1809 would turn out to be quite a year. Not only was it the year Lincoln was born but also one of the great American writers, Edgar Allen Poe, was born. Although he is most closely associated with the cities of Richmond and Baltimore, like many writers, Poe spent time in New York where … More Edgar Allan Poe – A New York Writer
We have just celebrated the 240th anniversary of the decisive, and most important, battle of the American Revolution. There were several events both at Greenwood Cemetery and the Old Stone House commemorating the events of that fateful August 27. At Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park, the Society of Old Brooklynites remembered the Prison Ship Martyr’s that are … More Fort Putnam/August 30, 1776
Everyone is digging out from the second biggest snow storm in the recorded weather history of New York. One of the wonderful things about snow is instantly the world resembles either a Victorian lithograph or an Edward Hopper painting. There is no better example of this than the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn. The “Hill” … More Snow Adorned Jewels
Who is Abraham de Peyster and why does he get moved around so much? Abraham who? Abraham de Peyster was mayor of New York in 1691 after a turbulent period in our history. Although of Dutch birth, de Peyster was a successful politician, loyal to the British Crown and in 1701 became acting governor of … More The Moving Dutchman
The Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article about the 9/11 Memorial outside Trinity Church. “Trinity Root” by Steve Tobin replicates the sycamore tree which stood in the cemetery of St. Paul’s Chapel and perhaps, helped save the chapel from destruction when the Twin Towers came down across the street from the historic church. … More Remembering and Forgetting
The other day I was in 60 Centre Street standing in the beautiful restored rotunda when a group of people walked past a bust of Thomas Addis Emmett and said “Who is that?” They read the plaque and said to one another – “Never heard of him.” That is a sad statement because he was … More Thomas Addis Emmett – Who is that man?
Many New Yorkers walk by the Frick everyday on their way to Central Park. They admire the facade, the garden but not many go inside. The Frick is one of those places that New Yorkers feel they can wait to see. Well, they shouldn’t. This summer there is even more reason to enter the rarified … More The Frick Collection
Bowery & Canal 