New York’s Windows to the Past
Tuesday, 1st December 2009 by Chris Hannigan
Ah, New York City... it can easily be thought of as one of the busiest, most congested places on the planet. Its miles and miles of blacktop are usually covered with thousands of people shuffling furiously from one place to the next. On GSS's last visit, we came across this poor kid who seemed to buckle under the pressure!
However, nestled deep inside New York's concrete canyons you can still find a few places that take you back to the past. These buildings were built in a simpler time when things weren't quite as hectic, and yet they survived as the big city grew up around them.
The oldest building in New York City is the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House. It's believed to have been built in 1652. Today it sits in Milton Fidler Park, right between a junkyard and a McDonald's!
Our next stop is the John Bowne House located in Queens. It was built around 1661 and was the site of a Quaker meeting in 16621. The Bowne family lived in the house until 1945, when they turned it over to the Bowne Historical Society2. Today, the building sits right under the approach path for busy LaGuardia airport, which is less than 2 miles to the west.
The Frederick Van Cortlandt House in the Bronx was built in 1748. The family used the land around the house to establish a grain plantation. The house was also used during the American Revolutionary War. Today, the land has been preserved and converted to a public park, and the house has been a museum since 1897.
Right across the street from Ground Zero sits St. Paul's Chapel. The chapel was built in 1766 and is the oldest surviving church building in the city of New York3. While recovery efforts were underway after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers.
Finally, to give you an idea of how much times have changed over the years, we visit the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum. It was completed in 1799 and was built as a means of "escape" from busy city life. At the time New York City only extended down to 14th street, so this location was actually considered "out in the country" for the city's residents. Over time, the city grew and the building became a museum in 1933 1939. Today the building sits in New York's Lenox Hill community, right down the street from the south end of Central Park.
Check Wikipedia for more information about these structures and a full list of the oldest buildings in New York City.
Thanks to Terri.
About the author
Chris is on twitter! @djtripp20
The home of teddy Roosevelt is not quite as old, but still an interesting island of history among the tall buildings.
View Placemark
Here is the street view: View Placemark,,0,-3.12
And the National Park Service site: http://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm
On Wall Street there are two very historic buildings that still serve their original purpose but have been completely rebuilt in the 19th century.
Trinity Church: Originally built in the 1690’s but completely redone in 1846. For a long time it was once the tallest building in the city.
View Placemark,,0,-36.21
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Church_%28New_York_City%29
And Federal Hall: Originally built in 1700 and a site of George Washington’s inauguration.
View Placemark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hall
The last location should say “extended UP to 14th st”
NY was build from the southern tip and slowly extended up, not down
Thanks for the clarification ekoz. I never intended the word down to define geographic direction in the post, but I can see the confusion.
Hello Chris,
Thank you for highlighting the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum. It truly is one of NYC’s hidden gems. Just to let you know that the Museum was established by the Colonial Dames of America (CDA) as a museum in 1939, not 1933. Also, we are not that close to Central Park but are located further east about three-quarters of a mile from Central Park between 1st and York Avenues.
Thank you, Deborah O’Neill Director of Education
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for the information! I’ve corrected the date as you suggested.
In regards to the hotel’s location relative to Central Park, I have to keep reminding myself that in New York City, three-quarters of a mile is a long way! Where I come from we consider that right down the street lol.
Thanks again!