This site is meant New York City (NYC) tours and tourist who are traveling to NYC on vacation, or for local residents to enjoy the personal walking tours around Battery Park, the World Trade Center, Wall Street, Frances Tavern, South Street Seaport, and other familiar tourist destinations. Many tourist and travelers to New York City enjoy seeing the behind the known historical spots. Lower Manhattan offers many unique locations for history travelers and tourists. This includes Thomas Jefferson's home, Alexander Hamilton's burial plot, the spot where Wall Street first began, the Battery Wall, Stone Street, the location where George Washington said goodbye to the Revolutionary troops, and many others. As a tourist you can flip through each timeframe and click on the books that show the actual present day historical sites - from the Dutch to the Five Points to the Brooklyn Bridge. Each tourist can make their own walking tour based on the information and pictures. Check out the maps tab to see 10 of the familiar unknown tourist spots.
2007 NYC History Discovery
Battery Wall
***Click on book to the left to see current photos of the New York City Battery Wall**
During Thanksgiving 2005 Construction workers extending the
#1 subway line to South Ferry (at the southern end of Manhattan) discovered a portion of the north eastern section of a stone wall.
The wall discovered in Battery Park is dated to Fort George (1700's English). A marble post from Fort George Memorial was the only thing available in Battery Park. A large portion of the wall has been excavated.
Fort George was demolished in the 1790's - that had been erected to protected the city from attack. The wall is estimated to be 40ft long and underground 10ft. An artifact found near the wall was a
1744 George II half penny.
SECOND WALL DISCOVERED IN BPC -In addition, a
second wall was discovered in Dec 2005. This was also part of the battery wall at the southern tip of the park (directly across from Mother Elizabeth Seton Shrine 7 State St). The NYC Transit System has posted information about the project at
mta.nyc.ny.us. Lower Manhattan's Business Info site has updates on the project at
lowermanhattan.info. And the local archaeology group has updates and photos at
nyarchaeology.org. Check back to see what is new with this historical find in New York City's lower Manhattan.
TIMELINE 1609-1708
1524
Verrazano anchors the Daphine for France in the
Lower Bay, and sees local inhabitants.
1526 Esteban Gomez sailing for Spain arrives in the
lower and upper bay.
1609 English navigator
Henry Hudson working for the Dutch sails the Half Moon into
Manhattan's waters. He meets and trades with local tribes.
1610 Trade begins to pick up, especially for Beaver furs.
1613 Adrian Block sails the Tiger to New Netherland trade. His boat catches fire (later it is thought to be found at
World Trade Center location in the 20th Centery).
1623 Cornelius May brings the Walloons (French specking refugees from Spanish Netherlands).
1624
Fort Amsterdam is under construction and trade strengthens.
1626 Peter Minuit becomes new Director and 'buys' Manhattan from local chiefs. New Amsterdam is officially named with most inhabitants located on the East River.
1628
Collegiate Reformed Church Established.
1635 Fort completed with main gates opening into
Bowling Green.
1638 William Kieft takes over as Director and increases taxes causing many problems.
1643 First Catholic priest visits New York, he a French Jesuit.
1644 A wall is built to keep livestock from wandering at what later will be called Wall St.
1647 Cattle pen is cleared for recreation park what is called
Bowling Green.
1653 The first city hall is established at 71-73 Pearl St where the first city tavern was located. Also the first
Latin school is established on Broad St. New Amsterdam incorporates and becomes a city.
1654 Sephardic Jews arrive from Brazil, establishment of a synagogue on South William St. Population of city is approx 1000.
1664 English take over New Amsterdam and name it New York.
1665 Thomas Willet appointed first mayor.
1671 Lutherans establish first church.
1673 Boston Post Road is established, running up Broadway, past
City Hall and through the Bronx to Boston. Dutch take back New York and rename it New Orange.
1674 Peace treaty hands New Orange back to English who rename it
New York.
1676 Great dock is built off Water St and Conties Slip.
1683
Irish Catholic Thomas Dongan is appointed Governor. He established charters right to vote, jury by peers, and others. Later England felt this charter was to liberal and threw it out.
First Catholic mass is held in the Fort on October 30th.
1691 Practicing
Catholic faith is banned in New York City. Captain Kidd the pirate moves to New York by Hanover Square.
1693 Church of England becomes New York City's official religion.
1695
City of New York Map completed.
1698
Trinity Church is established.
1699 Wall at
Wall Street that was used for protection from attacks is removed.
1700 New City Hall is established at Nassau St and Wall Street (site of
Federal Hall)..
1702
Yellow fever strikes.
1708 First large wave of immigrants hits the city after the Walloons. They are from
Germany.
TIMELINE 1709-1808
1725 The city's first newspaper is established
The New York Gazette.
1727
Small poxs hits the city.
1730 Slave market opens at Wall Street and the East River.
Congregation Shearith Israel builds their first synagogue at 18 South William Street.
1731
Small poxs hits again. Population of the city is apprx 9,000.
1732 City's first playhouse opens at Maiden Lane and Pearl Street.
1733
Bowling Green is established as city's first park.
1736
Social Services for the poor and children are set up on the Commons - which later will be the site for the third City Hall.
1741 Following a fire thought to be a Spanish conspiracy - many slaves, Irish, and Catholics are killed in a mob response. Some are burned at the stake. Yellow fever hits again.
1744
New York Evening Post is established.
1753 A fire at
Trinity Church destroys much of their records.
1754
Columbia University(Kings College) is established.
1762 City's first
St. Patrick's Day Parade is held.
1763
City population is 12,000.
Fraunces Tavern begins as Queen Head Tavern.
1765 The
Stamp Act is introduced via England. Not many know it, but this will start revolutionary discussions.
1766
St. Paul's Chapel opens its doors.
1767
Townshend Revenue Act via England - more fuel to the revolutionary fire.
1768 New York Chamber of Commerce established.
1771 Population is 20,000.
1773
Tea Act via England - the final straw.
1774 Revolutionaries dressed as Mohawk Indians jump aboard ships into he harbor and dump English tea as a sign of revolt tot he Tea Act.
1776 Washington has Declaration of Independence read aloud. With a fervor pitch residents rip down a statue of King George in
Bowling Green. Shortly after General Howe (UK) takes over New York until 1783 (the end of the Revolutionary War). A second great fire hits the city, many believe it was Revolutionary sabotage.
Maerschalck map of New York City completed..
1778 A second fire hits.
1783 The Treaty of Paris signed. Washington rides into New York City, stopping at the Bull Head Tavern on Bowery and ending at the Cape Tavern on Broadway. He says goodbye to his troops at
Fraunces Tavern.
1784 The 1700 Law banning Roman Catholic practice is lifted.
St. Peter's Church is established. Sons of St. Patrick is established. Bank of New York is established by Hamilton.
1789 George Washington is inaugurated at
Federal Hall. Tammany Hall is established.
McComb Map completed.
1790 Fort George, formerly Fort Amsterdam and Fort James, is leveled.
1792
New York Stock Exchange begins at its office at 22 Wall St.
Yellow fever hits once again.
1798
Yellow fever again.
1799 George Washington dies.
1801 Population is 60,000.
1804 Hamilton is shot by Burr in a duel.
Trinity Church is burned down again.
1808 Pope established the
Diocese of New York.
TIMELINE 1809-1909
1810 Large wave of
Irish immigrants begins to flow into New York City.
1811
Southwest Battery is finished (later named
Castle Clinton in
Battery Park). Its only access is via a wooden pier that projects about 250ft. Gov Clinton starts his push for the
Erie Canal. New City Hall is completed on current site. Only front is finished in marble since they believe the population will not move beyond Chamber St.
1812 US and UK go to war.
1820
Population 125,000.
1822
Yellow fever hits. Fulton fish market opens, it will close in 2005.
1825
Erie Canal is completed by mostly
Irish immigrants. It is a boom to business in New York.
1826
Irish and American street gangs start to form in the
Five Points. Bowery Theater is the first gas light theater.
1831
NYU is established.
1835 The Great Fire hits lower Manhattan. It devastates businesses and homes.
1836 Reformed Presbyterian Church opens.
1839 Second Trinity Church is damaged.
1840
Population is 300,000.
Five Points is worst location in the metro area.
1842
Board of Education is formed.
Map of City of New York completed.
1844 American bigots clashes between anti Irish and anti
Catholic immigrants.
1845 A massive wave of Irish immigrants begins. Equipped with only rural skills, their survival is perilous in the urban location of
Five Points.
1846 US Mexican War begins. Third Trinity Church is erected.
1847 Hundreds of thousands of
Irish immigrants flood the city escaping the
famine in Ireland via 'coffin ships'. Chinese Immigrants start to move into the
Five Points later known as Chinatown.
1848 The Five Points Mission is opened at a former brewery at the cross streets of Cross and Little Water.
1851 Typhus hits the city. New York City Resident Herman Melville publishes Moby Dick. Lower Manhattan painting by
Heine, J. Kummer & Döpler completed.
1854 House of Industry is operating at 155 Worth Street in the Five Points.
1855 Famed American street tough Bill "the Butcher" Poole dies from a gun shot in a local bar.
1857 Famed fight between city and state police leads to crime fueled weekend by criminals.
1860 Abe Lincoln arrives, buys a hat, takes a photos and woos the crowd during his presidential election campaign. Canal St sees a large increase in vice trades.
1861 Civil War begins. The
NY Fighting 69th(Irish) Regiment leaves for battle. 8
1862 Massive
draft riots occur when poor can't 'buy' their way out of draft for $300.
1865
Small poxs hits.
1869 Goldman Sachs begins at 30 Pine St.
1870
Battery Park is filled in and extended.
1871
Boss Tweed is arrested.
1876
Boss Tweed is put in jail, just as Tweed Court house is finished.
1880 Thomas Edison lights Broadway.
1883
Brooklyn Bridge opens.
1885 Save haven for Irish girls is set up at
Old Lady of the Rosary (Seton Shrine) at 7 State Street.
1886
Statue of Liberty is erected.
1888 Huge snow blizzard hits the city.
1894
Rapid Transit System (subway) is approved.
1899 First skyscraper is erected at 15 Park Row.
1900 Population 3.5 million.
Ellis Island starts processing large numbers of immigrants.
1903
Williamsburg Bridge is built. Typhoid Mary hits city.
1907
Custom House is built at
Bowling Green.
1909
Manhattan Bridge opens.
