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Warren Estate
Several old streets in the Greenwich Village and Chelsea area were named for the heirs of Admiral Sir Peter Warren. (1703-1752), a daring British naval officer who amassed a fortune in prize money from the capture of enemy--principally French--ships along the North American coast. His fortunes were further enhanced by his marriage in 1731 to Susannah De Lancey. From 1731 to 1744 he bought property in what is now the West Village to assemble an estate of over 300 acres. His holdings ran from the present Christopher Street north to 21st Street and from the Hudson River east to about Sixth Avenue, but extending to Broadway between 18th and 21st Streets. Warren's estate was divided among his three daughters, each of whom had married a prominent Englishman. They were, respectively: the Earl of Abingdon; Charles Fitzroy, later the Baron Southampton; and Lt. Col. William Skinner. Several roads in the area were named for the admiral and his sons-in-law. None of those roads remain, but the Earl of Abingdon, who had been sympathetic to the American cause, is commemorated by Abingdon Square. |
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