Old King's College, City of New York

The old King's College in the City of New York. Engraving by Charles Havens Hunt (1824-1872), published in 1881. Source: New York Public Library.

Admissions to the College began to be examined by June, 1754, by Samuel Johnson, later appointed as president. The King’s College (now Columbia University) received its charter on October 31, 1754, by King George II of Great Britain. It was originally housed in the vestry-room of the Trinity school house on the south side of the present Rector Street.

King's College moved to this building in 1760 at Church Street at the foot of Robinson Street (later Park Place), near the present City Hall Park. It was surrounded by a high fence, which enclosed a large court and garden. After the British occupation in 1776, during the Independency War, the building was used as a military hospital, the museum and the library were destroyed. It seems that classes continued in a private house.

On May 1, 1784, the legislature passed an act that changed the King's College name to Columbia College. By 1790, the College had between 30 to 40 students, in four classes. There were professors of languages, mathematics, logic and rhetoric, natural philosophy, geography, and moral philosophy.

In 1857, the College moved to 50th Street, between 4th Avenue (now Park Avenue) and present Madison Avenue.