Map of the Common Lands from 76th to 93rd Street Showing the Old Streets and Plots As Surveyed and Mapped in 1796, by Cassimer T.H. Goerck, City Survey and resurveyed by Isaac T. Ludlam in 1822, (See Notes) And the Distance between these old Streets and our Present Streets.
- Map
- Used

Seller: Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.Geographicus Rare Antique Maps
AbeBooks seller since November 21, 2024
Condition: Used
£ 3,915.72
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Good. Original linen. Minor wear and some damage along original fold lines. Even overall toning. Size 24.75 x 29 Inches. This is a John Bute Holmes 1874 cadastral map of the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan - the only specific map of this area to appear in the 19th century. The map depicts the region from Seventh Avenue (or at least where it would be if Central Park hadn't been built) to Second Avenue and from 93rd Street to 76th Street. The bulk of the map is occupied by the northern reaches of the Common Lands, including the boundary between the Common Lands and the village of Harlem. This boundary was a diagonal line approximately from the intersection of today's Second Avenue and 79th Street to what would be the intersection of 92nd Street and Seventh Avenue, if Central Park had not been constructed. Also evident are the early planning stages of what would become Park Avenue - some of New York city's most covented real estate. Common Lands Settlement on Manhattan Island began at the southern tip, where Battery Park is today. One of the easiest indicators for modern-day visitors is the lack of an organized street-grid in this part of the city. Growth farther north on Manhattan Island was slow, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries. Then, even when people decided they wanted to live outside of the organized settlement, they elected to purchase land along either the Hudson River or the East River so they could easily travel into the city either by boat along the river or one of the two main roads that traveled north up the island. These roads, the Bloomindale Road (now Broadway), which led up the west side of the island, and the East Post Road, which ran along the island's east side, were built along ancient Native American hunting paths which allowed for easy development. The Common Lands stretched from the intersection of these two roads north in an irregular fashion to Harlem's boundary with the Commons. These two phenomena created a lack of interest in settling the land in the central part of the island. Traveling there was difficult, and the land either consisted of rocky outcroppings or low-lying overgrown marshland. All of this 'vast wasteland' was thus given to the government of New Amsterdam by the Dutch administrators in 1685 and reaffirmed by the English twice after they acquired the colony. Almost no one bought or rented the land from the colony, and it remained that way until the infancy of the United States, when the government of New York City inherited what had become known as the Common Lands. At that time, New York City had little tax income, and so leveraged the Common Lands, which the Common Council, the city's governing body, believed could be developed. They contracted Casimir Theodor Goerck, a city surveyor, to survey the Common Lands and divide it into five acre lots that would then be sold at auction. Goerck, for his part, did the best he could with a massive task. By the December 1785, he had laid out a middle street, a rough estimation of today's Fifth Avenue, but almost none of the lots were of equal size. A handful of lots sold the following summer, but not many, most of which were in the extreme southern reaches of the Common Lands near the established city. In 1794, the Common Council again contracted Goerck to survey five-acre lots, but this time he was to also survey a road parallel to and on either side of the middle road. He was also to survey sixty-six-foot-wide east-west streets to allow for easier access. These roads would closely mirror Fourth and Sixth Avenues in the Commissioners plan of about a decade later, as would the east-west streets, although the Commissioners gave almost no credit to Goerck for the inspiration. Holmes' 'Farm Maps' In the early 19th century most of Manhattan was undeveloped farm lands, the property of wealthy landowners with claims dating to the Dutch period of New York's history. The northern 2/3rd Manhattan was dotted with farm lands and sprawli.…
Seller Inventory # 18-CommonLands76thto93rd-holmes-1874
Bibliographic details
- Title
- Map of the Common Lands from 76th to 93rd Street Showing the Old Streets and Plots As Surveyed and Mapped in 1796, by Cassimer T.H. Goerck, City Survey and resurveyed by Isaac T. Ludlam in 1822, (See Notes) And the Distance between these old Streets and our Present Streets.
- Author
- 50548127
- Publication year
- 1874
- Seller catalogs
- NEW-YORK-MAPS
Geographicus Rare Antique Maps
Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 7 to 14 business days | 2 to 8 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 12.82 | £ 33.94 |
Payment methods
Store description
Geographicus Rare Antique Maps was founded in New York, New York, by Kevin James Brown in 1999. We are specialist antiquarians dealing in historic maps from all over the world and in all price ranges. Our enthusiasm, passion, and devotion to scholarship is expressed in our meticulously researched descriptions, among the most detailed and comprehensive available anywhere, for each and every rare map that passes over our desk. This same devotion guides the relationships of honesty and trust we have fostered with our clients, whether through purchasing or selling a rare map, getting an appraisal, or simply calling to discuss antique maps in general. We are happy to assist you no matter whether you are an interior decorator, an institution, an experienced collector, or are just looking for a single antique map. Geographicus is a member of the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America), the ILAB (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers), the New York Map Society, the Washington Map Society, the IMCOS, and the Society for the History of Discoveries. While primarily an internet-based company, we are happy to meet with clients to show our antique maps by appointment at our New York City location.…
Specialty
MAPSAssociation member
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.Seller's business information
NY, U.S.A.
Terms of sale
Geographicus Rare Antique Maps was founded in New York, New York, by Kevin James Brown in 1999. We are specialist antiquarians dealing in historic maps from all over the world and in all price ranges. Our enthusiasm, passion and devotion to scholarship is expressed in our meticulously researched descriptions, among the most detailed and comprehensive available anywhere, for each and every rare map that passes over our desk.
This same devotion guides the relationships of honesty and trust we have fostered with our clients, whether through purchasing or selling a rare map, getting an appraisal, or simply calling to discuss antique maps in general. We are happy to assist you no matter whether you are an interior decorator, an institution, an experienced collector, or are just looking for a single antique map.
Geographicus is a member of the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America), the ILAB (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers), Philip Lee Phillips Society, the New York Map Society, the Washington Map Society, the International Map Collectors Society and the Society for the History of Discoveries. While primarily an internet-based company, we are happy to meet with clients to show our antique maps by appointment at our New York City location.
Geographicus also works with clients to provide map themed interior design services as well as manufacture and install collection storage and display solutions.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., +1 6463208650, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.