Illustration shows the old
American Hotel on Broadway at
Barclay Street, facing City Hall Park. Drawn and engraved by James Smillie
(1807-1885), published in 1831 by George Melksham Bourne.
Source: Bourne views of New York collection, New York Public Library.
According to William Alexander Duer (1780-1858), who served as the President of Columbia College from 1829 to 1842, «a double three story house was built by Abijah Hammond, at the upper corner of Barclay street, which is still standing, and forms the sub-stratum of the "American Hotel."» (published in the American Mail, July 10, 1847). The American Hotel at 229 Broadway, on the northwest corner of Barclay Street, opened in 1825. It was then considered one of the city's most elegant hotels. The building on the right, at 233 Broadway, was also part of the American Hotel from about 1830 to about 1852. The American Hotel building was destroyed by fire on April 6, 1866.
The block between Barclay Street and Park Place is now occupied by the Woolworth Building, completed in 1913, the highest building in the world for about 17 years.
The building on the opposite corner of Barclay St. (left) was built by Richard Harrison. This and the other houses on the same block fronting Broadway were bought by John Jacob Astor. The Astor House was completed on the site in 1836.
The old St. Peter's Church is represented in the distance on Barclay Street. This old temple, built about 1786, was replaced by the present one at 22 Barclay Street, in the Greek Revival style, constructed from 1836 to 1840.
