This list of sources is divided into five parts, as follows:
Among published works, the two most comprehensive sources of
information on old New York street
names are John J. Post’s Old Streets
(1882) and I. N. Phelps Stokes’ The Iconography of Manhattan Island
(1915-1928).
The three earliest documents listing city street names are
the de Sille list of 1660, the Nicolls list of 1665, and the Selyns list of
1686. For the 18th Century there are
several good maps of the city
(see below), but some unique information on street names is listed
in du Simitière’s notes of 1767. All four
of these lists are reprinted in Stokes.
Among unpublished sources used for this Guide, particularly
for dates of name changes, the most important was the “Streets” card file in
the Topographical Bureau of the Manhattan Borough President’s Office.
Maps and Atlases
Many of the maps listed below are
reproduced in Stokes’ Iconography or
in Cohen & Augustyn or both. Numerous
important historical maps can also be viewed on two excellent websites
maintained, respectively, by the New York Public Library (www.nypl.org/research/midatlantic/)
and the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection (www.davidrumsey.com). Both sites have pan and zoom features.
Adams, John
Wolcott, and I.N. Phelps Stokes. Redraft
of the Castello Plan New Amsterdam in 1660. [See under Courtelyou below.] In Stokes vol. 2 as
frontispiece, and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 40-41.
Anonymous. [Known as the Manatus Map] Manatus
Gelegen op de Noot Rivier. [1639, original
lost] Copies, drawn ca.
1665-70, now in Library of Congress and in Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence. Reproduced in Stokes (vol.
1 pl. 3, vol. 2, C. pl. 41 & 42) and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 28-31.
__________. [Known as
the Nicolls Map] The towne of New-York. [ca. 1664-1668]. Original in British Library, London. Reproduced in Stokes vol.1, pl. 10 A, and in
Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 52-53.
__________. [Known as
the British Headquarters Map] Untitled topographical map of entire island of Manhattan,
ca. 1782. Original
in Public Record Office, London. Facsimile, London:
B.F. Stevens, 1900, reproduced in Stokes vol. 1, pl. 50. Reproduction in Cohen & Augustyn, pp.
84-87, is from original.
Atwood, John M. Map of the city of New York : with the
adjacent cities of Brooklyn & Jersey City, & the village
of Williamsburg / drawn & engraved
by John M. Atwood, 145
Fulton St., N.Y. New York: Ensigns & Thayer,
1848. [web: nypl]
Beers, Frederick W.
1872. Map of central portions of the cities of New York
and Brooklyn. In State atlas of New Jersey. New
York: Beers,
Comstock & Cline, 1872. Shows Manhattan to 114th Street. [web: rumsey]
Bernhard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Plan
von der Stadt New-York from Reise Sr. Hoheit des
herzogs Bernhard zu Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach durch Nord-Amerika in den Jahren
1825 und 1826. Weimar: W. Hoffman, 1828. [web: nypl]
Bradford, Thomas G. 1838. New York. Boston: Weeks, Jordan and Co., and New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1838. From an atlas. Shows Manhattan streets to about 50th Street,
including portions of some of the old roads. [web: rumsey]
Bridges, Joseph F. [Map of area
burned by fire of December
16-17, 1835, showing old and new street lines.] In Stokes vol. 5, pl. 69.
Bridges, William.
Plan of the city of New-York with the recent
and intended improvements / drawn from actual survey by William Bridges, city
surveyor, A.D. 1807. Engraved by Peter Maverick. From Mitchell's picture of New-York, or, the traveller's guide, through the
commercial metropolis of the United
States. New
York: Isaac
Riley, 1807. This is Bridges’ pirated
version of the 1803 Mangin-Goerck Plan. In Cohen
& Augustyn, pp.
96-99. [web: nypl.
Parts of the nypl web image are out of alignment.]
Bridges, William.
This map of the city of New York and island
of Manhattan as laid out by the commissioners. New
York: William
Bridges, 1811. This is Bridges’ pirated
version of the Commissioners’ Plan. In Stokes vol. 3, pl. 80b and pp. 542-549. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 100-105.
Bromley, G.W. Atlas of the entire City of
New
York complete in one volume. New
York: Geo. W.
Bromley & E. Robinson, 1879.
Bromley, George W. and Walter S. Bromley,
1891. Atlas of the city of New York / Manhattan island from actual
surveys and official plans.. Philadelphia:
G. W. Bromley & Co., 1891. [web: rumsey]
Bromley, G. W. & Co.
Atlas of the borough of Manhattan,
pocket and desk ed,. 1912. New
York: G.W.
Bromley & Co. 1921.
__________. Atlas of the borough of Manhattan. Philadelphia:
G.W. Bromley & Co. 1921.
__________. Atlas of the borough of Manhattan. Philadelphia:
G. W. Bromley & Co. 1934
Buchnerd, Mrs. [?]. Plan of the city of New York
in the year 1735. Original in New York
Public Library, I.N. Phelps Stokes Collection. Reproduced in Stokes vol.
1, pl. 30, and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp 60-61. The latter authors attribute the plan to Mrs.
Buchnerd, whose
name is written in a corner of the drawing.
Stokes thought she was simply the original owner.
Burr, David H., Map of the city and county
of New York : with the
adjacent country / by David H. Burr.
New York: Simeon De Witt, 1831. [web: nypl]
__________. Map of the city of New-York / drawn by
D.H. Burr, for New York
as it is, in 1834. New York: John Disturnell, [1834]. [web: nypl]
__________. Map of the city of New-York / drawn by
D.H. Burr, for New York as it is, in 1838 New
York: John Disturnell, [1838]. [web: nypl]
__________. City of New York. New-York : Published
by J.H. Colton & Co., [1840]
Carwitham, J. [engraver] A plan of the city of New York. [ca. 1730; printed ca. 1740] Reproduced in Stokes vol. 1, pl. 27-A, and in
Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 57-59.
Cohen, Paul E., and Robert T. Augustyn. Manhattan in Maps, 1527-1995. New
York: Rizzoli
International Books, 1997. Contains very
good color reproductions and valuable background information on nearly all of
the most important early maps of Manhattan.
Colton, J. H. & Co. (publisher) Topographical map of the city and county of New-York, and
the adjacent country / with views in the border of the principal buildings, and
interesting scenery of the island.
[David Burr, cartographer] New
York, J. H. Colton & Co., 1836. In Stokes, vol 3, pl. 124, and Cohen & Augustyn, pp, 120-121.
Also on both the nypl and david rumsey websites.
The latter is a better copy.
__________. Map of the city of New York : with the
adjacent cities of Brooklyn & Jersey City & the village of Williamsburg. New York, J.H. Colton & Co., 1843. Main map shows Manhattan to 32nd Street. Balance of island shown in a smaller-scale
inset. [nypl]
__________. Map of New York
and the adjacent cities. New York,
J.H. Colton & Co., 1856. From an atlas. Main
map shows Manhattan
to 86th Street. Balance of island shown in a smaller-scale
inset. [david
rumsey]
Courtelyou, Jacques.
[The Castello Plan] Afbeeldinge van de Stadt Amsterdam in Nieuw Neederland.t The
original of this important map, made in 1660, has been lost. A copy, drawn ca. 1665-70, is in the Biblioteca
Medicea Laurenziana, Florence,
Italy. Reproductions and analysis
in Stokes vol. 1, pl. 10A-b, vol. 2, C pl. 82 and 82-a thru 82-e. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 39-41. See also Adams & Stokes, above.
Croes, J. James R. The west side of the City of New York : between Eighth Avenue and Hudson
River from Fifty-Ninth Street to One Hundred and Fifty-Fifth Street : showing
graphically the existing condition of all real estate as regards all public
improvements, with an appendix giving the dates of the confirmation of the
assessment for each improvement. New York:
Croes & Van Winkle, civil engineers,
1878.
Croton Aqueduct Board. [ca. 1842]
Map of the Croton water pipes with
the stop cocks. New York:
[Croton Water Department, between 1842 and 1845.] Original in New-York
Historical Society. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp.118-119.
de Lancey, James [?]. James
de Lancey’s MS map or plan of his Bowery Farm in the City of New York as it was
at the time of the Revolution: reduced
facsimile of the original in the possession of Edward F. de Lancey. In Jones 1879.
Department of City Planning (N.Y.C.) Block & lot maps / Manhattan Community District…Atlas.
Twelve atlases, one for each community district. New
York: the
Department, 1989.
Desobry, P. [lithographer] To be sold by James Bleecker & Sons on
Wednesday the 22nd of July 1835 at 12 o'clock at the Mercants' Exchange : by
order executors & trustees of will of Jacob Schieffelin, decd. [New
York] : P. Desobry's Lithy.,
[1835].
Desobry, P. [publisher] The Firemen’s Guide. Map of the City of New York showing the fire
districts, fire limits, hydrants, public cisterns, stations of engines, hooks
& ladders, hose carts &c / P. Desobry, under the direction of U. Wenman. New
York: P.
Desobry, 1834. In Cohen & Augustyn,
pp.116-117
Doggett, John [publisher] Map of
the City of New York. New York: J. Doggett, Jr. 1848. [nypl]
Dripps, Matthew (publisher).
[The Dripps Map, lower part] Map of the City of New-York extending
northward to Fiftieth St./ surveyed
and drawn by John F. Harrison, C. E..
New York: M. Dripps 1851. In Stokes, vol. 3, Pl. 138 and pp.
706-707. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp.
124-125. [david
rumsey]
__________. [The
Dripps Map, upper part] Map of that part of the City and County of New-York north of
Fiftieth St./ surveyed and drawn by H. A. Jones, C.E. New
York, M. Dripps 1851. In Stokes, Vol. 3, Pl. 138A and p. 707. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 126-127. [david rumsey]
__________
Map of New-York and vicinity. New York: M. Dripps, 1863. Shows Manhattan
to 135th Street. [david rumsey]
__________. Plan of the City of New York from the Battery to Spuyten
Duyvil Creek. Randall & Blackwell and J.F. Harrison,
surveyors. New York: Matthew Dripps, 1867.
Ensign, T. & E. H. (publisher). City of New York. New
York: T &
E.H. Ensign, 1845. [nypl]
Evetts, James. A map or chart of a certain tract of land commonly call’d the
shoemakers land... 1696. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 24.
Ewen, Daniel. [Untitled map of
Battery Park] 1827. Original in Topographical
Bureau, Office of the Borough President of Manhattan. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 112-113. Twenty-one years later Ewen drew the plan for
enlargement of the Park to nearly its present dimensions (see below).
__________. [Proposed enlargement of
the present Battery] / surveyed by Daniel Ewen, city surveyor,
Septbr. 1848. From Report in favor of the enlargement of
the Battery ... N.Y.C., Board of Assistant
Aldermen, Oct. 9, 1848. New
York: McSpedon
& Baker, stationers, No. 25
Pine Street, [1848] [nypl]
Goodrich, A T. A map of the City of New York. 1827. Main
map shows Manhattan
to about 34th Street. Remainder
of the island plus adjacent areas are shown in an inset at a much
smaller scale. In Cohen & Augustyn,
pp. 114-115.
__________. A map of the City of New York. 1836.
Same coverage as above, updated.
In Stoke, vol. 3, Pl. 99.
__________. Plan of the city of New York and of the island : as laid out by the commissioners, altered and
arranged to the present time / engraved by J.F. Morin. Main map shows streets up to 86th Street. Balance of island and adjacent area are shown
in a smaller-scale inset. New York, A.T. Goodrich,
1828. [nypl]
Grim, David. A plan of the city and environs of New York as they were in the years 1742-1743
and 1744. Drawn by D[avid] G{rim]
in the 76th year of his age who had at that time a perfect recollection of
every part of the same. New York, 1813. Original in New-York Historical Society. Reproduced in Stokes vol. 1, pl. 32-a, and in
Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 62-63.
Hagstrom [Map] Company. Pocket
atlas and general information guide of the city of New York:
five boroughs…New York: Hagstrom, ca. 1957.
__________. Atlas and official postal zone guide of New
York; five boroughs: Manhattan,… New
York: Hagstrom
Company, ca. 1961.
__________. Same as above. Titles
vary slightly, editions of 1957, 1967,1975, 1978,
1989. Editions from 1982 on have Maspeth, N.Y.
imprint.
__________. Hagstrom map of Manhattan. Maspeth,
N.Y.: Hagstrom Map Company, 1985.
Hamilton Aerial Map Service. Hamilton aerial map of Manhattan. New York: Hamilton
Aerial Map Service, 1929.
Hayward, George. Map of the
city of New York,
1850 / drawn for D.T. Valentine's Manual 1850, by G. Hayward. [New York : s.n., 1850] (N.Y. : [Lith. of
G.] Hayward, 180 Fulton St.)
__________. Map of Harlem
heights and plain, 1814 / lithograph from the original by G.Hayward for showing works to defend the pass at
Manhattanville during the War of 1812-15. In Valentine’s Manual for
1856.
Hills, John.
Plan of the city
of New York and
its environs. [“This plan was surveyed in 1782 and drawn in 1785 by John Hills”]
Reproduced in Valentine’s Manual , 1848.
Hinton, John. [publisher] A plan
of the city and environs of New York in North America [1776]. In Universal magazine, vol.
59, Nov. 1776. [nypl]
Holland,
[John Jos.?] A plan of the city of New York.
Inset to a larger map entitled: The provinces of New
York, and New Jersey; with part
of Pensilvania, and the province
of Quebec. / Drawn by
Major Holland, surveyor general of the northern district in America. Corrected and improved, from the original
materials, by Governr. Pownall, member of Parliament, 1776. London: Robert Sayer and John Bennett, 1776. The Holland
plan is not reproduced in Stokes but is briefly described in vol. 1, p.
343. Only the major’s surname is shown
on the map. Stokes index identifies him
as John Joseph Holland but the NYPL catalog credits the map to Samuel Holland,
a surveyor also mentioned in Stokes, who was active in New York about the same time. . [nypl]
Holmes, J.B. Map of part of the Stuyvesant property known
as the Petersfield farm together with the adjoining properties. New
York: J. B.
Holmes, September 1866.
city
Holmes, J. B. Map of the Glass House Farm, also the
Schroepple, Ray and other estates down to the Franklin & Robinson and the
widow Mary Clarke and Thomas B. Clarke, accurately made from reliable records… New
York: J.B.
Holmes, January 1873. Note that the Schroepple of the title is spelled Schroepel on the map itself and Schroeppel in the list of conveyances
printed in the margin.
Hooker, William. Hooker's new pocket plan of
the city of New York / compiled & surveyed by William Hooker, A.C.S.A., hydrographer
& engraver. New-York: W. Hooker, 1824. [nypl]
__________. Same title as above. New-York: W. Hooker, 1829. [rumsey]
__________. Same title as above.
New-York: W. Hooker, 1833. [rumsey]
__________. Same title as above.
New-York: W. Hooker, 1838. [nypl]
__________. Map of the City of New-York, compiled and
surveyed by William Hooker expressly for the series of views illustrating the
city of New-York
and its environs. New York, Peabody
& Co., 1831.
Hutchings, John (publisher).
A view of Collect Pond and its
vicinity in the City of New York
in 1793…. Williamsburgh, L. Island: John
Hutchings, 1846. In
Stokes vol. 1, pl. 58-b. [nypl]
Hyde, E. Belcher. Miniature atlas of the
borough of Manhattan
in one volume. Brooklyn: E.B.
Hyde, 1912.
Johnston, Henry P. 1897. Plan of the Battle
of Harlem Heights. Reproduced in Mott 1908.
Kemble, William. City of
New-York / W.
Kemble. New York: Edward Walker, [1848]. [nypl]
Lloyd, J. T. Lloyd’s mammoth map of the business portion
of New York City. New
York and London:
J. T. Lloyd, 1867. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 140-141.
Lyne, James. A plan of the city of New York from an
actual survey made by Iames Lyne. New York: William Bradford, 1731. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 27;
and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 54-56.
Maerschalck, Francis.
A plan of the
City of New York from an actual survey anno
domini M, DCC, LV. New York: Gerardus Duyckinck, 1755. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 34, and
in Cohen & Augustyn, pp.
64-65.
__________. A plan of the City of New York from an
actual survey by T. Maerschalkin [sic], 1763. Reproduced in Valentine’s
Manual for 1850. Photostatic copy in municipal archives.
Mangin, Joseph F., and Casimir Goerck. [The Mangin-Goerck Plan] Plan
and regulation of the City of New
York made from actual survey by Casimir Th. Gorreck
[sic] and Joseph Fr. Mangin, city
surveyors by order of the Common Council, and protracted by Joseph Fr. Mangin,
Anno Domini 1800. New York: Peter Maverick, 1803. See Stokes vol. 1, pl. 70 and pp. 454-455; and Cohen &
Augustyn, pp. 96-98. See also Bridges
1807.
McCarthy, Jennie F. Map of the original grants and farms. In Stokes vol. 6, pl. 84B-a
through 84Bpg.
McComb, John, Jr. Plan of the City of New York. In New York directory and register for the Year 1789. New
York: Hodge,
Allen & Campbell, 1789. In Cohen
& Augustyn, pp. 90-93.
Meyer, Joseph. Plan von New-York, 1844. In Grosser Hand-Atlas über alle Theile der Erde in 170 Karten.
Herausgegeben von J. Meyer.
Hildburghausen [Thuringen]: Verlag des bibliographischen Instituts zu
Hildburghausen, 1860. [david rumsey]
Miller, John. New York [1695]. Original in British
Library, London. Reproduced in Stokes vol. 1, pl. 23-a, and in
Cohen & Augustyn pp. 52-53. See
under Books, etc. for Miller’s accompanying description.
Miller & Co. (lithographer) Valuable property in the 11th ward of the city of New York : to be sold at
auction by George B. Rollins on Thursday,
25th March 1847, at 12
o'clock, at the Merchants' Exchange. New
York: Miller
& Co.[?], 1847.
[nypl]
Mitchell, Samuel Augustus.
Plan of New York &c .
In Mitchell’s new
general atlas…. Philadelphia: S. A. Mitchell, Jr., 1860. [rumsey]
Montrésor, John. A
plan of the city of New-York & its environs : to Greenwich, on the North or
Hudsons River, and to Crown Point, on the East or Sound River, shewing the
several streets, publick buildings, docks, fort & battery, with the true
form & course of the commanding grounds, with and without the town :
survey'd in the winter, 1766. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 40, and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 70-72. [ nypl.]
Morin, J. F. See
Goodrich, A. T.
Morse, Sidney E., and Samuel Breese. City of New York. In Morse’s North American atlas. New
York: Harper
& Brothers, 1845. [david rumsey]
Nicholson, Francis. Public squares, parks and places. [1838] reproduced in Valentine’s Manual for
1850.
Perris, William. Maps of the city of New York surveyed under the directions of
insurance companies of said city. New York: Perris & Browne, 1857-62. A sample plate from the 1853 first edition of
these maps is reproduced in Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 128-129.
Poppleton, Tho[mas] H. Plan of
the City of New York
/ the greater part made from actual survey made expressly for the purpose (the
rest from authentic documents) by Tho. H. Poppleton,
City Surveyor. 1817. Reproduced in Valentine’s Manual for 1855.
Poppleton, Thomas, et
al.. See
under Manuscript Materials..
Rand McNally and Company.
1897. Map of New York City
in Rand, McNally & Co.’s. indexed Atlas of the world. Chicago Rand, McNally &
Co. 1897.
__________. The heart of New York, Grand Central
Terminal. In A guide to New York issued by New York Central Lines. New York
& Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co.1918. Main map shows entire
island with all streets labeled.
B, C, D, and F Streets are in wrong order. Other errors include “Ishman” for Isham. [david rumsey]
Randel, John, Jr.
[The Commissioner’s Plan] A map of the City of New York by the commissioners appointed by an
act of the legislature passed April
3, 1807. An MS original,
one of three, is in New York Public Library.
In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 79, and Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 100-105.
__________. [The Randel Farm
Map] See below under manuscripts.
Ratzer, Bernard [The
Ratzen Plan] To his excellency Sr. Henry Moore, Bart., captain general and governour
in chief in & over the province of New York & the territories depending
thereon in America, chancellor & vice admiral of the same, this plan of the
city of New York is most humbly inscribed / by his excellency's most obedient
servant, Bern'd Ratzen [sic], lieut't in the 60th Reg't., surveyed in 1767. London:
Jefferys and Faden, 1776. This is the earlier and smaller (23 x 33 in.)
of two maps prepared by Ratzer It shows the area up to about the
present 14th Street. Called the Ratzen plan
because of the misspelling of Ratzer’s name by the engraver. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 42;
and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp 73-77. [nypl]
Ratzer, Bernard. [The Ratzer
Map] Plan
of the city of New York in North
America : surveyed
in the years 1766 & 1767 / B. Ratzer, lieutt. in his
majestys 60th or Royal American Regt. ; Thos. Kitchin, sculpt., engraver to his
late royal highness, the Duke of York,
&c. London: Jefferys and Faden, 1776. A slightly later and larger (35 x 47 in.)
version of the preceding map, it shows Manhattan
up to about the present 50th
Street as well as parts of Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. Has additional detail
including some street names not on the earlier map. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 41,
and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 73-77.
[nypl]
Robinson, E[lisha], and R[oger] H.
Pidgeon. Atlas of the City of New York embracing all territory within its
corporate limits. New
York: E.
Robinson, 1885.
__________. Atlas of the City of New York. Vol. Two: Embracing
the 12th Ward. 3rd ed. New York: E. Robinson, 1890.
Sackersdorf, Otto. Maps of farms, commonly called the blue book
1815. Drawn from the
original…New
York: 1868. Republished by E. Robinson,
New York,
1887.
__________. Map of the City of New
York…showing the streets, avenues, roads, public squares and
places laid
out and established by the board of commissioners of the Central Park by and
under authority of chapter 697 of the laws of the State of New York, passed April 24, 1867. Part I, 59th to 155th Street, 1868. Part II, above 155th Street, 1872. New
York[?]: s.n. [1868-72].
Sanborn Map Company. Map of New
York City south of Bleecker St. showing the dry goods
district / January 1913. [New York?] Sanborn Map Co. ca. 1913.
__________. Manhattan land book of the City of New York. Pelham, N. Y: Sanborn Map Co., Inc. 1955 (updated to 1975)
Serrell & Perkins
(publisher) New map of the city of New York.
New York:
Serrell & Perkins, 1850. [nypl]
Smith, Edwin. Map showing the old farms from 4th to 28th Street, east
of 6th Avenue, New York/ compiled from authentic documents
by Edwin Smith, city surveyor, 1831.
New York:
R. D. Cooke, [ca. 1870?] [nypl]
Smith, Edwin. Map of the real estate in the city of New
York : between the south side of Washington Parade, 4th St., and the north side
of Bellevue, 28th Street / compiled from authentic documents by Edwin Smith,
city surveyor, 1831 [nypl].
Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge (Great Britain). New York. In Maps of the Society for Useful Knowledge, Vol. 1. London, Chapman
and Hall, 1844. [david rumsey]
Spielmann & Brush (firm). Certified
copies of original maps of property in New
York City filed in the Register’s Office and
elsewhere, together with the Register’s index to maps and important notes
regarding the same. Hoboken, N.J.: Spielmann & Brush, civil engineers, 1881
Stokes, Isaac Newton Phelps, The Iconography of Manhattan Island 1498-1909. 6 vols. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915-1928. Stokes was an architect (e.g., of St. Paul’s Chapel at Columbia University),
a philanthropist, and an avid collector of historical prints and maps. The Iconography,
conceived as a catalogue of that collection, evolved into a 4,000-page comprehensive
survey of the city’s history and historiography as well as iconography over
four centuries. The Stokes collection
itself is now in the New York Public Library.
Stokes provides sources for most of the street names listed in his
index; as well as dates of many official actions relating to streets, such as
accessions, openings and name changes.
Tanner, Henry Schenck. New-York. From The American traveller, or, tourists' and emigrants' guide through the United States. New
York: T. R.
Tanner, 1844. [nypl]
__________. City of New York in
Tanner’s New Universal Atlas. Philadelphia:
Henry S. Tanner, 1836. [david rumsey]
Taylor, Benjamin, and John Roberts. A new and accurate plan of the City of New York
in the State of New York in North
America. Published in 1797.
New York? s.n. 1797. In Stokes vol. 1, pl. 64, and in Cohen & Augustyn, pp.
94-95. The Taylor-Roberts plan can also
be viewed on the nypl website, although it is not one of the listed
images. It can be found on
the lower part of the image for the Wilson
"Great Metropolis" plan, DI 434567.
Valentine, David T. (editor) Map[s] of the City of New York Each
edition of Valentine’s Manual [see below under Common Council] contained a
current map of the city, usually as a frontispiece. The maps reviewed in the preparation of this
Guide were those for the years 1850-56, 1858, 1861, 1864-66, and 1868-70. The last three editions of the manual were
edited by Joseph Shannon.
Valentine, David T. Map of the original grants of village lots
from the Dutch West India Company to the inhabitants of New Amsterdam (New
York) lying below the present Wall Street; located by David T. Valentine, clerk
of the Common Council of the City of New York, A.D. 1857. In Valentine’s Manual for
1857.
Viele, Egbert L. Sanitary and topographical map of the city
and island of New
York prepared for the Council of Hygiene and Public Health of
the Citizens’ Association of New York
upon the sanitary condition of the city.
New York:
D. Appleton & Co. 1865. In Stokes vol. 3, pl.
155-b. [david
rumsey]
_________. Topographical map of the City
of New York,
showing original water courses and made land. A different edition of the preceding,
probably intended for sale separate from the Citizens’ Association report. In Cohen & Augustyn, pp. 136-139.
Völker, D. Map of
the City of New-York with part of Brooklyn and
Williamsburgh : population in the year 1850: 450,000
inhabitants. New York: Edward Schuberth & Co., [1850?]. [nypl]
Watson, Gaylord. Watson’s new map of New York and adjacent cities. New
York: Gaylord
Watson, 1874. Shows entire
island and adjacent areas. [david rumsey]
Wilson, H. (publisher). The great metropolis in 1804. Probably an inset from a
larger map of this publisher. New York?, H. Wilson?, 1851? [nypl]
Winthrop, Benjamin Robert. Map of the Stuyvesant estate, reproduced in Valentine’s Manual
for 1862. See also Winthrop under Books, etc.
Directories, Street Indexes and Guidebooks
American District Telegraph
Co. General directory and tariff book. New
York: ADT Co. 1879.
__________. The same, editions of 1884 and 1891.
Appleton, D., & Co. Appletons’
dictionary of New York
and its vicinity. 14th year.
New York:
D. Appleton & Co., 1892
Betts, Fredrick J. An alphabetical list of the public
buildings, institutions, streets, places, &c. in the city of New York / wiith
references to the annexed plan, forming a complete key for the use of strangers
and citizens. New York : A. T. Goodrich, 1830.
Board of Elections in the City of New York. Street
finder, New York Country (Manhattan). New
York: The Board.
2002
Bolton, Reginald
Pelham. Guide to the named streets and avenue of Washington Heights,
Inwood and Marble Hill, with historical notes on their titles. New
York? s.n. 1914.
Department of City Planning (N.Y.C.). Manhattan street name index. New
York: The
Department, July
1972.
__________. Same
title as above, editions
of 1982 and 1985.
Disturnell, John. Guide to the city of New York, containing an alphabetical list of
streets &c :
accompanied by a correct map.
New York: J. Disturnell, 1836.
__________. New York as it was and as it is : giving an account of the city from its
settlement to the present time : forming a guide to the great metropolis of the
nation, including the city of Brooklyn and the surrounding cities and villages
: together with a classified business directory.. New
York :
D. Van Nostrand, 1876.
Doggett, John, Jr. (publisher) The great metropolis, or guide to New-York for
1846. New York:
John Doggett, Jr., 1845.
Doggett, John, Jr. The New York City directory and co-partnership
directory for 1842-43. New York: John Doggett, Jr. 1842.
__________. Doggett’s New-York city
directory for 1845-46. New York: John Doggett, Jr. 1845.
__________ . Same title as above, editions
of 1848-49, 1849-50 and 1850-51.
__________. Doggett’s New York City Street Directory for 1851. New
York: John
Doggett, Jr. 1851.
Elliott, William. Elliott’s improved New York double directory. New
York: William
Elliott, 1812.
Franks, David. The New-York directory,
containing a valuable and well calculated almanack. tables of the
different coins…/by David Franks. New York: Shepard Kollock, 1786. There have several reprints of this, some of
which do not trouble to credit Franks as the original compiler.
Hall, John D. Banner guide, excursion book and directory for New York City and vicinity. New
York: J.D.
Hall, 1906.
Hill-Donnelly Corporation.
Hill-Donnelly
cross reference directory for Manhattan, N.Y. vol. 1. Tampa,
FL: Hill-Donnelly Corporation, ca. 1997.
Lambert, H. G., and Company. Lambert’s
New York City
guide and business register…Together with a complete street and avenue
directory. New York:
H.G. Lambert & Co., 1873.
Longworth, David. Longworth's
American almanack, New-York register, and city directory: for the ... year of
American independence. New York, David Longworth,
1824.
__________Same as above, titles
varying slightly, annual editions of 1825 through 1828; 1830 through 1836; and 1839 through 1841.
Low, John. An alphabetical table of the situation and
extent of the different streets, roads, lanes, wharves and slips, public
buildings, and justice courts of the City of New York. New
York, John Low,1807.
__________. Same as above, 2d edition.
1808.
Phelps, H[umphrey] The great
metropolis: Phelps' New York City guide to all that can be seen,
and how to see it : with street directory. New York: G. Watson, 1870, c1865.
Rand McNally and Company. Rand,
McNally & Co.'s complete city railway and street number guide of New York City. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co. [1896]
__________. Rand
McNally street number guide and complete transit directory of Manhattan with new complete map. Chicago, Rand McNally &
Co. ca. 1926.
Rode, Charles R. The New York City directory for 1852-1853. New York,
Doggett & Rode 1852.
Taintor
Brothers. The
City of New York : a complete guide : with descriptive sketches of objects
and places of interest. Includes Walling's new street directory, of New York, showing the streets, avenues, lanes, courts,
places, etc., together with the numberings at the street crossings, November 1, 1867, New York: Taintor Brothers, c1867.
__________. Same as above, titles varying slightly,
editions of 1876, 1883 and 1892.
Taylor, Asher. A hand book of streets & distances, showing the
length, and intermediate distance from street to street, of all the streets in
the city of New-York. Compiled for use in the
Mayor’s Office by Asher Taylor, first marshal. New
York: Browne
& Co., 1851..
Wehman Bros. New York City at a glance; guide, street
directory; map.
New York,
Wehman Bros., 1910.
Wilson, H. Trow’s New York City
directory for the year ending May
1, 1858. New York: J. F. Trow, 1857.
__________. Same as above, editions of
1860, 1867, 1880, 1882-83.
Manuscript Material
Anon. [1937] Typescript dated January 5, 1937 in loose-leaf binder labeled “History of Old
Streets”in Topographical Bureau, Office of the Borough President of Manhattan.
Bancker, Evert, et al. Bancker papers. In Manuscripts and Rare Books Division, New York Public
Library. Stokes makes numerous
references to the Bancker papers but the papers have since been reorganized and
Stokes’ citations can no longer be followed.
The principal items used in the preparation of this guide are listed
below with their current box and folder numbers.
“Survey of Lots between Amity St. and D. Jones Land.” (Box
1, folder 1-5.)
“Survey of Delancey’s Ground.” (Box
1, folder 31-35.)
“Sketch for General Plan of Capt. de Lancey’s Ground.” (Box
1, folder 31-35)
“Draught of Sam’l Bayard’s ground near the Bowling Green.” March 27, 1787. (Box 1, folder 36-37)
“Survey of land west of Broad Way from Amity Street to Sandy Hill Road.” (Box
2, folder 46-47)
Survey of “N.Bayard Lots Contiguos
[sic] to his Barn & Garden,” dated April 15, 1795. (Box
2, folder 48-50)
Borough President of Manhattan (N.Y.C.) “Street Name Changes” [2003?] A five-page printout of Manhattan street name changes from 1975
to 2002. Nearly all are honorary designations,
generally of a single block, which in practice do not change the name of the
underlying street
__________. Card file of street names in Topographical
Bureau. Gives historical information, often including date
of official actions, for most street names in Manhattan.
Douglas, A.M. “New names and changes in
street names in Borough of Manhattan – New
York City, N.Y.” Office of the Borough
President of Manhattan. October 17, 1945.
[Typescript in N-YHS]
Loss, Adolphus.
Manhattanville as surveyed and
laid out into lots by Adolphus Loss and divided among the proprietors, and some
lots sold or leased / A copy. Charles Furman City Surveyor. Date of copy unknown. Loss’ original survey was made in 1806. Topographical Bureau Accession No. 171.
Municipal Reference Library [“City Hall
Library]. Card
file of street names. Includes information on street-name origins and changes for most of
the named streets in the five boroughs.
Poppleton, Thomas, Charles [?] Loss and William Bridges.
East
River Shore: Battery and 26th
Street.
Manuscript map on 18 sheets, bound as atlas. 1810-1814. In Topographical Bureau, Office of the
Borough President of Manhattan. Accession No. 150.
Poppleton, Thomas, and William Bridges. North River Shore: Battery and 75th
Street.
Manuscript map on 17 sheets, bound as atlas. 1810 and 1812. In Topographical Bureau,
Office of the Borough President of Manhattan. Accession No. 151.
Randel, John, Jr. [The
Randel Farm Map] The City of New York as laid out by the commissioners appointed by an
act of the Legislature passed 3rd April 1807 consisting of 92 maps in four
volumes laid down on a scale of 100 feet to the inch by their secretary and
surveyor John Randel Junr [sig.] 1820.
The original pen and ink and watercolor maps were until recently in the
Topographical Bureau, Office of the Borough President of Manhattan, but have been removed for
restoration. Full-size photostats of the
maps are in the Map Division of the New York Public Library. A composite map, at a greatly reduced scale,
is reproduced in Stokes vol. 3, Pl. 86. A
sample sheet is reproduced in Cohen & Augustyn pp. 110-111. .
Books, Articles and Other Publications
Anbinder, Tyler. Five points:
the 19th-century New YorkCity neighborhood that invented tap dance,
stole elections, and became the world’s most notorious slum. New
York: The Free
Press, 2001.
Anon. “New
York Street Names” in Appletons’ Journal, Vol VI, No. 137, Nov. 11 1871, p. 558
_________. “Original
book of New York
deeds, January 1st 1672/3
to October 19th 1675”
in Collections of the New-York Historical
Society, 1913.
_________. “Owners
guess at avenue numbers.” New York Times, Dec. 19, 1926, p. RE2.
Benson, Egbert. Memoir read before the Historical Society of
the State of New York,
December 31, 1816. Jamaica [N.Y]; Henry C. Sleight, 1825.
Bolton, Reginald
Pelham. Indian life of long ago in the City of New York. New
York: Joseph
Graham (Boltons Books), 1934.
_________. “Guide to
the named streets and avenues of Washington
Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill; with historical
notes on their titles; reprinted from
the Commonwealth Weekly” [New York:
1914?]
Borough President of Manhattan. Reports on the market system. New
York: [Office
of the Borough President]
1915.
Brunner, Arnold W., and Frederic Law
Olmsted. Proposed change of map for Riverside Drive Extension: report and plans / submitted to Hon. George
McAneny, President of the Borough of Manhattan. New
York: M. B.
Brown Printing & Binding Co. 1913.
Board of Commissioners of the Central Park.
Annual Report of
the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park
for the year ending December
31, 1867. New York [William C. Bryant
& Co.] 1868.
__________. The same for the years ending December 31, 1868 and December 31, 1869.
Board of Commissioners of the Department
of Public Parks. First Annual Report of…, for
the year ending May 1, 1871. New
York: William
C. Bryant & Co., 1871.
__________, Second Annual Report of , for the year ending May 1, 1872. New
York: William
C. Bryant & Co., 1872.
__________, Third General Report of …, 1872-1873. New York, William C. Bryant & Co.,
1875.
Common Council of the City of New York. Manual of the Corporation of
the City of New York. Annual, published for the years 1841-42
through 1870, except 1867. Generally known as
Valentine’s Manuals. The manuals for
1841-42 through 1866 were compiled by David T. Valentine; those for 1868 through 1870 by Joseph.
Shannon.
They were profusely illustrated with both current and historical maps
and views. Editions consulted in the
preparation of this Guide were those for 1848 and for 1850 through 1870.
Common Council of the City of New York. Minutes
of the Common Council of the City of New
York 1784-1831.
(19 vols.)
New York: the City of New York, 1917. [See also Matteson.]
Commissioners of Accounts, New York (N.Y.). A
report on the conveyances of certain properties owned by the City of New York in the tract
formerly known as “Hamilton Square,” March 14, 1912. New York, 1912.
Countryman, Edward. A people in revolution: the American revolution
and political society in New York City
1760-1790. Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1981.
Conklin, Lawrence H.
“Kingsbridge: An early quarrying
site on Manhattan
Island.” In Mineralogical Record, vol. 28 (1997) pp. 457-473. [Accessed on www.lhconklin.com]
Dayton,
Abram . Last days of Knickerbocker life in New York. New
York: George
W. Harlan, 1882.
Department of Finance, N.Y.C. Report
on the maintenance of public markets…nine-year period ending December 31, 1914. New
York: The
Department, 1915.
_________. Report of the Comptroller on
market property. Board of
Alderman document No. 41, pp. 642-744, May 10, 1854.
Department of Parks. Annual report of the Department of Parks of the City of New York for the year 1908. New
York: The
Department [1909?]
Department of Public Markets. Annual Reports for the
years 1923, 1927 thru 1929, 1934 and 1953.
Devoe, Thomas F.. The
market book: containing a historical
account of the public markets of the cities of New York,
Boston, Philadelphia
and Brooklyn, with a brief description of every article of human food sold
therein, the introduction of cattle in America, and notices of many
remarkable specimens / by Thomas F. De Voe.
In two volumes, vol. I. New York: Printed for the author. 1862.
No second volume ever appeared, but in 1867 De Voe published a book
called The market assistant…, which contains much
of the intended information.
________. “The public
markets” in New York Daily Times, Jan. 23, 1855, p. 2.
Dunshee, Kenneth H. As you pass by. New York: Hastings
House, 1952. Includes
a seven-page “Directory of Forgotten Streets,” based primarily on Stokes and on
Stegmann.
Fernow, Berthold. The Records of NewAmsterdam from 1653 to
1674 anno Domini. New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1897. 7. vols. Reprinted Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. 1976.
Francis, John W. Reminiscences of the past sixty years, being
an enlarged and revised edition of the anniversary discourse delivered before
the New-York Historical Society, November 17, 1857.
New York:
C. Roe, 1858.
Gerard, James W. The old streets of New
York under the Dutch: a
paper read before the New York
Historical Society, June 2,
1874. New York, F.B. Patterson, 1875.
Goodfriend, Joyce D. Before the melting pot: New York City 1664-1730. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, ca. 1992.
Greenleaf, Jonathan. A history of the churches in the City of New York from the first
settlement to te year 1846. New
York: E.
French, 1846.
Harlow, Alvin F. Old
Bowery days: the chronicles of a famous
street. New York: D. Appleton,
1931.
Hemstreet, Charles. Nooks and corners of old New York. New
York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons, 1899
Hoffman. Murray. Treatise upon the estate and rights of the corporation of the city of New York as proprietors. 2d rev. ed. (2 vols.) New York, E. Jones &
Co., printers 1862.
Hoffmann, Henry B.
“Changed House numbers and lost street names in New York of the early nineteenth century and
later”. In New-York Historical Society Quarterly Bulletin,
1937. vol. 21, no.3, pp. 67-92.
Jackson, Kenneth T. (ed.) The encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1995.
Janvier, Thomas A. “The Evolution of New
York.” In Harper’s New Monthly
Magazine. Vol. 86, Issue 516, May 1893 and Vol. 86, Issue No. 517,
June 1893.
Jensen, Howard M. Aids to finding addresses in the 1890 New York police census. 3 vols. [New
York ?]
H. M. Jensen, 1999-2002.
Jones, Thomas. History of New York during the Revolutionary
War: and of the leading events in the
other colonies at that period / by Thomas Jones, edited by Edward Floyd
DeLancey; with notes, contemporary
documents and portraits. 2.
vol. New York: Printed for the New York Historical Society, 1879
Kammen, Michael. Colonial New York: a history. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1996.
Leighton, George. R. 1945.
“On fitting a name to a street” in New York Times Magazine, October 21, 1945, pp. 16,
53, 54.
Mackenzie, Catherine.
“The markets that feed new York.” in New York Times, Jan. 5, 1936, p. SM18.
Matteson, David Maydole.
Minutes of the
Common Council of the City of New York
1784-1831; Analytical index. (2 vols.) New York: the City
of New York,
1930.
Meyer, Gerald. Vito Marcantonio: radical politician
1902-1954. Albany: SUNY Press, 1989.
Miller, John. A description of the province
and city of New York
with plans of the city and several forts as they existed in the year 1695. London:
Thomas Rodd, 1843.
Moore, Clement Clarke.
A plain statement, addressed to
the proprietors of real estate in the city and county of New-York / by A.
Landholder. New York: J. Eastburn and Co., 1818.
Mott, Hopper Striker.
The New York of yesterday: a descriptive narrative of old Bloomingdale. New
York: G. P.
Putnam’s Sons, 1908.
O’Callaghan, E.B. (ed.) Laws and Ordinances of New
Netherland 1638-1674. Compiled and translated
from the original Dutch records in the office of the secretary of state,
Albany, N.Y., by E. B. O'Callaghan. Albany:
Weed, Parsons and Company, printers, 1868.
People’s Friend &
Daily Advertiser. [Advertisement for
sale of Dove Lots] New York.
April 3, 1807.
Post, John J. Old streets, roads, lanes, piers and wharves
of New York. New York:
R. D. Cooke, 1882. This work is
essentially a list of former names and their current (as of 1882) equivalents,
plus a reverse list of .current streets with their former names. Post was an attorney specializing in title
issues. He lists dozens of names,
probably obtained from wills and property conveyances, that
do not appear in other published sources.
Where Post is my only source for a name, I have indicated this by a
phrase such as “According to Post..”
Randel, John, Jr. “City of New York
north of Canal Street
in 1808-1821.” in Valentine’s Manual for 1864, pp. 847-856.
Rich, Wesley E. History of the United States
Post Office to the year 1829.
Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1924.
Riker, James. Harlem (city of New York): its origin and early annals. New
York: printed
for the author, 1881.
Roper, Daniel Calhoun. The United States
Post Office, its past record, present condition and
potential relation to the new world era.
New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1917.
Spaulding, E. Wilder.
New York in the critical period,
1783-89. New York: Columbia
University Press, 1932.
Publ.
Stegmann, George.
“Street names which have been changed.” in Henry Collins Brown Valentine’s manual of old New York, no. 7, new series 1923, pp.
65-113. New York: Valentine’s Manual, Inc. 1923.
Tarpley, Fred.
“Street names as signposts of world cultures” in Namenforschung: Ein internationales Handbuch
zur Onomastik. Berlin:
Walter de Gruyter & Co., 1996.
Tauber, Gilbert, and Samuel Kaplan. The New York City
handbook; a comprehensive, practical guide for natives and newcomers living and
working in New York, to the ins and outs of the five boroughs' assets, systems,
neighborhoods, services, and opportunities. Rev. ed. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1968.
Valentine, David T. For Valentine’s Manual see above under Common Council of the City
of New York.
Valentine, David T. History of the city of New York. New
York: G. P.
Putnam & Company, 1853.
__________. “Historical sketches of the origins and changes of names of the
streets of this city” in Valentine’s Manual for 1855, pp. 499-516.
__________. A compilation of the laws of
the State of New York relating particularly to
the City of New York. Prepared at the request of the Common Council by David T. Valentine
and pub. under their direction. New Yor:k: E. Jones & Co, 1862.
Winthrop, Benjamin Robert.
“Old New
York, read before the Historical Society, February 4,
1862.” in Valentine’s Manual for 1862, pp. 686-694. Includes map of the streets
on the Stuyvesant Estate.
Wolley, Charles. A two years’ journal in New York and part of its territories in America. New York: Reprinted from the original ed. of 1701; with
an introduction and notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne. Cleveland: Burrows Brothers Company, 1902. Wolley was chaplain of the British garrison
in New York
from 1678-80.
Websites
Baldwin, Peter C. The
Fourth Ward: Life and Death in New York,
1860-1870. http://vm.uconn.edu/~pbaldwin/ward4.html.
.
Conklin, Lawrence H. www.lhconklin.com. Article from Mineralogical Record. See Conklin under “Books, Articles and Other
Publications” above.
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
www.davidrumsey.com. Digitized maps of New York City.
Department of Parks and Recreation –www.nycgovparks.org. Texts of historical signs
and markers.
New
York Public Library. (www.nypl.org/research/midatlantic/. Maps of New York City
in the digitized collection “American
Shores: Maps of the
Middle Atlantic Region to 1850”
OASIS (Open Accessible Space Information
System for New York City)
www.oasisnyc.net. Digitized aerial
photographs (in color) and block-and-lot maps. Site includes links to Department of Finance
property data base and Department of Buildings Building Information System.