Aaron Burr promised Latrobe he would win the competition to design NY City Hall in 1802. But, Joseph Francois Magnin &amp; John McComb Jr won the $350 prize, becoming the oldest continuously occupied City Hall in America since completed in 1811.French Renaissance plus Federal equals this massive administrative and legislative structure. It houses the City Council and the Mayor's Office, with New York's first and most beautiful (now former) subway station buried right beneath it.

Mullets Monstrosity, City Hall, Park Row and City Hall Park.&amp;nbsp;The structure on the right is the Manhattan station for the cable cars which ran across the Brooklyn Bridge.  

McComb Architectural Drawing Collection, Collection of the New-York Historical Society

New York City Hall

At the statue of Nathan Hale in City Hall Park, Kaplan discusses Hale's life and significance, and the history of City Hall.

Originally erected in 1808-1811 as the Southwest Battery for the War of 1812, Castle Clinton was part of the NY Harbor Coastal Fortification system. It was originally located 300 feet offshore and connected to Manhattan via a bridge. The castle itself was converted to administrative headquarters for the Army. Simultaneously, at the end of the war, there was a public movement to build a park in the Battery area.

West Battery was renamed Castle Clinton, its current official name, in honor of New York City Mayor DeWitt Clinton (who eventually became Governor of New York). An 1816 proposal to construct two small office buildings at Castle Clinton was canceled due to public opposition, and the castle lay dormant for three years. Even in 1820, it was only being used as a paymaster's quarters and storage area.

The United States Army stopped using the fort in 1821, and it was ceded to the city by an act of Congress in March 1822. By then, the bridge leading to Castle Clinton was frequently used by fishermen who were catching fish from the bridge, which connected to the shore at the foot of Broadway. In 1823 it was ceded to the City, rechristened Castle Gardens and in 1824 an addition of a restaurant and entertainment center was erected. Castle Garden operated as an opera house and theater until 1854.

In 1855, now leased to NY State, Castle Garden opened as an immigration landing depot. During the next 34 years almost 8 million immigrants entered the United States through Castle Garden until scandal led to its closure in 1890. The immigration processing was transferred to federal control and relocated to the Barge Office and then to Ellis Island in 1892.

McKim Mead &amp; White redesigned the building as the New York City Aquarium, opening in 1896.

Demolition of the Aquarium by Robert Moses to make way for a never-built "Brooklyn to Battery Bridge"&nbsp;

It was one of the city's most popular attractions until it closed in 1941, when a vindictive Robert Moses (who had recently been prevented him building the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge), tried to demolish it. Thanks to supporters in the City and Federal Government, the fort became part of the National Park System in 1946 and was saved. The federal government finally obtained the property on July 18, 1950, after the city deeded the land and castle to the federal government. A project to renovate Castle Clinton was announced in 1956 after funding had been secured.

A major rehabilitation took place in the 1970s, and Castle Clinton reopened in 1975. It is currently administered by the National Park Service and is a departure point for visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. In addition, the fort contains a small history exhibit and occasionally hosts concerts. Castle Clinton has largely been restored to its original appearance. The National Park Service restored it in 1986 as the original Castle Clinton. Tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are sold inside the fort.

 Castle Clinton or Fort Clinton, previously known as Castle Garden, is a circular sandstone fort located in Battery Park, in Manhattan, New York City. Built from 1808 to 1811, it was the first American immigration station, predating Ellis Island, where more than 8 million people arrived in the United States from 1855 to 1890. 

The image depicts&amp;nbsp;Castle Garden in Battery Park and docks on the rivers. Brooklyn Bridge under construction is shown in exaggerated scale. 

This is the official image used for the Castle by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER).  

"Castle Clinton National Monument. Remains of War of 1812 fort which later became the famous Castle Garden, theatre and emigrant landing depot, and finally, the New York City Aquarium. Restoration of fort ruins began in October 1950. Work will continue as funds are available. - National Park Service United States Dept. of Interior".  

Left: "Castle Clinton National Monument, Last of a series of forts which, from the Dutch settlement of 1624, guarded lower Manhattan, this structure was built by the United States in the years 1808 to 1811. It was first called 'West Batter,' and was one of the important defenses of New York Haror during the War of 1812 period. Named in honor of Gov. DeWitt Clinton in 1815, in that year it was made Headquarters, U.S. Third Military District. From 1816 to 1820 Gen. Winfield Scott was in command. The Headquarters was removed from Castle Clinton to Governors Island in 1820. National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior". Right: "Castle Clinton National Monument, Ceded to New York City in 1823, Castle Clinton was renamed Castle Garden in 1824. Until 1855 it served as a public center and theater where public figures, including Lafayette, Kossuth, and President Jackson, were received, and artists such as Jenny Lind were presented. From 1855 to 1890, the structure was the nation's principal immigrant depot, with over 7 million immigrants entering its portals - the 'Gateway to the New World.' Between 1896 and 1941 the old structure served as the New York City Aquarium. It was created a national monument in 1950. National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior".

Showing the waterfront, Brooklyn Bridge, with Battery Park and Governors Island in the foreground. &nbsp;

Publisher: Charles Magnus &amp; Company1850–1900

W. R. B. (Engraver)Schell &amp; Hogan (Artist)

Castle Clinton National Monument 

 Historian Barry Moreno discusses Castle Clinton's varied history, from its years as an immigration station to its decades as a performance space. He describes its brief career as an aquarium, and its near destruction to make room for the Battery Tunnel. 

The eastern portion, only two windows wide, was built in 1793. James Watson, the wealthy merchant and importer who lived at 7 State Street, was one of the ambitious, early-rising group called the “Peep o’ Day Boys” who awoke before dawn to scan the harbor for incoming ships. The wooden columns on the porch of his house are said to be repurposed ship’s masts.

The distinctive western portion with its curved porch is attributed to John McComb Jr. and was added in 1806. The Watson House was once part of an elegant row of townhouses, but by the late nineteenth century when Father John Joseph Riordan bought the property for the Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary the street’s glory days were in the past. At the turn of the twentieth century an elevated train rattled just outside the house’s front windows. By the 1960s the property had so deteriorated that the Watson House was gutted inside and 8 State Street, where Elizabeth Seton had lived, was demolished.

Economic hardship and political unrest in Ireland drove mass emigration to America between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, with women forming the majority of Irish emigrants. Alarmed by the dangers faced by young, single women departing from Queenstown, reformer Charlotte Grace O’Brien established the O’Brien Emigrants Home in 1882 and investigated conditions upon arrival in New York.Her efforts led to the creation of the Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary at Castle Garden in 1884, which provided protection, housing, job placement, and guidance for Irish immigrant women. Over time, the Mission assisted tens of thousands of women, safeguarded arrivals from exploitation, and became a critical support system for Irish female immigrants entering New York.

Sturges and Shanley (a descendant of Mother Seton), designed a new church for the 8 State Street site in a style that drew from the Federal and Georgian periods to complement the Watson House next door. It is said that Sturges and Shanley planned the sanctuary to be reminiscent of a ballroom because of Elizabeth Seton’s love of dancing.

The James Watson House is now the rectory of the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first saint canonized in the United States. The Watson House at 7 State Street actually consists of two parts.

"The Chapel was built on the site of the home of Elizabeth Ann Seton. Her Daughter Rebecca was born here. The Setons lived here from 1801-1803. Mrs. Seaton, wife, mother, educator, and foundress of the Sisters of Charity was canonized September 14 1975. The tablet erected in loving devotion by New York State Catholic Daughters of America. January 4, 1977"

Rectory of the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton

 Historian Barry Moreno discusses the Roman Catholic Church Our Lady of the Rosary's involvement with immigration in New York City, particularly with young women immigrating to the city. 

St. John's Chapel, an Episcopal church in Manhattan's Tribeca. It featured a prominent sandstone portico and a towering spire. However, the neighborhood declined after the park was sold for a railroad terminal in 1867.

The chapel was eventually demolished in 1918 during the expansion of Varick Street and construction of the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line. Despite its historical significance, the Episcopal Church chose not to preserve it.

The year it was sold to be replaced by a railroad freight depot. St. John's Chapel can be seen in the background. Presumably from the Hudson Street side. The scene depicts ice skaters during the winter of 1866. St. John's Chapel can be seen in the background.

St. John's Chapel

Since its completion in 1815-1816, the Governor's Room has served as a museum and reception hall celebrating the civic history of New York and the nation. Originally comprised of the central chamber only, the two side chambers were added in 1832 (west) and 1848-1849 (east). The Governor's Room houses one of the most important collections of late-18th- to mid-19th-Century American portraiture, including paintings by John Trumbull; historic furnishings, including pieces by Charles Christian and Honor&eacute; Lannuier; and other notable artifacts, such as the desk George Washington used as president while presiding in New York from 1789 to 1790.Many distinguished guests have visited the Governor's Room, including President James Monroe, President Andrew Jackson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Albert Einstein, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The room hosted President-elect Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and served as the backdrop for his coffin in 1865 as he lay in state.

Governor's Room at City Hall

The City Hotel, was the first functioning hotel in the U.S. It offered luxury accommodations, shops, dining, and entertainment. It became New York City's main venue for social functions and concerts until the early 1840s. Owned by notable figures like John Jacob Astor, it closed in 1849 and was replaced by the Boreel Building in 1850. The hotel was renowned for hosting prominent guests and events in its time.&nbsp;

In 1849–50 Sarah Langdon, the then owner replaced it with a block of stores called the Boreel Building, and in 1878–79 replaced that with an office building, also called the Boreel Building

City Hotel

The Washington Benevolent Society, a political club affiliated with the Federalist Party, constructed Washington Hall at the corner of Broadway and Reade Street. Built from 1809 to 1813 by architect John McComb, Jr., who also designed City Hall, it held a meeting space for the society and a hotel. The Tammany Society, a political rival, responded with the construction of its own building, Tammany Hall, in 1811-1812.Spurring Tammany to get its own building turned out to be Washington Hall’s primary political legacy, as the Washington Benevolent Society and the Federalists faded from the scene within a few years while Tammany Hall became a dominant force in the City for decades. The hotel meanwhile, became one of New York’s most luxurious.

A fire heavily damaged it in 1844. Rather than rebuild, the owner sold the property to Stewart who now had a site on Broadway to build his new store.

In 1835, Washington Irving, the author helped found the St. Nicholas Society in the City of New York. The first meeting of the St. Nicholas Society was in Washington Hall, located on the southeast corner of Broadway and Reade Street, on February 14, 1835. The building was previously a meeting place for the Federalist Party.

Washington Hall

Alexander Hamilton commissioned architect John McComb Jr. to design a Federal style country home on a sprawling 32 acre estate in upper Manhattan. This house was completed in 1802, just two years before Hamilton’s death, and was named “The Grange” after the Hamilton family’s ancestral home in Scotland. The house remained in the family until 1833. Since that time, the Grange has been moved two times, in 1889 to its location at 287 Convent Avenue and most recently to its new home in nearby St. Nicholas Park. The National Park Service manages the site as a National Memorial.

In 2005, The Grange was 250 feet from its original home and hemmed in on three sides by adjacent buildings. Stripped of its porches, with its interior heavily modified, the Grange was far from the “sweet project” that Hamilton envisioned in 1802 – a rural retreat overlooking his New York. A new location was found one block away: St. Nicholas Park, the bucolic refuge at the heart of the vibrant Hamilton Heights community, and part of Hamilton’s original estate. Historic Preservation firm John G. Waite Associates, Architects spent three years investigating the original building fabric, searching for clues of its original appearance and ensuring that the move, new systems, and accessibility features would cause minimal damage to the house. JGWA designed the move and oversaw the construction of a new cellar and basement for mechanical systems and exhibits. &nbsp;

The Grange was finally lifted over the adjacent church and then moved – no ordinary technical feat. It would take three more years to restore the house. JGWA prepared a Historic Furnishings Plan and then determined interior finishes and reproductions of Hamilton’s furniture. Lost interior and exterior features were reconstructed. JGWA also worked with graphic and exhibit designers to develop the basement displays.The use of recycled materials is inherent in preservation, and the Grange is no exception. Brownstone blocks from the 1889 basement were reused for the porch foundation. The 1970s porches were disassembled and reconfigured to recreate the historic porches. Energy- efficient fixtures light the exhibition and service spaces. On the exterior, roof runoff is collected and directed to newly landscaped areas of indigenous plants once found on Hamilton’s property.

Hamilton Grange was the home of Alexander Hamilton, who was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, and a political philosopher. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Federal style does not contain an abundance of ornate designs. However, decoration could be found at the entrance. For example, The Grange&amp;rsquo;s entrance contains a leaded fanlight, leaded sidelight, and Doric columns. Altogether, these features would indicate the residence of an important person.       

In 1889, The Grange was moved to make way for the Manhattan Street Grid. As a result, The Grange was repositioned at a new angle and many changes were made including the creation of an entrance through a side window. In subsequent years, the building was even sandwiched between an apartment building and church. To restore The Grange, the National Park Service moved the home to St. Nicholas Park in 2008. After a lengthy restoration process, the home was reopened in 2011.     

The design of the Federal style emphasizes balance and symmetry. This may be seen in the arrangement of windows, chimneys, doors, porches, and balustrades.  

Searching for clues of its original appearance and ensuring that the move, new systems, and accessibility features would cause minimal damage to the house.Four chimney stacks protruding above the Grange. This is purely for design's sake, as two of the home&rsquo;s four chimney stacks are not functional. Two false chimneys were constructed to maintain the symmetry of the home.

To determine interior finishes and reproductions of Hamilton&amp;rsquo;s furniture.&amp;nbsp;  

JGWA designed the move and oversaw the construction of a new cellar and basement for mechanical systems and exhibits  

A structure designed in the Federal style was usually square or rectangle-shaped with a hipped roof. Contrary to the exterior of the building, the interior rooms were often shaped octagonally.The two octagonal rooms, which served as the parlor and dining rooms, are filled with windows on one side each. With the ability to open the doors between the rooms, and open the windows to the outdoors, these rooms would have created a pleasing open-air feeling in the home.

Third (Current) Location

Second Location

First Location

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Built 1808, restored in 1936, additional alterations in the 60s and 80s. Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of the City of New York since 1942, sits in Carl Schurz Park, which runs along the E. River from 84th to 90th Sts. Originally a remote country residence, renovations in the 60s and 80s provided amenities that allowed the house to function as an executive mansion. The house is open to the public on a restricted basis.

A compass design exploding on the floor. It was painted there in 1981, when resident Ed Koch (the City&rsquo;s 105th&nbsp;mayor), launched the namesake conservancy to speculatively authenticate the interior.The experts engaged to create the compass design knew that the slave-empowered white upper class of that Federal era &mdash; like the Gracies with their neoclassical taste &mdash; always sought to decorate and thus conceal the plain pine planks of the actual floors. Options included mats, carpeting, and&nbsp;trompe l&rsquo;oiel: in this case, decorative painting disguised as marble tile. In that spirit, the Gracie Mansion compass rose as copied from surviving samples of such solutions in the late 1700s proved an ideal and far from merely decorative solution. William Waldron

Gracie Mansion (Archibald Gracie House)

Jamie Drake of Drake Design Associates discusses his restoration and redecoration of the Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York City. Jamie Drake focused on reestablishing both its original 18th Century Federal style and paying homage to the more recent renovations of the late 20th-century.

Susan Danilow, Executive Director of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy tells the history of the building.

AT Stewart opened his first dry goods store with a $10,000 inheritance from his Irish grandfather. Stewart turned out to be a natural salesman. The store became known for good prices and customer service. Stewart became a millionaire after the Panic of 1837 when he was able to buy the inventory of other merchants who had financial reverses.By the mid 1840's the store was so successful that Stewart needed to expand. He assembled Broadway which became the first Department Store and the first building in New York clad in Tuckahoe Marble, from which it got its nickname. Over the next few years there were several 'modular' additions until it became the largest retail store in the world. Innovations included a women&rsquo;s department where women could try on imported clothes, a fur department, large glass windows where people could see the merchandise, and mail order which he started in 1868.The store began on the corner of Broadway and Reade, and gradually expanded down Broadway and across Chambers Streets, with additions in 1850-51 and 1851&ndash;52, both designed by Trench &amp; Snook, and 1872, designed by Frederick Schmidt.

A.T. Stewart store moved uptown, the building was converted into warehouses.

In 1884 Judge Henry Hilton, AT Stewart's Executor, got Edward D. Harris to design an addition, in which two floors were added to the original five, and the building was converted into offices.

It moved to a cast iron building on Broadway at the southern end of Ladies Mile. The Newspaper "The Sun" was moved into the building in 1917 until its end in 1952. The corner "Sun Clock" is a local landmark.

In 1966, New York City acquired the building to be demolished for a plan to redevelop the Civic Center which did not come to fruition.The building was rehabilitated from 1995 to 2002, overseen by Beyer Blinder Belle. The city's Department of Buildings uses the upper floors, and the first and second floors are used for retail stores.

Marble Palace

A.T. Stewart Dry Goods Store

John McComb, Jr. was an American architect who designed many landmarks in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was well-known for Federal Style architecture, especially among the citizens of New York City, where he was later made a Street Commissioner and a City Surveyor. He has even been referred to as the “Architect Royal to the Federalist Party of New York.” McComb won a contest for the design of a new New York City Hall and was named chief architect and superintendent of construction. McComb lived to be 90 years old, and is interred in Brooklyn’s Greenwood Cemetery.

John McComb Jr.

SITES

PLAYLISTS CURATED by John McComb Jr.