Identifier: greateststreeti00jenk (find matches)
Title: The greatest street in the world : the story of Broadway, old and new, from the Bowling Green to Albany
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Jenkins, Stephen, 1857-1913
Subjects: Streets--New York (State)--New York. Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.)
Publisher: New York London : G. P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: Rutgers University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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n 1807, a lunatic asylum was built on the south sideof the New York Hospital grounds and was used for thatpurpose until 1821, when the asylum was removed toBloomingdale, overlooking the Hudson. The beautifullawn and grand trees of the old hospital formed a delight-ful relief to the eye amid the lines of brick and stone thatgrew up on each side of Broadway; and the spot was afavorite one with the firemen and others when they heldparades. After the Civil War, the property became toovaluable to be longer used for hospital purposes, so itwas cut up into building lots and sold, while the grand oldtrees went the way of all trees that stand in the way of im-provement. The original building was vacated February19, 1870. The hospital then remained in a state of sus-pension until the property on Fifteenth and Sixteenthstreets, west of Fifth Avenue, was obtained. The newhospital on that site was begun in May, 1875, and openedon March 16, 1877. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the city
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151 152 The Worlds Greatest Street extended as far north on Broadway as Anthony (Worth)Street; on the North River, as far as Harrison Street, andon the East River, as far as Rutgers Street. Above WorthStreet there was a hilly country, sloping on the east towardthe Freshwater, and on the west toward the Lispenardmeadows and the Hudson, and dotted with the countryseats of wealthy citizens. The Middle road ended at thepresent Astor Place, where a pale fence stretched across theroad and formed the southern boundary of the Randallfarm. When Broadway was regulated and graded throughthis section as far as Canal Street, there was considerablegrading to be done; the deepest cut was on the hill southof Canal Street, between White and Walker, where thestreet had to be lowered twenty-three feet; over the ditchin the valley there was considerable filling in. When the old pahsade on Wall Street was removed(i 699), it was necessary that there should be some northernline of defensive fortifications;

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