Fort Columbus

A United States military post, established in 1806 on Governor's Island, in the harbor of New York, 1000 yards south of Manhattan Island. The island in 1902 comprised 65 acres, upon which are the fort proper, with quarters for four companies of artillery or infantry, Castle William (military prison), and the headquarters of the Department of the East and of the Military Service Institution of the United States. Governor's Island was first occupied by the Dutch, who called it Nutten Island; afterwards, under the English rule, it was a perquisite of the royal Governors, from which fact it derived its name. In 1710 it became a quarantine station. In 1775 the island was first fortified and occupied successively by the American and the British troops. From 1784 to 1794 it was used as a summer resort and race-course.

In 1797, under the fear of war with France, steps were taken to strengthen the defenses here. In 1800 the island was deeded to the United States by the Legislature, and in 1806 a permanent fortification was built by Colonel Jonathan Williams. of the United States Engineers, upon the site of Fort Jay, an early earthwork. In 1812 the "South Battery" was added to the defenses. At the present time (1902) the garrison consists of four companies of coast artillery. Extensive improvements were begun in 1901,
which comprise doubling the area of the island, the erection of new docks, numerous warehouses, barracks, and officers' quarters for the accommodation of a regiment of infantry.

Collect Pond

Formerly a large pond in the city of New York, part of whose site is now occupied by the Tombs prison. It drained the district later known as the Five Points, and discharged into the Hudson River by a channel through the present Canal Street. The name "Collect" was a corruption of the Dutch "Kolch Hoek," meaning "shell point" (Fiske, Dutch and Quaker Colonies, 1899).

The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden foundations, was formed by the consolidation on May 23, 1895, of the Astor Library, the Lenox Library, and the Tilden Trust.

The Astor Library

Incorporated January 18, 1849, was founded by John Jacob Astor, who bequeathed $400,000 to establish a free public library ; gifts from other members of the Astor family trebled its buildings, added largely to its book collections, and increased its endowment to $941,000 in 1895. Opened February 1, 1854, with about 80,000 volumes, in 1895 it had 267,147 volumes.

The Lenox Library

Incorporated January 20, 1870, received from James Lenox his library, art collection, its site and building, and an endowment amounting to $505,500 in 1895. It was not a general reference library, but an institution for the exhibition and scholarly use of book rarities. In 1895 it contained 86,000 volumes.

The Tilden Trust

It was incorporated March 26, 1887. To it (before incorporation) Samuel Jones Tilden had bequeathed his private library, 20,000 volumes, and the bulk of his estate, over $5,000,000, to establish a free public library. The will was contested and the trust provisions declared invalid. By a compromise agreement the executors secured for the trust about $2,000,000, part of the share of one of the heirs.

The new corporation had an endowment of $3,446,500 owned the Astor and Lenox library sites, and possessed 353,147 volumes and pamphlets. Through an address to the Mayor legislative permission was secured May 19, 1897, for an issue of bonds by the city to construct a building on the reservoir site at Forty-second Street and Fifth Avenue, and to contract with the library for
its occupancy. Plans were adopted November 10, 1897, and the corner stone was laid November 10, 1902.

Libraries: Miscellaneous Information

On December 11, 1900, the New York Free Circulating Library offered to consolidate; the offer was accepted and on February 25, 1901, reorganization was completed. The following libraries also came into the system; Saint Agnes Free Library on August 1, 1901.; Washington Heights Free Library on December 1, 1901; the New York Free Circulating Library for the Blind on February 21,1903; and the Aguilar Free Library on February 28, 1903. By these accessions the circulation department consisted on March 1, 1903, of 18 branch libraries, owning 320,816 volumes.

On March 12, 1901, Andrew Carnegie offered to give about $5,200,000 to erect branch libraries in New York City, if the city would furnish sites and maintain the branch libraries when built. An act passed April 26, 1901, permitted the city to accept such a gift and in a contract executed July 17, 1901, between the city and the library acting as Carnegie's agent, the city agreed to provide 42 (later increased to 65) sites in Manhattan, Bronx, and Richmond, on which the library agreed to erect buildings with funds provided by Carnegie, the city agreeing to pay annually for their maintenance one-tenth of the sum expended by Carnegie. The first building so erected, on East Seventy-ninth Street, for the Yorkville branch, was opened December 13, 1902; the second, for the Chatham Square branch, was opened in the summer of 1903; four more will be ready by the end of the year.

In the new institution the 500 periodicals received in 1895 have increased to 4500 in 1903; the annual receipts of 12,483 volumes and 2599 pamphlets in 1895 increased to 65,381 volumes and 87,868 pamphlets in 1902; the 94,331 readers consulting 260,694 volumes in 1895 increased to 165,434 readers consulting 410,671 volumes; and the total of 353,147 pieces available to readers in 1895 amounted to 1,131,961 on March 1, 1903.

The New York Zoological Garden

The New York Zoological Park represents one of the latest and greatest undertakings in vivarium development and maintenance. A private corporation, called the New York Zoological Society, having, in 1903, about 1400 members, made in 1895 an agreement with the city of New York to expend $250,000 of its own funds on buildings and other installations for live animals, to
supply perpetually all the animal collections, and admit the public without charge on all days save Mondays and Thursdays. In return the city gave a free site, agreed to pay for all ground improvements and additional buildings, furnished free water and police protection, and an annual maintenance fund, but gave the society absolute freedom in management. The land granted by the city consists of 261 acres in Bronx Park, by far the largest area occupied anywhere in a city for the exhibition of live animals. The funds of the Zoological Society are derived from the annual dues of members ($11,000), and larger membership fees, and special subscriptions. The New York Zoological Park is a fair illustration of the American idea of an institution for the exhibition of wild animals, which in space and comfort for the collections should stand midway between the zoological garden and the great private game preserve. For the hardy animals that live in the open air, green turf, water, rocks, shade, and sunlight have been provided to the limits of reasonable liberality. Thus far this experiment has been regarded as successful, and already its influence is noticeable.

Tea Water Pump

A spring famous in New York during the eighteenth and part of the nineteenth century. It was situated north of the present City Hall Park, on Chatham Street, and was for a long time the chief source of supply for drinking purposes, owing to the purity of its water.

Bowling Green

A triangular strip of land at the foot of Broadway, New York, containing a small oval park. Early in the Dutch occupancy of New York the place was laid out as a village green and parade-ground. Facing it on the south stood Fort Amsterdam, built in 1626 and torn down in 1787, when a mansion was erected on its site for Washington, who, however, did not occupy it, and it became the official residence of Governors Clinton and Jay. The Governor's mansion in turn gave way to a row of fine brick residences, the famous "Mushroom Row," in recent years occupied by steamship offices and torn down in 10-1 to make room for the new custom-house. In colonial times the Bowling Green was surrounded by aristocratic dwellings, the site of which is now occupied by lofty office buildings. In 1779 the citizens erected on the Green an equestrian statue of George III, which was pulled down after the reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776, and converted into 48,000 leaden bullets for use against the English.

The Hall of Records in City Hall Park.

The oldest existing municipal building in New York is the Hall of Records. It Dates from the middle of the eighteenth century. Its site formed a part of the Common, and it stood appropriately convenient to the gallows, for it was originally a jail, the first building on the island ever designed exclusively for the detention of law-breakers. in popular parlance, as in practical use, it soon became the Debtors' Prison. When the British occupied the town during the Revolution, it was turned to account as their principal military prison, being known as The Provost, in reference to the title of the brutal Cunningham, who was charged with the custody of American prisoners of war, amongst others, "that d-d rebel, Ethan Allen." The building was a debt-ors' jail again from 1787 to 1830; on the completion of alterations projected at the latter date, it became, in 1835, the Register's office, and as such will probably see the close of the nineteenth century.

Mr. Montagnie's Inn and Garden

Just above Murray Street, stood the inn and gardens of Mr. Montagnie, of which mention has already been made as the headquarters of the Sons of Liberty. Montagnie appears to have been here after the Revolution, his place then being called the United States Garden. John H. Contoit conducted the place from 1802 until 1805 when he was succeeded by Augustus Parise. Later a building called the Parthenon was erected on the site; and in 1825, Reuben Peale occupied the building as the American Museum, which was bought out several years later by P.T. Barnum and moved to the corner of Ann Street. Peale enjoyed a well-deserved patronage for fifteen years, the Museum being a place to which children could be taken with safety.

The Mount Vernon Garden

The Mount Vernon Garden at the northwest corner of Leonard Street was opened July 19, 1800, by Joseph Corrie, who had been French cook to an English officer, and who made the cuisine of his place famous. At its opening, performances were given by the company from the Park Theatre, which house was closed for the summer.


The Vauxhall Garden

The Bayard east farm above Canal Street was laid out by a Frenchman named Delacroix, in 1798, as the Vauxhall Garden, and was for some years a popular resort with its mead booths, flying horses, fireworks, concerts, etc. The proprietor was obliged to move in 1806 as population came up-town and crowded him out, and he located himself on Broadway, south of Astor Place, the Vauxhall extending east to the Bowery (Fourth Avenue). A ball was given once a week, and it became a place of great resort. Barnum hired it for a while in 1840, and it was afterwards used for public meetings. The garden was much curtailed about 1827, when Lafayette Place was cut through the property; the buildings were demolished in 1855.