner shall complete at the contractor's expense and deduct the cost of completion from the contract price or in which the owner is given his election between the one or the other. In the first class, the abandonment by the contractor destroys all right to lien on his part or the part of his sub-contractors. In the second class, the owner either by virtue of the contract or at his election, comjjletes the contract, and in s(j doing becomes, as it were, the agent of the defaulting contractor. He is, of course, entitled, first, to reimburse- ment for his bona fide expense of conii)letion, and after that is paid, any difference between that amount and the sum remaining un- paid to the contractor is available to the lienors. If the con- tract gives the owner the right to elect to treat the contract as aban- doned or to complete at contractor's expense, he nnist distinctlv de- clare the forfeiture, if he so elects, or it will be assumed that he elected to complete. It is not necessary that the contract be actually completed bv the owner before the liens can be enforced, for if the cost of comjjletion can be closely determined, and if little remains to be done, allowance will be made and the balance applied on the liens. 18 2/4 A HISTORY or RliAL ESTATE, CHAPTER }V. The Acts of the Contractor as Affecting His Lien. The ol)ligation of the contractor is to perform certain work or fur- nish certain material, or both. If he completes his contract to the satisfaction of the owner, there remains only the cjuestion of per- formance on the owner's part, i. e., i)ayment, which has Ijeen dis- cussed in the foregoing paper. IhU if it is not completed to the owner's satisfaction, resistance to the lien may be expected. Hence we need only consider what short- comings on the contractor's part are excusable and not necessarily fatal to his lien. These shortcomings are: 1 . Incomplete performance. 2. Delay. First, incomplete performance : ( )f course, willful abandonment of the contract is inexcusable, and the contractor thereby loses all rights. The unexplained failure to comply with some condition of the contract is fatal, so if payment be conditioned on the jiroduction of the architect's certificate, the failure to produce tlie certilicate. witliout ])ri)of that it was unrea- sonablv withheld, would be fatal. lUu if it I)e shown that the archi- tect'scertificate is unreasonabl\- withheld, or that the owner has failed to pay as required l)y the contract, or has interfered with the pro- gress of the work, or has created conditions which make it ini])()ssi- ble for the contractor to jjroceed. n(in-]:)erformance is excused and the contractor n!;i\ have his lien for the amount due liini. In other Avords. if it be shown that the contract has really been broken bv the owner, and that the contractor has stojjped only because of such hreach, it will not be cotuited against him. As the sub-contractor is the agent or employee of the contractor, ro excuse for non-performance on the part of a sub-contractor will BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX XEU' YORK. 275 be permitted to a contractor wliich would not be permitted to liim personally. But most disputes over non-performance usually resolve them- selves into what is known as the doctrine of substantial compliance. It is manifestly difficult to provide in the building contract and sjjec- ifications the manner in which the work shall be done or the nature of the materials to be supi)lic(l in ;^o exact and detailed a way that all minds shall agree in their interpretation of them. I'.ecause (jf this difficulty there has arisen thi> doctrine of "sub.stantial eom])liance," by which is meant a fair and reasonal>le compliance on the ])art of the contractor with both the letter and the ^])irit of the contract. Just what i> substantial compliance must de]>end very largely on the facts and circumstances of each case, but it has been pcjssible for the courts to deduce some general princifjles to govern them in ajjply- ing the rule. Substantial compliance, then, is enough to sustain the lien, al- though matters of small amount or value have not been done l)y the contractor according to the terms of the contract, and the (juestion dei)en(ls on the contractor's good faith ; U he has really intended and tried to complete, l)ut has failed in some few ])oints, it will l)e con- sidered substantial comjjliance. So this doctrine will never be aj)- plied where there lias been wilful abandonment, for that is bad faith in itself. If, then, only the final touches or finishings of the work remain to be done, to provide which will re<|uire but a small sum in monev or effort, an allowance will be made the owner and the rule will i)e applied : but if the defects run all through the work and cannot be remedied, or if the work was to be done in a particular wav and it has not been so done, or if substantial additions to the buildings must be made to complete it, or if it is necessarv for the owner to ex- pend a considerable sum of money to complete some part of the contract, the rule will not be applied, and the lien will fall for non- performance. In this connection it is proper to consider the effect of abanrlon- ment by the contractor under a contract, providing for pa\ nient in fixed installments, as certain stages of the work are reached. Such ^ HISTORY 01' Rli.lL ESTATE, a contract is a series of separate contracts, ratlier than one contract, and will be so regarded hir the bc-nertt of sub-contractors, though the contractor cannot set uj) >uch an interpretation. Hence as each stage for a paxuKnt is reached, such installment become due and payable, and will be covered by a lien of sub-contractor, and such lien will be undisturbed by a later abandonment l^y the contractor or by the fact that it cost the owner more to complete than the bal- ance remaining after deducting such installment. Second, delay : This is something which is always liable to occur and which fre- quently does occur, and there are few things which create more hard feelings between owners and contractors than delay. All that can be said on this subject is that, while a contractor is bound to use due diligence, mere delay in completion will not make him answerable in damages to the owner, unless time has been made of the essence of the contract, i. e., unless they have so stipulated. It is customary now to insert a clause fixing a certain amount per day as penalty for delay. This may be enforced against the contrac- tor unless some act of the owner relieves him from it. An altera- tion in the contract would be such an act, or failure by the owner or his architect to supply needed specifications as required or the owner's failure to keep other parts of the work, not included in the contract, progressing at the proper rate, any one of which would re- lieve the contractor. BilLDIXG AM) ARCHITECTURE /.V NEW YORK. 277 CHAPTER V. The Acts of the Sub-contractor as Affecting His Lien. Midway between the owner and the sub-contractor stands the contractor. The sub-contractor can liave no dealings with the owner and can make no claims upon him, except through the con- tractor. Hence to support his lien he must prove performance on the part of the contractor, so as to show some money due him from the owner, and then must show performance on his part, so as to have that money ajjjjlied on his lien. .\.nd as his money does not come to him direct from the owner, but by way of the contrac- tor, he has to face the risk of such legal disposition as the contrac- tor can make of it instead of i)a\ ing hini. Looking at the ([uestion negatively, as we did in the case of the contractor, we must con- sider : 1. Xon-performance by the sub-contractor. 2. Xon-performance by the contractor and on the subject of pay- ment. 3. Disposal by the contractor of the balance due him. 4. Payment in good faith by cjwner to contractor. First, non-performance by the sub-contractor: .\11 that was said on this subject as affecting the contractor is equally applicable to the sub-contractor. It is possible, however, for a sub-contractor to be recognized under a contract which in form is confined to owner and contractor, and if any active dutv be laid on such sub-contractor, such as obtaining the architect's certificate, as a condition of payment, it must be performed or satisfactorilv excused. Second, non-performance by the contractor : There is privity of contract only between owner and contractor. The contractor takes upon himself the burden of performance as a 278 -'^ IIISTOKV 01' REAL liSTATIi, C(MKliti(ni of ].avnic'iit ; if ])avnH'nt is to he made hy instalhiients then he iiuist show perfonnanee of all eoiidilioiis up to each installment; if ijayment i.s to he made on eompleti.)n, then he must ^how eom- l)letiou. The one who takes a >ul)-eontraet under the contractor is not in ])rivity with the owner and can only reach him throu,<;h the ct)ntractor: hence he must hear the same hurden of i)r8o HISTORY ()!■ Rll.ll. nST.ITH, Fourth, payment in good faith by owner to contractor: As the lien hinds only the balance remaining due and unpaid hy the owner to the contractor, it follows that if the owner has ])ai(l the contractor in good faith there is nothing to which the lien can attach, and if the contractor fail to pay the sub-contractor, after re- ceiving such payment, there remains only the debt between them to be recovered in the usual way. Hut a material-man, not having ■filed a lien, on receiving a i)ayment from the sub-contractor, his debtor, has the right to apply it in satisfaction of a prior debt, and can subsequent!} file and maintain his lien for the balance due him after satisfaction of the prior debt, if the amount due the sub-con- tractor be large enough for that purpose. Acceptance of notes is not payment, but merely a jjostponenient of the right to enforce payment ; and a lien may be filed on the maturity of the notes, and if within the 90 days it is valid. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 28: CHAPTER VI. The Enforcement and Termination of Liens. A nieclianics' lien only arises on the actual filin^^ of the notice of hen in the County Clerk's office: until that is done the possible lienor stands in the same position as other creditors, and has no pre- ferential rights. It may be filed after the work is done and within 90 davs, after completion or before all the work is done or all the materials are furnished, provided the contract is afterward com- pleted. And it is now provided that the 90 days shall run from the last item of work performed or materials furnished. A lien filed after the 90 davs is utterly void, but, of course, the contract right remains. Priority is the rule, and the lien first filed will be fully paid before anvthing is applied on a subsecjuent lien, provided, however, that laborers for dailv or weeklv wages have preference over all other claimants, without reference to the date when their liens are filed. Liens are enforced on the equity side of the court by a procedure similar to that for the foreclosure of a mortgage on real estate, in which all persons who have claims upon the property are joined as parties and the rights of all are examined, adjusted and enforced. If when these rights have been determined and the liens found good, they are not paid, the court will order the owner's interest to be sold and the proceeds applied to the ])ayment of the liens in the order of their priority. The notice of lien is an important paper, yet it is generally drawn in the greatest haste in the mad rush for priority, when all sub- contractors and material-men are hastening to file liens, because the action of some one among them, in filing his notice of lien, has de- stroyed the credit of the contractor in the minds of all connected with the job. The law prescribes a number of statements which must be em- bodierl in the notice, ar.d without entering into details here, let it be 282 A HISTORY ()!• Kli.lL RSTATE, noted that tlie form and sulistancc nf tlust- statements is materially cliani^ed the new law uliieli took et't\ct Si-])teniber i, 1897. Jn <,U'neral it nia\- he said that the lienor is limited to the amount he claims in his notice, and tliat a false statement wilfully or intention- ally made, will render void the lien. How far the courts will permit a lienor to go in explanation of an apparently false statement is still undetermined, hut care should he exercised to avoid the need of such exjjlanation. The form of verification has been changed in the new law. There are three ways of determining- a lien on the ])art of the lienor and three on the ])art of the owner. The lienor may — 1. (live a satisfaction of lien. 2. Neglect to prosecute it after notice to do so. 3. Fail to begin foreclosure w ithin a year or to obtain an order of renewal. The owner may — 4. Deposit in court before suit l^egun the exact amount with in- terest to date of deposit. 5. Deposit in court after suit begun sucli sum as tlie court shall determine. 6. (live a bond, before or after suit begun, to be fixed and approved bv the court. Of course in these last three instances the lien is only ter- minated as far as the land is concerned, and is transferred to the denosit or the bond. The lienor's acts: If the lienor give a satisfaction, it will be his voluntary act, and if he fail to begin action of foreclosure within 30 davs after notice served on him it will be because he elects to abandon his lien. But the failure to begin foreclosure within the year is often uninten- tional on his part. He may forget the ])assage of time until it is too late, or he may think that his lien is ])rotected l)y action in other ways which involves him. Thus if foreclosure be begun on another lien against the same property, he must be joined as a partv ; but the BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 283 mere joinder as a party defendant will not obtain for him a de- termination of his rights, unless he sets up his lien affirmatively in the suit and demands protection. If for any reason which satisfies the court he does not wish to begin foreclosure within the year, he can obtain from the court an order extending the lien one year from the date of the order. But the time limit runs only against the lien on the land, and when this has been replaced by a lien on a deposit or a bond, the latter runs indefinitely and until discharged by legal proceedings duly had. The owner's acts: As the lienor's ol:)ject in filing liis lien is to obtain ])avnK'nt, he can have no objection to the dep(jsit oi money in discharge of the lien, save that it behooves him then to proceed promptly to foreclosure for the small amount of interest allowed on such deposits is no in- ducement to dilatoriness on his part. When the owner wishes to sul^stitute a bond for the land as se- curity for the lien, the lienor has more at stake, for there is the possibility that the bondsmen may not be able to resjxjnd when the time comes. He may examine them as to tlieir means and object to them if not satisfied, and the court must tlien determine whether they shall be accepted or not, but the lienor is under no dut\- to ex- amine the proposed bondsmen, and the owner who gives worthless sureties on a bond may lie iiunislied for contempt of court and fined an amount sufficient]} large to indemnify the aggrieved lienor and imprisoned if the fine be not paid. 284 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE. CHAPTER VII. The new Lien Law ; Changes and Amendments. There is now in progress, and lias been for some years, a revision of the general laws of the State of New York. l!y this work it is intended to recodify and arrange symmetrically the whole mass of statute law which has been accumulating, year by year, since the last revision. At the last session,* the Legislature received the re])ort of the Statutory Revision Commission on the subject of liens and enacted it as Chapter XLIX. of the General Laws, to take efifect on September i, 1897. Prior to 1885, the lien law was in great con- fusion, there being a large number of statutes in force and some applying to one county, some to another. The act of 1885 repealed most of these and substituted one general law for the whole State. This was a great gain, for not only was the statute an advance upon any that had preceded it, but by making the law uniform throughout the State it gave an element of stability to the system of protection to mechanics by means of a lien, and, on the other hand, enabled owners to know fully the nature of the claims to be made on them. Hut useful as was the act of 1885, it was hampered by cumbersome phraseology, and it contained many weaknesses, both for lienors and owners. The new lien law has followed the act of 1885 in the niain and has incorporated also the act of 1878, relating to liens on public buildings, and the other minor acts which related to separate sub- jects, such as gas and oil wells. The new act has a careful line of definitions which does away with the cumbersome wording of the former act and makes the meaning clearer, and the sections relating only to practice are transferred to the Code of Civil Procedure, where they belong. P>ut a number of important changes have been inserted in the. new law, some of which have been pointed out in the foregoing *The Session of 1897. BCILDIXG ASD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 285 pag^cs. Some of these are in favor of the lienor, some in favor of the owner, and others are simply in the way of greater certainty and uniformity of practice. Those in favor of the lienor are the following: The extension of the lien to work done l)eneath the surface of real estate; declaring that the removal of any i)art of the real property subject to the lien shall not free such part from the lien or afYect the lien on the re- maining part ; declaring void any mortgage, lien or incumbrance made by an owner of real property for the purpose of avoiding the lien, etc.; providing that the death of the owner before lien filed shall not affect the right to file a lien : giving tlu' lien pri- ority over advances made u])on a contract by an owner for an im- provement of real ])roi)c-rty, wliicli contains an o])ti(jn to the con- tractor, liis successor or assigns to ])urcliasc the ])roperty, if such advances were made after the time when the labor began or the first item of material was furnished, as stated in the notice of lien ; providing that in the event of conflicting claims under an operation involving several ])arcels of property, each lienor shall have jiriority upon the particular ])uilding or premises where his labor is per- formed or his materials are used ; providing that a contract for the sale of land with a building loan and any modification thereof, must be in writing and ])e filed in the C(junty clerk's office within ten days, and, if not so filed, the interest of each party to such contract in the real estate affected thereby is subjected to the liens thereafter filed. Those in favor of the owner are: The declaration that the ven- dee in possession under contract for the purchase of real property is the owner; the dating back of the title of a purchaser at a statu- tory or judicial sale to the lienor of such sale; the requirement for the filing of a notice of pendency of action in an action in a court not of record ; permitting sureties to justify together in at least double the sum named in the undertaking. In liens on public improvements there are some changes in favor of the lienor, such as the including of a contract with the State as a subject of lien ; the permitting of the filing of the notice of lien with the financial officer of the municipal corporation, or other 286 HISrOR)- OF REAL ESTATE. officer or person cliarged with the custod) and dis1)nrseinent of tlie corporate funds; and the re(HiirrnK-nt that the deii.)>it to (h.scharge a lien shall include interest for one \ ear from the date of deposit. The changes in favor of ^inii)Iicit\- and uniformity of i)ractice are: The reiinirrnu-nt?^ m the notice of lien of the name of the person with whom the contract was made and the time when the first and last items of work were performed and materials were furnished; a ft)rm of \ eritication similar to that used on a com])laint at law; clear and definite i)rovisions as to service of a co])y of the notice of lien upon the owner and how the notice shall he served if he he absent; a revision of the statement recpured in the notice of liens on a pub- lic improvement and a ])rovision that if the name of the contractor or sub-contractor be not known to the lienor, it may be so stated in the notice ; providing for the recording of assignments of lien and the substitution of the assignees for the original lienors ; di- recting that liens ct^ntinued by order of court shall be redocketed as of the date of granting such order and shall contain a reference to such order; changing the time within which to begin foreclos- ure of lien on a ]Hiblic im])rovement from go days to three months; permitting two or more lienors to join as plaintififs in foreclosure ; and several minor changes in practice intended to l>ring about greater precision and clearness. EDIVARD L. HEYDECKER. of the Nezc York Bar. Hornbiower, Byrne, Taylor & Miller. Among New ^'ork's legal fraternity, who are prominently con- nected with the legal part of the real estate business, is the firm of Hondilower, i',\ rne, Taxlor & Miller. The mem])ers of the firm are William r.. llornblouer, James Byrne. Howard A. Tavlor and Will- iam W. Miller. \^ thf firm is composed at the present time it was established in iSSo, although the organization of the firm antedates that time by nearl\- a (|uarter of a century. The firm jiossesses a large clientele and carries on a large general coqioration business. The offices of the firm are located in the Johnson lUiilding, \o. 30 Broad street. BriLDISG ASD ARCHITECTURE IS NEW YORK. THE NEW YORK BUILDING LAW. Xew \'ork lias passed into lii>ti>ry, and the Xew York — the (ireater Xew ^■o^k. as it by ent is called — has cubject for luiblic soHcitation. In a frame shantv the overturnin.e;' of a lamp by the kick of a vicious cow started a confla- gration that inflicted a lo^,-, of a hundred milHon of dollar> u|>on the citizens of Chicago, and tln-ongli the di>tril)uting medium of insur- ance upon the whole L'nited State>. .A. man has no natural rights in land and buildings. It is statutor\- law that secure.- the we;d< and .strong alike in their peaceful holding-, i if propu-;\. wliich in the e\ es of the law is theirs. ( )rder ;ui b\ -tatii- torv law that the ])eopIe guard tlu in>el\ c.- again>t maniiot dangers from im])roper construction of 1)uilding>. ( )f all the cities in the fnited ."^tate-. Xew York was the first to enact s|)ecific laws relating to the construction, alteration and re- moving of ])uildings. W itliout going back to colonial tinie>, the charter of .Xew ^'ork contain-, a- indeed the cliarter of ever\ cit\- in the I'nited ."^tate- cont;iin>. pro\ i.-ion> for llie C( mstrticlion and in- spection of buildings. .\ cit\- charter is an Act of the Legislatur.\ as provided for l)y the constitution of the State, and confers power on the inhabitants to govern themselves under officers of their own choosing. The Common Council, elected thereunder, is empowered to make, amend and repeal ordinances, rules and regulations for a 288 A HISTORY OF REAL F.srATIi, varift\' (if purposes, onlinan'h- includiii};- the ]) to ])e niaile safe or removed; to re<;-ulate or prohibit the construction of hay-windows, stoo))s and cellar doors; to re(|uire scuttles in tlu' roofs of huildin.L^s and stairs or ladders leading to the same; to refjuire tire-escapes and other means of exit from 'buildings; to ]:irescribe limits within which wooden buildings shall not be erected; to provide for the prevention and extinguishment of lires. The charter of New York has been amended and revised many times, and in some cases these revisions have been made in the face of protests from the rejjresentatives of the ])olitical majorit\- of the city. Party expedienc\- is the explanation whv the ])(jwers of one city are restricted inure than another and whv New York for a great many years past w as denied the privilege of enacting local ordinances of much importance. The charter nf Ww Wwk immediately pre- ceding the (ireater Xew York charter contained minute details on nearly every subject, enacted directly by the Legislature. ^Vhat has been commonlv called the building law was simplv one (jf the chap- ters in a voluminous charter, and whenever that building law was amended it was bv amending a i)ortion of the charter itself through the Legislature at Albany. Whether in the crude form of the earlier charters or in the elaboration of the later ones the charters of Xew York have always i^rovided for official sui:)ervision over buildings in the interest of the i)ublic safetv, health and comfort. In a primitive way up to 18(10 imlilic supervision over buildings was exercised by Fire Wardens, wlio were elected to office by the engineers of the volunteer fire engine companies. The regulations concerning the construction of buildings aimed chiefly to prevent the erection of frame or wooden structures in the down-town streets. In subsequent \ears ffre limits w-ere established below which frame buildings could not be erected. In 1860 the line was placed at 52d street, from the East River to tlie Xorth River. In 1866 the line was raised to 86th street, from river to river. The present fire limit east of the Harlem River is i4ass an examination before a conmiittee from the Ameriean Institute of Architects, and the candidate had to be a jjractical architect or builder. Macgreg-or became the Sui)erintend- ent in 1862. In 1866 the law was further amended and nuich discre- tionary ]30\ver was vested in the Superintendent to modify or vary the re(piirements of the law. It was the manner in which these discretionary ])owers were exercised that, some years later, brougiit together representatives from various ibuilding trade associations in a determined effort to get a building law that would be comjjrehen- sive and fair. In 1871 the building law was still further amended. A limitation was put to the width of n(.)n-tirei)roof buildings, but none to their height. This law created a Board of Examiners consisting of one member from the American Institute of Architects, one member from the Hoard of h'ire Underwriters, two members from the Me- chanics' and Traders' I^xcliange, and the Superintendent cjf Build- ings. There was afterwards added four other members to the I'loard — one from the .Society of .\rchitectural Iron Manufacturers, one from the Real Estate ()wners" and liuilders" Association, one from the Real Estate Exchange, and the C hief of the Eire Depart- ment, making a total of nine members. Before the Sui^erintendent of r.uildings could give his consent to any ])roposed modification of the law in alteration cases, the Board had first to concur. In the case of a new building when there were practical difficulties in tlie wav of carrving out the strict letter of the law, or where the jirovisions of the law did not directly ay)plv, or wliere an e(|ually good or more de- sirable form of construction than the law specified was desired to be BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 291 used, the P.cjard was empowered to vary or modify the law. and the Su])emitendent of P>iiilding-s was required to issue a i)erniit in ac- cordance witli tlie decision (.)f the lioard. i he law (if 1S71 cnntinued the t^^reat (hscretionary powers of the Sui^ermtendent. It cniUained sex'eral new re(|uirenients. One was that iron beams sliould l)e testcl I)yactnal wei-ht or i)ressure applied thereon before bein<; set u]) in j^lace. This was and i^ an excellent provision in itself and it continues in force to tin's das and will re- main : but the method of its enforcement at the start |)rovcd very ob- noxi(nis to the iron founders and wa^ the lii'^i cause of the archi- tectural iron manufacturers ;is an orijani/Ad bod\, taking;- up the work of securing; a proper building- law. and the active interest thus evoked has continued withont cessation from that time to thi>. In 1874 certain amendments were made to the bmldniL; law . prmcipallv to divide the work of the i)ei)artment into bureau>--a I'.ureau of lns])ection. a r.ureau of X'iolatious ami a I'-m-eau of hire l-'.scapes and Iron Work. A.^ain in iSSi amendments were obtained from the Leg- islature relatin.L;- mainlx to le,nal and adnnnistratiw features of the law. l!ut the main re(|uiremen;s of the building;- law remaineil without alteration from 1871 to 18X5. M ac-re-or had -iven wa\ a- Superin- tendent to his de])tU\-. W alter Adams, in 1873. and Adam> m turn was succee.led by llenrv |. Dudley in 1878. Dudlev held the otfice until 1880, when he was le,i;-islated out of office, and the Department of r>uil(lin_i;-s merged into the I'ire Department as a bureau therein. W'illiaiu P. I'^sterljrook was appointed by the ( "onunis.sioners of the Fire Department to be the head of the Bureau of lluildimjs. The place of business was removed from No. 2 Fourth avenue, where it had been located almost from the time when the I)e])artment was created, to the Fire Department headcpiarters at Xo. 155 .Mercer street, and subsecjuently to the new headquarters on 67th street, near Third avenue. .Mr. Esterbrook held ofifice for nearly five years, when he resif^ned, and A. V. D"( )ench was thereu])on ap])oiiUed, who, after a service of four years, was succeeded by Thomas J. lirady, in 1889. Immediatelv after Mr. Estei^brook took office in the month of July, 1880, Mr. Fryer called upon him and stated that he and ]\Ir. Charles 292 A HISTORY 0/' REAL ESTATE, Mcttam, tlir architect, and Mr. Mattliias lUoi xl.-oml, mason I)uil(lor, liad ht'cn |)rt']>arin,i;- a complete revision of the huihhn,^- law and of- fered to furnish tlie prejjared matter to Mr. l''.sterl)m( ik if he would lake up the work of securing- a better law. Mr. h'.sterhrook a.i^reed to undertake the task and the amendments were dulv furnished to him. The hill was sent to Albany in the early ])ortion of iXSi. The Conk- lint,'- Senatorial contest in that session of the Le,L;islature prevented final action on that bill. A new bill was prepared and introduced into the Leg-islature of 1882. Opposition arose and the bill failed. It ap^ain failed in 1883. Inspector Esterbrook, as he was then called, issued a call, in C0'mi)liance with a written recpiest made to him bv Mr. Frver, to the several associations which had taken an active interest for or against the ])revious bills to meet at the Ashland House and formulate a bill that would be acce])table to all. lujual representation was given to each association, and the bill, as proposed by the conference committee was sent to the Legislature in the session of 1884, the bill still being known as the Esterbrook bill. ( )p- position to the bill as a whole was still active, and at one time the par- lors of two or three hotels held gatherings of builders in opposition to each other. The requirement that new elevator shafts should be inclosed with brick walls perhaps caused more opi)osition than anv other requirement. Chief P.onner has stated that it was the ])esl requirement that went into the bill. The Esterbrook bill passed both branches of the Legislature, but the opponents of the bill had gcjt in so manv incongruous amendments on its passage that (lovernor Cleveland vetoed the measure. The next year, 1885, the true bill went successfully through both houses, notwithstanding much opposition, and was signed by ( iov- ernor Hill. The Fire Commissioners had tried to compass the defeat of the bill because it had eliminated the former powers of summary arrest. The bill was in every way a great advance step. It required that all buildings exceeding a stated lieight should be constructed entirely fireproof. It provided for the safe construction of theatres and other public ])laces of amusement. It was conceded that there were manv defects in the bill and ( "lOvernor Hill was promised that • other advance steps and im])roveuients would be made to the law. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 293 The builders came together again with happier results, and in 1887 an amended bill was passed by the Legislature, the only oi)])Osition that time coming from the Fire Commissioners because the builders would not restore the arrest clause. After a year or two's experience with the law of 1887 it was seen where it could be improved in many respects; indeed, it became necessary to make certain additions thereto. A new method of constructing tall buildings came into use subsequent to the date of the passage of the law. Application to use that method had to be made to the Board of Examiners in each case. If the construction is good an owner should have the privilege of us- ing it as his right, and not as a favor. Superintendent llrady was desirous that the law sliould re(|uire that all ])ublic buildings, schcxjls, asylums and hospitals should l)e of fire-proof construction. .Superintendent Brady called the builders together, and the revision was made in entire harmonv. The arrangement of the law was also changed, and all that related to any one sul)ject was grouped to- gether as far as ])ossible, in the order that a building ])rogresses. In 1892 this revision became a law — the present law , which is continued in force for the time being by the (ireater \ew York Charter. Just before the bill was acted upon in the Legislature the builders pre- sented to Mayor Crant their desire that the I'ureau of Buildings be taken out of the V'wq Department and rehabilitated into a I)e])an:- ment of lUiildings, and that the bureaus of ])lunil)ing, light and ventilation l)e taken out of the Health Department and put into the new Department of lUiildings. With his approval and aid the bill was so amended at Albany as to include these features, and the l)ill was promptly and almost simultaneously passed in the .Senate and Assembly and duly signed by Governor Flower. Superintendent B)rady was appointed by Mayor Grant as the head of the new Depart- ment and established in new otfices at the southwest corner of 4th avenue and i8th street. The present ijuilding law is the result of many years of continuous labor by competent and experienced men, and its comprehensiveness is therefore not to be wondered at. The Ix-tterment of the building- law was first taken in hand by individuals and trade associations, be- cause their business interests compelled them to take some action. 294 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, and circunistaiiCL'S so sliapcd themselves as to necessitate continnons and inireniittini^- work. Architects, l)uilders. tire underwriters, fire en<,;'inei'r> and Ia\v\ ers have taken part in its several revisions. It is the united work of a larg'e number of tlie ablest men in the various trades and i)rofessions connected w ith building,'- operations. Amonjj those who have taken an active i)art in the several revisions of tlic law may be mentioned: h>i>m the .\rchitectural Iron .Association, William j. hVyer. j. M. Cornell, jas. J. I'-nrnet, J. I. llealev, .\. J. Cami)bell, John C ooper. A. j. Post, Wm. 11. .McCord and d homa. Dimond. l'"rom the .\merican Institute of .Vrchitects. R. M. l'])- john. (ieor.ye 1!. I'ost and X. Le lirun. h~r(jm the Mechanics' and Traders' I'.xchanoe, R. L. Darrag-Ji, Warren A. Conover, John llanta, and l-'dwin Dobbs. h'roni the Real Instate ( )wners' and l )uilders" Association, Cornelius ( )' Reill w ( "'harles I'.uek and Thomas ( iraham. From the Real Instate M.xchan^e, .Samuel .McMillan, C. W. Luyster and ■Morris Littman. bVom the ISoard of lrady. ( )f lawyers. William M. iMudley, Ceorge W. Van Siclen and ClifYord A. Hand were chiefiy consulted. ( )n theatre construction, PVancis H. Kimball was the principal adviser. To these men belong the credit of formulating a just and com])rehen- sive building law, and one that stands as a model for the other cities, not only in this country, but in the world. In has been by a series of progressive steps that the New York building law has been brought up to its ])resent high standard of ex- cellence. The art of building is ])rogressive, and so to keep up with modern methods the building law needs almost yearly changes. The interests, or the supnosed interests of individuals have always to vield to ilu- ])ul)lic good, but tlie wisdom and ])olicy of building well and safel\- is now generally recognized, and in the end builders, land- lords and tenants are all benefited. As a matter of fact very little opposition is longer made to requirements looking to safety from BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 295 fire: and tliis in part arises not from tiie hopelessness of 0'pi)Osition, l)ut because the buihhnq- interests liave come to recotj^nize that the chanties in tlie huilchn;;- law emanates from men who are themselves directly interested in huildinj^s ami who can he relied upnn to do that which is wise and j^njod. Naturally a i^reat many nnnor ix'tter- ments can lie and doul)tless will be made, for no one has ever claimed that the buildino- law is perfect, althoug-h as a whole it is the best law of its kind ever enacted. Following: the re-creation of the Department of Buildings in 1892, the administration of that department was conducted by Superin- tendent llradv with general satisfaction to the public for nearlv three years, and then came a political upheaval. At the municipal election in 1894 til*-" Citizens' candidate, William L. Strong, was elected Mayor of New York, and he took office January i, 1895. 'i*-' State Legislature i)assed a Power of Removals Act which enabled the Alavor to remove at will the head of any department in the citv dur- ing the first six months of the Mayor's term. A faction of the Democratic party, headed by James ()'r.rien, had taken an active part in the Citizens' movement and claimed a reward for their ser- vices in electing the ticket. Mr. ( )'r)rien demamled a police com- missionership for himself, Init the Mayor refused to give him that office. In distributing the plums of office. Maxnr .Strong informed the committee representing the O'lirien Democracv that they couM Iiave the lUiilding Department as their share of political i>atronage. Superintendent ISrady's term of six years had not half run out, and his retention was petitioned for bv nearlv all the leading architects and builders in the city, but that didn't avail. The decision was that architects and builders were to experience "reform" as well as the rest of the citizens, and without much delay Mr. lirady was removed and a new Superintentlent of lUiildings appointed. The O'Brien commit/tee presented one or two men for the i)lace, but the Mayor did not approve of them, but finally they hit upon Stevenson Con- stable and the Mayor appointed him. Three davs before he was ap- pointed Superintendent Mr. Constable was an utter stranger to the O'Brien committee and to the Mayor also. He was a new comer in New York, and his political elevation was in the nature of an acci- 296 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, (lent. He (|uickly i)ruvcronx (New York), and President of the P.oard of lUiildings for a term of six years. Between 1892 and 1898 the New York building law remained sub- stantially unaltered. Within these six years the frame building dis- trict was changed in 1895, the limit of height for non fire-proof buildings was changd from 85 feet to 70 feet in 1886, and to 75 feet BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 297 in 1897, and also in 1897 certain requirements for enclosino^ fronts of building's in course of construction for the protection of pedestrians was added to the law. A bill was passed by the Legislature in 1897 to abolish the Board of Examiners, and to substitute therefor a Board of Appeal, but this bill did not receive the approval of the Mayor, and therefore failed to becoane a law. In the latter |)art of 1895 an invitation was extended on behalf of the Board of Examiners to various architectural and building trade organizations to meet to- gether to make a general revision of the l)nilding law. \\'hilc this revision work was well under way the Legislature a])p< lined a com- mission to draft a charter for (ireater Xew York. Througii a sul)- committee the revision work was submitted to the commissionei-s drafting the charter but the latter decided that a mass of details re- lating to the c(jnstruction of buildings did not properlv belong in an organic law, but ought to be a matter for municii)al regulation; so they purposely omitted the "building law" and inserted in the new charter a section which authorizes tlie Ahmicipal Assembly to estab- lish a code of ordinances to bt- known as the Building Code. Greater Xew York includes Xew ^'ork, the lower portion of West- chester County, llrooklyn. Long Island Citw a portion of Oueens County, and Staten Island, and this territory was divided into five boroughs, designated resix^ctivelv : Manhattan, The Bronx, Brook- lyn, Oueens and Richmond. The charter i)rovided for three com- missioners of buildings, and Mavor \'an Wvck appointed as such Commissioners Thomas J. ]>rady for the l)oroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx, Daniel Ryan for the borough of Brooklyn, and Daniel Campbell for the boroughs of Oueens and Richmond. The three commissioners together form a Board of Buildings, and Mr. Brady was designated as the President of the Board. Iv'ich conunissioner has administrative jurisdiction within the borough or boroughs in which he is appointed. Appeals from the decision of any one com- missioner are provided for in the new charter. \n the borough of Brooklyn and in the iboroughs of Queens and Richmond such aji- peals are to be made to the Board of Buildings. Li the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx the old Board of Examiners is continued, and appeals are to be made to that Board. The charter provides 298 A HISIORY 01- RliAL ESTATE, that until a lluildin^s^- fnde is estahlislicd the several existin.^' build- iiif^ law s and ordinances are continued in full force and effect — that is to saw the Xew \urk huildin^- law in the horou.^hs of Manhattan and The lironx, the I'.rooklvn buildinj^- law in the horous-h of Brooklyn, and ordinances in the boroughs of Queens and Richmond. In i)re])arino- a building: ^""de the Municipal Assembly mav appoint and employ a conmiission of exijerts. That power is permissory, not mandatorw When the buildin,": code is established then the old buildino- laws and ordinances become thereby repealed. Authority to restrict the height of 'buildings to be hereafter erected in Greater New York is specifically conferred u])on the Municipal Assem'bly. The "tenement house law" is incorporated in the new charter, and being part of the charter can hereafter onlv be modified bv an act of the State Legislature in tlie form of amendments to the charter itself. The building code, when established bv the Municipal Assemibly, can be amended by that body. In the one case is home rule, in the other is rule at the State Capitol. The history of the Xew ^'ork building law has thus been brought down to the very hour of this publication going to |)ress. Its origin, its development, its administration has been here recorded. Each future vear will add material for a further extension of this historv of the past. The evolution of building regulations is to be continuous; the requirements for safe and healthful construction in building will be more and more defined, and as the code is amplified the art if building will become largely an affair of legal rule, so that the archi- tect or builder who knows the building law thoroughly is sure to be of more use to his clients than the theoretical constructor. It will be the fault of those directly interested in such matters if unwise, useless or unjust re(|uirements are either continued in or added to existinrr laws or regulations, or if good requirements are clothed in ambiguitv or masked in too technical terms, or that the methods of construction are so closelv defined as to leave no opportunity for th.e introduction and use of new processes or new materials. The full- ness, the simplicity and the justice of future building laws will rest with those who are willing to give their time and attention to such matters as a dutv thev owe to themselves, as well as to the State. IVIU.IAM J. FRYER. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 299 LEADERS IN THE BUILDING TRADE. Thomas J. Brady. Tlie c(jnnection of the Hon. 'i'liwinns j. I'.rad} witli Xcw \ i>rk building- interests has been verv imjxjrtant, both in his capacity as an incHviihial Iniihler and contractor, and particularly so in his re- lations with the i)e])artment of Buildings. As a builder. Mr. Brady has built a class of structures which are a credit lo himself, as a result of finished and thorough workman- ship, and to the locality in which they are situated. In his capacity as Commissioner of Buildings for the Boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx and President of the Board of Buildings, Mr. liradyis ex- ercising personal qualities of integrityand sound business judgment, combined with his extensive exi)erience. It was no doubt the posses- sion of these attributes which led to his un(|nalified endorsement by all the building clubs and unions in this citv. it is the unanimous opinion of all legitimate and reliable builders that Mr. Bradv's administration, already begun so auspiciously, will be attended with results most desired, and to the attaining of this end he is being well sup])orted. it is furthermore felt bv all concerned that the honest, efificient and just administration of the laws of Commis- sioner Brady's de])artment, sucli as he has ])egun, will have a most beneficial effect on the builders and building in this metropolitan city. Mr. Brady commenced his connection with the building craft in 1870. He served as an apprentice and journeyman mason imtil, in January, 1, 1884, he was appointed an Inspector in the Fire De- partment of this city. Three years later he was made First Deputy of the Bureau of Inspection of Ijuildings in the Fire Department. In April, 1889, he was made Superintendent of Buildings in the Bureau of Inspection of Buildings, which at that time was con- nected with the Fire Department. When in 1892 the State Legis- lature passed the bill organizing the present Department of Build- mgs. by combining the Bureatt of Inspection of Buildings of the Fire Department and the Plumbing Bureau of the Health Depart- ment, there was none so eminently fitted for the position of super- intendent of the new dei)artment as Air. Brady, and his appoint- ment was unanimouslv indorsed. He occupied that position, ardu- ous as it was, with honor to himself until 1895, when he entered New York's competitive building arena as a general contractor. A partial list of the more prominent buildings he com- pleted, embraces the Central Mills and Grain Elevator, Eleventh 300 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, avenue and 63d street; San Remo Hotel, C entral Park West; com- luerrial buildings at Nos. 736 and I'.roadwa}, Xns. 25 and 27 \\a\erley ])lace, and Nos. 27 and 2t) West 31st street: Hebrew Teebnical institute, Xos. 34, 36 and 38 Stuyvesant street; country residences for Hon. ex-Mayor Huoii J. ( Irant and Thomas F. Ryan, Secretary of the Al etro])olitan Traction Co.; Ehrich's, Sixth avenue and 22(1 street : Macy's, Sixth avenue and 14th street. When in Jan. i, the old City of Xew York absorbed other surrounding cities and towns, the charter of the new city pro- vided that the Mayor of the Greater City appoint a Com- missioner of lluildings for the Boroughs of Manhattan and Itronx. When Mr. l>rady was declared as a candidate, his candi- dature was formallv endorsed by all the building organizations in the city. The Building Trades' Club, the Builders' League of Xew York, the Mechanics' and Traders' Exchange, the Society of Architectural Iron Workers, and all the Labor and Trades Cnions, without exception, drafted resolutions favoring his ajjijointnient. The Building Trades' Club, the strongest ])uilding organization in the cit\-, formally waited u\)on Mayor \'an Wyck and urged Mr. I'rady's a])])ointment. W ith such elements of supj)ort, and pos- sessing tile fruits of liis ])ast exjierience, there can be no doubt that the new administration of the Building Department will be one of the most successful in its liistorw The Firm of Luke A. Burke & Co. The firm of Luke A. Burke & Co. have been doing business as Iniilders and contractors since 1884, and have in that time built some of the largest fireproof buildings in the city; in all, over 40 build- ings. Mr. Burke is descended from a family of builders and has no doubt obtained his mechanical knowledge of construction from them. He is one of the most incessant workers and can be found at any time during the day at the Iniildings he is constructing, directing his foreman. In the evening he can be found until a late hour in his office, either estimating on plans or arranging matters for others in their dififerent positions. His reputation among the dilTer- ent architects for whom he has built is that of a reliable and safe con- tractor. It is a ])ractice of liis when a building is coni])lete(l to ask the owner for a letter stating how he is impressed with the building. If he is not satisfied, the re(|uest is made just the same, and the let- ters are kept for reference read\ for an\- owner to see w hat his deal- ings have been with others in the past, lie has ])liotograplis taken of all the buildings he has constructed with the architects' and owners' name on same, and the letters of the owners attached, are open for inspection in his office. He has worked himself up from an ordinary journeyman to his present position. Starting in at the age of 13 years, he served his apprenticeship in Xew York City. He attended the ])ublic schools and also Cooper Institute for several years. Before he was 20 years old he had charge of very important BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. 301 buildings, in church and bridge worlv, throughout the country for his oldest brother. After his brother's death, he settled in Xew York Citv, and began his successful career. He is now a member of sev- eral clubs in the city. Among the more prominent of the contracts completed by .Mr. I'.urke are the Wilkes Building, corner Wall street and Broad street ; I'aulist leathers' Church, corner 59th street and Columbus avenue; Alanhattan Athletic Club, 45th street and Madi- son avenue; College of Pharmacy, 68th street and Boulevard; Co- lumbus Hall, Orange. N. J. ; Freedman Building, Prince and Broad- way; Irving Bank Building, Chambers street; Heide Building, Van- dam street ; Ursuline Convent, Bedford Park ; Educational Alliance Building, East Broadway and JefYerson street. It will be seen that Mr. Burke has completed work for some of the best architects in the city. He has obtained an enviable rei)utation for thoroughness in every particular branch (jf his trade. Mr. lUirke is naturally very atten- tive to detail and all hi^ operations have shown that finish which attention to minor matter^ onl\- can bring a1)out. .\s a result, ]\Ir. Burke possesses tlio.se attribute so necessar}- to the ])ermanent suc- cess of a builder. His career, step by >te]). in all his contracts, whether it is merely a slight alteration or the erection of >ome tall office building, has established these facts firmlv in the minds of both architect and owners. The address of the firm is 401 West 59th street. B. D. Chandler. In the carpentry trade there are as manybranches of the craft, and proI)ably more, as there are to be found in the dififerent branches o; the building trades. In masonrv, which is un(|uestionabl\- the great- est (lei)artnient of the building ])rofession. there are tliose who eon- tract for the foundation and solid masonry of the l)(jtt(jm walls : this is the greatest and highest feature of masonry. In carpentry, it is generally acknowledged that the fine interior finish and decora- tion, together with cabinet work and stairlmilding, embrace a large proportion of our best car])enters. The work requires complete and long experience, and is of such a nature that none but skilled me- chanics attempt it. In Xew ^'ork fine cabinet work is carried to greater degree of perfection than elsewhere in the countrv, which doubtlessly accounts for our pos.scssing tlie best class of journe\ nien in that branch. Prominent among our local carpenter buililers who have attained a wide reputation {or interior and cabinet work is tlic subject of our sketch, Mr. I'>. D. Chandler, of Xo. 1 i Rector street. Mr. Chandler has been actively connected with that branch of the building profession for over thirty-two years. In the begiiniing of his career he served for many vears in the capacitv of superintendent of the Western Union Telegraph Coniijany's carjjentcr work, h'or over eighteen years he was identified with that company and travelled from citv to citv superintending the erection and finishing of the com- pany's offices throughout the country. Mr. Chandler at the present 302 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATIl. Bl'ILDlNG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. time manufactures and comjiletcs the tine cabinet work, the desk and tables and all the carpenter |)arai)hernalia of a teles:!;-raph office, and ships tlie work from the factcjry on Kector street to its destination, whetlier it he as far Xorth as ilufYalo, or to the South as far as New ( )rleans, and W est as San I'>ancisco. Tele.^raphic office wurk is, however, not the only branch of Mr. Chandler's l)nsine^s. In nian\- of the banking ofTfices in Wall street and in the stock di-.trict, there are to be found the handiwork of Mr. Chandler's jounie\inen in tlie tine cabinet work and interior wood- work decoration.. .Mr. Chandk'r has been retanied b\ uell-known firms for many years, and the alteration work, repairing' and t^encral i;verhauling that have been done for the past (|uarter centurv in tliose offices have been comi)lete(l bv Mr. Chandler. The worknianshi]) displaved in al! the work cannot l)e excelled, and the material used is the hot. ( )n tho~-e ba^e.-. .Mr. ( handle)- has built his rei)Utation ; he never allowed an\ element of cheajme.- to enter into any contract, and the rcsuli that his client, hoped for was obtained. Mr. Chandler has also completed residential interior cari)enter work. Charles A. Cowen. There is probably no better known builder and general contractor in Xew '^'ork at the ])resent time than Air. Charles A. Cowen. Iden- tified with all the building trade associations in this cit\ and holding- various offices in national associations, he h;is worked ear- nestly and to a great degree successfully in the interot. of the build- ing guilds. He is one of the charter mend)ers of the lUiilding Trades Club, and to him belongs the distinction of having called that strong organization into existence. It was he who at a meeting of the old Mechanics' and Traders" ICxchange drafted the resolution which con- tained the nucleus of the future lUiilding Trade. I'lub. .\t the pres- ent time he is one of the Board of Managers, ami was the presid- ing officer during the years 1895 ^"f' 1896. He is the first vice-pres- ident of that historic labor organization, the Ceneral Society of Me- chanics and Tradesmen, and fills the position of secretary of the Ma- son Builders' Association of N^ew York. In national building asso- ciations Mr. Cowen represents the National .Association of Builders in the B<.iard of Alediation and Conciliation, of which Bishop Pot- ter is i)residcnt, and is the delegate at large from the local .Mechanics' and Traders' I-'.xchange to the National .Association of Builders. Air. Cowen fulfils the duties of his many offices, which he has never striven for, but have been thrust \\\)on him by reason of his adapta- bilitv, in a manner that is most conunendable. He is thorough in his knowledge of the building trade, and is known to be one of the best ex])erts in this city iii masonry, particu- larly in that of a heavy description. He began his apprenticeship with his father, a well-known New York contractor, and continued with him, familiarizing himself with all the details in the building trade. Afterwards, from 1878 to 1885. he associated himself with his 304 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, fatlier as a partner, and the firm carried on a successful business. At that time the firm made a specialty of residential building's in the northern part of the city. In 1885 his father died, and he continued the business with most t^ratifyino^ success. Architects and investors have learned to know him as one of the most thorou.uii and ca])al)le of our local builders, and as a result some of the lariie office and heavy fire])roof warehouse buildinos have been erected l)y him. Of late Air. Cowen has made a s])ecialty in this line, and he is devoting more of his attention to that branch of the building trade. He numbers among the work completed by him many stores, warehouses, apartments, dwellings and public buildings throughout the city. Among the more important contracts completed by Mr. Cowen are: Stores and offices, 15 stories, Nos. 9-13 Maiden Lane; fireproof stores and offices, 8 stories, Nos. 29-33 East 19th street; stores and offices, 10 stories, fireproof. No. 708 Broadway; stores, 11 stories, fireproof, No. 714 Broadway; stores, fireproof, 6 stories, Nos. 43-49 Bleecker ; warehouse, 7 stories, No. 39 Great Jones street ; warehouse, Nos. 571-573 Hudson street; factory, 6 stories, Nos. 341 to 351 West 26th street; clubhouse, 71st street and Sherman Square; apartments, No. 29 West 26th street, northeast corner 91st street and West End avenue, southwest corner 113th street and Seventh avenue; 4 dwelling houses, Nos. 11-17 East 60th street; 5 houses, southwest corner 104th street and West End avenue; No. 8 East 6ist street; 3 houses, Nos. 326-330 West 88th street ; 9 houses, south side 73d street, east of Columbus avenue; Y. M. C. A., Harlem, 125th street, near Fifth avenue ; synagogue, Nos. 20-22 Forsyth street ; Man- hattan Hospital, 131st street and Amsterdam avenue; Flower Hos- pital and HomcEopathic College, 63d street and Avenue A. John D. Crimmins. Mr. John D. Crinmiins, a contractor of large public and private works and a man of national repute, was born in New York in 1844. His father was largely entrusted with the development of the East Side, in that locality of which 59th street is the main thoroughfare. He opened many streets and performed other public work. This was the means of making Mr. Crimmins acquainted with the owners of property and gave him an early opportunity of acquir- ing a knowledge of values. He purchased property before he was of age. In i860 he entered his father '.s business. Afterwards he added building to the contracting business, and has been engaged in the erection of buildings from that time to the present, having erected more than 400 houses. His familiarity with the values of prop- erty caused him to be selected as an arbitrator, where disputes be- tween property owners occurred as to the value of lands where the property was to be straightened to conform to the street lines. His valuations in every instance have been taken as a basis of settlement BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 305 of estates. He carried on successfully the direction of his father's business for several years, and then alone for a number of years. His brother had been associated with him in the contracting busi- ness until January, 1897. His 1)uil(lin,y and real estate operations were on his personal account. In the contracting business he was the first to use and apply machinery extensivel}'. The steam drill had frequently been attempted, but was not used successfully until his employment of it. Having been first in possession of this class of machinery he had no competitors for large and difficult excava- tions for some time, and in 1874, when 30 years of age. Ids reputa- tion was sufificiently established to have large works entrusted to him, which he i)lanned and executed for private individuals and private cor])orations. I'ublic work retiuiring great executive ability and engineering skill was entrusted to him l)y the President of the ( 'roton Hoard, and by the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works, d he large public contracts which he carried on were but a small percentage of his contracts. He was also em- plox c-d in the establishment of gas plants for the New ^'ork ( ias C'om])an\-, .Metropolitan Gas Company, Alunici])al (las Com])any. Ecjuitable (las Company, the Harlem (las Company, afterwards the Consolidated Gas Company, and out-of-town com])anies. Air. Crimmins also built part of the ele\-ated system. He built the first subway, and all of the subwa\ ? for thrive \ears after the subway law was passed. Many of these works lie carried on on a percentage basis. He Iniilt the P)roadwa\- and Columbus .\venue Cable and the new electric roads. Pefore the cold storage ])rocess was discovered brewers sought locations wdiere the\' could build deep cellars. Air. Crinunins was employed by all of tlie brewers of tlie citv and built man\ of the deep cellars and excavated several tunnels in which beer was kept in storage, lie has been chairman of the build- ing e(jmmittees of several organizations, and had the erection of hospitals and schools under his charge. He has been a member of all the important committees during the last fifteen years. He has been connected with municipal celebrations, lie was the treasurer of the Property Owners' Association for the im])rovenietU of prop- erty, both on the East and West sides, lie was one of the first members of the West Side Association, now known as the West End Association. Eor five years Mr. Crimmins was a Park Com- missioner, serving as President and Treasurer. Mr. Crinmiins has had over 12,000 men at times directh' under his charge, and many more thousands in work carried on l)\- sub- contractors. He has never had a serious strike, which has enabled him to maintain the most friendly relations with the working people. He still continues to be active in building operations. He is on the Executive Committee of the City and Suburban Home Asso- ciation, and a member of the Model Tenement House Association, and President and Treasurer of several corporations. 20 3o6 A HISTORY OF RRAL ESTATE, V. J. Hedden & Sons. The firm of \'. J. Hcddcn e\: Sons wa.s cstal.lishcd in 1881. They arc the successors to the tirni of Meeker cV- lledden, well known in the metropolitan building" industry for a ])eriod extending- over hall a centurv. The elder Mr, lledden. with liis three sons— C. R. 1 led- dcn. L. ( ). lledden, and S. S, lledden— has carried on a most successful l)usine>-s since the ince])tion of the new firm, and as .general carpenters and contractors they ha\-e few i)eers and no su- periors in Xew \'ork huildins;- circles. Their innuense factorx , \ ards and kilns are located on the Passaic River, in Xewark. X. j. The yards, in wliich are stored all kinds of lumber, includino; fine cabinet woods, fill entirel\' one block and a half. The three-storv factories, including- the dry kilns, occu|)y a block. On an averas^e six hundred to seven hundred men are em- ployed. Regarding the factory, there is none more completely fitted with the most modern machinery with a view to dispatch in com]ileting contracts, and more jiarticularly to obtain the highest (|uality and acme of jx-rfection in the class of goods mami- factured. In the case of well-kn(jwn manufacturers of house trim, standard sizes are usuall\- kejit on hand ready for immediate shi])- ment. In the case of the firm of \'. J. Hedden & Sons, the\- manu- facture no stock, but what is jjarticularly specified, and 1)\- sjiecial detail. So immense is the capacity of their works that the firm is enabled to complete any contract, regardless of size, within the time limit. There is no question that the firm has been awarded some of the best class of building operations which have ever taken ])lace in this country. The reason is readilv api^areut when one considers that the firm turns out work with greater facilities than anv of their coni- l)etitors, and as builders uy general contractors, thev have profited by their greater advantages. It may be well to give a ])artial list of buildings completed by them: In residences, \\m. K. X anderbilt's on l-'ifth avenue and also at < )akdale, L. I., the residences of E. C. Mi Mcdict, \\'.\. Ilutclnnson, ll.(i. .Mar.piand. l-red P.ronson, Cireen- field. Conn.; 1-:. 1 ). .Morgan, W lieatly, L. 1. Among their ofi^ce buihlings are the -.Mail and l-:xi)ress" Huilding, the -"runes" lluild- i-.ig, the llavemeyer I'.uilding, the St, Paul Ihiilding, the ( iillender lluilding, the American Suret\- I'.uilding, the l-jn])ire I'.uilding, 1 )el- nionico's downtown restauraiU ; the I'.ank of C'.jmmerce : .Mar- tini<|ue Hotel; among the chibs, lios])itals and factories the\' have liuilt are the Metro], olitan C'lub, the Century C'lul), Deutscher \'erein, the Xew ^'ork Hos])Ua], the Plaza Hotel, the iM.mrth ave- nue horse-car stables, Kichard-on- 1;, ,\ nton Co. factorv at Dover, X. ].. the Mile l-.nd Thread WTrks, Xewark, X. J., the .Sinoer I'.uild- ing. Xewark City Hos])ital, ( ierard I'oster's residence in Lenox, 1). Willis lames" residence in Madison, X. j., and the S])rague hdectric Elevator Plant, \\'atsessing, .X. J. The firm has completed work for BUILDING AND ARCHITECTVRE IN NEW YORK. sncli ]):nniiiunt arcliitccts as Carrere & Hastini^s, McKini. Mead Wliite, (K-nr-c i;. I'nst. Kimball Thompson, V.rw^l I'la--. W. 11. Russell, R. M. Hunt, an-.-ar\ to make no contracts but those of the lars^^er and better jobs. Isaac A. Hopper. The subject of our sketch, Mr. Ua.ac ,\. Hopper, belontjs to the class of Xew ^'ork builder^ who lia\e attained a pre-eminence in their trade> to which onl\- a few arri\e durin.fj their career. Mr. HopixT is a representative Xew \ nv\<. builder of the hi.yiiest rank. He has \\(in ex])erience from the bottom of the ladder in all the varied stages of success and disa])|)ointment which beset one in one's career, and he profited by it. To-da\, Mr. Hop])er can ]ioint with pride to any of the contracts which he has com])leted, from his first modest contract involving the ex])enditure of S375. to his latest and greatest work, that of the Third .\\-enue bridge, the cost of which will be Si .750.000 and is now in course < if com])letion. He lias not confined his opfrations to an\ ]>articular class df building as a contractor, lie was abb- to c.nnpKte with (.(iiial success the solid masonry of the X. ^■. C. X 11. K. R. viaduct Iving north of 94th street, and the Xew Xetherlands, one of the three great hotels on the Plaza, which was erected by William Waldorf .\stor when the struc- tural steel buildings were then considered experimental. His con- tracts endirace all classes of wdrk, varied from the routine work of folhjwing architectural s])ecificati< ms of a toiu'-story and basement residence to the construction of the W .ishingti'U .Monument at X'ew- burgh at the \\'ashington 1 lead(|uarters. There is not a (|uestion of a doubt in tlie minds of any of our pronnnent .\merican architects, but that Mr. Ho])])er is capable in the highest degree of taking- charge and carr_\ ing to a successful termination an\- of their works. Mr. Hopper can point to such structures as the Immigrant industrial Savings Bank, the ixoch I'.uilding, the .Academy of the Sacred 1 leart, the Montefiore Home, St. Alichaebs Ejiiscopal Church, the 8th Regi- ment AruK.iry, and the |)ower house for the Third .\\enue ('able Railroad Com])an\-, at Kingsliridge, the latter costing a half million dollars. For the Children's .\id Societx", Mr. Hoi)])er was secured to build four schools which are located at Xo. 215 East 2ist street. X^'o. 410 I'-ast 71st street, 11th avenue and West 53d street, and at Xo. 219 Sullivan street. In modern office buildings he has comi)leted the structure on the site of the old Xew ^"ork Hotel, known as the Commercial buildings and the .^piiigler lUiilding in West I'nion Scjuare, near 14th street. 1 here can be but brief mention made of the work involved in the new Third .\venue Uridge, which Mr. Hopper is now completing : suffice to say that the work w ill stand as a monu- ment of the skill and thoroughness with which it was completed when BUILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. with the march of progress the aspect of the whole vicinity will have been changed. Mr. Hopper has erected the famous Carnegie Music Hall in 57th street and 7th avenue, and the recent additions which have l)een made. Among hotels and apartment houses there are the Mane Antoinette, at 66th street and the Boulevard; tlie Xormandie, ai ^Stii street and I'.roadway: the Portsmouth, in \\'est yth street, and the Hampshire, in the same street. In Trinity Cemetery, mausoleums in- volving the liigliot cla>s of masonry liave been erected by Mr. Hopper for a large nunil)(, r of W-w \'ork's old and wealth}' families. His address is Xo. \\\-t 125th >treet. John J. Hopper. Heavv, solid masonrx and the constructirju of projjcr beds and foundations ( m w hich large structures are erected has long been the lugliest form of masonry. Since :he earl\- da}'s in the world's histor\ when labor counted for nothing and kings ami gov- ernments erected tcm])les and ])ul)lic l)uildings man\ of uhicli are yet in existence or if not entirely S(T the foundations and loot walls still remain, the most important features in the construction of the entire editice w err the' l>ottom w tills and the foundati(Tns on which the su])erstructure w;is to rest. ( ireat care and wide exi)erience in the Imilding craft were abso]ntel\- necesstiry : so also w as ;i scieiuific and practical knowledge of strata of rock and wh;it geoldgical formation was best ada])ted for foundtition pm-])oses; here also tech- nical knowledge was called into reiinisition, tlitit expert knowledge gained onl\' by study and ])ractice. ( )in of on, belong to the most importtuit class of masoiny constructed in Xew \'ork in recent years. The}- tux' so ])uilt thtU when centuries ha .'e el;i])sed the} w ill then litive atttiined the aiii)earance of the old luiropean unixersities, Imilt C}cles ago. The Columbia authorities recognized tluit onl\- tlie best l)UiMers of the day were to ]>e retained. The work a\;is of such im))ortance that such was imperati\ e. ( )f the selected few w ho were chosen to enter in com])etition and tender for the work was the subject of our sketch, Mr. John J. Hojiper, a man eminentb- (lualitied, l)oth bv his practical ex])erience and theoretical education for the work he has now successfullv comi)leted. He has been comiected with some of the most im])ortant of the large constructi\e masomw wurk in the metropolitan district for the ]iast eleven years. I'onr \ cars ;igo he entered, on his (.)w n account, the higher coturacting field in .Xew York. He is a graduate of Dartmouth, taking the degree of Ikach- elor of Science in 1877. He afterward took a post-grailuate course in the engineering department, and obtained the degree of Civil Engineer in 1885. Mr. Hopper was one of the three who were per- A 11 1 STORY OF RIIAL !■ STATU. JOHN J. HOPPER. BL'ILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 311 niitted to figure on tlic cxcavatit time between trains was three minutes, and the big lioulders dislodged by blasts had to be (|uickl\ removed. .\ot a train was dela\ed dur- ing the progress of the work. Afr. Hopjjer has for the ])a,st \ ear en- tered the general contracting arena of New York, which he has found a good s])here for his talents. He possesses in every res])ect those (|ualifications which all first- rate architects demand of builders, lie is thorough in detail, ])er- mits none but the best materials to be used, and employs highly- skilled labor. With the reputation and attributes he possesses, Mr. H(j])per will undoubtedly make general c; com])etition and in this jjrogressive cit\-, a reputation of which one may well be proud. .\lr. Lyons' father was a mason builder, and it was probably on this account that he first decided to learn the trade of a mason. L'nfortunately, his father died when his son was fourteen years of age, but this did not deter him from fulfilling his desire. His financial resources w ere most meagre, both his parents were dead, but he i)o>sessed a strong will power and a determination to succeed which afterwards ])rofited him nuich. livery evening for four years during his appreiUiceshi]) he took ])art in the sessions at Cooper L'nion, where he accpiired a technical knowledge of his trade. In 1873, after working as a journeyman mason for a few x ears, he decided to become a mason builder and general contractor. .Six \ ears after he entered into partnership with a former journevman friend and the firm became known as Ciblin & Lyons. At that time .Mr. Lvons paid special attention to machine and boiler setting and heavy founda- tions generally. In this he was very successful and it is his boast that structures erected by him have never settled even to the extent 312 A HISTORY or REAL ESTATE, (it liall ail inch. Alimit tlial time lu' siu-cesslull\- laid the foundation and erected the ( )hehsk in ( eiiu-al I 'ark and tlie foundation for the I'liiled States Har.L^e < )ttice at the I'.atterv, which hes \\holl\- in the water. In Air. Lxdii.s huu^ht lii.s partner's interest and since that time he lias carried on his e.xti'iisive business alone. Shortly after the dissolution of ] lartiiershi]) Air. Lxons chan,<;ed his ])olicv somewhat and entered the i^eiieral contraclin_L;' field on a wider scale. A list of some of the more prominent ones is jirohablv the best indi- cation of tlie |iart ])la\ed by Air. Lyons in the building trade in thi.s city: Mt. Alorri> I'.aiik, Harlem Club, Harlem ikiptist Church, Baptist Church, uOth street and 6th avenue; 1 'resbyierian Cdiurch, 127th street and 7th avenue; Jierkeley Lyceum and I'.erkeley School, St. Monica's Church, Annex to Produce k'-xchaiii^e, 733-735 llroad- vvay, N. W. corner Broadway and 4th street; 4(;i-4 winch tliat firm has completed. In the case of McCabe Bros., w e can lju e but a partial list, but we subiuit the luore prominent. These are; Woodbridge building, a fourteen-storv office building on John street; .Sheldon Building, southeast corner John and Xassau streets; Rhinelander I'.uilding, Duane and Rose streits; .\o. W illiam, twelve-story office building: .Mo1iawl< Building, .\o. 160 l-'ifth ave- nue; Mercantile Building, southwest corner 2Jd street and I'ifth avenue; lloe Ihiihling on 2,Xth street, near I'.roadway; l'.ancr.)lt Building, .\os. 5. 7 and .) W est 2.,t]i >treet ; Wot .Side ^■. .M. ( A., on 57th and 56th >lreet?-; C'enturv Idub I'.thliling, 43d street, near Fifth a\-enue ; Academy of Music on 43d street, near C'eiUiiry Cdub; Holland Building, on 4()th street and r.roa]v (if its skill and ;;-rcatn(.'Ss in tlu' sha])c of an edifice' (A more than local repnte. ( )n jannar\ i, Mr. ( ). W. Xorcross ])nrchased tlu' interest of his hrolher, and is now the sole owner. .XnionL;' the structures erected 1)\ this tirni are the follow ini;-: ,\Ile,-hen\ ( ounty Court House and Jail. Pittslmrs, Pa.. $2,500,- 000: .Massachusetts State llou-e h'.xtension, S2.000.000 : Rhode Isl- and State I louse. Si ,71 )(),< ino ; l':xc]ian,!^e I'.nildino-, T.oston. $1 ,600,- coo ; P>looniin,qilale In-anc \-.\ luui, W lute Plains, X. $ 1 ,4()(),()00 ; Tremont I'uilduiL;, lloston, S 1 ,-'o< ),( k h > : Li1)rar\- 1 iuildini;-, C'oluniljia I'niversity, .\ew ^'ork, $1 ,000,000 ; h'l |uital )]e Puildin^-. Paltiniore, $1,200,000: State ?\Iutnal Buildin,<;-. Worcesttr. Sijoo.ooo; P.anii^an Puildins>-. Providence. R. I., $900,000; Marshall lucid PuihP in"-, Chicago, $900,000: New Ye)rk Life hiNurauce Com- pany lUiildino^, Kansas Citv, $850,000: Xew Wtrk Life Insur- ance Company P.uildine:. ( )maha. $750,000 : ( ireat P.arrini;ton. "Kel- log'S' Terrace," ,$600,000: Xew Pui.^land P.uildin-', Cleveland, $700.- 000: Cit> Hall, Worcester, Mass., $r)oo,()()o: Corcoran (uallery of .\rt, W asliin.^ton, 1). C., $400,000: Colleo-e for Teachers. Xew ^'ork Cii\, S4o<^o(!(); d'rinity Chnrcli, lioston. $31)0.000: .St. John's l'4)is- cojial Churcli, Xew York City, $412,000: Scheruierhoru Hall. Co- lumbia Universit}', .$450,000: Stack Building', Princetmi Cui \ ei-siiy, $500,000; Ame.s' \\'ashin,L;4on Street Ruildin.i^-, liosum, Soj^.ooo: Lawrenceville School, Xew Jersey, $320,000: P.. & .\. R. P. Station, Spriu^lield. .M:,ss,, S^'jo.o'xi: .Mhany City Hall, Albany, X. Y., $295,000. .\t llar\ard Cuiversit\-, X'orcross Brothers completed the A,L;assiz Laboratory, Cymnasium, Law School, Sever ILall, T'er- kins LLall, C'onant Hall and the I'oi;- Art Museum. Peter Schaeffler & Son. The name Schaetller has been connected with the better and more substantial class of Inuhliim' in Xew ^'ork for the i)ast fortv year=. The ori.s:inal builder and founder of that name of the firm was ^Ir. Joseph Schaeffler, w ho started as a mason builder and L^eneral con- tractor in i860. He afterwards admitted his S'in. and the firm's name was chans:ed to Josej)!! Schaet'tler X- Son in 1881. Mr. Peter Schaeffler started for himself in 1874. and in i8(;i Mr. Joseph Sidiaetfler retired. .\fter i8(;i Peter Schaeffler and Joseph .Schaeffler formed a co-partnerslii]) under the name of P. and J. .Schaeffler. ( )u Jul\- 1, i8i;7. Mr. J(Tseiih Schaeffler retired from ac- tive business, and the management of the firm's future career fell to Mr. Peter Schaeffler. w ho has since taken his son, Mr. Frank C. Schaeffler. into the business. The office of the firm of Peter Schaefiler & Son is now located in Xo. 75 P.ible House. Tn reviewing- the class of work which this building firm, whether BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. under the name of its founder or under its present name, lias ob- tained and brought to a successful completion, one will observe that there is nothing of the cheap, teni]j(_)rary class of work which for many years has been the bugbear of the investor. The Shaefflers, be it said to their credit, have built thoroughly, substantially and with a view to i)ermanency. 'idiey never entered into a ruinous competi- tion witii builders w ho, in order to secure contracts, sacrificed every- thing to cheapness. .Messrs. Schaefflers figure on using the best ma- terial: brick dealers are aware of the fact that none but the best <|ualities can be snld them; cement, lime and lumlier dealers know from e-xperience what to send the firm, I'eter .Schaeftler & .^on, fi.r the re])utation of the firm f(jr the best class of building is w idespread. During its connection with the Xew York trade, the tirm has built many churches, factories, h(isi)itals, and breweries. .\. partial list of these w hich w e give cover the nii ire nnpnrtant ni their contracts. .St. .Xicholas Church, I^ast 2d street; .^t. jnsepli Liuirch, I'^ast 87th street; I'itt .Street I'hurch; HoI\ Reileemer School, East 3d street; Sch(j(d St. Alary .Magdalen, West 40th street; Convent of St. l)..)minic, I'.ast _'d street; Xew York .Mothers" Hume, l^ast 86th street; .St. Joseph histitiUe for Improved Instruction (jf Deaf and Dumb Alutes, Throgg's .Xeck; St. Joseph's < )rphan .Vsylum, foot 89th street, near .\\emie .\ ; wall paper factory in 71st street; two large silk mills and four w holesale cigar factories. In breweries there are the breweries of the John h.ichler I'.rewing Company; Peter Doelger, J. L. 1-". Ixuntz lirewing Conii)any, Henry Zeltner, Henry Clausen «.\: Co. 'idle firm also built the hdorida I 'lats, tlie ( 'anieron apartment house; warehouses for .Sonn Ih'os.. .Maurice .S. Herm;m, and Ludwig liaumann, on 36th street, near lughth avenue. It is no high estimate when it is stated that the Sliaettlers built in the 17th, llth and loth wards o\er one hundred and twenty-five tenement houses. James Baker Smith. The name of James I'.aker .Smith, builder, has been intimately connected with the .Xew \'ork building industry for upwards of half a century. During that time there have been ])robal)l_\- greater changes in the craft than in any other corresponding length of time in its history. .Mr. Smith, however, has clearly eslaldished his ca])ability of maintaining himself in the front rank of builders at a period when changes and constant innovations in his trade were the order of the day. He has plainly established this fact wdienever he enters into competition with other builders by suc- cessfull}' securing the contract. Mr. .Smith has ])eeii successful because he has been thorough in all that the word implies. He not only learned his trade at a time when to l)e thorough was an object to wdiicli special attention was paid, but he learned that to be successful one must keep abreast of the times, if not a little in advance of them. 3i8 A HISTORY 01' REAL ESTATE. Afr. Smith was twcnty-onc \ cars of ai^e when lie entered into part- nership with the firm under whom he liad served his ajjprenticeship. It was a substantial firm — one of tlie best in the citv — and it mav he meniionc'd that Air. Snutli in his cai)acit\- of an active member of the firm built the dr\ i^oods store of 11. V>. Claflin & Co., and one for I low en X: .McXaniee. He also built the dwellin^js for Judf^e l-'dwards rierre])ont, Dr. Peckham, Thomas H. Faile, W'm. F I'arey, W. 1 1 . I'lUtterworth, Griffith Thomas and Dr. Dclafield. all of which are located on h'ifth avenue. In iS'*)o, Mr. .Smith received the contract for Imildinj^^ a large hotel at Nassau, which was being erected by the Colonial govern- ment there. He had decided to remain for the winter only, but he found the o])i)ortunities for a builder of the better grade were so numerous and the field so large that he remained si.x years in the I'ahamas. During that time he built light-houses, the prison, docks and bulkheads for the government ; and residences, theatres, warehouses, hotels for the people. He returned to Xew York and again entered the field of building. He sion established a reputation for him. elf, which he has sincemnn- taincd. as one of .\ew ^'ork's most prominent builders. Probably it \\a- tile manner in w hich the contract of the Equitable Life Assur- anci Huilding was carried out that first gave Mr. Smith his present high rating. He has built many of Xew ^'ork's largest and most im]iortant buildings. Among tliese are: Haveme\ er Hall and Engi- neering Puilding of Columbia P'niversit\ , .\nierican Lithographic Co.'s Building, American Museum of Xatural History, Western. Union Telegraph Co.'s buildings at liroadway and l)ey street, P'ifth avenue and 23(1 street and llroad street : Consolidated Stock and Petroleum Fxcliange, Morse I'.uilding, .Xmerican Safe De])Osit Co.'s I'.uilding. Welles J'.uilding, 1- reund.schaft Club, Xew York Athletic Club, 55th street; Xew York Hospital, Roosevelt Hos])ital. X. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. Co.'s Storage Building and many others throughout the city. The Louis "Weber Building Co. Louis \\'el)er was born in Cermany, Init has s])ent the greater part of his life in Xew York City. He entered u])on his professional career during the year iSTjj. 31 years ago. He had a very thorough architectural and engineering knowledge, having been educated in one of the leading polytechnic institutes of lun-o])e, of which he is a graduate. He left the university and came to America, wdiere his business life in this city began under the most aus|)icious circum- stances. Through personal encrg\ and integrity he ra])idl\- advanced into the foremost ranks of mason builders. 1 )uring his long connec- tion with the building interests, he has been ecjually successful in all liranches of the trade, enjoying the implicit confidence of all his patrons. .\mong the many buildings he has erected the following are a BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE LV NEH' YORK. few of the mure prominent: American Tract Society Building, Havemeyer Building-. Staats-Zeitung lUiilding and University buildings, Annex to Deaf Alnte Institute, Edison Electric Blu- minating Co.'s buildings on I-,lni street, New York, and on Pearl street, Brooklyn : the I'nion Railroad's electric power houses, the gas tanks for the Consolidated (ias lo.. Ww York and I'.rooklyn, and gas works of Elizabeth, N. J.; ( irannnar School, Xo. 77. Har- lem Depot of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R., llel)rew ( )r])hau Asylum, and the Xew York terminus of the New York and I'.rooklvn Mridgc; I'.allainineV, Xeuark : I'.eadleston & Woerz's, Chas. Clau- sen's, Ily. Clau.sen's, Consumers', Geo. Ehret's, India Wharf, (llklyu), jacoi) Rup]KTt's, V . iv M. Schaef¥er's and David Yueng- ling's breweries: Xeidlinger .S: Sons' and Chas. A. Stadler's malt houses ; De La X'ergne Refrigerating Machine Co.'s. Xew York Hygeia Ice Co.'s and Jacob Ruppert's ice manufacturing ])lants : .\. & S. Blumenthal's, W'm. Zinsser & Co.'s (58th street and 10th ave- nue), August Zinsser's ( llastings-on-Hudson ), and Sohnier's ])iano factories: al>o the .\stona Silk Works, I'.oettger llinze'> Silk Dyeing and iMuishing Works, and the warehouses of Johann Hof¥ Alalt Extract Co. (Newark), William Stein way (Astoria) and Wm. Zinsser & Co. ; Broadway, Empire, Irving Place theatres, rebuilding the jMetropolitan and Cirand opera houses, Koster & Bial's 23d street, and Theiss' nuisic halls, ;nid the Lex- ington Opera House; Dr. Erederick Lange's Private Surgical Hos- pital; residences of Ceo. Ehret, Cord .Meyer, Jacob I\ui)pert, W in. Zinsser, also Xos. (/u and ()(>_:; 3th avenue: tlie I'.olkenhayn, Hol- yoke and Weber a])artnient houses; Jas. Alcl'reery, 23d street; Bloomingdale I'.ros., 59th street ; ]\Iahler, Er. Hollander & Co., 125th street, buildings; and Stern Brothers' stable. ]\Ir. Louis Weber is a member of the Building Trades Club, Mason Builders' Association and the Mechanics' and Traders' Ex- change. It will be seen from the above list of buildings Mr. Weber ranks as a legitimate builder among the foremost in the metro- politan district. The address of The Louis Weber lUiilding Co. is No. 427 East 6 1 St street. Chas. T. Wills. Mr. Chas. T. Wills comes naturally by his taste for building, as his father was a builder of consideraljle prominence. After finishing his education, at the age of eighteen, Mr. Wills came to Xew York. Here he was ap])renticed to Mr. John T. (."onover to learn the trade of brick-laying. 1 le showed such intelligence and aptitude and made such excellent ])rogress tliat, while still an apprentice, he was given the responsible position of foreman, and had the superintendence of important works. After .holding this position for a number of vears, he next went into partnership with Mr. George Sinclair. This part- nershi]) continued for five years. Then the firm w as dissolved. Since that time Mr. Wills has carried on the business bv himself. 320 A HISTORV OF REAL ESTATE, Mr. Wills has huili a luinihi-r nf the lar-cst and hest-known build- inj^s ill tlii> city. .V few i»l llieni are the .\nieriean Surety Huilding-, corner iif I'ine street and 1 '.n ladw a\ ; the johnsttm lUiildiiiL;", Uroad street, l-.xchan-e i.lace and .\e\v .street; the ( hllender r.uihhn-. Wall and .\assau streets: the I Sank nf Commerce I'.uildm-, Cedar and .\'a>sau streets; .\e\\ \'iirk Life I'.uildiii!;. Lediiard street and Broad\\ a\ , and tlie I 'resi i\ teriaii I '.uildin.i;", .\ii. 156 Mfth avenue. A list of the huildin-> erected l.> .Mr. Wills a few vears a-o, included many of the most iiromiiieiit huildin.i^s of the da\ , and show s him to have keen one of the leadin-" kuilders at that time, ddiis list includes the American Mank .\ote Company's I'.uilding-; the Moiitauk Ldub House, in lirooklyn; the \ew jersey Central Railroad l)ei)Ot, in Jersey City; the same companCs Imildin^. Liberty and West streets, this city; the Judson Memorial Church and 1 Uiildini^'s, on Washiii<^- ton S(|uare; "The ^'osemite," 62n(l street and 4th avenue; the I'ierce Building;-, JM-anklin and Hudson streets; All .AnL^els" Iduirch ; the Brookhii d\-d)ernacle, in lirooklvn; the Mail and Lx])ress liuilding, Broadwa\, at I ulton strt'ct. and the residence of the late (ien. U. S. (irani. Mr. Wills has just completed the new Delmonico Build- ing-, corner of 44th street and 5th avenue, and is engaged at present in the construction of the University Club, on the old site of St. Luke's Hospital. It is impossible to mention, except in brief, what Mr. Wills has done in connection with the building trade aside from t!ie actual work of construction. He played a i)rominent ])art in the great nine-hour strike of 1889. He was also a member of the lUiild- ing Committee a])pointed by the Xew ^'ork Athletic Club in con- necti(jn with the buildiiiL; of their new clul)-house. , Mr. Wills' ofifice is in the Presbyterian Ihiilding, corner of 20th street and 5th avenue. John T. Brady. In .\'ew ^'ork, the civic authorities are widely reputed to be ex- tremely zealous of the interests of citizens with regard to all classes of buildings erc'cted and the materials used. ddiis tendency to place strictures on builders has brought the standard of construc- tion in .Xew ^'ork to a high degree of efficienc\ , and as a result the successful .\ew \'ork builder has no superior in this or in any other continent. In a ])rominent position in the list of successful local builders Mr. John T. Lradw the well-know n mason builder and gen- eral contractor, undoubtedly belongs, k'or a (juarter of a century he has been ideutilied with the building imlustry, and during that time he has acquired a re])Utation for reliable work that cannot l)e sur- passed, lieginning when a box he learned masonry in all its liranches, and afterwards bec;ime ])roficient as a journeyman brick- layer and mason. When he first opened an of¥ice he made a specialtv (jf mason work in residences; he has been most success- ful in that branch, lundng erected more than 250 dwellings of the better class in different i)arts of the city. I'roljably Mr. I'.rady's greatest work, however, and one that will make his name one not BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. to be soon forgotten is the completion of Grant's Tomb, overlook- ing the Hudson. Among his other contracts are Xos. 35, 37 and 39 Bond street, and the Lotus Club, 46th street and 5th avenue. Mr. Brady als(j makes a specialty of converting old style buildings into the more modern tyi)c. His office is at Xo. 22 East 42d street. H. W. Boreham. The building trade in Xew York embraces many classes of build- ers, but there is none in w hich the field, limited as it mav be, is so tilled with budding, future contractors as that of the overhauling or alteration branch. It appears to be the first step to be taken in their career, and their anxiety to make a success of it leads to an excessive lowering of prices and a consequent deterioration in the work done. As we have stated, the field is greatly overrun, but as is tlie case in all industries, crafts or i)r(jfessions, the thorough and expert succeed no matter to what degree the adverse conditions may exist. The sub- ject of our sketcli, Mr. II. W. Iloreliam, whose office is located in No. 1559 Broadwav, is one of tho>e who have attained the top nolcii in the jobbing, overhauling, and re|>airiiig branch of the building in- dustry in New York. He is a car])enler builder of the kind produced vears ago, when learning the trade of carpenter consisted of some- thing vastly difTerent from that into which it has since degenerated. He has built and superintended the erection of buildings in and around Xew \'ork for the past forty 'years. Five years ago he de- cided to become a carpenter-jobber and alterer. His success is due no doubt to his thorough knowledge of his trade and the class of work which he completed. Mr. l^oreham finds now that contracts seek him bv reason of his re])utation as a reliable workman. There is no (piestion but that he will eiUer the higher field and will meet with the same success. Andrew Brose. In the large field of enterprise which Xew "S'ork afl^orilitv. Among the comparative few who are recognized as successful, is Andrew Brose, Xo. i Madison avenue. Mr. Brose obtained prac- tical experience in mason building in all the different branches, rising from the lowest rank to that of mason em])loyer. He comnii-nced business in 1887 for himself. He possessed an rxtensixr cx- l)erience and he had native ability. He a])])lied liiinsL'lf (.lurgeti- callv, with most favorable results. He is now in a position to un- dertake the contract for erecting any kind of building, .^onic of Mr. Brose's recent contracts have been: the erection of tlie Kellar Building, a nine-story building in Xo. 722 r.roadwa\- ; I'annnever Building, Carmine and Bleecker streets; liohemian National Hall, Nos. 321-325 East 73d street; German Lutheran Church at 22d 21 322 A HISTUR) ()/■ RliAI. ESTATE, street, near I'Ji^Iitli avenue; 1 )iiteli Iveli )rnie. sncceeded Thos. j. I'.ren- nan, with whom the> had heeii c -nnectefl l"or a mmiber . it was to their al)ilil\ and entei"] )ris.' that w a> due. in no smali measure, the siicce-s of the old firm. C on>e(|Uently, when the\- succeeiled t(J the business with winch they had been intimately com:ecti(i lor so loni:;- a time, it was by no means an experiment, ]>ut the coutinuation of a lon--established an alread_\- ])roved of incalculable value to them in their new nndertakini^'. dlie tirm of I'm-cell iK: I'.remian was founded about twenty-eii^ht \ears aj^o. Ihex were succeeded b\' M. I'.rennan. who in tmm was succeeded by M. Ilremian cK: Co. This firm was foil.. wed by ddios. J. Brennan. Co.sgTOve r.ros. do all kinds of free-stone work, ddiey have every facilitv wdiich the latest and most im])roved machinery can L;ive for doin^- the verv hi.^hest L^rade of both i)kiin and ornamental work. The work which they are eniL^a^ed upon at i)resent incb.ide> a large office building at the corner of I'.li'ecker aiid Elm streets, George Keister, architect: a dwelling at 40 West 58th street, for John R. Thomas, the architect: also a mnuber of contracts for (lillespic r>ros.. the builders, and Richard l)ee\'es ."^on. builders. E. F. Dodson & Company. The main office of 1'.. 1'. l)odson iS: Co.. one of the leading firms of general contractors and builders, has l)een located in Xew Y(_irk for the ])ast two years. Previous to the establishmeiU of their Xew York ofifice, they had done a large building business in the West, I^rincipally in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The senior member of the firm. Mr. b'mory F. Dodson, is a thoroughly practi- cal contractor and builder in all branches. In Chicago and the West, where he is widely and favorably known, he was successful m seciu'ing a large ])art ol the best class of work to be done. It was in M innea]jolis, .Minn., that the contract for the first steel con- structed fire-proof building ever erected in that .State was awarded to and entrusted to Mr. Dodson, who carried it through to a success- ful completion. It may l)e remarked that at the time of its con- struction there had been no l)nil(lings of that character erected in Xew ^'ork e'itv. Mr. Dodson built the first fire-proof building in Fan Claire, Wis., and also the first one in West Superior, Wis., for which Mr. Charles BUILDIXG AXO ARCHlTllCrVRE IN NEW YORK. 3,3 324 A HISTORY OF KIIAL EST ATE. C\ llai.uht, Xo. I I I I'.roadway. was the architect. 1^. I-. Dodson & Co. located in Xew Wn'k, hein^- attracted h'ast h\- tlie hir-e fu-ld in iire-])r(H>f and strnctm'al ir( m-worlx', in wliicli they ha\'e l)een S(i sncces.sfnl. 'I'he tirni have erected a nnnibor of high-clas.s huild- in<4s in (leorj^ia. .\hd)ania, .M a.s.sachnsett.s and New York. In New ^'ork C'itv one of their re])resentative contracts is that of the Royal- ton Hotel on 43d and 44th streets, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. At the present time the finn are buildin"^ a steel constructed fire- proof liotel in I'ittsfield, Mass. The ofifices of E. F. Dodson & Co. are at Xo. 1133 Broadway, Xew York Rooms 817 and 819 St. James iUiildinp^. T. P. Galligan & Son. The business now carried on 1)\- T. I'. ( ialli,t;an cX Son was estab- lished in 1858 by Islr.'V. V. (iallii;an. Sr. It has .^rown from the mod- est circumstances surroundin.i^- its cuinniencement to a business of great proportions, tlie counterpart of which there is not to be found in Aniei-ica. The l)U>iness has resolved itself into difTerent branches as it grew. The important divisions, however, are the excavating, shoring, the wrecking (le])artnient, and the house moving depart- ment. In the hrs; l)rancli of the ])usiness, the firm is probablv the most reputable and reliable firm in that class of work in the city. They have made the necessary excavations for such large buildings as the Empire lUiilding, corner Broadway and Rector >treet, the Manhattan Life Lkiilding, Xo. 66 B)roadwa\-; tlie Sxndicate I'.uild- ing, Park row; the new Astoria Hotel, in which was the largest excavating work ever done in Xew York ; the Xew York Life Lisitr- ance Building; the Central Bank I'.uilding; the Conmiercial liuild- ings between Waverley place and Washington place on Broadway, and in fact all the im])ortant work of this nature has been entrusted to this firm. Tluw ])osse>s ever\- facilitv for rai)id work; 80 well groomed hea\ y es are kept constantly at work, and their wagoii.N are models of perfection; the stables and ])lants cover 20 citv lots, and at a moment's notice 50 to 75 men can be turned out as a wrecking gang. The address is 528 East 17th street. Hugh Getty. Prominent in the ranks of mason builders, Mr. Hugh Gettv is e(|uallv as well known in X'ew ^'ork building circles as a master car])enter. It is this fact, that Mr. ( ietty is able to combine masonry and carpenter work under his ])ersonal supervision, wdiich no doubt accounts for his substantial success as a builder. He is perfectly familiar with details of both crafts, and now, as a general contrac- tor, he finds it is not necessary for him to sublet the masonry or the carpenter work, which is so frequently done. Mr. (lettv has been in the business of general contracting in X'ew York for tweiitv vears. 1 beginning in a small way, he made a spe- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 326 A HISTORY or REAL ESTATIi. cialtv of Lic'iicral alti-Tati( ms anil ^mall rcsi(k'iuial contracts, llis tlior- in llis wiirk, soun acciuircd tor him a re'])utation that nian_\- older tirnis had not dhtanicd. 1 Ic had hccn in hiisincss onl\- three \ ears when he 4i>t street ;ind I'.roadw ;iy. The >nccessful completion of this work ,i^.i\e Mr. ( iettx a ratin-' in local hnildim;- circles which i)laced him in tlu from ranks. Since that time he ha> finished such buildings as the Hotel .M;irll)(jroii,L^h ; the $ i ,( k )0,( kk ) wtirehouse of the hea\-iest liieproof construction, at Washinj^ton ;uid riitirlton streets; the I'as- tree lUiildin.!^- ; the Denni^on I'.uildin.L; ; James 'V . I'vle's residence, 53d street and l-dfth a\enue, hoides a lar.^e mmiber of other resi- dences in the cit_\- and country, d he address of his factory is 276- 280 Ninth avenue, and the oftice, -74 .\inth avenue. Gillespie Brothers. Prominent among the Ijetter class of mason builders and general contractors in the Metropolitan District, few are more favorably known than the firm of Alessrs. (lillespie I'rothers, the members of which are Mr. Michael 11. ( iillespie and his brothers, Mr. ddiomas A. (iillespie. I'.oth ])artners are thoroughly practical men, having served an a])])reiniceshi]) with their father, who was a well-known Xew N'ork contractor. In 1880, Air. Al. II. (iilles]iie conuuenced business on his own ticcount, and four yetu's thereafter his success justified forming a ])artnershi]) with his voung brother, which con- nection exists at the jjresent time. Too much space would be re- (|uired to mention even a small jjart of the numerous business proj)- erties, a]iartment houses, private dwellings, warehouses, etc., which have become "things of beauty" under the skillful handiwork of this firm, many (_>f which have been of full fire-i)roof construction, and from five to fifteen stories in height. A complete knowledge of the details of the trade, together with the executive ability of the senior partner, and the untiring application of both members of the firm, fully justifies the measure of success thev now enjoy. The offices of Gillespie Brothers are located at Xo. 134 West 23d street, near Sixth avenue, also at Xo. i 172 Fifth avenue, corner (j8th street, Xew York City. The C. Graham & Sons Company. In referring to Xew ^'ork's high-class builders the list would be incomplete if the name of The C. ( jraham & Sons Company, of Nos. 305, 307 and 309 East 43d street, was omitted. Charles Graham established the business in the year 1852. He conducted a stair-building and interior hmise trim Inisiness for a number of years, his sons |ohn ;ind Thomas being in the meantime admitted into the firm. The\- did a large business in this line and became widely known. In the year 1880 the firm erected its present fac- BllLDlXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 327 torv and entered extensively in tlie buildini;' i)usines,s. and carried same on until the year 1888. when the firm was incorjxirated under the laws nf the State of New York, with Mr. Charles ( ".raham ])resident, and his two sons. John and Thomas, actively engaged in the concern. In the year 1881 Air. John (iraham became president of the company, a position which he has since maintained, and he is now the only member of the original firm connected with the com- pany, his father. Charles (Iraham. being dead for some years, and his brother. Thomas, having sold out all his interest. It it liardlx- necessary to refer to the com])an\ ',s rei>utation. but we will simply mention the tact that it has built some of the highest class private residences in New ^'ork ; also the Holland House, Fifth avenue and 30th street: the addition to the Buckingham Hotel on 49th street, and a number of other buildings too numer- ous to mention in our linuted space. It is now com|)leting the Church of Divine I'aternity, of which Mr. William .\. I'otter is the architect, and the Knox Aleniorial Church, of which Air. l^dgar K. Ilourne is the architect. !♦ C. Hoe's Sons. This building firm was established in 1817 by the grandfather '>f the present members of the firm. I Juring the la|)se of \ ears the name has been preserved, although during its career there ha\e been four changes in the i)ersonnel of the firm. In 1830 W illiam I loe. the founder, was succeeded bv J. C. lloe; in i88<,,"after fifty year>. J. C. Hoe & Co. took charge, anucceeenl members, George E. Hoe and his brother, W illiam .\. lloe, took the manage- ment of this well-established business. T.he firm is a car])enter build- ing one and the style of work done, as is evident irom the structures comjjleted, is of the best class. Their facilities are excellent. The firm owns and operates a steam wood working factor\- at Xos. 52, 54 and 50 ( lausex oi ir; >lreet, w hile a w ell slocked lumber yard is lo- cated in .\'o. 831 (.reenwicli >treet. The firm possesses a reputation for integrity and honorable work wdiich can be gained only b\ a long and successful connection w ith the trade. As an exam])le of some of the more important contracts com])lete(l by this firm there are suoh buildings as the College oi Physicians and Surgeons, the Sloane Maternity Hos])ital and the W. J. Syms ( )perating Clinic, all of which are situated in W est 5i;th street. The firm also coni])leted the car])enter work of Tiffany's store at 15th street and Cnion S(|uare. Titifany's house at 72nd street and Aladison avenue. Alerchants' and Alanhattan Co.'s Hank Ihuld- ing in Xos. 42 and 44 Wall street, alterations for A. ^'oung's resi- dence in Xo. 15 West 56th street, and a similar contract in Al. C. D. Rorden's residence in Xos. 25 and 27 West 56th street. 328 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE, T. J. McLaughlin. Mr. T!i()niiis J. McLauglilin. of Xo. 167 Mast 6otli street, is a mason builder and j^eneral contractor. Fie lias been ])r()niinentlv eoiinect-'d with \'e\v ^'ork bnildin^L;- trade for tlie past twenty years, and \\a> .-'.ssocialed with his father in the same line. Mr. AIcLau^di- lin ha> been a thorough aiid earelul bnilder. ^iviny minnte attention til delail with tlie resnlt tlri.t his career lias been marked with uni- form >ni'cc>^. At the jjresent time he has divided his business under two lieads. buth 1 if wh.ich are, however, under Ids close supervision. Mr. .McLaughlin entered the ])rojcctive building- market some years ajjo, and he li;is erected some handsome apartment houses in desir- able rc>i(k-ntial l. riiese structures are located in the upi)er part of the citw and are e(|uii)i)e(l with all modern improvements. One of the tinot of his houses is the I'alacio, a seven-st(jry stone and brick ai)artment house located at the corner of 03tli street and Park avenue. The other portion of the 'business is carried on un- der the name of 'V. j. McLaughlin Co. Under its manai;emem the contracting of mason work, general overhauling, ])ainting and dec- orating, and building operations in general are conducted. .Mr. Charles .\. .Steuerwald, who is associated with Mr. .McLaughlin as the manager (if this de|)artment, is a i)ractical and efticient man, as the work done under his management testihes. The handsome residence of Isaac Rosenwald, of .\(i. 44 l'.a>t doth street, in which the cost of car\ing anidunted to Si, 500. wa^ ciim])leled b_\- the T. J. McLau.ohlin Co. Qoincy & Crawford. The masnn and cnnlracting trade of Xew ^'l>rk emliraces many prominent and reliable bnilders, but there are few in f;ict who possess a more substantial reputalinn a> a masnn and general contracting firm than does (Juincx X: Craw f.ird, of .\n. 1 J3 Wot 4_'d street, ddie senior mendier of the lirm, .Mr. .Sanuiel (Juinc\ , has been inti- matel\- connected w ith .\e\v \ nrV building operations for mori' than thirty years. His jiartner. .\lr. W illiam Crawford, is ;i college bred voung man, ])o>sessing both an extensive theoretical and technical know '...'(Ige arid ])r:ictical e.xjierience, ha\'ing worla'd a.s a journey- man mason ;uid ^uwed hi^ aiijirenticeship at the trade. The firm do not make an_\' ])articular line of ])uilding their specialty, but have com])leted some excellent exami)les of stone and mason work. Their re|)utation for thorough work is borne out by the class of work which they have comjileted. During the career of the senior member of the tirm, .Mr. (Juincy, he has built in the neighljor- hood of 300 private hou>es on the West .Side, all of which were coni- l)leted on a legitimate ba>i> for customers. ( irace M. IC Church in 104th street, between .VniNterdam avenue and Columbu^ avenue, a hamlsonie edifice, wa^ conflicted since the present firm was estab- lished four years ago. The Mineola stables in 84th street and ISoule- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 330 A IllSTORV ()!■ REAL ESTATE, vanl. coiisidrp',! ilu h.'st stahUs n;i the W c^l Si-k-, was also huilr l)v tliis linn ; aii< ulu r i ii ilu ir w < irlM built .Mi>s Pauline lialTs handsome residence in West 71st street, and I'. Nathan's house in Xo. 35 West 86tli street. The firm has also completed numerous warehouses and mercantile Ijuildings in different parts of the city. Murdo Tolmie. The huildiuL^ contractin.^' firm of .Murdo Tolmie, of Xo. 245 West 12th stri'ct. is the successor to the old and well-known firm of Wood cX' Tohnie. of which Mr. AI. Tolmie, of the ])resent firm, was a member. I lie new firm came into existence two years ai;-o, on the death of Mr. Wood, w hen the construction of a lar.«;e school house was on the ])oint of comi)letion. .Mr. Tolmie, the survivin_s:- mem- ber, assumed cliar^e of the affairs of the firm, and has conducted its bu^iui'^s under his own manag'ement since that time. lie has infused nnich of his energy and aggressiveness into the ])usiness, and it is needless to state that the measure of success he has met with has far exceeded that attending the firm's efif- the Tostevin P)rothers lias alwax s been known among the legitimate BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIU YORK. trade as mason work of the l)est elass, in which no element of cheap- ness ever entered Air. Henry T(jstevin is President of the Build- mg Trades' CUih, which numhers anion.i^st its members tlie best class of builders in the city. 'Idicy are also members of the Alason and llnilders" .\ss(iciati< ui and the .Mechanic and Traders" E.xcliange. As exani])les nf tlic ninrc important contracts comjjleted by the Tostevin brothers, wc yive a partial li^t conipri.-^in.L;' the larsre Hoff- man House annex, I'.ower}- I'.ranch .M . i' . A., the Arnheim store on (;th street and Urnadwax , the ^e\en->;or\ mercantile building' at (Irandand I'dm streets; I'.audouine 1 '.uildiuL;, I'.roadway and _'Sth streets; stora.ye warehouse for Third Avenue Cable Road, at 129th street, between Third avenue and Lexins^non avenue; office building at Xo. T43-145 I'dfth avenue, besides warehouses and grain reposi- tories in different parts of the city. The firm's address is No. 1133 Broadway. St. James" Building. John Acker. The builder who superintends the erection of a structure and con- trols the mason, carpenter, glazier, and the many other departments of the building trade in that structure which he is completing for sale, must in truth have a minute knowletlge of the building trade. Air. John Acker, by reason of his long ex])erience as a builder, justly lays claim to the possession of these r im])ortance, still requires executive ability, besides i)ractical and wide ex])erience. Air. Jere- miah Altieri, whose yards and office are located in Xo. 434 East 109th street, is a master em])loyer of laborers, wlio are ex])erienced in this branch of the building trade. His contracts eml)race various classes of work, from the simple cellar exca\ation to that of the larger and more pretentions jo])s. The work comi)]ete of exi)erience and is a thoroughly prac- tical constructor, having been em])lo\i'd 1)\ other firms before he began busine>> for himself, .se\i,-n \ ears ago. lie i> a member of the Mechanics" and Traders' I'.xchange, the lUhlding Trades' Club and the .Manufacturers' .\»ociation. Trominent among the buildings completed by him lately are the ten-story fire-proof hotel, corner of g3d street and Madison avenue; the remodeling of the Harmonic Club F>uilding on 42(1 street, the two-story addition to southeast corner h^ilton and Nassau streets, Nos. 5th avenue, besides man\- other fire-])roof structures and other buildings re<|uiring hea\\' construction. Mr. I'hilds's ofSce is at No. 1125 T.roadway. Robert Christie. Robert C hristie an. I William Dvkes fnunded the firm of Christie & Dykes in iS'dj. After a snccesslnl career of over twenty years, in May, iSSij, .Mr. Dykes retired, and Mr. Christie decided to carry on the business under his nwii name. The oftice of .Mr. Christie is at No. 122 West 2acity of partner and su])erintendent, is well nig'h sufficient evidence that he is in every resjject a com])e- tent and reliable mason builder. He entered his brother's firm in 1886, and was actively engaged in the many important contracts completed by that company until its dissolution in 1891 ; another company was formed, of which ]\Ir. Darragh was a member. In i8q4, Mr. Darragh branched out for hiiuself. and has since been in mason building and contracting trade for himself. His address is ^^o. 1533 JJroadway. J. W. Doughty. Mr. J. W. Douglit} , of Xo. I I Rector street, is a i)ainter and dec- orator of wide and varied ex])erience. He learned his trade and afterwards became connected with the firm of INIead & Taft, high- class wood workers, under whom he acquired a knowledge and familiarizetl himself with the best class of graining, painting and decorative work. It may be added that ]Mr. Doughty was for some years the superintendent painter of that firm of their work through- out the entire country. Seven years ago he entered the field him- self, and has proven himself by the high grade of work done to be a competent workman. He has completed work for Bruce Price, James Brown Lord and other architects. Air. Doughtv has done a large amount of work for the American Express Compan\- and the Western Union Telegraph Company. Dowd & Maslen. Among the well-known legitimate builders in the upper portion of New York is the firm of Dowd & INIaslen. of No. 247 W>st 125th 334 A HISTORY OF REAL EST ATI-, street. l-,stal)lislK'(l in iKijn tliev have (i]ierate.l in the l)est elass of mason and -eneral eontraets in tlie (h-triet luiween swlli >li-eer and i solh street on the W est Side, ahh(iUL;h their upirations were not whollv eonfnied there. 'Yhvy liave huil: the .'viajeMir, the Wes;- niinislu- and WeUeslex apartment houses, lle^idL -^ ux ei i ( >i ) i)ri\-;ite honses of the hetter ehiss. lloth mend)ers of thi.- Iirm. .\li(di;iel J. I)o\v(l and Riehard R. Alasleii, are ])r;ictie;d .and tliorou,i;h masons. Thomas Dwyer. It was some thirteen years a.^'o that ddiomas Dwyer founded the firm whieh Invars his name. I lis first ot'tiee was in luist Twelfth street. .Vhnost \r>m) ihe first he made a specialtx' of pnhhe 1)uihhno-s, botli mtm-'eipal and stati'. .Xmoni^- the- striietures which he lias erected in this cite ma\- l>e mentioned the ])nl)lic schools. \'inet\- third street and Amstei-d;mi aventie and ( )ne I hnidred and I'iftv- seventh street, near Cotn'tlandt tivenne ; the .\(|iiarinm in Castle Garden; the en.L^ine house in W'e-t ."^i.xty-eigiuh street: the boiler house of the .Aletropoliian Museum of Art; and the reception hos- pital ;it the foot of Fast .Sixteenth street, foundations for hig'h service w^rks, ili.i^h l!rid,L;e, \. A'. I'.esides these there are the State .Military 1 '.tiildin,^-, I'eek-kill. X. \'.; the workhouse on IJlack- well's Island, huilt for the Slate of .\ew York, and Sj^rins^- Point Led.i^e LiL^ht House, I'orthmd llarhor. Ale. Recent: V .Mr. Dwyu" ha> devot.d h mself to a cmMderable extent to .i^rtnnte work, lie owns and oi)erates the famotrs j^ranite (|uar- ries on 1 )ix island. .Maine, which furnished the stone for the .\ew A'ork, l'hiladel])lna and Charleston post-of¥ices and tlie I'rea.-urv I'.tnldin.i;- in Washington. It is stated on reliable autlioritv that the Cnited States government has alread\- i)aid u|)war(ls of $30,000,000 for granite from these quarries. W. E. Elderd. In recording the names of .Xew York's cari^enters and general contractors, one finds the name of W. I-:. b:idcr(l, of .Vo. j_> completed iiianv othn- important contracts for .\'e\v \'ork in\-c.-tors, en!4ineer> and corporations. John Glass & Son. The welldx-nown hnildin- tirm. John ( das> \- Son. of Xo. 426 West 2;vl >treet, lia^ been e>;alilidied since 1S47. tiiid .Mr. jolm ( dass, the fotmder of the hrni, has huilt a lar,i;e mimher of private dwel- lings, stores, mercantile huildin^^s ami a])artnients throughout the city. In the earl\ days of his career he bnilt to sell on a favoralde market, as well as for a ])ri\att' investment. lie has huilt an excel- lent class of houses, and alwav^ found, when he jilaced hi^ ])uil Xu. 34,S Willi.s aw William Home. William Horne, car]jenter ;'nd general contractor, of X'o. 245 West 26th street, has been connected with X'ew York building trade for over six years. He served his apprenticeship and worked as a journeyman carpenter under some of the most prominent of our local builders. Afterwards his progressive tendencies prompted him to BriLDIXG AXn ARCHITECTURE IN XEIF YORK. 337 open an office and enter the sphere of general contracting. In this he has been greatly successful, not only in securing contracts for stables, residences and ai)artment houses, but he has completed a large amount oi municipal \v(jrk. Mr. Home has also bought and improved ])r(i])erty which he then placed on the market. The Hydraulic Construction Co. The Hydraulic Construction Co., with a j^aid-up capital of $250,- 000, was organized in 1888 and incorporated in 1895. The president and chief engineer is Mr. W'm. De H. Washington, who is well fitted for his i)Osition by reason of his thorough and extensive knowledge of hydraulic> and general engineering. ISesides I)uilding and main- taining numici])al water-works, the com])any furnishes manufactur- ing establishment^ w ith ])lanls for condensing ])m'i)oses : in addition, lhe\- lia\e buiU M.nie of the largest cais>(jn foundations for the most massixe structures (in lanrl and for docks and liglithouses in water. W e can give but few of the man\' successful contracts completed by them, among which are the water-works of I'.ayomu', X. J., and Lowell, Mass.: condensing ])lants fur the .M etrojxilitan Traction Co., and the Wallace brew ing ( n. ; Mrooklyn Heights Cable Railway Co., Hyde Park, Walp^le, Xew rirecht ; foundations for the Siegel- Cooper Building and tlu' Xortliwot I'oint Roval Shoal Lighthouse; Johnson, Meyer-Jonnason. .^-^jiingler. George G. Jackson. Mr. George (i. Jackson, of Xo. 20S West 17th street, is a carpen- ter and builder who has been connected with Xew York's building industry for twelve years. During that time Mr. Jackson has been engaged in the capacity of jobber for the Rhinelander estate and has paid special attention to jobbing, repairing and general altera- tions. Mr. Jackson has also built on a ^])eculative basis in the West Side, between 14th street and 34th street. The class of ])uildings which he erected are generall\- a C(_indjination of business and resi- dential structures. Two of his best examples are those of Ko. 311 West 15th street, and Xo. 314 West 16th street. He also erected No. 278 West 19th street and Xos. 168 and 170 Eighth avenue. Amund Johnson. Among the successfttl builders who have bought unimproved propertv and built thereon for sale stands Mr. Amund Johnson, whose office is now located in his handsome eight-story office Iniild- ing at Xo. 1 14 West 34th street. Mr. Johnson is a carpenter, builder and general contractor. In 1886, having previously perfected himself in metropolitan carpentry, he opened an office and entered the car- penter building trade, in which, by his thorough work and attention to detail he became eminently successful. He perceived the growing need for office buildings in the commercial portion of the city, and 338 A IllSTOKV 01- REAL liSTATE. lie at oiu-e hc^an to piirrliasc siiitahlc sites, on which he afterwards erected dt'tice ImihHii.^s. Sonie of the more import aiu are \os. o ;md I I luist i()th street; Xos. I'.ast i itli street; Xos. 50-52 \\\'Sl 3d street; Xos. 64-66 I^ast 1 ith street, and Xo. 114 West 23(1 street. Jones & O'Connor. The tirm oi J.,ne> X < )'( onnor, of Xo. 71 West KJtli street, has been in existence tw o \ eai'--. althou^'h lioth mem1)ers of the iirm have been identitied with l.uildm- o].cralion> in Xew N'ork for many years. The hrm take-- -eiu-ral contracts and from the many clients for whom this hrm has com]>letcd work we learn that it is licld in the highest esteem. For some time past the firm has completed manv school contracts and lias been lately awarded the contract for (iranmiar School Xo. 44, on Hubert street, near Hndson, in- \-ol\ inL; an e\])enditure of $200,000. Jones X ( )T onnor ha\ e al- ways adhered to le.nitimate btiildini^-. The}" have established fcjr them- selves an excellent re])ntation for ])rom])t and reliable work. Thomas B. Leahy. As L^eneral >n])erintendent and clerk of the wurks in the construc- tion of the Waldorf Hotel, the Manhattan Athletic Clul) and the Wilk> r.tiildini^-, llroad and Wall streets, Air. Thomas B. Leahy needs no introduction to the building' trade of Xew York. Possess- ing- an intimate knowledt^e of detail in eacli of the many branches of the building trades. Mr. Leahy entered the field of general con- tracting in iS()2. .Since that time he has made a specialty of altera- tions, in w hich line he has been eminently successful. He has secured a large ]:)ortion of the more imjxirtant alteration work of late, of which the following is representtitive ; .Shanleys, XIo. 1476 Broadway; St. Cloud Hotel; the row of houses on Broadway, Nos. 1497-1513. His addrt 1^ X. 1. 350 West 31st street. Lewis & Jones. There is no more reliable building firm in .Xew ^'ork than the firm of Lewis X Jones, of Xo. 2 West 14th street, ddie historv of the nieiubers of the hrm i> sufficient guarantee of their re] mtationsas men of sterling wurth. .Mr. John J. Lewis has been intimatel\- connected with the building tra a carpenter liuilder and contractor of over t\vent\- years' experience, lie makes a specialtv of store and office work, as well as high class cabinet work. He has completed the car])enter work' in such ])rominent buildings as Matlhiessen & W'iechers' sugar refiner\ in jersey ( itx ; .Mt. Morris Church, 127th street and 5th avenue; 1 )r. Simpson\ Tal n i-nacle, at 4.^1 street and Eighth avenue; ilracca llor.ie, conne. u d uuli the ral)ernacle; Cy- rus Clarke's residence at -ill turn away contracts and refuse such wherein cheapness is what the investor or arcliitt cl ^eeks for. The companv have built largely in the city, not only in large private residences, flats and apartment houses, but also schools and hos])itals. The company's address is Xo. 150 Xassau street. D, Mitchell- Mr. D. Mitchell, of Xo. 155 East Forty-fourth street, has been connected witli the Xew York building industry for twenty-five years. Mr. Mitcliell is a carpenter builder, having during his career completed nunil)erless subcontracts of varying size throughout the entire city. I le has also secured the entire contract of some import- ant mercantile buildings in the lower part of the city. But the greater part of ]\lr. [Mitchell's building is done in connection with some of the estates of old Knickerbocker families. He has built. BUILDISG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 341 rcjjaired, altered and rebuilt for the \'an Buren, Sloan, Clark. Stevens, Schernierhorn estates. The fact of Mr. Mitchell haviner of the craft, ha\ ing 1)een connec- ted with it in the capacity of contractor for nearlv twenty years. During tliat time he has erected numerous structures in different parts of the citv, c()m])rising warehouses, residences, stores, besides a large amount of ])ublic and other work. Probal)ly hi.s greatest contract is one which has ])een recently comjileted, tliat of a numi- cipal building in ( rotona I'ark. I'-orough of tlie I'.ronx. :\lr. ()'d'(,olc has also c.impk-te done nndi'r his ])ersoncd direction. Mr. F'eirce is President of the Xew Wn'k and Maine ( Iranitt' l'a\-ing I'.lock Co., at Xo. 5 r.eekman street. Me is also tlie largest stock- holder of the llallowell ( iranite ( o., ami many other concerns, in- cluding the r.odwell (iranite C o., of Rockland, Me., the Mt. Waldo (iranite Works, of iM-ankfort, Me., and the .Stony (^'reek Co.. of .Stony Creek, Conn. Pizer Bros. Tlie firm of Pizer liros., of Xo. 241) West 133d street, composed of Leon Pizer and Jacob Pizer, has been connecte. Rutan is one of Ilrooklyn's most ])roniiiK'nt hiiild- tTS. The class of work which he has coni])lete(l einliraces >onic of the laro-est and most ini]>i)rtant ever coni|)lete(l in that cit\ . Mr. l\u- tan lias l)een a mason builder and t^'cneral contractor since 1X63; he had previous to that date entered the buildint^ trade, hut on the war lireakin^;- out he enlisted. On his return lie reconnnenced and (hu-iui.; his career he has coni])letefl such structures as the iNleclianics' r.anlv r.uildinL^. ( our; and Ahmtai^ue streets, considered the best of- fice buildui- in I'.Pioklyn: the h'ourteenth Regiment .\rniory at Kth avenue and 14111 street: l'rosi)ect Water d'ower ; Ihooklvn ( 'itv Rail- road lluildin-: .St. .Au.^ustine Iduirch. Thonia^ jeffer-ni I'.uildiu-; i'lioenix lluildin--; People's Rank R.uildiu-; ('entral 1 'robyterian Church; Xational C'itv Rank': Raldwin RuildiiiL;", and a lar^e number of the hi^li-class huildin-s. llis adly business. In connec- tion with those branches of the building- tra-. The buildino- materials for the latter buildiuij and the Aretro])olitan Life Insurance Ruilding- were suiiplied by Air. Smith. Edward Smith & Co. Among; the well-known cariienter job'bers doin.a; a higlT class of work in that branch of the buildins;' trade is Edward Smith & Co., ot No. 46 Ann street, and Xo. 1 i() West 3(;th street. The business was established in i860 by Air. .Smith, but since the formation of the com- panv Alessrs. Thos. R Thompson. A'alentine Lvnch and William F. Rirmin^'ham have been admitted as iiartners. The coiupanv pos- sesses a lart;-e clientele for whom car])entrv jobbint;- has been done for many years. Store and of^ce fittincr 'uul interior decoration work are specialties in wdiich Echvard Smith & Co. unquestionably excels. Amont^- the concerns for which the company does w-ork are the Pos- tal Teleq-raph and Commerce Cable companies. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. 347 G. F. Tausig. Among the high-class. reputa1)le builders and general contractors, in New York, is the well-established tirm of G. F. Tausig, of Xo. 256 West 28th street and 257 West 27th street. Mr. Tausig has been connected with the building industry for sixteen years, and pre- vious to that acted in the ca])acity of foreman for Xew York's leading Iniilder fur tive \ear>. .Mr. Tausig is one of our best carpenter and cabinet workers, having a wide experience in both branches. As examples of his capacity as a builder wt name the large factory at 146th street and Railroad avenue, and the fine cal)inet work in the residence of T)r. H. Hullirnok Cur- t's, of wliich Mr. TauMg C(.ni])k-ted tlic entire cwntrart. lie has completed the cabinet and carpenter w . >rk of the \ w < \\ :^\vv\\ Elec- tric buildings, at I'.etliune and West streets, and the Xew ^'ork Eye and l-'.ar Infirniarw The car])entr\- work of the norlliea>t corner of r.roadway and ICightli street, an e!even->tor_\' l)uildiiig, and of many other mercantile l)nildings has l)een comjjleted by him. Terry & Tench Construction Co. The skeleton frami_-work of sonu- of our large office .and piibli.- buildings now ])eiiig erected in all oiu' largei" .\mericaii eitie- re(|uii\'s a technical engineering knowledge, in^x ther w ith a practical experi- ence in structural iron work. Aiinmg the l)est known and probably first among the largest of the W estern bridge constructors who were attracted to the center of structural iron work in the East i^ the now highly re])utable firm of Terry & Tench Construction Co., of Xo. i()45 Seventh avenue. Coming to Xew York from Oregon in the spring of i8ij5 the\- have succeeded in establisliing a reputation for reliable and rai)id work that i> >inii>l\ wonderful considering the short time the firm has l)een connected with .\'ew \'ork building circles. Among the buildings constructed and supplied by this firm are the ]\Iills House Xo. i. Central Xational Bank, Cushman I'.uild- ing. Grand Central Station, Sherry's new building, 44th street and Fifth avenue, and the Hudson lUiilding. Henry Turner. ]\lr. Henry Turner, whose office is located at X'o. 113 West 96th street, is a representative Xew York contractor, whose structures testify to his ability as a builder. He is thoroughlv familiar with all branches of the building trade, and it is his attention to detail and high class workmanship recjuired of his emi)loyees that have brought about in all the buildings completed by ]\Ir. Turner a high standard of excellence. He has built to a great extent on the uj^per West Side of Xew York, although his operations have not been confined there exclusively. He is a practical member of the craft and is recognized as one of the most careful and thorough builders. :Mr. Turner exer- cises a personal supervision over his work with the result that it is all that could be desired. 348 A HISTORY OP REAL ESTATE, C H. Van Aken. While the New York building' industry embraces many particular ramifications, there is no branch in which sound judgment and wide experience is s(j necessary to attain success as in that branch in which a contractor figures on a job where there is a thorough overhauling or repairing to be done. Air. C. H. \ an .\ken, of .\o. 14S West 4th street, while not devoting his attention wholly to rejiairing and over- hauling, is one of the most successful and reliable contractors in that line of work in the city. He is a mason builder, and previous to Ir s entry into the general contracting field in the city served as journey- man, and for many years acted as superintendent to some well-known builders. E. Van Houten. The list of Xew York's mason builders and general contractors comprise many able and ex])erienced men. The name of Erskine Van Houten, of Xo. 1181 Third avenue, comes prominent in the list, for Mr. \ an llouten is one of New York's most reliable builders in the legilimate trade. He has been connected with build- ing matters for many years, during which time he has built various structures and completed extensive alterations in different parts of the city. While not confining his operations to the upper East Side Mr. A'an Houten has built in that locality to the greatest extent. He is a practical ])uil(ler. and understantls the craft thor- oughly. H. H. Vought & Co. The building firm of H. H. \'ought & Co., of No. 159 East 54th street, is one of the most substantial high-class building firms in the city. They have been connected with the building trade since 1882. The best evidence one can produce regarding its efficiency as a building- firm is the list of structures completed by them. Among the more prominent are the woodwork on the new Third avenue Cable Building, 66th street and Third avenue: Convent Sacred Heart, 133.I street and Convent avenue: Skin and Cancer Hospital, 19th street and Second avenue: Ratchelor .Vpartments, 32d street and Madison avenue: West End Chai)el, 105th street and Amsterdam avenue; St. Thomas Church, 60th street, hirst and Second avenues; build- ing for Mr. E. H. Laudon, 44 East 66th street; building for Mr. John Eastman, Tarrytown. F. H. Wakeham. Mr. E. H. Wakeham, office 175 West Houston street, belongs to tile younger element in the mason and general contracting trade in this city. It was in 1890 that Mr. Wakeham decided to open an of- fice and enter the arena of competitive contracting^. He was well qualified for the work. He possessed a thorough knowledge of the building; trade in all its details; he had BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 349 served his apprenticeship under his father and grandfather, both of whom were builders in this country and in Europe, and he became proficient under them. Previous to his opening his office, Mr. Wakeham had served as foreman and superintendent to several of the more prominent and substantial builders in the city. Mr. Wakeham is identified with the 'Mechanics' and Traders' As- sociations and is a member of the Mason Builders' Association of New York. Some of the more important contracts which he has completed were the masonry of the $300,000 alteration to the Hotel Albemarle and the erection of factories at No. 118 Hudson street and No. 137 Mulberry street; residence at No. 11 East 6ist street, and apartment house at No. 967 Western l!oulevard. James G. Wallace. James G. Wallace, of No. 56 Pine street, is a well-known .\ew York builder of the better class. He has had wide experience ex- tending over eighteen years, and during that time he has completed such buildings as the Taylor I'.uilding, tlie W^allace Building and the Beard Building. Each of them is a twelve-story, modern office building situated in the office section of the city. For the past ten years Mr. Wallace has confined his building operations to the mer- cantile portion of the citv and many of the warehouses in Greene street and that section have been constructed by him. Previously Mr. Wallace built extensively in the middle jjortion of the upper East Side, that territory- between 26th and 5(;tli streets. In that section he built many tenements, flats and apartment houses. Thomas G. Wallace. Thos, G. Wallace was associated with his father, William Wallace, in the building trade for fourteen years. Four year ago he started in business for himself at No. 130 Lexington avenue. Mr. Wallace is a general contractor, but he makes a specialty of remodeling build- ings. A list of the buildings which he has erected includes the Cen- ter Court Apartments in West 28th street; the Hotel Bernard, in Lex- ington Avenue, at 30th street; Dr. John R. Conway's house, in Gram- ercy Park, and his present office building, in Lexington avenue. He has done work for such architects as Clinton & Russell, Renwick, As- ])inwall & ( )wen. Parish & Schroeder, John B. Franklin, Hill & Tur- ner and Charles Bull. Although Mr. Wallace is comparatively a young builder, he has served a long apprenticeship under the very best of masters. A practical knowledge of the trade is very essential in building as may readily be seen. While the architect's technical knowledge may be in a large measure theoretical, in the case of the builder tliis must be supplemented by experience in actual con- struction. There are many fine points connected with the erection of a building which cannot be learned from text-books, and, as a mere matter of safety, cannot be learned by experiment. 350 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE. P. Walsh. Mr. V. W'alsli belontjs to the solid and rclial:)le class of carpenter- Ijuilders and .general contractors who liavc contributed in no slitjh.t manner to the ])uildin,L;' and iKJiise C( in>truction in Xew York. He has been e>tab]ished since 1S7J, and has l)uih to a i^reat extent in the lower section 1 if the we>t >ide. lie is a lei^itiniate builder and has built on ciinlract inan\ I'acturies, churches, mercantile ])uildin^'s and ])rivate residriice^. Amom^ the more im])ortant contracts comple- ted are the 1 emble I'.eth Id. ilowerv i'.ranch .M . C. .\., chm-ches of St. Jolni the I'.N-an-eh.M and the .^acred Heart, rrsuline C onvent, in r.edford I'ark, .^t. hdizabeth's .\cademy. Home of Little Sisters of the Poor, in io6th street, and a mercantile building- on 34th street and Tenth avenue. BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 352 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, A REVIEW OF BUILDING IN NEW YORK CITY. How New York L'ity lias ,o niucli capital and such an array of forces l)een employed in producing homes and places of employ- ment in aiuicipation of inunigrati(.)n and the natm"al increase of pop- ulation. dhi> conil)ination of capital and labor in productive forces operating in a ^ingle industrial field ha.s grown with the growth of the city until its annual capacity- in the production of new ])uildings amounts to iiKjre than the annual cost of provisiomng the entire city. In times of national prosperity there has been ])rofitab]e em- ployment for all these forces and by their etTorts vast sums have been aihkd to the |)einianent wealth of the city. But there have been lean \ ear.s a> w ell a.^ fal one.-, and in them competition has at times dealt harshly and severel\- with these forces. Yet out of this competition have grown some notable advances and improvements in the arts and systems of construction. Twenty-five years ago the system of construction, no less than its architectural design, was in a state of transition in Xew York Citv. There had been several years of practice in the French Re- naissance st\le, with modifications now and then in its application to commercial construction, and there had been attempts to estab- lish some forms of the passenger elevator in the higher buildings. But in the fall of 1871 the Chicago fire raised, among other things, some important questions regarding the fitness and sufticiencv of materials for certain uses, the economy of non-fire-jiroof construc- tion, and the ])ossibility of a larger use of the area to be built upon. All of these were essentially economic questions, having refer- ence in their final solution to the main question of income in its re- lation to the investment. For, althi ugh Xew York has many nota- ble examples of ecclesiastical, academic, institutional, domestic and civic architecture, the greater portion of its construction has been commercial, and in this class of construction the economic consid- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE LN NEW YORK. 355 eration, from an incidental relation, has grown to be the first. ]Many years prior to 1872 New York City real estate had taken on a mer- cantile quality rarelv found in real estate operations before, and had become a favorite medium of investment for persons of surplus means. The (piestion in all such cases is, first, "how much will it cost?" second, "how much will it ])a\ ?" As we look over the last (|uarter century of real estate and build- ing activity in New York it seems as if every efYort in connnercial architecture and construction has been addressed to the solution of these two Cjuestions. .\nd the effort U) solve them favora])l\- to the speculator and the investor has resulted in some ver\' remark- able changes in the art and s\>tini of construction. The evidence is conclusive that in and throu^li it all there has been a conscien- tious and j)crsistent effort in the direction of im])rovement. This effort, we now see, was not always wisely or intelligentlx' directed. The conviction in course of time entered the minds of our builders that beauty, in its relation to construction, possessed the element of commercial value, and the effort to a])ply beauty to their stereo- ty])ed forms of construction resulted in some grotes(|ue creations. r.ut at the beginning of this period of rexiew the architect was just emerging from a |)osition of subordination to the builder and architecture began to l)e considered as something more than a bar- ren ideality. ( )ur builders had previously been their own architects, fact which produced at least one satisfactor\- residt from the point of view of the present: tlieir wdrks in general are so sim])le and in- expensive that they coimt r,o\\ a> ,sim])le encum])rances of the soil, like old stumps and field stone. In sales of i)roperty that was im- proved more than thirtx' years ago the buildings seldom figure, either as assets or liabilities, in the i)resent \ahie of the ])ro])ert\ . They are utterly unsuited to the requirements of our modern day, yet they cost nothing to remove. The emancipation of the architect nat- urallv resulted in a broadening of the whole field of construction. In their day every novelty in design or materials was deemed an improvement, and in one respect at least they were entitled to the distinction, for they served to raise from Manhattan Island the re- proach of brownstone monotony, that had justly attached to r!l its 356 A insroRV ou real estate, BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 357 works for a generation. For commercial, domestic and institntional building- the material of the facades was always the same, the ever- lasting hrownsti ine. Here and there, indeed, the one inevitable doign was uccasionallv worked out in the more expensive grey- stone, a tacit acknowledgment of the general indictment. Originality in design and materials was under these circum- stances at a ])remium, and the man who designed the first Renais- sance facade, with its colunms. ])ilasters and arches, its deeply recessed oijenings, its mansard roof, became the leader of a new dispensation, with imitators and followers of all sorts and gradations. llrownstone was aljandoned. The new de- sign called Un- new materials. Nova Scotia freestone, light grey in color, fine and hrm in texture, yielding readily to the carver's chisel, was used to some extent, but our more ])retentious buildings were worked out in a light, cream-colored marble, a small (|uarry of which was uncovered at Tuckahoe. U]) in Westchester (dunty. Cast-iron, moulded in all the architectural forni> nece->ar\ in the most elaborate facade, was fre(|ueutl\ employed for conunercial fronts. The French design was eni])loyed indiscriminately, for dwellings, for commercial buildings, for jjublic l)uildings, for fac- tories and for stables — for structures for which it was well adajited, and for those for which it was in no wa_\ suitable. It wa> e\i,n em- plo_\ ed for wooden houses and cottages, with wood shingles stained or i^ainted in imitation of slate. Many a man who had U]) to this period been content to be a practical carix-nter or mason builder now wrote himself down an '"architect." There was no legal pro- hibition, and, really, our only American school of architecture up to this time was the field of practical building operations, one in which experience was the schoolmaster. The mansard style, as it was generally termed, had a brief but extensive run in this country. Its sombre wooden examples exist in cruml)ling monuments still in every town that can boast an existence of thirty years. The close of this first French period in the building history of New York had been nearly reached when the period of our present review began. We had already in existence, as examples of thi.s style, the Park National Bank, in Broadway, between Ann and Ful- 358 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ton streets; tlie Xew ^'o^k Life rnsurance Company's l)uil(lins", at Broadway and Ix-Diiard street: the A. T. Stewart retail store, at iiroadway, <;tli and loth streets and Fonrth avenue; the first Ecjuit- able Life Assurance Society's huihHnt;- (with a passenfjer elevator), from which the present imposini;- structure has been evolved ; the A. T, Stewart mansion, at Infth avenue and 35th street; the Do- mestic Iniildin;;-, at liroadway and 14th street; the Lord & Taylor and AlcCreery stores in limadway; tlie Masonic Temple, at Sixth avenue and 23d street; the ( Irand ( )i)era House, at Eif;hth avenue and 23d street; ISooth'.s Theatre, at Sixth avenue and 23d street; the St. James Jlotel, at I'-roadway and 26th street, with a steam passeui^er elevator; tlie < .ilse\ and (Irand Central Hotels, farther up llrnadway; the I'ark avenue, over in Fourth avenue, designed at tirst for a working women's hotel; the Smith building, in Cort- landt street; the old "Herald building, at llroadway and Ann street ; the "Si';!" building, and, one of the last of its type, the Drexel building, with passenger elevators, at Wall and Broad streets. There were many others, of generally less importance, for the five years from 1867 to 1872 were productive of $180,000,000 \vorth of buildings on [Manhattan Island. Some of these were faced entirely with cast-iron, some ])artly with cast-iron and partlv with white marl)le, some with granite and marble, some with Xova Scotia sandstone and some entirely with Tuckahoe marble. We were already engaged upon the Xew ^'ork Lost ( )f^icc (for which our beautiful City Hall was dismembered), then generally considered the most imposing sample of the h^rench type of our public buildings. It is significant of the state of the public mind at this time, and of our advance as a nation in our conception of architectural art, that the public prints and reviews in general ap- ]ir()ve(l the structure and its location, and there were only a few cultiu-ed souls among us witli courage enough to ])rotest against the perpetration of such an enormitx'. \\'e see now that it was the magnitude of the structure, then cphte the biggi'st tiling in the countrv outside of ^^'ashington, that won the ap])roval of tlie ])icto- rial jiress, and with it the mob. It is so even in our own times. Many an architectural monstrosity has gained a permanent location and BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 360 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, public ap]iroval in t'u' Aiiu-rican inetro])()lis that lias little besides its nionunu'iital pr( i])()rtii ln^ to rc-cdniniend it. Thinfjs need only to be l)i,L;-L;er than conmion tn i^ain the a|)i)ri)val of the majority, and in a denK icracw of coin-se, the niajorit\- always rules. Quite a considerable number of the buildin.q-s of the h'rench mansard type were of nominally fire-])roof construction: tliat is, they were constructed with broad and massive foundations and walls of masonry, with iron floor beams and girders resting upon these walls and ui)on cast-iron interior columns or brick piers, and with lloor arches of set up brick or corrugated iron, each leveled uj) with concrete. The stairways were either of stone, encased in brick, or of cast-iron in open hall court. Up to this time (t868- 1872) construction for connnercial or office purposes seldom ex- ceeded five stories. The economic line was generally drawn at the fourth floor. Above that, except in newspaper offices, only the youthful and cheaper classes of operatives were expected to go. The effective force of the average office and warehouse employee would stand two flights of stairs without complaint, three flights with mur- muring and some loss of effective force, but four flights only in se- dentary employments. In other occupations the loss of time and energy in climbing four flights of stairs was not compensated for by the cheaper rents or other advantages of top-floor locations. In most commercial buildings tlie top floor was used for light manu- facturing or bulky storage and packing purposes. In office build- ings the inevitable janitor had his residence on this floor, his flower garden, truck patch, back yard and summer house on the roof. In all the commercial buildings erected during this period there were elevators, for freight, worked by hand, with a geared hori- zontal windlass that was suspended from a wooden frame at the top of the elevator shaft. It was a slow affair, but it answered its purpose without improvement for many years. But it was also the germ of the present passenger elevator system, the main factor in the most momentous revolution in building known to modern times. Two events happening at about this time l)rought the French mansard style of that period and its nominal fire-proof methods of construction to a test which it could not stand, and it was almost 362 .-^ HI STORY OF REAL ESTATE, as su(l(lciil\- and coiiiplctely (lr()i)i)c(l as it Iiad leaped into favor five or six years before. The hrin^inj^' of the passenger elevator to con- ditions of ]-)ractical utility threatened the future of hitjh-class com- mercial and hotel construction, before even the .qreat tire of Chi- cago, on October 9 and 10, 1871, subjected building materials then in use to a crucial test, the result of which was to forever discredit some forms of construction then extensively enii)loyed and to rele- gate some materials long held in high favor to inferior positions. Chicago at the time of its famous fire contained the larger propor- tion of wood construction connnon to Western cities, and a consid- erable amount of nondescript cheap brick and wood construction, but it had also at the time many nominal fire-proof buildings of the French mansard style, and more cast-iron front commercial build- ings, with wooden interiors and flat roofs. For her more preten- tious buildings she had a fine, close-grained, tough, buff limestone, called Lamont marble, the product of ([uarries fouml wiiliin forty miles of the city in two directions. The conflagration sw ept the en- tire business portion of the city and large parts of its choicer resi- dence sections completely out of existence. Over 18.000 buildings were destroyed, involving losses aggregating $200,000,000, which, through the ruin of many insurance companies, was distributed indirect!}- pretty nnich over the entire country. Certain results of this historic blaze made lasting impressions upon construction in all great centres of population. The loss of capital through the ruin of insurance companies and of mortgagors compelled a study of the means of prevention of such fires, and this study, as a matter of course, began with the materials and systems of construction. A few of the fire-proof buildings held out valiantly against the consuming element and were not entirely destroyed, though every particle of coml)ustiblc material contained in them was destroyed and much of the iron work was so warped and twisted that it had to be taken out. Cast-iron, for the fronts of buildings, in streets of less than a hundred feet in width, was found to be most treacherous. In several instances these fronts expanded and buckled and fell into the street from the effects of the intense heat radiating from burning buildings on the opposite side of the 364 ^ HISIORY Of REAL ESTATE, street, hcfore their ci)ml)Ustil)le intrriurs liad takt'ii fire. Lime- stone ])r()ve(l hnt a ])i)()r re^i^lant of tlu- heat. eraelsinL; and cnun- bhnL;- i|uiekl} iqx m expi i^ure ; granite w as hetter, m mie (|uahties, ci >n- tainin^; hn\L;"(.'r | in >])ortii ins of (piariz. ,L;i\inL;' \\a\ (|uieker than otiiers. The freestone fronts, of whieh tliere were several from In- diana quarries, best witli^tood the heat test, anion^- the huihling stones, 1)Ut brick alone jjroved a perfeetlx' rehable resistant in the wall mass. Among the Chicago ckax ])its, lio\\ e\ er. w ere some that were largely impregnated with iron and snl])liur, and the i)henonie- non was observed, after the fire, of a])iiarently ])erfect brick, the in- terior contents of which fused and run out, leaving only the holUnv shell remaining. In other mounds of ruins iron, glass and clay were mixed in solid molten masses. It was also observed of the free- stones that such as were laid on their natural bed in the wall with- stood the effects of heat and water better than where the stone were set on edge. In the latter case it frecjuently scaled off in large flakes, necessitating sometimes the taking down of the entire wall. Investment in Buildings. All of these facts, the apparent certainty that the elevator had come to stay ; the failure of many materials to stand the heat test, the necessity for better protection against fire, and one other fact, the lowering financial skies that broke a year later in the most dis- astrous panic this country has ever experienced, brought the build- ing movement of 1868- 1872 to a practical cessation and inaugu- rated a period of extremely conservative business in the real estate and building lines in New York. The maximum of construction for this period was reached in 1871, when 2,782 buildings, costing $42,585,391, were erected, h'rom this the decline was rapid to 1874, when the year's production embraced only 1.388 buildings, costing $16,667,414. In the following year the great Park Avenue Improvement, a joint t)peration between the New York Central Railroad Company and the city, by which the rapid transit tunnel was constructed and the open cut tlu-ough which the railroad ran from 4c;th to io6th street, was closed and converted into a tunnel, was completed. This induced a slight recovery from the stagnation BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 365 366 J HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, of tlu' ])rcviiuis yi-ar. and l)ui!(lin,erators, the windlass was shifted to the top Hoor. Tliis machine \\a> slow of operation and, therefore, grew but slowly in favor. It was not until the application of steam, in the late "70s, that the hod-hoisting machine began to exert a marketl and im- portant influence in lessening the cost of construction. In its present form it is one of the most effective — if not the most effective — of labor-saving devices in the ljuilding industries. W'xih the steam derrick for the hoisting of stone and iron, and a modern hod-hoist- ing machine, and a platform elevator for fire-proofing and wheel- barrows and small materials, the labor cost of construction has been reduced by from 50 to 80 per cent — according to the height of the building. Really, if builders were bound to the slow and tedious processes of hoisting and handling materials that obtained twenty- five years ago the cost of construction of twelve and twenty-story buildings would be well-nigh prohibitive. Then a block of stone or an iron beam would l)e moved by aid of wooden rollers and pinch- bars to a point directly under the derrick, and when the clamps were applied four men would apj)!}- thenl^elve.^ to the cranks of the wind- lass, an(.ither would tend the gu}' rope and often another would tend the tackle from the top of the building. In tedious course of time the stone would reach the top, and with much tugging and pulling would be brought to position. Now the stone or beam is grappled at any i)oint within reach on the sidewalk, a lever is turned, the steam windlass revolves twent}- times, where formerly it revolved once, the toj) is (|uick]y reached, another lever lifts the boom and guides it to desired ])o-ition and the stone is dropped just where it is Avantcd.. Twentx times the amount of work can l)e done with this a])pliance th;it wa> formerly ])os.si])le with the IkukI derrick'. If the cost of fire-proof buildings lia^ declined from S3 to 35 cents ])er cubic foot in twenty-five \ ear>, a^ M>nie maintain, no small part of this economy has been effected the steam hod-hoisting machine, the steam platform elevator and the steam boom derrick. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 373 Passenger Elevators. The i^picl development of the passenger elevator has had an im- portant and far-reacliinj^ result upon construction, mainly in this country, but also in foreign lands. ' After the trial of the vertical screw elevator in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, years prior to 1868, there was a long period of some six or seven years, during which the in- ventors and manufacturers of passenger elevators received but poor encouragement from builders or the general i)ul)lic. The history of their early trials and tribulations is a lesson in the value of perse- VoTance in well-doing. The first of the susi)en(led steam elevators of the ( )tis t\ |)e was put in the .St. James' Hotel in 1866, two years before the beginning n\ our ])eriod of review. This type came into pretty extended use during the next seven years, but it never attained to popular approval. The jerky motion that was well-nigh inseparable from them and the accidents that attended their intro- fluction were factors inimical to their growth in popularity. Then the water-balance elevator was invented. It was a great improvement upon the steam elevator, but in its original form — a cage in a shaft, suspended over a ]iulley by a wire cable, at the other end of whicli w as a wr( iUglit-iron bucket a little less weighty than the cage, and which was filled at the top of its cylinder with water from a tank, and when the brake was loosened would descend hy gravity and pull the cage up, and at the ])ottom of the cylinder was emptied and threw the balance of weiglu to the cage, whicli would then descend and ])ull the bucket up — it was lialjle to esca])e from the control of the operator and produce startling and un])leasant if not injurious sensations, ft was tirst ])Iaced in this form in this citv, in the new W estern Tnion lUiilding, in 1 '.roadway, in 1873, and con- tinued in service there until the fire in that liuilding in i8gi de- stroyed it. The fastest speed ever (levelojjed in passenger elevators was by this gravity system. Europe was, about this time, exjjerimenting with diiect acting hydraulic ram elevators, which required the construction of a ver- tical cylinder in which the plunger operated, beneath the car and as deep in the earth as the elevator shaft was high above it. It was safe enough to overcome the scruples of even the Europeans, but it was 374 ^ HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 7:77 very costly, slow and impracticable for buildings of more than five or six stories. Some were constructed in this country, but few of them are now used, and these only in Europe. In an effort to obviate the difficulties of the hydraulic-ram ele- vator the telescope cylinder was invented, and one of these was placed in the new Post-office Ikiilding in this city. But it was un- certain of action and difficult to keep in re])air, and was therefore abandoned. Then came the vertical c\linder hxdraulic elevator of the modern type, and lastl\ the electric elevator. These have prac- tically superseded all former t\i)es, and are in general and rapidly extending use in this and other countries. It would be folly now for anyone to construct an office l)uilding or hotel or a]);u'tiuent house of even ordinary size witlujut them, and business l:uildings are l)ehind the times that are not equipped with them. The effect of this develo|)nient of iIk' jiassenger elevator ujjon modern construction has been re\-olutio;iary . lluildings like the Park National Bank and the .\ew \ nv\< Life Insiu-ance Iluilding, constructed in i86S and iHfxj, were not designed to use elevators. Before this time there was no object to be gained in ])uilding office buildings more than five stories high, for above this the\ would not rent. When they began to be increased in height, in consecpience of the improvements in the elevator, the first ventures were Init moderate. The steam elexator of that ])erio(l was a disagreealjly ])ulsating affair, and builders had their niisgi\ ings as to what would come of it. llowever, the l''(|uitai)le lUiilding. the first section of which was built in 1869-70, was an ele\-ator l)uilding. Passenger elevators were not only recognized as a necessit\- for new high build- ings, 1)ut for the older buildings with any ])retensions te) size, thev were eciually necessary. Fireproof Buildings. One of the results of the great fires in Chicago and Boston was to test building materials as they had never been tested before, and in that test many preconceived notions were unsettled and removed. Fronts of cast-iron received their death blow ; granite w as shown to be a poor resistant of heat : limestone stood the ordeal better, but BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 379 scaled and flaked badly wherever it was set in any degree off the level of its natural bed ; sandstone, of all the stones, to which family belong- our brownstnnes and graystones — such as the Belleville, Greenville and Long .Meadow and Nova Scotia varieties — best with- stood the action of the intense heat. lUit better by far than all stones, was brick, llrick, hard and well made, again demonstrated its superiority as a l)uilding material in the trial by fire ; tlKJUgh even these did not always resist the action of the crucial L-lemcnt. Fire-proof construction, as it had been known up to this time, was found to be no security against such an ordeal. Wooden doors, door frames and window frames and uni)rotecte(l glazed windows, aft'orded eas_\- ingress to the fire, which once inside the fire-])roof building found plenty of material — wooden ])artitions and trim, wooden floors, office and store furnishings and fittings. coml)usti- ble merchandise, often wooden elevator shafts and wooden .Mansard roofs, with outside coatings of slate. These facts were not over- looked by New York architects and builders. They made their im- pression upon the craft in every city of the civilized world, and led to the revolution of building construction. The fire insurance com- panies, those which survived, instituted man\- new safeguards against fire and by difl'erentiating their tarift's, charging high rates where the_\' were ignored and reducing in ])roportion where the\' were adopted, led to their widespread atloption even in this city. .\ list of the fire-])roof buildings in this city (or to be e.xact, in the Borough of ^ilanhattan) would be an almost endless one, but making brief reference to the earlier ones of modern construction in their chronological order, the Park Bank was constructed in 1868, and the old New York Life Insurance I'.uilding in i86q. The Equitable building was constructed in 1870; it was Innlt with gran- ite front walls, in the prevailing French style, with ^Mansard roof. The Ulterior construction was of masonry partition walls, iron beams and segmental brick arches. It was originally five stories high. Jer. T. Smith was the mason, J. G. Batterson the granite contrac- tor, and J. B. & J. M. Cornell the iron contractors. In 1887 the building was enlarged to its present symmetrical dimensions, Geo. B. Post being the architect and David H. King, Jr.. the builder. In New York City. TOWER OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. (1SS9.) McKim, Mead & White. Architects. 382 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, the first section tlie floors were constructed of common brick arches between iron beams and furred underneath with metal lath, plas- tered, to get level ceilings ; the minor partitions were of angle-iron studs, covered with metal lath and i)lastered. In the added portions of the building the floors were of hollow burnt clay flat arches, be- tween irdu beams, and the partitions were of burnt clay blocks. The next fire-proof building of importance was the Drexel Building, at Broad and Wall streets. It was built as an elevator building, seven stories high, in 1872. It was one of the last of the French type of business structures, was built of white marble, with fire-proof inte- rior construction, and with a Mansard roof. Two other office build- ings were built in Wall street ab(Ait this same time and to about the same height. These were ec|uipped with steam elevators, without which they would not have been built so high. The Western Union Building, at Broadway and Dey street, was the first of the really large office buildings to be erected. It was built in 1873, ten and a-half stories high, the three upper of which were in a mansard roof. Geo. B. I'li^t was the architect and Smith & Rogers the biiilders. It was ef|ui])i)ed with two elevators, one of them a water balance (the first to be built in this city) the other a steam elevator. Two months later the Tribune building, from plans by Richard M. Hunt, was started, Peter T. O'Brien being the builder. It was planned as an eight-story building, with two steam elevators, for which hy- draulic elevators have since been substituted. For many years the Tribune building, with its tall tower, was the most conspicuous architectural work in the down-town section of the city. But this was in the nud.st of the long period of depression in the building trades, and the construction of buildings influenced by the im])roved passenger elevators did ntjt begin in real earnest tuitil the resump- tion of investments in real estate about five years later, in 1879. Then came in order as named the Boreel building; the Morse building, in 1878: the original Temple Court, in 1878-9; the United Bank building, in 1880; the Mills and Potter buildings, in 1881-82; the Produce Exchange, in 1881-84; tlie Welles building, in 1881 ; the Western Union Telegraph I)uilding, at Fifth avenue and 23d street, in 1883; the Standard Oil and the Washington buildings. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 383 384 •' HISTORY OF KIIAL ESJAT/l, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 385 New York City. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. McKir.i, Mead & White, Architects. (1889.) 386 .1 HISTORY or REAL ESTATE, in 1S84; Aldricli Court, in 1886; the United States Army building, in \\'hil(,-liall street, in 188O-88; and tlie Consolidated Exchange, ui 1887. 'I'lu se buildings were all of the fire-proof type of ofBce building, with ^olid ina>(jnry walls, iron or steel l)eams and gird- ers, and ivon or nia.sonry interior supports. The floors and parti- tion■^ and the material of construction i)artook in each instance of the very great ini]irovements wliicli characterized this ])eriod and which, after 1875, greatl\- lessened the cost of c(jnstruction in each successive case, as we shall see later on. Compared with the cost of construction in 1868-69 the build- ings constructed on the fire-proof plan, and designed to be used with elevators, in the period from 1874 to 1880, were cheaply built. Wages had declined to $2.50 and $3 for bricklayers ; the same for carpenters ; $2.75 to $3 for stone masons ; $3 for plasterers ; $2.50 for painters, and $1.75 to $2 for laborers. These were less by from 25 to 50 per cent than they had been. [Materials, too, were cheaper by about the same percentages. Brick that ten years before ruled from $7 to $12 per thousand, sold now at from $5.25 to $8.25. Cement had declined from $1.75 to $1.10; lime from $1.25 and $2 to $1 and $1.15 ; pine lumber from $22 and $25 to $17 and $18: hem- lock in about the same proportion ; spruce remained about the same; granite declined from 75c. and $1.50 to 60c. and $1.25; freestone from $1.15 and $1.40 to 75c. and $1 ; marble from $2 to $1.25 and $1.50, and other materials generally in similar propor- tion. Iron was higli, American ])ig ruling at $33 and $34 per ton, and wrought beams selling at 4.6 cents per pound. The average cost of the Iniildings declined from $19,021 in 1873 to $9,102 in 1878. They jumped from the latter figure, however, to $17,381 in 1882 and to $21,282 in 1893, not on account of anv increase in prices or labor, for the increase had not yet taken ])lace, l)ut rather because larger and better classes of buildings wer^' being erected. Notwithstanding these facts, from the ])resent ])oint of view all of the Imildings wdiich have been mentioned, as all that were built previous to 1889, were of very expensive construction. Although the interior construction was much lighter than wt)ul(l have been the case had masonry supports Ix-en used, the main walls of all BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 387 HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 390 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, these buildings were necessarily of very heavy construction. This fact imposed restrictions upon the height of buildings which even the steam elevator could not overcome. The object planned for, then as now, was rentable floor space. Except in a few cases the lower floor produced the highest income from rents and the rent- als grew less as they progressed towards the top floor. The higher the building the thicker and broader the walls had to be, and thick walls consumed the greater amount of space in the most valuable parts of the building. There came a point, therefore, at which the consumption of floor space in the lower stories more than ofifset the productiveness of the increased floor space at the top of the building. This difference in the rentable value of the floors was largely equalized by the perfection of the easy and rapid mov- ing hydraulic elevator, and the later structures of this character are accordingly the loftier. But about the time that the fact became clearly demonstrated that there was an active and growing demand for offices in the upper stories of the tallest buildings, the last and greatest improvement in the system of construction of office and business buildings — the steel skeleton construction — made its appearance. A framework of steel is embedded in masonry and carries all the floor loads, to- gether with the outer walls themselves, or the steel cage may be so placed as to carrv the floors only, leaving the outer walls to sustain themselves independentlv. The powerful incentive of saving space required by the old method of solid walls soon secured the adoption of the skeleton construction for high buildings. The goodly number of tall buildings — including the Manhattan Life, the Cable, the American Surety, the St. Paul's, the liowling Green, the Empire, the Syndicate — that have been erected within the past few years on the skeleton principle make it manifest that we are as yet only in the infancy of tall building construction. Unless the law, for public sanitary reasons, shall interfere to prevent their mul- tiplication, there is every reason to believe that their construction will go on to increasing altitudes and until the entire business dis- trict is covered with them. New York is peculiarly the home for such structures. Here they may have the solid rock for their foun- BUILDIXG AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 391 dations and broad waterways on either side of the island insure for tiiem better chniatic surroundings than they would have anywhere else in the C(juntry. Tlie demand for such structures, moreover, is greater in this city than in any (jther, and the values placed upon the naked ground require that it shall be improved with this class of buildings to make it productive. But it is not alone in office buildings that the combination of hy- draulic fast passenger elevators and steel skeleton construction hag worked a transformation. Hotel construction has been very ma- terially affected by it. When the Fifth Avenue Hotel was built, in 1859, -'^'^ stories high, it was esteemed a wonderful building. The central section of the HotTman, seven stories high, was opened in 1864. Then followed the St. Jame^, at 26tli >treet. with steam ele- vators, in 1866, and in 1874 the (lilsev. a seven-story building, at 29th street. The last two were of the I'rench Renaissance, Man- sard-roof style, and were the most popular hotels in town in their day. The \\"iiidb.or, at Fu'th a^.'cnue and 46th and 47th streets, sti!! considered one of the best hotels in the city, is a seven and eight- story building. The Buckingham, at 50th street, si.\ stories high, was built in 1876: a new section, towards the middle of the block, is thirteen stories high, in the new style, and fire-proof. As the city grew towards the north and west other hotels of scarcely less mag- nitude and importance were built along the line of 1 '.roadway, and in I'^)urth avenue, notably the Murray Hill hotels, and hotels in h'ifth avenue. They were all, as popular fancy required, elevator hotels, l^ut they were all of the old type — solid masonry walls and not of fire-proof construction. Even the I'laza Hotel, fin- ished in 1890, was Init eight stories high. In the following year, however, the steel-skeleton system began to be applied to hotel structures as well, and the Sav(3y, of eleven stories : the Xew Xetherland, of seventeen stories; the Waldorf, of twelve stories; the Astoria, still higher, and the Imperial, Holland, Xew Bucking- ham, ^lanhattan and others, of nearly equal importance, have fol- lowed and added greatly to the importance and even more to the beauty of our city. Perhaps th« most notable departure from the stereotyped form of A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 394 ^ HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, residence was in the buiklinj^ of a])artnient liouses. Tlie first of these were built in 1869. It was not, Iiowever, until thirteen years later that the most notewortln- of these houses were built — notable as much for the scheme which broui^ht them forth as for their ex- tent and splendor. These were the so-called .Spanish Flats, on 58th and 59th streets and Seventh avenue, opposite Central I'ark. Spanish names were fjiven to them — Madrid, Lisbon, Cordova, \'alencia, liarcelona, Granada, Salamanca and Tolosa. Jose V . de Navarro was the originator of the scheme for their construction. This was a purely co-operative scheme, represented by a stock companv, in which the owners of the stock were to become the owners of suites of apartments respectively, and contribute pro-rata to the cost of maintaining the property and of general expenses, such as heating, janitor's services, elevator service, water supply, etc. The design of the houses is Moorish, with many balconies, bays, arches, courts, grand entrances and halls and staircases. The walls are of red pressed brick with brownstone trimmings, and the roofs are of many ga'bled and turreted slate construction. Through mismanagement and chicanery the co-operative scheme fell through, the stockholders were foreclosed and the property fell into the hands of J. Jennings McComb, the mortgagee, who completed the houses according to the original plans, at a cost for the whole, land included, of over $4,000,000. The suites of apartments are so arranged in these houses as to furnish to each family all of the con- veniences of a separate and independent dwelling, all on one floor. In the richness of their interior construction, appointments and finish, these houses are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. At about the same time the far-famed Dakota apartment hotel, at Cen- tral Park West and 72d and 73d streets, was built by the Clark es- tate, followed in the same period, 1881 to 1884, by the Knicker- bocker, at Fifth avenue and 28th street, and the Chelsea, in 23d street, between 7th and 8th avenues — the latter a co-operative scheme, that has proven successful. This type of apartment house has been many times repeated in all parts of the residence section of the city. And from the high type represented by the Spanish Flats, the apartment house has been multiplied in an endless variety BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 395 of grades, diminishing rapidly until they are merged in the common tenement type or "cold water"' Hats. There is no arbitrary rule by which the distinction between the apartment house and the im- proved tiats may be drawn. Perhaps it is the passenger elevator which in present general acceptance determines the difference — those being apartment houses in which there are passenger elevat- ors, and fiats in which there are none. But the original apartment houses — the Stuyvesant, in i8th street— were built and still remain without elevators. In these later years, since 1882, when the hy- draulic elevator reached the plane of practical perfection, it has been more economical to equip apartment houses of more than five stor- ies with elevators than to dispense with them ; but a generally more substantial construction and a more elaborate design and finish are given to apartment houses than to flats. Exce])t in ilir higher type of these houses, as in the Dakota, the Chelsea, tlie S])anish Flats, Shorehani, Grosvenor, ( )sborne, the Nevada, Knickerbocker, Gren- oble, Yoseniite, Randolph, Beresford, Earlscourt, the Gramercy Park and the Florence, fire-proof floors and partitions have seldom been used. Since i8i)2, however, the lower floors of all apartment houses and flats are required to be of iron or steel beams with fire- proof floor arches, so that such houses as are not built entirely fire- proof are requu-ed to have a fire-proof covering over the lowest and most dangerous of their stories as a jirecaution against fire. Brick — Clay Products. It is -significant of the period under revievv' that within it are em- braced all that is distinctively American in the materials and meth- ods of construction. What materials we worked with at the begin- ning of this period were common to all the world and the methods of their treatment were such as were connnon to the countries from which our population was recruited. The retrospective view shows that in all that has been esteemed worthy of the achievements of the ensuing period, America has led the world ; and, if we have not created a new system of construction, if we have not invented a new order of architecture, we have at least advanced a long distance on the lines that lead toward a national structural system. 396 lIlSTORy OF REAL P.STATE, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 397 RESIDENCE. Northeast corner Fifth Ave. and 56th Street. Clinton & Russell, Architects. (1898.) 398 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, For tlic first four or five years of this period, as we have alreadv ol)ser\e(l, tlie eliani;fs in the methods of building' were of no import- ance, and the records sluiw the eni])Io\nient of no new materiahs. Marljle continued to be kin^- of huihhn^^- stones, in business and office Ijuihhnqs often fiqurin^- in c()ml)ination with cast-iron in the fronts — the iron for the h)wer stories, the marble for the others. This was al'-i) ilu' ])eriod of the cast-iron front, and it was in this feriod., from iSdS td iSj^:;, that the major ])art of the ir(jn front mer- cantiK' w areh :uscs, in the st\ le of tlie h'rench Renaissance, that fine both >ides of r.roadway. from Cit\ Hall Park to Madison scjuare, were built. 1 h.e iMX'nch st\le, with the Mansard roof, continued to hold the ]Miblic favor, thoui;h not without protest from the small band of cultured architecis who were struggling to gain a place for their profession in this country even at that time. In the construc- tion of churches, libraries, colleges and other public buildings, they found their o])portimities, and thev did not fail to plant examples of the classic st_\ les wherever they could. Changes came after the results of the Chicago and Uoston fires became generally known. The materials most in favor before that time for the fronts of the larger business buildings — iron and mar- ble — gave the poorest account of themselves in that test, and lost their popularity. Hard brick and freestone, that had best endured the action of the heat, came more universally into favor, and were used here in combination — of much brick, with freestone for trim ; as witness, the Western I'nion, Tribune, Delaware and Hudson Canal, T-oreel, Temj^le Court and. X'anderbilt buildings. In some o*' th.ese lu-a\-\- masses of granite were used for the basement storit:,, that nnich concession having been made to architectural a])pear- ance. In some of them, notably the Western Union, the ]\Iansard roof was preserved, and the walls were even more massively built than in the structures of the French type. Hut efYort was made and with some success to overcome a serious objection to all the office buildings .if the Post-office type. This effort was to enlarge the w indow o])ciiiiigs. In the liuildings of the iM-ench style, with their many-pillared fronts, their massive entablatures and deeply-recessed windows, BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 399 the imposing; architectural efYects were obtained only at a very g-reat loss of w indow space and light, or the stories were built so much higher than was otherwise necessary in order to obtain that light. The consequence of this construction was that either the building was so expensive that it would not pay, or the light was so poor that they would not rent, and in either case the results were the same — an insufficient income to justify such an expense of con- struction. In the newer bu.ildings, beginning with the Western L'nion, the fronts were of less expensive style, and being elevator buildings, a nmch L;re;iter floor space was secured, but the massive walls were still an obstacle to ].ivj\- window openings, and, although there was some improxement in tiiis rcsi)ec!:. the better light was se- cured by placing the u ip-dows well to the front of the walls, and by liberal allowances for light ourts. For the interior construction of these ljuildings iron came mote into use than ever before. In the iu|nitab]e Life l)ui](ling the main partition walls were (jf masonry fr.jm bottom to top, with arched openings, 'lliest' and the side walls carried the iron beams of which the floors were framed, and these were filled in with seg-- mental brick arches, which were evened up with concrete and topi)ed with wooden sleepers and wood or marble floors. In the Post-office the interior floor sup])orts were of cast iron columns, rolled iron girders and iron beams. The floors were also of seg- mental brick arches. In all of the newer buildings the weight of the fioors as of old was borne on the side walls and on interior sup- ports of iron columns and girders, with now and then, as in the case of the Sweetser, I'enibrook & Co. Iniilding, masonry arche? instead of the iron columns and girders. \\'hile the masonry sup- ports took up more room, they were cheaper, for rolled iron during this period was from four to fi\-e cents i)er pound. Hut the return to red brick fronts was not an altogether agree- able one, and the architects, who by had gained the U])per hand of the builders and were the first to l)e consulted in the erec- tion of a building of importance, b.egan to lay about them for other materials. The brown and red freestones, marble and other light stoties were satisfactory for dwellings and the smaller class of mer- 400 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 401 ^02 --^ niSTOKy 01' REAL ESTATE, cantilc structures, Inil iVir ck-vatur iniildini^s, cliurchcs and other larj^e structures, sonu-lhiii^- \\a> needed tn ,L;"i\e fr(.'shiu->> and vari- ety to the tone of our architecture. < )iu \\\>t the_\ liad tlie far- famed .Milwaukee cream-colored brick, l:)Ut they were expensive there and the freii^in charges made them well-nigh prohibitory here. At this juncture the brickmakers of the Perth Amboy dis- trict l)egan to produce the liglit shades of brick. Of their ability to produce them they had been a long time aware, and as early as 1867 had placed them experimentally on the market. ^lessrs. Savre & Fisher it was who furnished as early as 1870 the light brick used in the rotunda of the Coitnty Court House. Al- fred Hall, also at Perth Amboy, began to manufacture light-colored brick about the same time. About the first example of these brick in exterior walls was in the Post building, in Exchange place, but if the success of the brick had been dependent upon this example they would have failed. The mistake was made of taking the brick from several difYerent makers, some even from ^Milwaukee. The result was that there was not only a variety of shades, but some were po- rous and others non-porotts, and their varied characteristics are ex- pressed in a variety of shades. The artistic sense finds no fault with this, even the pale green colors that have developed in some of the porous bricks being a welcome touch of color, but the builder looks first for perfect harmony of color in all the brick and after that for its more substantial merits. It was not until 1883 that these light shades of brick were pro- duced with satisfactory success. In that year and the following the Dakota apartment hotel was built of them, from ])lans bv Ar- chitect H. J. Hardenbergh. About $225,000 were used for the ex- terior walls and about 280,000 for the court. They were from the yards of Sayre & Fisher. The firm had owned the claybeds from which they were obtained since 1845. I' or the production of light shades of brick the clay must be free from iron and sulphur. The iron in clay is what produces the red color, and the sulphur the mottled effect. After 1885 the light shades of brick grew rapidlv in popularity and were usefl for all classes of buildings with pleasing efifect. They are made now in a variety of shades from perfect BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE l.\ NEW YORK. 403 white to dark gray and old gold. Some of the principal buildings built with fronts of light brick are the X. J. Central Uuilding, the Colonial Club, the Manhattan Athletic Club, Hotel Brockholst, Ger- mania Building, Postal Telegraph Building, Madison Square Gar- den, Hotel Imperial, Holland House, Cable Jjuilding, Judge Build- ing, Century Club, Renaissance Hotel, Metropolitan C)pera House, Manhattan Life Building. Cotton Exchange, Home Life B)Uilding, and many subsecjuent buildings. The various shades of brick of this class have ranged in price between $35 and $70 per thousand. Those in the Count}' Court House were sttpplied at S40 jier thou- sand ; some old gold colored in the house of Lloyd I'lKenix on 33d street, near Madison avenue, built in 1S82. cost $70 j)er thousand. Milwaukee brick sold at that time at $50. Another important advance in the manufacture of fancy front brick was scored early in the '80s. This was in the jiroduction of semi-vitrified brick of mottled brown shades, locally known as the TifYany brick, from having first been employed in the Tiffanv chateau at Madison avenue and 72d street. They were moulded in Roman shapes and thoroughly burned. These brick rose innnediately into permanent popularity Tiie\- were e>peciall\- preferred for higli- class town houses, but were als(j largely used for mercantile and small office buildings. Those in the Tififany house cost from $55 to $60 per thousand. The same quality and shapes through the larger production and competition can now be had for $40. and the 1^x4x12 in size for $35 per thousand. These new shades and styles of front brick have grown in popularity until now they oc- cupv first place in the choice of materials for the fronts of manv kinds of dwellings, for stores, for small office buildings, for storage warehouses and for institutional buildings. They aiiswer better than any kind of stone the requirements of fire-proof construction, and blend nicelv, in their various shades, with all the shades of stone, terra cotta and granite used. I'ut more important still, perhaps, than the fancy front bricks, has been the development of architectural terra cotta. It is not at all improbable that this will be considered the greatest among- the improvements in materials of construction during the quarter 404 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, FOSTER RESIDENCE. Riverside Drive and 102d Street. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. 4o6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, century. Terra cotta, i)aintc(l in imitation of stone, was used on the Trinity huildinq- as early as 1853: hut arcliitectural terra cotta, as such, and not intended to l)e an iniitatic^n of any other structural material, hut dependent for its acceptance solely u])on its individual merits, did not come int(j use in this city until 1877, nearly a c|uar- ter of a century later. Then it was employed hy (leoroe P>. Post for the front of a handsome residence, in 36th street, near Madison avenue. T.ut the e.\am])le of terra cotta work in that huilding has not been repeated. In that instance the blocks were moulded square and |)artially dried, and then the designs were ent^raved upon them by hand with wooden tools: then thcv were fired. Ex- clusive designs might still be jjroduced in this maimer, and doubt- less the work would look more like sculpture than do tlie conven- tional designs produced ever since by the plastic process. Terra cotta is produced in all shades from white to bufT. drab and red, and is moulded in all forms desired for ornamental structural work. (See Chapter: Architectural Terra Cotta.) Xext at least in importance among the materials of high-class construction to come into existence and use in this period are the h.ollow bricks and terra cotta lumljer intended for fire-proof floor and \val! construction. They are made in a variety of shapes, suit- able for the various forms and sizes of buildings and openings they are intended to accommodate. ]'>y their aid flat-floor arches have been made possible and partition walls that occupy less space than was possible with even the slightest of studding or brick-work be- fore. The hollow brick began to be employed in the early '70s, being first used in the Post Office building, but they were used in nearly everv strictly fire-proof building in a few years thereafter. The terra cotta lumber, or porous terra cotta that is produced by mixing sawdust with the clay of which the blocks and slabs are made, the sawdust being consumed in the firing and leaving a por- ous fire-proof slab, wiiich may be sawed, chiseled and nailed like lumber, did not come into use until about eight years ago. It has been employed very extensively ever since wherever light fire-proof partitions were wanted, and for fioor arches instead of hard burnt clay. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 407 Cements and Plaster. Of only less interest to tlie architect and builder are the great improvements which have been made in the manufacture of ce- ment sand plasters. The increased demand for hydraulic cements that followed sharp upon the buildinj^- l)Oom of •1871-72 and 1873 stimulated the manufacture of cements in this country, and thev be- gan to be produced in considerable variety and large <|uantity. Uj) to the time mentioned nearl\- all the cement used had been im- ported, but the domestic article was so greatly improved and the foreign article was suffered to degenerate so about this time that the order was soon reversed and by far the greater amount used was of domestic manufacture. It is not even now claimed that .\merica i)roduces as good cements as are made in some ])arts of Europe, but it is maintained that the domestic product has been greatly improved of late and answers tlie requirements of all ex- cept some kinds of exposed work', where smooth, hard, durable surfaces are recjuired. In like manner the plasters have been im- I)roved upon to such an extent tliat they form a new reliance for protection against fire, and when aj)plied on any of the many forms of expanded metal or other fire-proof lath do certainly operate to prevent the spread of fire. They also make harder and better look- ing walls than the connnon stucco plasters. Plaster boards made in various forms, some of which are in- tended as a substitute for lath and may be nailed directly to the studding, and can be fully finished with a rough and a smooth coal of plaster, have found a large market. Cement floor fillings between iron beams, as a substitute for the heavier arches of brick and burnt clay blocks, in a variety of novel forms, such as the Roebling, the Metropolitan, the Columliian and the expanded metal systems, have been used in many recent build- ings, including some of the largest and highest ones. Plumbing;. Sanitary plumbing is also one of the achievements of this period. At its beginning but little thought was given to the subject, and as 4o8 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Riverside Drive and lOSth Street. RESIDENCE. (1880.) Frank Freeman, Architect. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 409 with most other reforms the pioneers gained Httle save personal satisfaction from their worlv. But after a time the sanitary senti- ment that had long been prevalent among the physicians and the cultured laity was organized in a Board of Health, and what had been everybody's business and, therefore, nobody's lousiness, be- came the business of this board. Thereafter the public took up the study of sanitation in house drainage through the newspapers, magazines and i)ublic lectures, and those who were wise quickly learned the relation between typhoid, pneumonia and other malar- ial diseases and bad drainage. Regulations by the Health P)oard found popular support and ])lumbers began to vie with each other in producing the most scientific and artistic house plunil)ing. The best work found the readiest support from the public and the plumber's craft became one of the most profitable and inijiortani among the building trades. The use of iron instead of lead pipes, the trapping and ventilation of all waste pi])es, the adoption of the cistern for flushing out closets, the use of marble, porcelain, crock- ery and enameled bath-tubs, lavatories and sinks and the exi)osed system of pipe^ are the achievements of this quarter century. The craft has l^ecome an. industrial art and it is difficult to see in wliat direction it will be ])ossible to find occasion for further improve- ment. Interior Finish. In no wise inferior to structural advances and improvements in the materials of construction, if not superior to them, have been the advances and improvements in the materials and art of interior finish and decoration of all sorts of buildings, b'irst to make itself manifest was the universal concession to tlie new idea of aesthetic environments of which ( )scar Wilde was the prophet. Home decoration became a popular fad and ran to ludicrous excess, but out of it all grew a vital art sentiment, whose chief expression was manifested in the rejection of gloomy massive, plain walls and trim, and the adoption of light, decorative hangings and mould- ings. Black walnut gave way to the lighter colored woods, and these were polished so as to develop the beauties of the natural grain. Red and white mahogany, (juartered oak, birds-eye and RRSIDEXCES FOR W. W. ASTOR. N. E. Cor. Fifth Avenue and .Itith Street. (18y.S.) Clinton & Russell. Architects. BVILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 411 plain mai)le, cherry, hazel, sycamore, ash, birch, box, poplar, chest- nut and the other native hardwoods, have been used almost uni- versally since 1878-79, and where ]>ine has been used it has also been finished to show the natural grain. The manner in which these wcjods have been used has also un- dergone ver_\- great changes. At the beginning of this period the cari^enter and joiner were all-sufficient for the finishing of any interior. Thev received the mouldings direct from the mill and cut, framed and built up the base, door and window trim, the stair- cases, \i.stibu]es and such little wainscoting as was used: Every- tlhng was plain, and richness was ex])ressed in massiveness and multiplication of the nmuldings. W ith tlie use nf the hardwoods, however, came the cal)inet-maker into alliance with the building trades, ^^"ain~;cl uing came into use for halls and dining-rooms; jjaneled walls and ceilings were re(|uired for vestil)ules, halls and some (linnig rooms: mar])le and .-hite mantels gave wa_\- ^o mantels of hardwood to match the trim: sidebi lar-ds were built into dining- rooms, i)ar(|uette floors were re(|uired for main halls, dining-rooms and bath-rooms: fret-work and scroll work arches were hung from the ceilings over staircases and between parlors and music-rooms; book-cases were built into tlie libraries: boudoir dressing-saloons, with the most sumptuous cabinet trim that could be devised, be- came the indispensable adjuncts of all high-class houses : the cere- monial dining-room took the ])lace of the back parlor, and then an elaborately-trimmed l)Utler's i)antry became a necessary adjunct of every Xew ^'ork town house. In office construction the re- quirements were sini])ler, of course, but the trim was not less sumiituntis, and in most of the retail stores the art of the cabin.et- maker was made manifest wherever possible. This artisan is a shop workman. The plans of the architect for the wood decoration of a dwelling, office or store, a church, public building or hall, are turned over to him, to be executed in given kinds of wood. He puts them together in sections of various sizes, ready to put in place. Then the wood finisher takes hold of them, and with his gums, his oils, his varnishes, his pumice stone, his rubbing imple- ments and his strong arms, puts upon them a polish through BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. 413 which the natural beauties of Hne and form and color appear like pictures. It is the carpenter's business to put this finished work into place, and generally he is capable of it ; but sometimes, as in the laying of parquette floors, the fitting of timbered and paneled ceilings and walls, the construction of bufTets, mantels and arche.-,, it becomes neces.^ary to call in the cabinet-maker. Then an anom - aly in tra(les-uni(jnism apj)ears. The cabinet-maker, though a higher artisan, has not yet been able to win the rate of wages and the short day of which the carpenter is the beneficiary, and when he invades the carpenter's field of endeavor either he passes for a car- penter and receives carpenter's pay — or there is a strike. In 1891 the cabinet-makers struck for the third time for an eight-hour da\- and higher wages, but after hanging out for five months at a loss to themselves of over half a uiillion in wages, and to the builders of a still larger sum in delayed work, interest and lost opportunities, they had to yield again to their employers. Interior iron work for inclosing ele\ator shafts, for railings on stairs, and for window and door grilles improved in design and finish under the general demand for elaborate treatment in every part of the structures erected fairly without regard to total cost. (Sec Chapter: (Jrnamental Iron Work.) Part of the aesthetic niovenieiU out of which grew this develop- ment of artistic interior construction and finish, consisted in the manufacture and ai)plication of wall hangings. The finer papers were at the beginning of this period imported, chiefly from France and Germany. The domestic manufacture was in its veriest in- fancy, and the product was of the simpler and cheaper (pialities and patterns. Even of these the designs were copied from foreign patterns. It was in 1869-70 that two of the factories had their be- ginnings in this citv, which are now the largest in their lines in this country. The industry has grown to very great proportions, and has assisted greatly in fostering and supporting native schools of art and design. Out of it also has grown the interior decorator. He is an artist artisan, whose counsel is sought by everybody and whose work is never too highly compensated. He will take your house fresh from the builder and select the hangings and tapestries, 414 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, the car])cts and funiituix', all to harmonize, and hand over to you a donu-.stio n ireat, as i)erfecl a eoniposition in form, style and color as a Parisian Easter hat. The developments and achievements here enumerated, includ- ing the perfection of the passenger elevator; the hollow brick in- terior construction ; the renaissance of architectural terra cotta ; the manufacture and use of light-colored and mottled brick ; the evolu- tion of sanitary plumbing and drainage ; the application of natural woods, lincrusta walton, marbles, tiles and plasters and ornamental iron work to the interior finish of buildings, and the steel skeleton construction are the accomplishments of the past period of only a little more than twenty-five years. Electricity. This review would hardly be properly comprehensive without a reference to the important achievements of electric science in the period reviewed. Like all other great inventions, it has had its chief support from the large centres of population. New York city has dealt very liberally with the electricians. The first achievements of the science found here the financial backing which made them practical and gave them to the world. It was at the very begin- ning of this period that Cyrus Field, aided by all the world, cele- brated the successful completion of his Atlantic cable. Since then have arisen Gray and Bell and Edison, and the arc lamp, the in- candescent lamp, the telephone, the phonograph and the electric power and traction systems have become practical facts. Our big buildings are made light as day by the electric light ; offices are placed within speaking distance of distant factories and shops by the telephone, and elevators, street cars and ventilating fans are operated by the noiseless, colorless, odorless, intangible and mys- terious power. The effect upon construction it is difficult to over- estimate. In has made available the darkest recess of every build- ing ; it has enabled the manufacturer and merchant to concentrate the office parts of their establishments in attractive, healthful of- fice buildings and still maintain direct and easy conuiiunication with their distant warerooms and factories, and it has provided a BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 415 new and rajiid and inoffensive system of street travel, by which the possible field of o])erations of the individual has been vastly enlarged. Thus office buildings have come more in demand and all their rooms have been made available; trades have concentrated in their respective localities, and connnunication has been rendered easy. In other words, the use of property in every direction has been greatly enhanced by the electric inventions of this period. Unless the acme of achievement in this direction has been reached, which it is impossible to believe, the marvels of imagination will be eclipsed by the accomplishments of another quarter of a century. The Builder. A necessary result of all this development and elaboration of ma- terials and methods of construction has been the specialization of the building trades. Twenty-five years ago our builder was an "all- round man,"' capable of handling almost any kind of a structure from the digging of the foundations to the papering of the walls. And beyond the few buildings of the French style that had been constructed during the few previous years, and some of the larger churches, there was notlnng in the existing systems of construction to call for more than a\erage mechanical skill. Not so now. There is no such thing as an "all-around man" among the building trades now. \\'e have in his place the "CajJtain of Industrx ,"" per- haps the nearest approach to him, but the "Cajitain of Industry" does not himself build, but directs the army of specialists who work under him. Even the architect is no longer alone at the head of the science of construction. The new problems, new and relatively gigantic works of construction ; new materials and new require- ments have developed a new class of experts in the Engineer of Construction. The most experienced architects recognize in the engineer who is versed in the problems of iron construction a valu- able ally ; one whose assistance insures safety and economy of con- struction, where, in some examples known of all architects, the art and science of the architect have been insufficient. Sub-contract- ing has become universal. The builder of a row of dwellings will let in separate contracts the excavating, the foundation and brick 4i6 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, work, the stone work, the plunil)ing and gas-fitting and electric wiring, the car])enter work, the latliing, the cabinet work, tlie con- creting of celhirs and art'as and sidewalks, the furnace or steam heating and piping, the i)la;^tering, the glazing, the painting and the roofing. After he sells a house the buyer will contract for the papering and decorating. On oftice and other large buildings of fire-proof construction, besides all the foregoing, the following- specialists are likely to be employed ; the housesmith, the marble worker, the tile setter, the sanitary engineer, the electrical contract- or, the fireproofing contractor, the elevator builder, the vault-light and skylight contractor, the tank ])uilder and the stained glass worker. In addition to this the mason often sub-divides his work, letting sub-contracts for the foundation work, the rough brick work and the front brick work. 1 lie stone contractor sub-contracts the carving. The plumber sul)-contracts the baths and closets. And the roofer and iron worker "jo))" out parts of their work. It is the task of the architect to lay out his work so that all these workmen can labor together or in their proper order in harmony ; and of the Captain of Industry to mass these sub-contracts into one, and so direct the work of each that all shall at last result in the finished structure, the materialization of the architects" plans. ]\Iany of the larger buildings have been constructed by these master Iniilders, or "Captains of Industry" upon a percentage of the gross cost, the master builder undertaking for his part to stand with re- lation to all the sub-contractors and his own workmen in the place of the owner. This fact shows to what dignity and responsibilitv the craft of the master builder has attained in the period in which we have reviewed his work. BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. LEADING BUILDING MATERIAL FIRMS. The Architectural Sheet Metal Works. The Architectural Sheet Aletal \\'orks,of which Mr. M. 1". Wester- gren is the proprietor, are located in a handsome five storv building, 65x100, with commodious yards in the rear in East 144th street. In the plant are manufactured anything used in the building trade made of sheet metal. This embraces particular designs of cornices, orna- mental designs stamped in sheet metal for the decoration of build- ings, metallic skylights, roofing, fire-proof doors, window shutters, partitions and all classes of corrugated iron work generally. The busi- ness owes its inception to Mr. Westergren, who with two partners, started in a modest way, with moderate capital about ten years ago. Mr. W estergren was an experienced and capable workman. He was po.ssessed (jf all the (|ualities essential aufl necessary to a busi- ness career. He is both energetic and progressiye, and tlie history of the success of his business brings out strikingly the influence of his progressive tendencies and his energetic application to business. One of the partners retired shortly afterward the establishment of the business and the other died a few years ago. During the first de- cade undergone by this concern the e(|uipment of the plant has changed wonderfully. From the few rather crude machines which it possessed at the outset, it has become the best equipped shop, not only in the metropolitan district, but in this country. Some of the machines which have facilitated and improved the manufacturing of corrugated iron and other articles in this line have been invented by this concern. Mr. Westergren, always progressive, recognized the utility of ini]^roved machinery and was always ready to test the im- proyemeiu. Among the machines used in the plant is a large sheet metal press, the largest of its kind in existence. It is eighteen feet in length over all, weighs twenty-five tons, and is capable of ex- erting a pressure of three hundred tons. It enables the operators to bend sheet metal in lengths of thirteen feet. This machine is but a type of the general equipment of the plant. There is no question but that a plant possessing the latest and im- proved machinery, operated by skilled mechanics, can turn (jut the best class of work. This the Architectural Sheet Metal W orks have been doing for some years past, and the buildings completed by them stand as references of the best kind. W'e can iniblish but a few of the more prominent, which are the Carnegie Music Hall, Metropol- itan Club, skylight work on the new Criminal Court House, Siegel- Cooper Building, Cancer Hospital. Decker Building, C. P. Hun»^- 4i8 J HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, 3 Till'; sHi;i;i;v liflLDlNG. 5th Aveiiuc, corner Ulh Street. McKim. Mead & WhUe. Architects. (ISDS.) BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. ington's conservatory, interior and exterior slieet copper work in tlie Sherry Building, cornices and slieet metal work of Alills House, No. 2, the public schools in Rivington and Hester streets, and the sheet metal covering of manv of the piers along the North and East Rivers. When the firm concluded to build some years ago, on account of the great growth of their trade they selected the present site in Nos. 433- 435 and 437 East 144th street as being a most suitable one. The building was so constructed that all the requirements of a sheet metal establishment were fulfilled. One of the features of the plant is a large elevator capable of lifting a loaded truck from the street to any floor, loading and unloading whatever is wanted. Atlas Cement Company. Among the manufacturers and producers of high grade cement in this country, the Atlas Cement Compan\-, of No. 143 Lil)crtv street, stand, pre-eminent, by reason of the su])crior (|ualit\- of ccnunt man- ufactured. Their product has been used ])y the prominent l)uilders in New York and other large cities, and tliex have given the .\tlas Portland Cement their unqualified endorsement. In impartial and unbiased tests made it has been found that its tensile strength is greater than that of any other cement, domestic or imported. It has been used not only in the construction of important edifices, but also in lighthouse work, both submarine and terrestrial, in the con- struction of docks and bulkheads, and by railroads for various pur- poses in preference to imported cements. For many years it was considered that the German and other foreign cements were superior to any American product. Such may have been the case, biit the statement can be no longer admitted in truth. The Atlas Cement Company have by their own efforts placed on the market a brand of cement, the quality of which has been en- dorsed by the large users to be the equal of any and superior to a majoritv of imported cements. The company was organized in 1889, and the nulls at Copley, Pa., and Northampton, Pa., were e(|uipped with imi)roved machinery. The quality of the cement al- ready well known to the engineering and building world was brought more prominently into notice. The capacity of the mills, however, soon became unequal to the demand, and despite the con- stantly increased facilities, the supply has remained unequal to the demand. The company intend to increase their present capacity of 3,500 barrels per day to that of 10,000 barrels; this will be accom- plished within 12 months. A partial list of the imjiortant buildings in which the Atlas cement was used is as follows: St. Paul Build- ing, George B. Post, architect; Havemeyer Stores, George B. Post; Equitable Life Building, George B. Post; New York Life Building, McKim, Mead & White; Sherry Building, ^IcKim, Mead & White; Townsend Building. C. W. L. Eidlitz : Fidelity and Casualty Build- 420 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, ing, C. W. L. F.idlitz ; American Surety Building, Bruce Price; Pres- byterian Building;, j. 11. liaker; Bank of Commerce Building. J. \\. Baker; Gillender ISuilding, Berg & Clark; New York Central rail- road bridge over the Harlem River; Arbuckle Sugar Refinery, Brooklyn, Newhall Engineering Company, engineers ; Power House Edison Electric Light Company, Brooklyn. To the above list of architects, the engineers who are large users of the Atlas Portland Cement embrace the foremost in the United States. The ofificers of the company are J. R. Maxwell, president; J. ¥. de Navarro, vice-president : A. de Navarro, second vice-president ; Howard W. Maxwell, treasurer; Henry 'Graves, Jr.. secretary. Booth Brothers and Hurricane Isle Granite Co. The Booth Brothers and the Hurricane Isle Granite comi)anies were two of the largest granite manufacturing concerns in the coun- try previous to 1891, when in that year the two conijianics were con- solidated and incorporated as one company under Xew ^'nrk Sta'.c laws. The officers of the new com])any are: William Buotli, President; Charles Mitchell, Treasurer; W. S. White, formerly general manager of the Hurricane Isle Granite Company, Secretary and Eastern General Manager. The output of the quarries embrace all the different colors which have been in greatest demand and many of the quarries are so well kniiwn among the trade that they have given their name to the liutpiit. The quarries are all located in Maine with the ex- ception of that wherein "Connecticut White" granite is quarried; it is located in Waterford, Connecticut. A list of the other quarries v.ith their names and location is as follows: The famous Hurricane Isle granite is quarried in Knox county; the steel blue "Long Cove," so admired in monuments, is quarried at Tenant's Harbor; "At- lantic" at St. George; "State Point" at St. George; "Granite Island" at Vinal Haven; "Pequoit" at Vinal Haven; the rich "Jonesboro Red" at Jonesboro; "Jonesport Red" at Jonesport. All the main quarries of this company have been in course of op- eration ever since the granite industry in America began to assume definite proportions. The history of its growth is in brief the history of the rise and rapid development of the Booth Brothers and the Hurricane Isle Granite Co. Any architect, when interviewed as to the reason why he specifies the output of that companv's quarries, will state that as they have been the longest in process of ojjeration they are unquestio.nably the best. There need be no delav in the course of manufacture, as the company possesses every facility to obtain dispatch and the workmanship displayed is of the Ijcst type. As an example of the progressiveness of this firm it may be mentioned that the first locomotive derrick ever brought into this country was first used in one of the yards (if the company. It was manufactured 7n Scotland, but at the present time all the travelling cranes used BilLDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE /.Y NEW YORK. 421 in their yard are now manufactured in this country. 1 lie cost of workinij t^ranite was, up to the ])ast few years, so j^'reat tliat it was the i^Teat (h-awhack to its more g-eneral use. The advanced development of machinerv and devices for its manufacture, many of whicli owe their introduction and consequent improvement to this company, liave, however, , n^w ]>v\nij; erected in many of the hirge American cities reveals tlu- facts that .granite is being- extensively used, espe- cial) v among ciMuniercial l)uildings, to obtain that solid, substantial appearance the u^e nf granite gives. In New York, the Empire Btiilding, the mo.st nia>>i\'e dffice building in the world, is being con- structed of granite. Tlie i'.etz Huilding, in Philadelphia, near the City Hall, is an example nf the output of the quarries of this companv. In St. Louis, granite is used in the Post ( )ffice and Cus- tom Plouse, a most substantial looking building. The Booth Bros, and Hurricane Isle Ciranite Company also covers all branches of monumental work: the (ioldenberg and Rothschild mausoleums in Xew I'mnn J'ield. L, I., are examples nf that cla>.-, of work. The Xew ^'ork \ard and works are Incated in i^Jtli >treet and .Ma(li>on avenue. The princijjal (jfhce is hjcated in Xo, 207 Broadway. Bradley & Currier Co. In 1867, Edwin A. Bradle\- and George C. Currier formed the firm of liradley & Currier, and established their business at 44 Dey street. They at once took position in the front rank of manufacturer^ and dealers in doors, windows, blinds, mouldings and building materials generally. Their business so increased tliat they ac(|uired additional stores until they occupied five entire bud(Hng>. It nuist be recorded that to these men more than to all others is due the credit of the development of the trim business in Xew York. In 1885 was organ- ized the I'radlc}- & Ctn-rier Co., Limited, with a capital of $100,000, and in 1886, to obtain the necessar}' facilities for doing their con- stantl\- increasing business. the\- nmved to the premises, corner of li'udxin and Spring streets, where they remained until 1897. 'when they established their ofTice and showroom in a more accessible loca- tion in 23d street, near Sixth avenue. Here they have the finest showroom in the world, and visitors, whether i)rosi)ective l)uyers or not, are cordially welcomed and shown through the establishment. In 1897, ^ reorganization was made under the title of P>radley & - Currier Co., with a capital of $200,000. The company has, until recently, made the manufacture of doors, sashes, blinds and cabinet trim the j^rincipal part of tlieir business, but as they have developed the manufacture of wood mantels they are now the largest mantel and tile house in the city. They have a gieat advantage over all other mantel houses as thev manufacture all their goods and can consequently guarantee their quality. \\'hen the new process for fire-proofing wood came t'> 'heir notice. 422 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, after satisfying themselves of the value of the discovery, they at once took a large interest in the h^lectric iMre-jirootinq CO.. whose plant is situated at the foot of East 19th street. The niethixl emploxed to make the wood fire-proof is its infusion with a chemical solution which renders it absolutely non-combustible. The woodwork and cabinetwork in the Dun Iluilding, at the corner of Reade street and Broadway, is treated to this iire-])roofing process and was supplied bv Bradley & Currier Co. Their factory at 1 ludson and Spring streets employs over two hun- dred nun, and is the lar-x st of its kind in the city. Bradley & Cur- rier were, in a sense, pioneers in their line, and were the first to issue a price list for doors, windows, and blinds — a class of goods which, uj) to that time, had been made exclusively by carpenters. Robert C. Fisher & Co. The history of the growth of the marble industry in America is in brief the story of the growth of the firm of Robert C. Fisher & Co., of Nos. 97-103 East Houston street. At present it is the best known marble manufacturing concern in the United States, as it is the old- est; its facilities and equipment for manufacture cannot be excelled; its experience and wealth of knowledge of the dififerent quarries in every marble producing province or Kingdom in Europe and every State in the Union enables this firm to draw the 'best obtainable from the vast resources. It is unnecessary to use superlative epithets in describing the career and present status of the firm ; the work com- pleted under its management is ample evidence of its high merit and its recognized ascendancy over its competitors. The firm was estab- lished in 1830 by John T. Fisher and Clinton G. Bird, being known for fifty years under the name of Fisher & Bird. During that time the marble work consisted mostly of monumental work, tiling and mantel work. About five years after the establishment of the firm it had risen to the most prominent position in the trade. Both mem- bers of the firm were practical men and the standard of work set by Fisher & Bird soon began to be followed by the trade. In i860 there was a change in the personnel, but the name remained Fisher & Bird; in 1859 Mr. John T. Fisher died and a year later his partner followed him. The successors were Rdloert C. Fisher, a son of the founder, and Clinton G. Bird, the elder Mr. Bird's nephew. In 1881 the firm changed to Robert C. Fisher, and in 1888 to Robert C. Fisher & Co., Edward B. Tompkins being admitted in 1893. Rob- ert C. Fisher died and his son, of the same name, was admitted, the * .stvle of the firm being the same; in 1893 it again changed to Rob- ert C. Fisher & Co., the firm being composed of Robert C. Fisher and Edward B. Tompkins; the present Mr. Robert C. Fisher is a grandson of the founder of the firm. In that quarter of a century before the Civil War there was com- paratively no fine interior marble work completed in the Xorth. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 423 The South created whatever demand there was and to the North the rich Southerners came to secure the contracts. In Xew Orleans and Charleston, Fisher & Bird completed at that time what was con- sidered the finest examples of modern marble work in this countrv in the custom houses of those cities. When the wave of prosperity was felt after the war in the North and New York became the metropolis and center of wealth in the United States, Fisher & Bird still maintained their sui)remacy, as the firm Robert C. Fisher & Co. continues to do so. Their work is seen from San Francisco to Bos- ton and from Cincinnati to New Orleans. The highest example of modern architectural marble art in this or any other country in the world has been completed by them as the court of Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, at Madison avenue and 23d street, testifies. The handsome marble interior of the New York Life Building, on Broad- way and Leonard street, was also manufactured in the company's works, on Houston street. It is unnecessary to specify any of the private residences which have become famous throughout the United States, the work of which was completed by this firm; suffice to say that the marble work of a great number of important buildings, pub- lic and private, has been done under the supervision of this firm. Goss & Edsall Company. There is probably no business identified with the Iniilding trade which comes so little before the general public, and of which so lit- tle is known, as that of the buildmg material supplies. A structure of national repute may be completed, the name of the architect her- alded over the country, and the name of the contractor or builder becomes promment. It is seldom the public inquire as to the sources from which the material used in its construction came. They do not kni)\\' that just as careful and exjierienced a management is required in tlie su])i)lying of the materials as the builder exercises in superintending its construction. One of the best known of the building material supply companies in this city is that of Goss & Edsall Company, 358-360 West street. Incorporated February i, 1891, the young company astonished the building trade by the boldness of its well-prepared plans. It had been incorporated hardly a year when it tendered for one of the large insurance companies' office buildings down town. Among the old dealers it was questioned whether a young company could fulfill a large contract, the term of which might extend over a period of two or more years. Goss & Edsall Company, however, was not made up of inexperienced men. Wright D. Goss and William H. Edsall, the leading officers of the company, were well known, and had been prominently identified with the building trades in connection with the old firm of Peck, ]\Iartin & Company. The young company se- cured the contract and carried out each detail with unquestioned 424 A HISrORV OF REAL ESTATE, al)ility. TIk' successful completion (if so extensive an (i])eration ]ir(i\e(l the conijjetency of the new organization to handle an\- con- tract however lar^e. The policy of the coni])an\ is deterniined 1)\' its President, W'riiiht D. Goss. Mr. Goss is a man of much executive ahilit}' and threat will power. His individuality at once conuuands friendshij), and to his personal cjualities much of the company's success is no doubt due. He is a member of the Buildino- Trades Club, Building Ma- terial Exchange, Mechanics" & Traders' Exchange and numerous other organizations. William I 1. Ivlsall, Treasurer of the company, manages the financial and office wt)rk, and is thoroughly experi- enced, having been connected with the building material trade for more than twenty years. The other directors in the company are Clayton S. Goss, Willis J. Barto and James G. Robinson. When the history of the building trade of the last decade shall be written, the name of Goss & Edsall Company will be found to figure in almost every building operation of any prominence. The sup- plies for such noted structures as the Mutual Life Building, Man- hattan Life Building, Central Stores, United States Appraisers' Stores, Hotels Gerard, Savoy and A'endonie. liowling ( Ireen Ofifice Building, Syndicate Building (Park Row i. Wool l''.xchange. Cable Building, TifYany's Manufactories at 1-orest Hill, \. j., Xew York Sugar Refinery and Grant's Tomb, were furnished by this corpora- tion. This list of buildings proves that no contract is too large for Goss & Edsall Company to assume, and to guarantee its intelligent handling and satisfactory completion, while the smallest orders in their every detail receive the closest personal and systematic atten- tion. The thorough comprehension of the conditions incident to the conduct of this bitsiness, together with the determined purpose to conscientiously and promptly fulfill its every obligation, places this corporation foremost among dealers in masons' building ma- terials. John P. Kane Company. It is seldom one finds a career in the mercantile world paralleling that of Mr. John P. Kane, the well-known dealer in masons' build- ing materials. There are no doubt numbers of successful business men in New York who can look back with pride and i)oint to the time when they began their careers as clerks, and ])robably office- boys in the same establishment in wliich they now hold the most responsible of positions as heads or partners in the firm. But thev are few indeed, who, having risen to that hard-earned position, then suffer .by an overwhelming stroke of misfortune the loss of the fortune which they had accumulated by years of faithful work, have then commenced the struggle again, and have risen to an eminence greater in fact than they had previouslv attained. Such, in brief, BVILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 425 426 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE. is the story of Mr. Kane's efforts since his introduction into the keenly competitive mercantile trade of New York. Mr. John P. Kane is the leadin^q- spirit and active manag'er of the John P. Kane Company, organized and incorporated in 1893 under Xew York State laws. He was previously connected with the firm of Cauda & Kane, the largest mason building material supply dealers in this country. It was formed in 1879, and had grown almost solely through Mr. Kane's ef¥orts from a comparatively in- significant affair to one of almost gigantic proportions with branches in different parts of the metropolitan district. After the commercial panic of 1893, the firm ceased to exist. In November of that year a company was organized and incorporated with Air. Kane as its manager, and the policy under him was greatly changed. Profiting by his previous experience, Air. Kane had decided to adopt the principle of buying solely for cash, obtaining thereby all available discounts, and enabling him to sell the consumer at prices which could not be undersold. A partial list of buildings supplied by this company is probably the best criterion by which one is enabled to judge of the company's business. They are the American Surety Pjuilding, Presbyterian Building, United Charities Building, Kennedy Building, Xew York Life Building, Siegel-Cooper Co.'s store, Carnegie Hall extension, 9th Regiment Armory, American Tract Society Building, the hotels Savoy, Xetlierlands and Waldorf, the residences of Cornelius \'an- derbilt and C. P. Huntington. At present the company are com- pleting the Empire Building and the University Club. The nature of such a business as the supplying of brick, cements, lime, etc., is such that it recjuires a great amount of atten- tion, because of its being so full of detail and requiring the utmost attention. Mr. Kane attributes his great success to the fact that he gives his business his unlimited attention, and he imparts an energy to those around him which cannot help but bring the best results. The storage depots of the company are the largest in X^ew York. They are situated at the foot of East 14th street and 96th street and X'orth River. The main office is located at the northeast corner of 22d streets and Fourth avenue. Henry Maurer & Son. There is probably no better known firm in the fire-proof building material trade than the subject of our sketch, Henry Maurer & Son, of Xo. 420 East 23rd street. Established in 1856, when the tendency to fire-proof buildings was yet in its infancy the tirm has grown with the enormous increase in use of the articles manufactured by them, and has in no slight measure aided their growth. The firm, literally speaking, is a pioneer in the manufacture of fire-proof build- ing materials, and many of the great improvements in the hollow tile BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. and porous terra cotta work have l)cen launched on the market from the plant of this firm after having- been (hil\' exi)eriniente(l upon. Thev have introduced vear after vear some new feature in fire-proof- ing which has become standard and is now imitated. One of the best improvements which the firm introduced about three years ago is that of the "Excelsior" end construction flat arch. It not only received the endorsement of all the leading architects and promi- nent builders, but it is uniforndy conceded to be the best system of fire-proofing ever presented to the building trade. Ii!y the most severe tests it has been proved that the arch is 25 per cent, lighter and stronger than the old style flat arch ; it adds a saving in construc- tive iron and the distance ])etween the iron beams can be increased. The works are situated at ]\Iaurer, X. ].. on W'oodbridge Creek and Staten Island .'^ound. Tliey control large water frontage and dock room, and possess every facility for shipping bv either railroad or boat. The plant covers an area of seventy acres, while the clay banks whicli contain the best (|ualitv of firecLn- and are practicallv inexhaustible cover an area o\ about 500 acres. It mav i)e mentitjned that no plaster, cement, lime or a-^hes are used in the course of man- ufacturing their many fin'-pro:)fing materials. The talent emploved, especially in the experimental department, is of the best and most ex- perienced tyjje. In every division of manufacture there is close atten- tion given to details, and it is also attended by intelligent supervision. The members of the firm are experts in regard to the knowledge of the characteristics of ditterent clays. The\- made it an oljject earlv in their career to ]dace on the market the best manufactured articles in their line and they have succeeded. The product of the }^Iaurer, X. J., plant has been used in almo.-t every building of any ])n)minence in New York City and vicinity. Their superiority over the articles man- ufactured by others is so clearly manifested that architects make a positive specification of their use. The facilities for turning out large contracts are easily equal to the demand and the result has been prompt delivery and excellent service. We can give but a few of the many structures the fire-i)roof material of which were su|)plie(l by this firm. Among the office buildings are the Empire I'.uilding, Bank of Commerce, Townsend I'.uilding, American Surety Com- pany r.uilding, .Ast(jr lUiilding. Xew York Produce Exchange, Wilks Building, Tower Building, Times Building, Potter I'.uilding, anfl ninetv others in Xew York and surrounding cities. In apart- ment houses there are the Don Carlos apartments, Xavarro apartments, Knickerbocker apartments, Marie Antoinette apartments. In residences the firm has completed those of W. H. A'anderbilt, h'ifth avenue and 51st street: Cornelius \'anderbilt, Eifth avenue and 57th street; Henry A'illiard, Collis P. Huntington, Whitelaw Reid, Isaac Stern, Peter Doelger and H. H. Cook, all on Fifth avenue. The warehouses, breweries, hospitals, colleges, banks, clubs, theatres, hotels, factories, churches and stores completed by this firm are among the best class of structures in the city. 428 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, Otis Brothers & Co. In a brief sketch of the ])art |)la\e(l hy this company, not only in America but throughout tlie civihzed world, it is possible to deal only in generalities. It is sut^icient to sa\- that the rise, development and gradual perfection of standard elevators and hoisting machinery in this countrv and I-'in-o|)e has been the story of rise and successful career of tlu- ( )tis brothers & Company, Potter Building, Park Row. ddie founder of the ])resent com]ianv was Mr. Fdislia ( i. ( )tis. In 1867 tlie |)resenl ctini|>an\' was incor])orated. At that time elevator machiner\- wa> beginning to be more largely used, and later, in 1S73-74, various scientific and trade journals recommended, without excei)tion, the use of the Otis elevator ma- chiner\ for the reason of its having reached the highest point of excellence. .\s \-ears jiassed and the develo])ment of the crude ma- chines of those earh' daA's into the nuich more perfect one> ni to-day progressed, the ( )tis Company succeeded in maintaining this suprem- acy. During its long career, it holds the proud record of there having- been not a life lost bv a defect in its elevator machinery. It is now the largest concern in the world manufacturing elevators and hoisting machinery. Its plant is located at ^'onker^, w here 600 men are daily employed. It has branches and selling agencies in every city in the Union and in all principal cities of tlie world. It is safe to say that three-fourths of the elevators used in Xcw York have been manufactured l)y this company, ami those elevators carry daily more passengers than the elevated railroad >\ stem. The continued success of this com])an\- i> due to the fact that its reliable reinitation is world-wide. This re])utation \\a> attained hy the use of the best grade of material and the best of tested improve- ments. Of the latter, the Otis Governor Safet\- ."^to]) is prol)ably the greatest. Their hydraulic elevators have been placetl in nearly all the govermnental buildings. Hotels, stores and offices advertise the use of the ( )tis Elevator to their patrons. Electric elevators were first introduced by this company about nine years ago, and they have now about 1,700 in successful opera- tifin in this coimtry and in Europe, and for moderate speeds, espe- ciallv where the\- can be o]:)crated from electric power lines in the -ireets, they give very good service. The controlling devices which t];i^ coni])any has recently patented and introduced for house eleva- tors are the most perfect of their kind, being automatic in their action so far as stopping the elevator and unlocking the doors are con- cerned, and making it impossible for an elevator to be moved froin the floor at which it is standing until the door is closed, thus doing away entirely with the ditliculties which have been heretofore met with by inexperienced ])ersons in safelv operating and controlling dwc'lling house ekwators. BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTCRE IX XEir YORK. The Okonite Company. Tlie ( )konite Coni])anv was orj^-anized in 1884. The term "( nite" is the traile term used hy the eompany f(jr the past fourteen years and lias l)ec()me an imprint, sit^nifyinq- exceUence in the arti- cles which Ijear that name. The company itseh' has o-rown to im- mense proportions and is generally recognized as one of the largest manufacturers of rubber insulated wires and cables of the highest grade for electrical purposes. The managers cf the company are Willard L. Candee and H. Durant Cheever; George T. Mason is General Superintendent and William H. Hodgins, Secretary. The factory is located at Passaic, where oyer 200 men are em- plo\ ed. Its capacity exceeds 80,000,000 feet of wire a year, and with facilities and equipment unsurpassed the ])roduct of its manufacture is the best that modern skill has \ et brought forth. The Paris Ex- position of 1889. when the company was established but a short time, recognized the superiority of its sulmiarine cables, telephone cables, and other insulated electrical conductors, and awanled them a gold medal on that account. In this country, and wlierewr their ])roduct has been introduced, j^ractical electricians and electrical experts have endorsed their use, and the record of their use, whether sub- marine, subterraneous or aerial, has substantiated what the ( )konite Company justly assert. The i)rincipal ingredient of the Okonite composition which is used as the insulator is fine Para rubber, which, after mixing, is put on the wire or cable by machinery. In some cases the wire or cable is then braided by machiner\- (iperatet River, Brooklyn; Church Clubhouse, 85th street and ist avenue; Connnercial Cable Building, Broad street, near Wall; Brooklyn Art ljuilding. Park Plaza, Brooklyn; Queens Insurance Building, northwest corner of Cedar and Williams streets; Horse Exchange, southwest corner of Broadway and 50th street. In addition they have furnished the Pos- 430 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, tal Telei^ra])li Cal)lc C\). with tlic cable runnint;- across Great South Bay. a stretch of six miles. The coini)any als(.) supplies other tele- graphic c()ni])anies and all tlie tele])h()ne C( )iii])anies. William E. Quimby. The screw ])uiiip imented William IC. (Juimljy and placed on the market in Jnly, iSijj. has met with the liis^h ap])roval of archi- tects and engineers in the Xew York district and elsewhere in the United States and abroad. Mr. W. E. Quimby has his office at 141 llroadwav, Xew York, and has established agencies in San Fran- cisco, Chicago, i'.ulTalo, Xew Haven, }\Iontreal and in London, Kng- land. 1 U- IS a graduate of Steven's Institute of the class of 1887. .Mr. (Juimlix's (.-nergx and business aljiility have been successfully exer- cised in securing wide recognition of the reniarkaljle superiority of his unique screw |)ump. Wherever his house service pumps or his larger pres.sure pumi)s for elevator or other uses have been intro- duced, tlieir advantages in respect of simplicity, durability and effi- ciency ha\ e at once become apparent. The (Juind)y screw pump can be successfully used for elevating any fluid under conditions where efficiency is the main requirement and especially where freedom from noise or vibration and a contin- uous pulseless delivery are demanded. Under such conditions the Quimby screw pump stands pre-eminent, since carefully conducted tesTS prove that in handling any fluid that can pass through a pump greater economy can be secured with this pump than with any other \ et iK vised. The screws of the Quinrby ]iuni]) o]X'rate as a contin- uous i)iston, collecting and pushing the fluid from the suction to the discharge in a stream of uniform size. It is a well known law of hydraulics that the less a moving column of water is disturbed and the more nearly the channel through which it flows can be kept of uniform size the less will be the friction encountered and the less will Ije the power reciuired to keep it in motion. It is self-evident, there- fore, that in the Quimby screw pump, wherein the power is con- tinuously exerted in the same direction and wherein the channel is practicallv of uniform size, the friction is less and the power ex- pended in operation is less than in the case of any form of recipro- cating pump, wherein the channels are of varied size, wherein valves are required and wherein power is necessarily exerted in merely re- versing the strokes of the plunger. For house service, where noise or vibration are especially objectionable, the Quimby screw pump, by reason of the absence from it of any reciprocating parts or valves, and because of its pulseless delivery, is the only pump now on the market wdiich can be satisfactorily used. Rotating noiselessly at comparatively hig^h speeds, the Quinrl)y screw pump lends itself with peculiar facility to direct connection with an electric motor, with a resulting simplicity and compactness of construction which have given it a wide field of usefulness in the building trades. The ap- BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 431 proval whicli it has received from ]ironiinent architects and en- gineers, l)oth for liouse service and elevator work, is in(Hcated Ijv tlie subjoined Hst of a few of the representative buihhngs in wliicii the Quimby screw pump is used: Residence C. P. Huntington, 5th ave. and 57th st., Xew York; residence T. Wyman Porter, 25 East 56th st., Xew York: residence Levi P. Morton, 681 Fifth ave., Xew Y..rk; A.K.r i:Mate I'.uikhng. 2 and 4 West 33d st., New York; Livingstone r,nil(Hng, Sinnh 5tn ave. and 3d St., Xew York; Kent Estate I'.uihHng, 28 L'nion square East, Xew York; City Hall, Albany, X. Y. ; ^lunicipal Building, Brooklyn, X. Y.; First National Bank, I'aterson, X. J.: Hotel Clu- ney, Boston, Mass.: Haddon Hall Hotel, Boston, Mass.: Bank of North America, Chestnut st., Philadelphia: Illinois l-.astern Hos- pital, Kankakee, III; Riverside Trust Co., Riverside, Cal. John W. Rapp. After the great Boston and Chicago hres, in the earlv seventies, there came a sudden realization that the use of inflammable material in building must lie done awa_\- with. The outcome of this was the beginning of the modern tireprooi construction. The greatest source of weakness in a ])uil(ling w as the flooring, and to remedy this a num- ber of methods for the construction of this i)articu!ar portion were ])Ut forward. The materials used were non-combu^til)le, and con- sisted cliieflv of iron and brick. With the use of these new materials came a new method of construction — namely, a series of more or less flat arclies having their bases in horizontal iion beams, and being covered with brick. In many cases arches built entirely of brick and supported in the same luanner as tlie iron ones were used. Parti- tions, also, began to be constructed in a fireproof manner. Iron net work superseded lath and the plaster was laid directly on the brick. A method of floor construction which has come into considerable prominence during the last year or so is that known as the Rapp Patent System of Fireproof I'loors. John W. Rapp, the inventor and i)atentee, established himself in busines>, some thirteen vears ago, at Xo. 201 Fast 66th street. He lias been in his present office, at No. 315 East 94th street, for the past eight years. At the official test of Mr. Rapp's flooring, made by the Department of Buildings, in Oc- tober of 1896, it fully justified all the claims of its inventor. A partial list of the buildings constructed or in course of construction in which the Rapj) Patent System of Fireproof Floors has been or is being used includes Hanmierstein's Olympia Theatre, the [. S. Lind- say Jkiilding, 103 Fifth avenue; the Daiker Apartment House, St. Nicholas avenue and 145th street: the first and second floors of the Don Carlos Apartment; the Hotel Majestic, 72d street and Central Park West; the T. K. White apartment, i i8th street and St. Xicholas avenue ; the Model Tenements in W^est 68th and 69th streets, of which Mr. Ernest Flagg was the architect ; a w^arehouse for Weil & Mayer, 432 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, at (Ircat Jones street; the First National I'.ank, Hartford, Conn.; the ( )1(1 Man's Home, Philadelphia, Pa.; and the T.hnd Asylinn, also in Philadelphia. The atjents for John W. Rapj) are ^Moffat & Hewitt, 156 5th avenue, \\ \v ^'<)rk ("it\ , and V. \\. llailev, Harrison Build- \ng, 15th and Market .treet>, 1 'h'ila.leli)lna. Pa. The component i)arts of the Kai)]) system of floor construc- tion, which are common to the various forms of floors, are steel T's rolled cold from the flat placed between floor beams, brick laid between these T's and cinder cement concrete f^routed and tamjied over to the necessary height. The varinus forms of tloor construc- tion in the Rapp system are the arch construction, j)anelled con- struction and the sec^mental brick arch. The latter mode of con- struction is particularly commended and endorsed by Xew York architects and builders. It also complies with the New York build- ing- laws to tlic letter. It may be added that the Rapp system in general is remarkable for its adaptability to all circumstances. The fire-proofing of the roof of a building at any angle, of irregular work, domes and upright work can l)e easily accomplished. One of the recent contracts completed is the seventeen-story building of the Real Estate Trust Co. in Philadelphia. Richardson-Boynton Company. It is said the best evidence a manufacturing firm can produce to show real merit in the character of its output, is the favor with which it is received by the people. Judging the Richardson-Boynton Company by this criterion, it appears that the warm air heating fur- naces and the cooking ranges manufactured by that company must possess unusual merit, for they have met with unusual favor from the public generally for many years. The reputation of the company has spread to every State in the Union, and there is not a city from New York to San Francisco in which there is not an agent who makes a specialty of the Richardson & Boynton furnace. The company was established in 1837, and for the past 35 years the offices of the company have been located in Nos. 232 and 234 Water street. In 1882 the company was incorporated, with Air. H. T. Rich- ardson as its president. The foundry and shops have, until the past year, been located in Brooklyn, near the Atlantic docks, where they occupied a scjuare of city property. But with the march of success, the company out- grew the former spacious workshops and was compelled to enlarge them greatly at the new site, Dover, X. J. The new factory and yards are fitted with the most modern machinery and are the most extensive of the kind in this country: four of the buildings are each 500 feet long, and about 450 men are employed. The company does not confine its trade to the manufacturing o[ hot air furnaces and ranges for metropolitan trade only; its trade has extended to such an extent that its reputation is continental; the BUILDING AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. requirements of the Chicago market, the Denver market and the Louisville market have been thoroughly considered by the firm's ex- perts, with the result that the name of the Richardson & Boynton Company is almost as familiar in those cities as in Xew York. An evidence of the merit of the furnace made for local trade is that archi- tects particularly specify their furnace, and a large portion of the business done in this city is the removing of other makes of furnaces and replacing them with the Richardson & Boynton manufacture; this has been done in scores of cases, chiefly on account of the in- efficiency of the other make of furnace. There is no doubt but that the success of this company is due in a great measure to the employing of the best possible talent in the mat- ter of design and experience in workmanship. The name "Perfect" is used in case of each article manufactured, whether it is a furnace or a cooking range; it is registered and is used as a safeguard against imitations. The other officers of the company are A. P. Richardson, Vice- President: D. S. Richardson, Treasurer; F. B. Richardson, Secretary. John H. Shipway & Brother. The advances made in marble working in this country during the past quarter century have been phenomenal. Before the civil war whatever marble was manufactured in the Xorth was mainly on the contracts of Southern clients. With the great increase in demand from all parts of the Union after the war closed came a demand for increased facilities. Young but enterprising firms sprang into ex- istence and met with such a measure of success that astonished fimis who had been doing business for many years. The enterprise and progressive genius of the younger firms ecjuipped their plants with more modern machinery, adding dispatch to the high quality of work done. First among the marble working firms in Xew York who have attained a prominence not merely local, but national, is that of John H. Shipway & Brother, whose mills, office and wharf are located at 136th street, near the East River. The firm is com- posed of John H. Shipway, Charles M. Shipway, Robert H. Reid and Peter J. Conlon. The plant of the Shipway firm is the largest and best equipped in the country and it is generally regarded as having no superior in equipment or completeness in the world. Particular attention has been given to modern machinery for marble working, for Mr. John H. Shipwav is not only an expert in that particular line, but has in- vented and patented machines for improved marble working. The plant covers an area of seventeen city lots, having a deep water bulkhead with a depth of water sufficient to moor the heaviest draught ocean steamship afloat. The firm in this respect possesses facilities and advantages for dispatch in receiving cargoes and ship- ping that no other metropolitan firm has. Cargoes imported from 28 434 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, l*lur(i])caii countries can lie received al tlie wharf and in a few niin- utt's. if necessary, the process of manufacturing- the rou^^li niarhle can he he^i^un in the factorw Tlie latter is a three-story modern brick factory l)uihhn.L;-, the tirst and second floors of wdiich are de- \ntril to the manufacture auroad\vay, northwest corner of 25th street. Bedford Quarries Co. To sell Indiana limestone direct to the dealer instead of through a broker was the object which led The Bedford Quarries Company to establish its luislern ( )ffice on January i, 1897, at Xo. i Madi- son avenue, Xew ^'ork. The Mutual Reserve Inmd, Constable, Hotel Majestic, Presbyterian, Manhattan Hotel and otiier notable buildings in Xew York and elsewhere are built of stone from these (|uarries. The company is the largest producer of ( )olitic limestone in the world and furnishes upon application an interesting pamph- let describing the quarries and the manner of producing and ship- ping the stone. The company also has an office at X'o. 185 Dear- born street, Chicago, and its (|uarries are located at liedford, Ind. The Boynton Furnace Co. The name Boynton as applied to furnaces, steam heaters and hot water apparatus has represented to the American people the acme of perfection in that class of goods since Mr. X". A. Boynton began their manufacture in 1849. present the company is the largest manufacturers of heating apparatus in this country and their trade represents not only the most desirable in this country, but an exten- sive one in Europe. The Boynton Heating Apparatus is used in the residences of D. O. Mills, W. C. Whitney, F. W. Vanderbilt, Chaun- cey M. Depew. Russell Sage, J. P. Morgan and Miss Helen Gould besides hundreds of other prominent people. Fred. Brandt. Reliable and thorough in all branches of the roofing trade, Mr. Fred. Brandt, of Xo. 169 East 85th street, has succeeded in main- taining the reputation his father held for fifty years in the same busi- ness. As a slate, tin and metal roofer, Mr. Brandt has a long and extensive experience: he employs none but the best class of mechan- ics and as a result his work cannot be excelled in this or any other city. Mr. Brandt has ])rogressive tendencies. He does not main- tain a line of action similar to that he adopted years ago, but is al- ways improving some branch of his business. As an example of this he bar. secured profitable patents for stationary zinc wash tubs, com- binations of bath and wash tubs; besides he has effected a large num- ber of improved devices in cornice, skylight, roofing and sheet metal work. Michael Caravatta. Concrete and artificial stt)ne work in our apartment houses, stores, office buildings, factories and stables form no inconsiderable BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 441 part of the general contract. The sidewalks, cement flooring, fire- proof arches, pavements and watertight floors in cellars are but 'eading features in the work. The recognized importance compels the general contractors to permit none but experienced and reli- able sub-contractors to do this work. One of Xew York's leading concrete and artificial stone con- tractors is ]\Ir. Michael Caravatta, of Xo. 239 West Oytli street. He learned his trade in Switzerland, where concrete working is carried to a high degree of proficiency. Ten years ago he opened an office in New York and began to contract for concrete work of all de- scriptions. During this time he has completed many important jobs, a partial list of which is as follows: Concrete work in City Hall : sidewalks and cellars at northwest corner of 26th street and Broadway : sidewalk and watertight cellars for Electrical Exchange Building; sidewalk at corner of Barclay and West streets; entire concrete work at 69th street and Eighth avenue, at 68th street and Eighth avenue, 69th street and Boulevard and 83d street and Riverside Drive; two corners at TOist street and West End avenue, and two corners 43d street and 10th avenue; concrete work at Jo6tIi street and Columbus avenue; cor- ner 104th street and Manhattan avenue; ])lock extending from lOist to I02d street, (jn Manhattan avenue; watertight floors at 30th street, corner 13th avenue, besides innumerable other jobs. Colwell Lead Co. Colwell, Shaw & ^^'ilIard was the firm name when established in 1865. ( )ne year later they incorporated as the Colwell, Shaw & \Mllard Manufacturing Company. In 1873 the name of the corpo- ration was changed to Colwell Lead Company. Their office and fac- tory is now and has been for many years at 63 Centre street, New- York, where their old shot tower, near the Tombs, is one of the citv's landmarks. They manufacture lead pii)e, tin-lined lead pipe, sheet lead, shot, and also carry a complete stock of plumbers' supplies. The officers are B. Frank Hooper, President ; Alva S. \\'alker, A'ice- President ; George L. Knox, Secretary and Treasurer. Coppersett Roofing and Paint Co. The Cojjpersett Roofing and Paint Co. was established in 1885. They have made a successful specialty of roofing, in iron, tin, slate and felt. But it is as the sole Eastern agents for the famous Alcatraz Asphalt Paint that the company is so widely known among New York builders and architects. The superiority over the metallic paint has been clearly established, so that the municipal departments require it to be used in almost every public building. Two repre- sentative contracts which this firm secured are the roofing and the painting of the immense Third avenue power house at Kingsbridge ; also the roadbed of the New Third Avenue Bridge. A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, F. W. Devoe & C. T. Raynolds Co. This wcH-known ])aint liousf dates hack one Inindred and forty- fonr years. It was estahlished in 1754. It undoiihtedly occupies the ])(>siti()n (if heino- the larL^est ])aint nianufacturint;- concern in the I'nited Stati'S. It has offices at the corner of Fulton and William streets and eni])loys over seven hundred men in its four factories in Xew ^'ork, r.rookl\n. Xewark and Chica,e;-o. Here in the com- ])any's factories are manufactured everything;- in connection with the paint trade, even to the hoxes. l)arrels and tubes in wliich thev are sold. Its varnish is used ]>y ah tlie i^reat American railroail com- ])anies and boat builders. Dimock & Fink Co. The Dimock & Fink Co. conducts one of the lar^^-est plumbins;' supply trades in this country. It is an incorporated company with Otis K. Dimock, president; Martin D. Fink, treasurer: A. L. Per- kins, secretary. It was originated in 1882 and incorj^orated in 1896. Its wholesale trade is not only metropolitan, but extends through- out the State of New York and far into the Xew England States. The main Xew York office is located in the handsome six-story building in Xos. 220 and 222 Fast 125th street; and its Jersey City branch at Xos. 283 and 285 Warren street, control the outside trade. < )ne may gain an idea of the magnitude of the company's business in Xew York alone when it is learned that in the yards at the foot of East 125th street, on an average, 200 tons of ])ipe are stored. The Jersev Citv branch office controls a trade as extensive as the X'ew York office. Dunbar Box & Lumber Co. The Dunl)ar Box & Lumber Co., with yards and offices at X^o. 282 Eleventh avenue, corner 28th street, was incorporated in 1877. Its origin, how^ever, dates back nearly half a century, when Joseph A. Dunbar founded the business. It is one of the prominent X^'ew York lumber concerns, its factory and vards covering 33 city lots. Besides maintaining a large stock of lumber and timber, the com- pany are well-known manufacturers of jiacking boxes, mouldings, floorings, ceiling and all kinds of luiuse trim. Thev have many times been called upon to furnish the lumber and trim for the most important X'ew York constructions, and have dealt and continue to deal largely with the best class of local builders. Mr. Thomas T. Reid is the president of the company. The East River Mill and Lumber Co. The yards and mill of the East River Mill and Lumber Co., lo- cated at the foot of c;2d and 93d streets. East River, occupy a portion of three blocks in that vicinity, with a dock frontage of one block. The company was established in 1889, with Mr. George H. Troop, BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IX NEW YORK. 44^ president, and Thomas J. Cronibie, secretary-treasurer. In the yards are kept all kinds of rough and dressed lumber, yellow pine flooring and step plank, and every description of lumber and timber used in the erection of dwelling houses. Although not ronhniiig its trade to Harlem, Yorkville and West Side Iniilderv, \ the company ])ays special attention ti_) their requirements. It ma}- be mentioned that all the ltunl)er rc(|uired In- the con-ipanies constructing underground trolleys was sup])hed by th.is company. .V well-equipped moulding and planing mill is operated in connectioi-i with the yards. Fordham Stone Renovating; Co. The I-'ordham .^tone Renovating Co., of which INIr. E. A. Moen is the nianager, has ])een established fifteen years. The company, during that time, has cleaned, repaired or ])ainted thousands of brick and stone residences, office and n-iercantile buildings. The exterior of any building from dome to paveiuent will under the management of this company be repaired, cleaned or painted in the most efficient manner. It has had a long and varied experience in this line of business, and its reputation, as endorsed bv our well- kntjwn architects and ])uilders, is a credit to the company that bears it. .\niong the n-ian\- buildings renovated with their process are the Xew "^'ork Produce F.xchange Ikiilding, Hoffman House, Drcxel-Morgan I'.uilding, .St. Cloud Hotel, .Vlbemarle Hotel, Crand Central Hotel. Cnion League Clul). .St. Denis Hotel, Bank of Xew ^'ork, and the W estern I'nion Telegrajih Co.'s Building. The address is Xo. 54 William street, and (ireenvvich Savings Bank. Church E. Gates & Co. Among the important lumber concerns who possess a substantial reputation. Church E. Gates & Co. stand prominently in the list. The company operates two yards, one located in 138th street and 4tli avenue, where the main office is located, and another yard in Bed- ford Park. .\ full supi^lv of hard and soft woods can alwavs be ob- tained, and of the !)est quality. The members of the conipany are Mr. J. F. Steeves, Air. H. H. P.arnard and Mr. !!. L. Eaton. These gentlemen, b\- their business al)ility and energetic attention to detail, now manage a large trade with builders, particularly Harlem build- ers and the retail trade generally throughout the city. William Hall's Sons. The general house-trin-i factory conducted by William Hall's Sons, at To6th street and East River, is one of the largest and most com- plete in the metropolitan district. It was established by William Hall over 30 vears ago, and its gradual growth from the siuall factory to the present concern testifies in a manner to its reputation for relial)le work. The yard and factory occupy 38 city lots, with a frontage of a block on the river. Thomas R. A. Hall and William H. Hall, sons 444 .1 HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE. of tlie founder of the firm, now carry >n\ the large business. The firm has manufactured tlu- liardwood doors, mouldings and general house-trim for a large number of the l)ig hotels, apartment houses, hospitals, colleges, public institutions and office buildings. The firm employs on an average nearly 400 men. J, H. Havens & Son. In the list of well known and rv])utal)k- lumber firms in this citv comes that of J. H. Havens & Son, of Xo. 825 nth avenue. It lias been established for over a quarter of a century and during that time the many carpenter contractors, wood workers and others who liave been its patrons recognize that it has maintained a high re])utation for honest dealing. In the yards are kept a full stock of soft woods, including spruce and yellow ]Mne timber, and a good grade of hardwoods. The ample sheds enclose the better grades. Mouldings are also kept in stock and the firm ])ossesses the facilities for filling orders on the shortest notice. The yards are situated on the northwest and southwest corners of 56th street and iith avenue. Georgfe Hayes. Established in 1868, Mr. George Hayes, of No. 71 Eighth avenue, has been the most prominent manufacturer of metal lathings in this country, and has undoubtedly perfected more appliances for uses in the ])uiliHng art than any other person. The Hayes metal lathings have a wide sale in Canada, ("jermany, France, (ireat Britain, and have been introduced in every civilized country. Mr. Hayes is the inventor and patentee of the Hayes [Metallic Skylights, and other glazed structures, blinds, architectural, hygienic and mechanical appliances. Over one hundred medals have been awarded him for his inventions. It may be added that the Hayes metal lathings have been used in nearlv all the prominent buildings in New York. Thomas Hill, Jr. Mr. Thomas Hill. Jr., of No. 81 Pine street and No. 128 Water street, is one of New York's brightest and most promising experts in theoretical electrical knowledge and the practical appli- cation of electrical energy. ]\Ir. Hill, although a young- man, has been connected with several of the largest metro- politan electrical concerns, in some of whicli he acted in the capacity of superintendent and foreman of the general electrical construction. In 1896 he opened offices at his present address, and by his thorough knowledge of detail he has succeeded in establishing a growing busi- ness, lie has wired the Montauk Theater, Brooklyn: Scarboro .Mansion, \. \ . ; Association Hall, Brooklyn; Pettit Bldgs., N. Y. : St. Peter's Church, Brooklyn. Mr. Hill's laboratory is located in No. 502 Fulton street, Brooklyn. He is not only a student of re- search, but possesses the faculty of making his researches of practical benefit to himself. BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 445 Interior Conduit and Insulation Co. This company was incorporated in 1890. Briefly stated, the com- pany provides a most complete system of electric wiring, which has never been excelled in America or Europe. The system, the credit of"\vhich is mainly due to Edward H. Johnson, president of the com- pany, has received the unquaHfied endorsement of every leading architect, electrician, insurance inspector and fire underwriter board in the country. Every btiilding of prominence, whether residential, church, office or mercantile, during the last six years has been wired by the Interior Conduit and Insulation Co. The works are located in No. 529 West 34th street, and the main offices in No. 20 Broad street. The officers are Edward Johnson, president ; Everett W. Little, vice-president and general manager ; Charles P. Geddes, sec- retary and treasurer. C. D. Jackson & Co. C. D. Jackson & Co., importers of all kinds of marble, of No. i IMadison avenue, are sole representatives and importers of many of the best and most desired marble, wiiich are in vogue to-day. It is safe to say that all the important American contracts of mar- ble are filled through their hands. Their specialties are Fabbricotti's C. F. and other best brands of Carrara Marble and Paonazz(j Marl)le. Blanc P. Marble for statuary and church work ; Tyr(jk-an Marble for monuments and exterior finish; Istrian Marble for Altars; be- sides French, Spanish, Swiss and Belgian marble. The firm recently secured the contract of Carrara C. F. brand and Old Convent Quarry Siena Marble for the P.altimore Court House, in which 20,000 cubic feet, the largest contract ever given, are re- quired. V. C. & C. V. King Co. The well-known plaster manufacturing concern of C. & C. V. King Co., of Nos. 509, 511, 513, 515 and 517 \\>st street was estal)lished in 1839. In 1876 it was organized as a comj^any, and at the present time the Knickerbocker Plaster ]\Iills,as the works are widelv known, are under the management of C. \'olney King, Presi- dent, and A'incent C. King, Jr., Secretary. Calcined jilaster, land plaster and ground marble are manufactured, and the quality cannot be surpassed in this or any American city. It 'has been used in hundreds of the best class of residences and public buildings in the city. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is a type of the fine finishing work done by the output of this company. A. Klaber. Chief among the high-class marble workers in this city is the well- established firm of A. Klaber, of Nos. 238-244 East 57th street, who has been connected with New York's marble industry since 1859. 446 HI STORY OF REAL ESTATE, lie is a tlTorous^'lilv c.\])c'riciu-LMl nK'nil)CT of xhv trade and stjiiie of the best class of interior niarhle and on\x work ever done in Xew \nvk lias been coni])lete(l inider .Mr. Klaher's sni)ervision. The l-.ni- pire and l\niekerI)ocker theatres, two of the l>e^t in Xew \'ork. were eoni|)]eted l)y him; the natatorinni of the Xew \'ork Athletic Club, tlu most handsome affair of its kind in the world, was also done by him. John Lanzer. The business conducted b\- Mr. j(jhn Lanzer is that of manufac- turinj^' sash, doors, blinds, and t^eneral trim. It was established in 1875, with his office in No. 2895 Third avenue. Mr. Lanzer o])erates his factory at L'nionport, Westchester, and enipkjy^ on an average 6u men. Mr. Lanzer's lousiness has gTown steadih lart^er each vear, because of the fact that builders of the 23d and 24th Wards, with whom he is intimately accpiainted, have learned to rely almost en- tirely on hiiu on acccnmt of the higrh and excellent class of goods manufactured. Mr. Lanzer carries proljablv the largest stock of goods of general house trim of any other concern north of the Har- lem River. His office and salesroom are located near Third avenue, in No. 660 East 151st street. Mr. Lanzer also possesses facilities for scroll sawing, turning and band sawing. Anton Larsen. Due of the best kncwvn manufacturers of dumb waiters, elevators and refrigerators in tliis city is Mr. Anton Larsen, of 134th street and Brook avenue. He has been established since 1881, and since that time he has made and patented muuerous improvements in the manufacture of refrigerators and dmnb waiters, of wdiich he makes a specialty. A device for the circulation of air in refrigerators and an automatic stop in dumb waiters are aiuong tlie more im- portant of Mr. Larsen's improvements. (Jne hundred of his refrig- erators, almost perfect from a sanitary view, have been placed in the Hotel Royalton, the chemical laboratory of the Board of Health Building, the Metropolitan Apartments, a block of handsome resi- dences between 8oth and 81st streets on Riverside Drive. Manhattan Concrete Company. The Manhattan Concrete Company is an incorporated concern with a capital stock of $50,000, of which Ross F. Tucker is the president and manager. Its business may be divided into three parts: the fine concrete and ornamental concrete work; fireproof floors, arches and ceilings, and fireproof partitions of iron metal frame, plastered on both sides, the latter being known as the expanded metal s\ stem. The comjianv is undoubtedly the most prominent do- ing that work in this country. As an example of fine concrete work, the colonnades and balustrades of the University of \'irginia have 448 A HISTORV OF REAL ESTATE, hccn completed hy this tinn ; the 1). ( ). Alills Hotel No. i was tire-proofed throu.i^liout by this rtrni, also. Their address is 156 Fifth a\enue. Meeker, Carter, Booraem & Co. The business of this firm has been lon^^' established in the trade at their olHce, 14 East 23rd street. They have there on exhibition large panels of ornamental front brick, enameled brick, paving brick, architectural terra cotta. Hue lining and fire clay products manufactured by the largest and best ecjuipped clay plants of New Jersey, i 'ennsylvania and ( )hio, for which they are agents. Their facilities for quick tlelivery are unexcelled, as shown by the enormous quantities which they distribute during the year. Their catalogue shows details of many styles of special designs, colors and shapes manufactured. Among the most recent buildings completed are the University of the City of New York, Gould House, Fordham Heights, Columbia University Buildings, New York Ath- letic Club : office buildings, R. G. Dun, Cushman Building, Singer lluilding, ()-i5 Maiden lane; warehouses, 56 Bleecker street, 9 to 15 Murray street. Andrew Mills. In 1872 Andrew IMills established a stone-cutting yard in Thir- ty-fourth street. Subsequently, he has been located at Sixtieth street and Eleventh avenue, and for the last fifteen years at the foot of West Fifty-seventh street. At the time of his establishment, Mr. Mills probably had the most complete plant for stone-cutting in New York. Many labor-saving innovations are due to him, prin- cipally the introduction of the travelling crane in a stone-yard. Mr. Mills may also be credited with the introduction of eleven new stones in this city. One of these stones, Indiana limestone, has obtained an enormous popularity. A few of the principal buildings for which Mr. Mills has furnished the stone are the U. S. Army ljuilding. in Whitehall street; the Standard Oil Company's Building, at 26 Broadway; the Murray Hill Hotel, Fortieth street and Fourth avenue; Manhattan Savings Bank, Bleecker street and Broadway; the Boreel Building, at 115 Broadway; the First Baptist Church, Seventy-seventh street and the Boulevard; the Pettier & Stymus Building, in h'ifth avenue, between F'orty-first and Forty-second streets, and the Liverpool, London & Globe Insurance Co., in William street. Moen's Asphaltic Cement Co. Moen's Asphaltic Cement Company, of No. 103 Maiden lane, N. \ business established in 1854. It has been found that during its long career, that architects have specified their asphaltum and own- ers, builders and others have adopted their method of rendering cellars, damp basements, vaults, arches, basement floors, etc., water- tight and damp-proof. Their reputation for this class of work, to- BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEIV YORK. gether with the fact that they are the oldest users of asphahuni, makes it clearly evident that they are the most reliable house in the city. Other features of their business being rock asphalt, flooring, brick, tile and gravel roofing. Among the contracts recently com- pleted are those of the Delmonico Building, underground walls of the American Surety Building, water proofing and tile roofing at the Columbia College Buildings. Mocslein Ceiling Works. The Aloeslein Ceiling Works, of which A'alentine Aloeslein is the general manager, has been established since 1892. Mr. Moeslein per- ceived that the tendency toward fire-proofing interiors was becom- ing stronger each year, and seeing the many advantages of metal ceilings, side walls and wainscoting, he fitted up a complete plant for manufacturing the best class of this work. Nlr. Moeslein, being a practical mechanic, is capable to please his customers in designing as well as solving problems in any new construction. He has since invented a device for fastening metal ceilings and sidewalls without wood furrings or the use of nails. He has patents pending for a de- vice by which he will fasten his materials already decorated to walls and coverings by the use of cement ; this he hopes will take the place of glass, marble and tile decorations. Mr. Moeslein's trade has grown to such an extent that in addition to a very large local trade, he ex- ports to foreign countries. His address is No. 420 East 48th street. Mofstatt & Son. The Morstatt blind, manufactured by the firm of Morstatt & Son, of Nos. 227 and 229 West 29th street, is generally recognized as the acme of excellence by builders, architects and owners. The firm has been so long connected with the blind supply trade in New York, and its reputation is so well known that the firm receives support from the best elements of the trade. Besides of superior design, com- pared with other blinds on the market, the Morstatt blind possesses an unrivalled beauty of finish, and an expert mechanical execution. The product of Morstatt & Son's factory has been used in many prominent public buildings in this city ; one of the latest of the large contracts completed by them was the furnishing of the new hotel Astoria, Fifth avenue and 34th street. James Murtaugh. The hand-power dumb waiters and elevators manufactured by James Murtaugh have reached a standard of excellence not only in this country but throughout Europe. He is the modern Nestor in his line. Since 1855 he has been placing dumb waiters of such marked superiority on the market that it would be untrue to state he has had competitors. Over 100,000 of his make are now in use in all the prominent hotels, clubs, public and private institutions, apart- 450 A HISTORY or REAL ESTATE, nicnt houses, rcsidc-nccs and h()S])itals tliri jUi^Iiout the I'nited States and l{ur(i])e. .\inet\ ])er cent, of the hand-power (hinil) waiters and t'ie\ators in nse on I'iftli a\enue and Murray 11 ill are of hi.s nianu- iaeture. It nia\- he adde(l that .\niericans in all parts of the world lia\e sent for the Alurlan,L;h dumb waiter when buildiuLi" in foreij:^n ("omUries, and during" his long business career there ha> ne\ er been a fatal or serious accident resulting from the use of hi> hand-])()wer machines. His office is at Xos. _>(i_' and -'04 liast h\)rt y-second street. Augustus Noll. Since 1883, Mr. Augustus Xoll, of .\'o. 8 East 17th street, has suc- cessfully conducted a business as an electrical engineer. Pre- viously he had been connected witli the Edison I'arent Co., in the cai)acity of superintendent. He is thoroughlv eouA'ersant witli electrical energy in all its varied mechanical a])])Iications. l)esides. he possesses an extensive theoretical knowdedge. .\s sn])erintendent he had charg\- of man\ important contracts, not onlv in tlie city, but throur;l".out the countrv. Since he began business for himself, his rejiutation as an electrical expert has spread \videl\- and lie lias l)cen most successful. His representative contracts are: l!roadwa\' The- atre, Proctor's Tlicatre, Aldrich Court, Astor P.uilding, Peadleston & Woerz Ilrewery, i'.roa.lwav Car Stables, the steam x.iehts •■•l"illie" and the "L'orsair," new 1 )elmonico's, L'nion League ( lub. Almeric Paget's residence, J. P. Morgan's residence, Altman's store, l)esides a large numl^er of hotels, apartment houses and public institutions. Thomas Nugent. Xugent's hot air furnaces, manufactured and i)atented l)y Mr. Thomas Nugent, of Xo. 214 East 8oth street, have long been known to householders and builders to be as efficient and ccononncal as an\- in the market. The inventor, Mr. Xugent, is a man of tliorough and wide experience in hot air a])]iliances, and the general appro- bation with whieli lii^ goods h;i\c been received testifies to their worth. In 1885 and icSSh the .\meric;m Institute awarded his make of furnaces a medal of sn])eriorit\- o\er all entered in competition. The furnaces have l)een place. His sons, Geo. A. Reeber and \\m. C. Reeber, now succc>siull\ manaq'e the large business which necessitates an intimate and t-xteiisiNe knowl- edge of the building trade. Their main ])reiiiises occii])\ t\\eiit\-one city lots, while an e(|uall\- large affair is conducted as a branch at 139th street and 3d avenue. In l)otli yards there are iw.i acres in all. The firm has always made it their main object as a business principle never to misrepresent, and their ever increasing ljusiness is am])le evidence of the confidence in which tliey are lield, Georg:e I. Roberts & Bros. The enterprising firm of George L Roberts & Bros., of Nos. 471 and 473 Fourth avenue, was established in 1887. It is probably the best known engineering supply house in the city. Besides car- rying a complete line of steam, gas, v vater and electric g^ oods. it makes a specialty of engine room su]) plies. Tlie enterpr ise and progressiveness of this firm is show n in all its operations ; th ey have motor !>( wver, and are ready to repair and acconnuodate ])at lispatch should an accident occur in either (la\ ti me ( )!' ■ m,i^ht. The\' issue a monthly magazine devoted to the intei gii leers and are in intimate connection with that body . The) carrN- a most complete stock, supplying the smallest and largest dealers alike. The firm is incorporated with j\Ir. George I. Roberts, President; Edwin EE Roberts, Treasurer, and J. E. Wilder, Jr.. Secretary. G. L. Schuyler & Co. The lumber firm of G. L. Schuyler & Co., whose office is located at 98th street and 1st avenue, is one of the largest in the city. It was established in 1835, ^""^^ t'"'*^ name to-day is sufficient guarantee in itself among the trade for reliability and square dealing. The pres- ent firm is composed of Walter G. Schuyler and James E. Schuyler. In the capacious yards are carried a large stock of kiln dried Georgia and North Carolina pine, quartered oak, walnut, cherry and yellow pine bridge timber, besides a ftill supply of other classes. The com- I)any has been successful in securing contracts for supplying lumber 452 A HISTORV OF REAL ESTATE, for some of the larj^est Iniildinss erected in this city. Among the most recent are: the new Dun lluihhng. Cohmihia CijUege, Town- send BuiUhng, and the J'ostal Telegraph I'.uihhng. Sedgfwick Machine Works. This firm, with offices at i io Liberty street, manufacture a com- plete hne of dumb waiters and elevators for all purposes. Mr. Alonzo Sedg-wick has been engaged as a mechanic and manufac- turer for forty years, and has invented and perfected elevators and dumb waiters which in detail and design are superior to any make on the market. Mr. |u>tus 1. W akelee, the junior member of the firm, is also a thorough mechanic, and familiar with all details in the business: he manages the business in the Metropolitan district. The company manufactures several different makes of elevators and dumb waiters, fitted with various improvements, the most wideiv known of which are the Lane automatic and Sedgwick automatic duml) waiters. These elevators have been particularly specified bs- our most prominent architects in Xew York and elsewhere. The Smith Premier Typewriting Company. The Smith Premier Typewriting Company, wdiose New York ofifice is located in No. 337 ]^)roadway, was organized eight years ago. The growth and popularity of their typewriter is phenomenal, and is constantly increasing. Their shops are now larger than anv other typewriting machine plant in the world. The record of the Smith Premier Typewriter has been one of improvement from year to year, and there is no question that in the cjualities of durability, simplicity, its adaptability and its mechanical construction it is superior to any other machine in the world. This fact is proven by its unequalled sales, not only in America but throughout the whole civilized world, and where civilization is merely approaching. Some of the superior improvements introduced by the company are its ball-l^earing carriage, compound automatic rib- bon feed, paper guides, durable and perfect alignment, removable platens, duplicate keyboard and the type cleaning mechanism. Smith Woodwork Company. The woodworking concerns of this city have sufifered somewhat by ruinous competition from outside places, and it was to a great ex- tent only those whose products could not be excelled survived. Among the successful New York firms is the Smith Woodwork Co., of Nos. 312-316 East 95th street, formerly of Howard street. The business is in the hands of men of long experience in New York trade, and the career of the concern testifies in a measure to their ability. The plant required for the manufacture of cabinet work, doors, windows and house trim in all woods is most modern and complete. The Smith Woodwork Co. has completed contracts of trim and woodwork for some of the large downtown ofifice buildings, besides a large number of prominent buildings throughout the city. BflLDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. W. W. Vaughan. The mason building material supply firms which had been estab- lished prior to 1885, wondered no doubt that a firm could enter the ijrisk competitive trade of this city with such success as fell to the lot of Hoagland, Robinson & \ aughan. The initial success of this firm has become an estal)lished fact in this city. With a com- modious and well-ecjuipped yard, at the foot of 37th street, East River, and the reputation for dispatch of wiiich the firm makes a special feature, they are ready to enter bids for any contract, no matter of what magnitude. They have already furnished mason material for some of the largest buildings erected during the past two years. A few are: the Xew York C"i mnnercial I'.uilding. ( iil- lender lluilding, ]!ank of Commerce, Ilavemc\er HuiMing, Xew Third Avenue liridge at Harlem, the Kingsbridge I'ower House, St. Jrinies' lluilding, Hudson Building and the Johnson Building. The business is now carried on by W. W. \'aughan. William Williams & Company. The firm of William Williams & Co., of corner 131st street and Western Boulevard, has been established since 1894. It is com- posed of William W'illiams and L. i\. Johnson, and under their man- agement the manufacture of dumb-waiters, lian(l-i)owcr elevators and refrigerators of all descriptions is carrieil nn. I'.Dtli arc ])ractical men of thorough experience and have made as their g by tlie h( jusesmiths. in due time liou.sesmitlis added foundries to their smithsIio])s, and the east-iron branch of their establishments became of the greater importance. Cast iron had its day. and now witli tlie turn of the wheel of time it lias fallen into a secondary ])lace, and rolled steel, under the head of structural iron, takes the lead. The larger of the old Eastern cities. New York. Boston. Philadel- phia and Baltimore, have substantially the same earlier historv of iron work for buildings. New York, however, from its more rapid growth than the other cities, and its greater demand for buildings, coupled with the high values of land, especially in the commercial quarters, has afforded the best field for the development of architec- tural iron work. It has held and still holds the first ])lace in the col- umn of cities where important advances in the methods of using iron in buildings have originated and been applied, and. therefore, it is within the confines of this city that the record can be traced with reasonable accuracy. The pioneer iron foundry which made a specialty of castings for buildings was established in 1840, by James L. Jackson, in Xew York. The Jackson foundry, now the Jackson Architectural Iron \A'orks, a corporation, was started to manufacture grates and fenders — then a new industry in this country, for at that time such articles were all im])orted from abroad — and during the nearly sixty years of its existence has continued the grate and fender manufacture as one of its principal branches in light castings. Columns, lintels, beams and girders w ere cast as orders were received from the house- smiths. Snme years later, when the princijial housesnn'ths built foun- dries I if their nwn, the Jackson foundr\- added to itself smithshops, and thus it came alxuit by individuals or firms engaged distinctly in the working of wrnnght iron adding foundries, and others engaged distinctively in making castings adding wrought iron shops, that es- tablishments termed Architectural Iron Works were created. The use of one-story iron fronts with rolling iron shutters to the BL'ILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE /.V XEIV YORK. 457 door and window openings was increasing. Entire fronts of cast iron was the sequence. The usual method of treating the front of a commercial building was to make the first story of cast iron, and for the stories above to use stone ashlar, with a moulded architrave, around each window inL;' macliiner}- in [)laning and shaping Eremed in 1S4S at the Corner of Centre and Duane Streets. New \ork. Stone had not been devised to reduce the cost of hand manipulation. Round columns, mouldings, cornices, ornaments could be executed in cast iron at an expense not to be named in coniparisi )n with stone. The first complete cast iron front ever erected in the world was put up in 1848 by James P.ogardus, a civil and mechanical engineer, on the corner of Centre and Duane streets, Xew York. It was five sto- ries in height above ground, and covered an ordinary city lot. 25X ICQ feet. The building was removed in 1859, when Duane street was wid- ened, the ground on which it stood being included in the street. It was whilst in Italv, contemplating there the rich architectural de- signs of antiquity, that Mr. Bogardus first conceived the idea of emu- lating them in modern times, by the aid of cast-iron. During his 458 A HISIORV OF REAL ESTATE, subse(|uent travels in luiropc he held it cnnstantl\- in view; and cher- ished it the more carefull\' as lie became convinced In' in(|nir_\' and ])ersonal observation, not only that the idea was original with him- self, but that he might then-by become the means of greatly adding to our national wealth, and of establishing a new, a valuable and a permanent branch of industrv. It did not take long for cast-iron fronts to come into pofjular favor, for the erection of the first few ])ractically denujnstrated the various points upon which predictions of failure had been based. The greatest bugbear that had to be over- come was the assertion as to the expansion and contraction of the metal. Events proved that the temperature of our climate, through- out its utmost range, from the greatest cold to the greatest heat, ex- erts upon cast-iron no appreciable effect, and therefore, for use in buildings is practicallx' without ex])ansibilit\-. Among the earliest cast-iron fronts designed by Mr. Bogardus was that for ]\Iessrs. Harper & Brothers, publishers, on Franklin Square, Xew York, built in 1854. This is still standing, and ap- parentlv the front is as sound as the day it was erected. It may be said to be one of the oldest existing cast-iron fronts. The castings for Mr. luigardus' first fronts were made bv the Jackson foundry; and it is a singular circumstance that the saiue iron works were the manufacturers and contractors for the iron work that entered into the construction of what is believed to be the first of the uni(|ue structures of verv recent times, the skeleton building. Almost contesting honors with Mr. f jogardus came 1). 1). I'adger, wdio moved from Bo-ston to New York in 1845 and engaged in the foundry Inisiness. He ])ut U]) his first entire cast-iron front in 1853. Xo man connected with the business ever did as much as ]\Ir. r>adgei to popularize the use of cast-iron fronts, and in the famous establish- ment which he founded, the Architectural Iron Works, men of talent were gathered as designers. Xew "S'ork for a long tiiue supplied the demand for iron fronts in the other cities in the I'nitefl States. East. \\'est and South, but finally their manufacture was taken up in every section of the country. The cast-iron front business in Xew York reached its DXK ()!•■ rilK KA i;likst CAST-IROX FU1).\T<. That of .\Us!-rs. Haip.r & Hr-th.r-. ruhM.h-r.. Franklin Squaro. Ni-vv York; ErtcUd in greatest proportKjns m the carh- seventies. It was mostlv done by five concerns, viz. LDnicll s irun W nrk>. liad^er > Architectural Iron Works, the Excelsior Iron Works, the Aetna Iron \\V)rks. and lack- son s Iron \\ orks. ( )t these hve onlv Lornell s and |ack>oii s W orks are in existence to-day. I'or many years cast-iron front> were over- loaded with enrichment, but a period ensued when liiey were made l)lainer and more massive, as shown in the cut of one of the later cast-iron fronts. One of the largest of the cast-iron fronts was that erected 'by the Cornell Iron Works for A. T. Stewart's store, Xew York, covering the entire block bounded bv Broadwav, Ninth and Tenth Streets and Fourth Avenue, in size nearlv 200 feet in width, bv 328 feet in de]ith. In its dress of white paint, Mr. Stewart used often to liken his iron front to ])uffs of white cli:>uds, arch u])(.)n arch, rising S3 feet above the sidewalk. The first section of this store front was set up in place in 1859. Air. Stewart was an enthusiastic advocate of cast-iron fronts for commercial buildings, believing that the material had in its favor unec|ualled advantages of lightness, strength, dura- bility, incombustibility and ready renovation. In 1870. wdien he 460 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, A REPRESENTATIVE CAST-IRON FRONT OF A LATER DATE. On both sides is seen the older prevailing style of store fronts for commercial buildings. BUILDIXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 461 built his Woman's Home on Fourth Avenue, Thirty-second and Thirty-third Streets, New York, a fireproof structure, he adopted cast-iron for the fronts, and that without any desire to save in the first cost of the building which he generously intended should be a gift to the public. There came, almost suddenly, a change in the style of fronts; architects struck out on a new line of design, cast-iron was aban- doned except for the first story, and brick with terra cotta and light stone for trimmings was substituted for the upper stories in fronts for commercial buildings. Rolled iron for certain purposes rapidly superseded cast-iron, and when steel displaced wrought iron, and the price of rolled steel beams cheapened, fireproof buildings multiplied. Up to the time of the Chicago and Boston fires there were but a very few private fire- proof buildings within the limits of the United States. The chief number of fireproof buildings belonged to the Government. A desire to occupy structures something better than tinder boxes commenced to take a firm hold on the public, and now there are thousands of fireproof warehouses, office buildings, hotels, apartment houses and dwellings. In the first examples of fireproof buildings the floors were formed with groined arches of brick. Beams of cast-iron were sometimes used with brick arches between to form floors, and in some cases riveted plate beams were used for the same pur])ose. In 1834 I'eter Cooper's Trenton, X. J.. [Mills rolled the first solid wrought iron beam ever used for the floors of anv building in this country. These i^eams were of a shape very similar to what is now commonly known as deck beams, having a bottom flange, a web and a bulb at the top, much resembling a railroad rail, onlv deeper in the web. These beams were to be used in the Cooper Union Building in Xew York, but they were diverted by request of the U. S. Government and used in that year in the U. S. Assav office building on Wall Street. The next building in which such beams with brick arches between were used was that for Harper & Brothers, publishers, a fireproof building erected that same year. It was the following year, 1855, that deck beams were used in the Cooper Union building, the very first building for which they were manufactured. Bl'lLDlXG AXD ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 463 A little mure than five vears later, ju>t ])riiir ti> i860, the first "I" beams were rolled in this conntry. L Trenton Alills and the Phoenix Imn I'o. of Pennsylvania beginning their mamifac- ture at abmu the same time. The double-flanged or "P" beams met with great favor from tlie -^tart. I'.laborate tests of their ^trengtli were made 1)\ an army ottieer. lai)tairi Anderson, who afterward became famous as the defender of Fort Sumter. As the demand for "P' beams increa-ed rolling mills in different sections of the conntry look up their manu- facture. The first size rolled was se\-en-inch, and gradually all sizes, from four inclies up to t\\ ent\ -four inclies, were ])Ut on the market. The facility ant;iirs ;nid roofs than a mass of wooden l)e;ims, studs, plank, furring and lathing nn;)re admiral)ly arranged to burn than a i)ile oi kindling wood, because of the in- numerable air vents and spaces surrounding all and connecting from cellar to roof. It was the elevator that taught men to l)uild higher and higher. P'p to 1870 the elevator .had not been used to any great extent for passenger service. The first passenger elevators used in this country had vertical iron screws extending the whole height of the elevator 464 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, wells, and passed tlirou.^ii a sleeve in the centre of the car. They were coinparat i\ el y slow in ni( ix ini;'. hut safe. lnii)nn'enients rapidh' fol- lowed, and great speed and almost ahsolute safety were attained. In buildings equipped with passenger elevators the offices on the upper floors commanded larger rents than on floors farther down, while just the reverse conditions existed in buildings where the occupants had to climb stairs. With the incoming of high buildings came a safer construction. I'nder the recpiirements of law, buildings above a height that sufficed for five or six stories had to be constructed fire- proof. Eight to ten stories in height above the sidewalk seemed to be the limit, however, that it was advantageous to go, because the extremely thick walls necessary in the lower stories used up too much of the rentable space on the first or most valuable story, and also made the cost for foundations too great. Therefore, for a num- ber of years, ten-story buildings were consitlered extremely high buildings, now and then one reaching the altitude of twelve stories. Then came a jump in height through an apparently new and novel method of constructing buildings, but which upon close examina- tion simply illustrates the slow progress by which the human mind makes its advance in discovery. It was rather startling at first to see fifteen, twenty, twenty-four and thirty-story buildings, but the surprise has passed away, and it is generally expected that build- ings of still greater height than any so far put up will be erected, for it is conceded that there is scarcely a limit to the height that a build- ing cannot be carried on the new lines of construction. The popular name early given to these towering structures was "Sky-scrapers." Among architects and builders the new method was first called the "steel-cage" construction. In the "Record and Guide" 1892 edition of the New York building law, as a heading for a portion of the text in one of the sections, there was for the first time introduced in the written vocabulary the words "skeleton con- struction," and this term has been recognized as being so correctly expressive that such buildings are now generally called in the trade "skeleton buildings," and in some building laws of a later date are so referred to. What is understood by "skeleton construction" is a frame work of iron or steel columns and girders which carry the BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 465 ■weight of the outer inclosing brick walls, together with the floors, down to the foundations at initial points. In contradistinction, the "cage" construction is a frame work of iron or steel columns and girders which carrv the floors onlv, and do not carry the outer walls. In the skeleton construction the outer walls are in i)anels, each panel extending horizontally from column to column, and vertically from girder to girder, acting as curtain walls, sustaining nothing, and be- ing carried, each panel, on a girder. In the cage construction the outer walls are independent walls, from the foundation to the ex- treme top, sustaining themselves and themselves only, and, therefore, the walls are made less in thickness than if they had to bear the floors as in ordinary buildings such walls would liave to do. To trace the cage construction is an ea>y matter. In great num- bers there are w ide-s])an buildings, wliere the iron trusses of the roots are supported at the ends b\- ir(.)n columns instead of resting on brick walls; the object being to .save the room that brick i)iers of adccpiate strength would occupy. Time and again the ends (jf girders carry- ing floors have been supjjorted on iron columns, so as to relieve too thin walls of the concentrated weight and to ol)viate the reinforce- ment of tile wall w ith ])rick ])iers or buttresses. Where w indow o[)en- ings were numerous in a brick wall or the piers Ijetween the win- dows too small to carry the load that the ends of weighted girders imposed a common method was to place a line of colunms to take the ends of the girders. Sometimes these colunms were ])laceil di- rectly against the brick wall, sometimes let into the wall for their depth, and sometimes entirely concealed within the brick work. With a problem of going higher than eig-ht or ten stories in height the cage construction was the natural one to adopt, particularly in Chicago, wdierethecomi)ressible bottom will not safely sustain lofty brick walls except by special provision. As a matter of fact, the first high btiild- ings erected in. Chicago were of cage construction. An eleven-story building of the cage construction for the Home Insurance Company, of New York, was erected in Chicago in 1884, by Architect W. L. B. Jennev, of Chicago. The World Building in New York, erected in 1890. is a notable example of the cage construction, and its architect, Mr. George B. Post, strenuously insists that the cage principle — the 30 466 A HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, outer walls l)uilt self sustaining- and independent of the frame work of iron or steel colunnis and girders which support the floors and roof — is better than the skeleton principle, in which the outer walls, together with the floors, are carried on the frame w