Old World New York City NYC - History from 1609 - 1909 in Lower Manhattan covering the city south of Canal Street

The web sites, libraries, and museums listed below are very helpful to any person interested in historical New York City. The staff have been very helpful to anyone looking for information. Check these websites for the most current information, as it can change week to week. These sites are not controlled by Old World NYC web site. These links may be opened in a new browser window. Links to websites outside of Old World NYC, are offered for your convenience in accessing related information, but do not constitute an endorsement of the website, or its content, nor does it suggest that there are not other websites which may offer related information. Old World NYC takes no responsibility for the views, content or accuracy of the information presented by an external website. Please read and adhere to all of the copyright and other rights/restrictions concerning their pictures, paintings, texts, maps, etc...

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Downtown Connection Shuttle Buses
To help get around lower Manhattan check this shuttle schedule.
Website: http://www.downtownny.com/getting around/?sid=19

Museum of City of New York
Address: 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St
New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212.534.1672
Website: http://www.mcny.org/
Hours Tues-Sun: 10am-5pm, Closed Mondays

NYC Heritage Tourism Center - NYC Visit
(New York Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Address:Southern tip of City Hall Park on the Broadway sidewalk at Park Row
Website: http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=442
Phone: 212/484-1200
Hours: Open seven days a week, made possible by The History Channel. History-themed tours and attractions.

Museum of American Indian
Address: One Bowling Green
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-514-3700
Website: http://www.nmai.si.edu
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; Thursdays until 8 p.m.

New York Historical Society
Address: 170 Central Park West
Phone: 212 873-3400
Website: http://www.nyhistory.org/
Hours: Sun-Mon: CLOSED, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm

New York Public Library
Address: Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street
Phone: 212 930 0830
Website: http://www.nypl.org/
Hours: Check website

National Archives Northeast
Address: 201 Varick Street 12th Floor
New York, NY 10014
Phone: 1-866-840-1752 or 212-401-1620
Website: http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/

New York Landmarks Conservancy
Address: 141 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212 995 5260
Website: http://www.nylandmarks.org/index.php

New York City Municipal Archives
Address: 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) NEW-YORK
Website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml
Hours: Mon-Thurs 9am-4:30pm, Fri 9am-1pm

American Museum of National History
Address: Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024-5192
Phone: 212 769-5100
Website: http://www.amnh.org/
Hours: open daily, 10am-5:45pm

Gotham Center
Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898
Web site for Pulitzer-Prize author Mike Wallace (and Ted Burrows)
City of New York University Libraries
Address: 365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4309
Phone: 212 817 7083
Website: http://www.gothamcenter.org/
Hours: Check website

New York Genealogical and Bibliography Society
Address: 122 East 58th Street
New York, NY 10022-1939
Phone: 212 755 8532
Website: http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/index.php
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:00pm

Lower Manhattan Info
Lower Manhattan Public Information Campaign
Wesite: http://www.lowermanhattan.info/history/

Downtown Alliance
Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID)
Website: http://www.downtownny.com/?flash=1

Renew New York City
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
Address: One Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 962-2300
TTY Phone: (212) 962-0045
Web Site: http://www.renewnyc.com/

LowerManhattanMap.com
Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) with U.S. HUD Authority
Web Site: http://www.lowermanhattanmap.com/links.html

New York History Net
Web Site: http://www.nyhistory.com/featured.htm

Columbia University Libraries
Address: 201 Butler Library
535 West 114th St.
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 854-2271
Website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/
Hours: check website

New York University Library
Address: check website
Website: http://library.nyu.edu/about/locations.html
Hours: check website

South Street Seaport Museum
Address: 12 Fulton Street and the East River
Phone: 212 748 8590
Website: http://www.southstseaport.org/
Hours: SUMMER HOURS: April 1 - Oct 31, Tues-Sun 10am-6pm
WINTER HOURS: Nov 1 - March 31, Fri-Mon* 10am-5pm
*Ships and Water Street galleries closed Mondays

Unearthed Museum
Address: 17 State St (opposite Battery Park btwn Pearl & Whitehall St)
Phone: 212 748 8753
Website: http://www.southstseaport.org/archaeology/nyunearthed.shtm
Hours: By appointment

Castle Clinton National Monument
Address: Battery Park Lower Manhattan
1 Bowling Green
New York, NY 10004
Phone: (212)344-7220
Website: http://www.nps.gov/cacl/
Hours: 8:00am-5pm daily

Statue of Liberty National Monument - Ellis Island
Address: Battery Park
Phone: (866) STATUE-4
Website: http://www.nps.gov/stli/
Hours: 9:30am - 5:00pm

Skyscraper Museum
Address: 39 Battery Place
Website: http://www.skyscraper.org/home_flash.htm
Hours: 12-6 PM, Wed-Sun

Fraunces Tavern Museum
Address: 54 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10004-2429
Phone: 212-425-1778
Website: http://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/
Hours: Tues-Fri 12p-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm
Sun and Mon Closed

University Of Texas at Austin
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
Website: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/new_york.html

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_York_City
We list this site because we feel they
embody the concept that the web is meant for knowledge.
Great site you should check out.

Links

You will find links to other websites listed here and through out our site.
These links are available as a matter of convenience to our visitors.
The association of these links does not suggest our endorsement
or responsibility of content and its use.
Please review the terms, conditions and privacy statements of each site you visit.

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.