Chatham Street, Park Theatre and St. Paul's Chapel

View of stone-paved Chatham Street (now Park Row), looking south toward St. Paul's Chapel, on Broadway, in 1798. Watercolor, brown and black ink, selective glazing, and graphite on paper. Signed and dated in black ink at lower right: "C. Milbourne. 1798." (Charles Cotton Milbourne). Source: New-York Historical Society. The same author painted a View of Broadway at Bowling Green with the Government House, in 1797.

In the mid-18th century, this was part of the old Post-Road to Boston. This street was officially named Chatham Street in 1774 and officially became Park Row in 1886, although it had been called that much earlier.

The fenced area on the right was the Common, later City Hall Park. This old fence was built in 1785. The new City Hall was constructed in the place in the early 19th century. The Park was enclosed by a iron railing, built in 1818 and 1821.

At left is the New York Theatre, the first Park Theatre. It was erected between 1795 and 1798, on the east side of Chatham Street. Park Theatre was a playhouse which opened in January 1798 under lease to William Dunlap and John Hodgkinson. This building was destroyed by fire on May 25, 1820, but rebuilt in 1821 with a much simpler façade.

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