Astor House on Broadway

The old Astor House on Broadway, between Vesey Street (left) and Barclay Street. St. Paul's Chapel is to the left and City Hall Park is to the right. Astor House was a five-story luxury hotel, opened in 1836. The hotel closed in 1913. Engraving published about 1842. Source: Duer's Old Yorker, New York Public Library.

Below, some text by William Alexander Duer (1780-1858), who served as the President of Columbia College from 1829 to 1842, published in the American Mail, July 10, 1847:

«At the time referred to in my former numbers, Broadway terminated at St. Paul's church, above which were what were called "the Fields," which are now in part enclosed within, and with much less propriety called "the Park." There were then but two brick houses at the upper end of the street opposite to the church, both of which are still remaining, and are now among the oldest in the city, viz : that occupied by the Chemical Bank, and the one next to it. There were but two also above the church ; one of which was situated on the opposite corner of Vesey street, and the other adjoining it under the same roof. They formed together a uniform building of two stories, and were erected before the war — the one by Major Walter Rutherford, the other by Colonel Axtell, both half pay officers in the British army, who married and settled in New York. The former took part in the Revolution — and continued to reside in his house many years after the war. The conduct of the latter during that period was such as to induce the confiscation of his estate, upon which his house became the property of the state, and was the official residence of Lewis A. Scott the Secretary of the State, until the seat of Government was removed to Albany. These houses were afterwards raised a story — and are now absorbed in the Astor House.»

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