Fifth Avenue from 22nd Street

Looking south on Fifth Avenue from 22nd Street in the 1870s. The view shows the Union Club at right and the South Dutch Reformed Church, both at 21st Street. Illustration published in Fifth Avenue Old and New, 1824-1924, by Henry Collins Brown, drawn from a photo in possession New York Historical Society.

The congregation of the South Dutch Reformed Church moved to this Gothic revival temple on the southwest corner of 21st Street, about 1849. The temple was sold in 1890 and the Church moved to Madison Avenue at 38th Street. This temple on Fifth Avenue was demolished in 1890 (after May) or 1891 to make way for the 9-story Mohawk Building (160 Fifth Avenue), completed in 1892.

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The Union Club of the City of New York was founded in 1836. It occupied this building on Fifth Avenue, northwest corner of 21st Street, from 1855 to 1903. Below, text about this illustration as published in the Brown's book:

«This view taken in the ’70s shows the Union Club at right and the South Dutch Reformed Church, Rev. Roderick Terry, at 21st Street. On the corner of 20th is the residence of R. L. Stuart, now the site of the Presbyterian building. Opposite, on the block below, stood the famous Dr. John Hall’s Fifth Avenue Church. In the distance are seen the spires of the Church of the Ascension (10th Street), (Dr. John Cotton Smith), and the First Presbyterian (12th Street), (Dr. William M. Paxton), all noted divines in their day. This particular section at that time may be conceded to have been the most important, socially, on the Avenue.»

Below, a photo (composition of stereoscopic views) taken around the 1870s, showing the same buildings. Source: New York Public Library.