1869 Map of the City of New York North of 55th Street...
Map of the City of New York : north of 55th Street, showing on the "West Side" the streets, roads, avenues and public places established, widened and retained, and the pier and bulkhead lines &c. as laid out by the commsnrs of Central Park / compiled and drawn by Hamilton Ewen, City Surveyor.
By: Ewen Hamilton & Hamilton E. Towle
Date: 1869 (dated) New York, NY
Dimensions: (23 x 67 inches) 58.5 x 170 cm
A rare mid-19th century city planning and development map of Manhattan north of 55th street and the lower portion of Westchester County. Produced not for the general public for use by city planners, developers, and commissioners, this map would have been scarce even in the 19th century. OCLC cites just one other example held in the New York Public Library.
The map offers a detailed view of Manhattan's northern sections, emphasizing streets, roads, and avenues, with annotations on their establishment, widening, or retention. Importantly, the north side of the map represents what was still being developed as part of the city’s expansion. It includes prominent features such as Harlem, Central Park, the Lunatic Asylum, and the Croton Aqueduct, highlighting critical public infrastructure projects. The South Bronx and portions of Westchester County appear on the map's far side, offering a broader context of how urban growth extended beyond Manhattan.
This map notably documents the Pier and Bulkhead lines, as set out by the city's Commissioners of Central Park. It also shows the newly planned Madison and Lexington Avenue extensions along with measurements regarding street widths and pier dimensions. The map is filled with precise notes on the elevations of streets and neighborhoods, making it an essential tool for city planners of the time.
Hamilton Ela Towle (1833–1881) was an influential American civil engineer active during the mid-to-late 19th century. Born in Lee, New Hampshire, Towle began his career working in civil engineering in 1848 under W.Q. Down for the Portsmouth and Concord Railroad. After briefly working at the Pensacola Navy Yard, he pursued formal education in civil engineering at Harvard University's Lawrence Scientific School.
Towle's career took him abroad to Austria, where he managed the dry-docks on the Danube River. He also gained significant recognition for his involvement in resolving the Great Eastern disaster of 1861, where he helped save the ship, which bolstered his reputation internationally. After returning to the United States, he worked in Boston on various projects before moving to New York City, where he played a role in mapping and urbanizing the northern parts of Manhattan, notably publishing maps related to the development of that region, including the expansion of Lexington and Madison Avenues.
Condition: Map is in C condition with several areas of loss and separation between the panels. The right half is more toned than the left but colors are still quite vibrant. There is a lot of options for restoring this map, which we would be happy to assist and advise the buyer in completing through our preferred local restorer.
Inventory #12881
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