Long Acre Square, before Times Square

The present Times Square was called Long Acre Square before 1904, when Times Building was erected. The "square" is formed mainly by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, in Manhattan.

In the 18th century, New York City began its expansion towards northern Manhattan. The area, which is now Times Square, belonged to John Morin Scott (1730-1784), who practiced law in Manhattan and served as an alderman in New York . In the 1760s, Broadway began its expansion beyond present-day Ann Street.

In the first half of the 19th century, this area became a possession of John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), merchant and real estate mogul. About mid-19th century the area was called Long Acre Square after the Long Acre’s carriage district in London, a historic road.

In the second half of the century, the area north of 42d Street was the horse center of New York City. The William H. Vanderbilt’s American Horse Exchange, built in 1881, was located at Broadway, 7th Avenue and 50th Street. It was destroyed by fire in 1896 and reconstructed the following year.

In the 1880s, Long Acre Square consisted of a large open space surrounded by drab apartment buildings.

By the 1890s this part of the City was full of shops, theaters, restaurants, cafes and hotels, including the Pabst Hotel, erected in 1899 and demolished to make way for Times Building. In August 1897, Long Acre Square received asphalt pavement and large billboards were already showing up.

In 1902, the Studebaker Building was erected on the north side of West 48th Street.

The New York Times Building was erected in 1904 and, before it was completed by the end of the year, the name of the square was changed to Times Square by the Board of Aldermen, who voted on April 5, to rename it and the subway station at that point to be called Times Station, which opened to the public on October 27. It was the first Interborough Rapid Transit subway line opened in NYC.

Many businesses bet that New York Subway would bring commercial success and sought to move their businesses close to Times Square, considered to be the City's new center.