A History of the Land
Researched and written by Helane Mandelker
(Click underlined text for additional links, images, and maps)
(Click underlined text for additional links, images, and maps)
The land of Mannahatta was home to the Lenape - whose area covered Staten Island, Manhattan, the Bronx, Western Long Island (Brooklyn and Queens) and the lower Hudson Valley. In 1524 Italian Giovanni de Verrazzona an explorer in the service of the French was the first European to enter the area, and in 1525 the Portuguese captain Estavio Gomes, sailing for Spain, charted the mouth of the Hudson River. Henry Hudson rediscovered the NY Harbor in 1609 sailing up the North River (today’s Hudson River). What did they see as they sailed up the river to an area around West 96th St and the River - later known as Stryker’s Bay? A lush verdant land, with streams and full of wild life.
In today’s real estate world, our building is located on Block 1240, Lot 24 - earlier maps place our building on lots 24-27, but the earliest transactions had no lots recorded so we are unable to pinpoint exactly what lot numbers were impacted. Real estate records show that the outcome of an 1805 legal action by Nathanial Lawrence and Oliver Vanderbilt, Joseph Constant (sheriff) sold the property to William Weyman and Jacob C Mott. In 1806 the Apthorp family sold property to William Jauncey. In 1846 property was sold by Peter Murray to William Weyman and an 1868 map shows us as part of the property of William Weyman, who’s farm was later consolidated with Jacob C. Mott. We also bordered on William Jauncey’s and Garett Van Horne’s property, as well as Charles Apthorp. In 1790, slavery was still a presence in New York, and the Harlem division of the 1790 census shows Apthorp owned eight slaves. Apthorp accumulated a significant amount of property in the neighborhood and in 1764 he built an ambitious house, one of the grandest pre-Revolutionary houses on the island of Manhattan called Elm Park, located between W 90-91St between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. In the mid to late 19th century, up till 1891, the mansion and grounds were used as a beer garden, an inn and picnic grounds. Apthorp laid out cross lanes on the property - Apthorp Lane extended east to Harlem Commons, Jauncey Lane from the northwest corner of W 91 going diagonally west to West End Ave and on to Riverside Dr., and Stryker’s Lane between W 93 & 94, running toward W 96 and Stryker’s Bay. In 1871, the Weyman family sold the property to William B Astor. In 1884 the Vanden Huyel family sold property to James F Ruggles - records show joint ownership with others including Alice Hamilton and in 1901 the property was sold to William B Astor. The Astor family held on to the property, selling to Lucania Corp (Anthony Campagna & Rosario Candela) in 1920.
So, who lived at the site of the Clayton in the early days of New York City? Sorry to say, probably no one. There were no houses or structures on our lot until 1916 or thereabouts when a row of one-story stores with billboards on top lining Broadway between W 92 & 93 St appeared. Maybe because our lot was on the border of farms is one reason, but certainly Bloomingdale Road played a significant role. Bloomingdale Road began north of Broadway & Bowery Lane (now Fourth Ave.) and made its way to 116 St. At first the 1811 Grid project did not include either Bloomingdale Road or Broadway. The Holmes map of 1876 beautifully lays out the farms and Bloomingdale Rd over the 1811 Grid and low and behold, it looks like the road went through our property lot. Exactly where on the property it ran through differs depending on the map viewed, but clues exist. On the other side of 92nd St between 214 and the Senate is an open area, and it has a cliff of Manhattan schist with a retaining wall. A similar open area exists on W97 St between Amsterdam and Broadway in the same area as the one on W 92. We can assume that this was the area of Bloomingdale Road which likely ran through the eastern part of the building.
After the Clayton was built, real estate records from 1934 shows transfer of the property from a likely Campagna owned company, Lucania Realty to the 2480 Broadway Corporation as a result of a foreclosure by the Continental Bank and Trust Co. And in June 1965, a sale is recorded from 2480 Broadway to John T Javasile who sold it the same day to the Melohn family. It is likely that Javasile acted as a ‘straw man’ (an individual who buys property another for the purpose of not identifying to the seller and other interested parties the real identify of the purchaser) for the Melohn family.
In today’s real estate world, our building is located on Block 1240, Lot 24 - earlier maps place our building on lots 24-27, but the earliest transactions had no lots recorded so we are unable to pinpoint exactly what lot numbers were impacted. Real estate records show that the outcome of an 1805 legal action by Nathanial Lawrence and Oliver Vanderbilt, Joseph Constant (sheriff) sold the property to William Weyman and Jacob C Mott. In 1806 the Apthorp family sold property to William Jauncey. In 1846 property was sold by Peter Murray to William Weyman and an 1868 map shows us as part of the property of William Weyman, who’s farm was later consolidated with Jacob C. Mott. We also bordered on William Jauncey’s and Garett Van Horne’s property, as well as Charles Apthorp. In 1790, slavery was still a presence in New York, and the Harlem division of the 1790 census shows Apthorp owned eight slaves. Apthorp accumulated a significant amount of property in the neighborhood and in 1764 he built an ambitious house, one of the grandest pre-Revolutionary houses on the island of Manhattan called Elm Park, located between W 90-91St between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. In the mid to late 19th century, up till 1891, the mansion and grounds were used as a beer garden, an inn and picnic grounds. Apthorp laid out cross lanes on the property - Apthorp Lane extended east to Harlem Commons, Jauncey Lane from the northwest corner of W 91 going diagonally west to West End Ave and on to Riverside Dr., and Stryker’s Lane between W 93 & 94, running toward W 96 and Stryker’s Bay. In 1871, the Weyman family sold the property to William B Astor. In 1884 the Vanden Huyel family sold property to James F Ruggles - records show joint ownership with others including Alice Hamilton and in 1901 the property was sold to William B Astor. The Astor family held on to the property, selling to Lucania Corp (Anthony Campagna & Rosario Candela) in 1920.
So, who lived at the site of the Clayton in the early days of New York City? Sorry to say, probably no one. There were no houses or structures on our lot until 1916 or thereabouts when a row of one-story stores with billboards on top lining Broadway between W 92 & 93 St appeared. Maybe because our lot was on the border of farms is one reason, but certainly Bloomingdale Road played a significant role. Bloomingdale Road began north of Broadway & Bowery Lane (now Fourth Ave.) and made its way to 116 St. At first the 1811 Grid project did not include either Bloomingdale Road or Broadway. The Holmes map of 1876 beautifully lays out the farms and Bloomingdale Rd over the 1811 Grid and low and behold, it looks like the road went through our property lot. Exactly where on the property it ran through differs depending on the map viewed, but clues exist. On the other side of 92nd St between 214 and the Senate is an open area, and it has a cliff of Manhattan schist with a retaining wall. A similar open area exists on W97 St between Amsterdam and Broadway in the same area as the one on W 92. We can assume that this was the area of Bloomingdale Road which likely ran through the eastern part of the building.
After the Clayton was built, real estate records from 1934 shows transfer of the property from a likely Campagna owned company, Lucania Realty to the 2480 Broadway Corporation as a result of a foreclosure by the Continental Bank and Trust Co. And in June 1965, a sale is recorded from 2480 Broadway to John T Javasile who sold it the same day to the Melohn family. It is likely that Javasile acted as a ‘straw man’ (an individual who buys property another for the purpose of not identifying to the seller and other interested parties the real identify of the purchaser) for the Melohn family.
The Land in Maps (1776 - 1921)
