Beaver Street (Manhattan)

File:Dutch Cottage in Beaver Street in 1679 (Manhattan New York).jpg

In the 17th century city of New Amsterdam, the Dutch created two canals, one at present-day Broad Street and one at present-day Beaver Street.{{cite Hidden Waters NYC|pages=20-21}} The latter originally existed as two separate tributaries of the Broad Street canal; the section west of modern-day Broad Street was called Bever Graft or Beaver Canal,{{cite book|last=Benson|first=Egbert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bY1OzvUKaDAC|title=Memoir Read Before the Historical Society of the State of New-York, December 31, 1816|author2=New-York Historical Society|publisher=Henry C. Sleight|year=1825|page=79}}{{cite web|last=Post|first=John J|date=1882|title=Old streets, roads, lanes, piers and wharves of New York. Showing the former and present names, together with a list of alterations of streets, either by extending, widening, narrowing or closing|url=https://archive.org/stream/oldstreetsroadsl00post|url-status=live|publisher=R. D. Cooke|via=Internet Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410073246/http://www.archive.org/stream/oldstreetsroadsl00post |archive-date=April 10, 2016 }}{{Rp|6}} while the section to the east was called De Prince Graft or Prince Canal,{{Rp|52}} which ended in a ditch that the Dutch called a "sloot". Despite the fact that Prince Canal became Princes Street (later Beaver Street), Prince Graft was a name referring to a canal on Broad Street, not Beaver Street.{{Rp|10}}{{Rp|52}}

Beaver Street was created by 1658, and possibly as early as 1639, as part of the street plan for New Amsterdam as recorded in the Castello Plan.{{Rp|9}} The modern-day street incorporates parts of three colonial streets: Beaver Street, Princes Street, and the Sloot (later Merchant Street).{{Rp|9}}{{Rp|51–52}} The modern name comes from the section between Broadway and Broad Streets, which was named in the 1660s for beaver pelts that were economically important to New Amsterdam.{{Rp|9}} It was here that a tavern called The Sign of the Lion was located.[https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/AFK3932.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext Valentine, David Thomas. History of the city of New-York, G.P. Putnam & Company, 1853, p. 37]{{PD-notice}}

The section from Broad to William Street, originally Prince Canal, was known as Prince Street by 1660.{{Rp|9}}{{Rp|36}} On September 8, 1664, the Dutch forces marched out of Fort Amsterdam with all battle honors and proceeded down Beaver Street to embark on board the Gideon bound for the Netherlands, thus transferring the colony of New Netherland to English control.[https://books.google.com/books?id=o22N_xyz4KoC&dq=Surrender+of+Fort+Orange&pg=PA598 O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey. History of New Netherland: Or, New York Under the Dutch, Vol. 2, 1848, p. 536]{{PD-notice}}

File:Marinus Willett preventing removal of arms by the British, June 6th, 1775 - John Ward Dunsmore, 1907. LCCN95505053.jpgIn 1682, a synagogue opened in a house on Beaver Street between Broadway and Broad Street, the first in the city{{cite book|last=Levinger|first=Lee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yf0p2lyPJMgC|title=A History of the Jews in the United States|publisher=Wildside Press|year=2007|isbn=978-1-4344-8698-1|page=66}} and one of the first in the Thirteen Colonies.{{cite book|last=Scharfstein|first=Sol|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mE031Ysq03wC|title=Understanding Jewish Holidays and Customs: Historical and Contemporary|publisher=Ktav Publishing House|year=1999|isbn=978-0-88125-626-0|page=134|access-date=August 13, 2021}} The canal west of Broad Street continued to exist until 1684. By 1693, what had been Beaver Canal was known as Beaver Street.{{Rp|9}} The eastern tributary was renamed Princes Street by 1695, Princess Street by 1711, and Carmer Street by 1767. The section east of William Street was known as Sloat Lane (also known as Slote Lane and the Sloot) by 1730 and later became known as Merchant Street.{{Rp|9}} On June 6, 1775, the British garrison withdrew to warships in the harbor. Marinus Willett and others confronted them at the intersection of Broad and Beaver Streets and confiscated a number of carts loaded with arms to prevent them being taken back to the ships. The five carts were driven up Beaver Street to Broadway, then to the John Street property of Abraham Van Wyck, son-in-law of Pierre Van Cortlandt.[https://books.google.com/books?id=NgtmAAAAcAAJ&q=Marinus+Willett Willett, William Marinus. A Narrative of the Military Actions of Colonel Marinus Willett, G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1831, p. 29 et seq]{{PD-notice}}

File:Beaver_Street_Manhattan_001.JPG

The western end of Beaver Street contains the Standard Oil Building at 26 Broadway.{{cite web|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1930.pdf|title=Standard Oil Building|date=September 19, 1995|publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission|access-date=August 13, 2021}} Built as a nine-story building in 1885,{{rp|2}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/04/03/archives/standard-oil-company-building.html|title=Standard Oil Company Building.|date=April 3, 1884|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 13, 2021|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131181756/https://www.nytimes.com/1884/04/03/archives/standard-oil-company-building.html|archive-date=January 31, 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite nysky|pages=133–134}} the building was expanded by several stories in 1895.{{rp|2}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/03/06/archives/standard-oil-company-preparing-to-erect-twentyseven-story-structure.html|title=Standard Oil Company Preparing to Erect Twenty-seven Story Structure on Broadway|date=March 6, 1921|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 13, 2021|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203030927/https://www.nytimes.com/1921/03/06/archives/standard-oil-company-preparing-to-erect-twentyseven-story-structure.html|archive-date=February 3, 2020|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Brown|first=Charles R.|title=Engineering Problems of the Tall Building|journal=Engineering Magazine|volume=13|via=Internet Archive|date=1897|url=https://archive.org/stream/factoryindustria13newy/factoryindustria13newy_djvu.txt|page=413}} The current 31-story structure, completed in 1928 as part of another expansion, replacing a Childs Restaurants location among other businesses.{{rp|3}}{{cite New York 1930|pages=539–540}} The building is designated as a New York City landmark.{{Cite news|last=Dunlap|first=David W.|date=October 15, 1995|title=Bringing Downtown Back Up|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/15/realestate/bringing-downtown-back-up.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130173040/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/15/realestate/bringing-downtown-back-up.html|archive-date=January 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}

The American Bank Note Company Office Building is at 70 Broad Street, on the southwest corner of Beaver Street. The building was erected in 1908 as the home of the American Bank Note Company, a leading engraving company that produced banknotes, currency, stamps, and stock certificates. It is a New York City landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web|date=November 30, 1999|title=Historic Structures Report: American Bank Note Company Building|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/99001436.pdf|access-date=August 13, 2021|publisher=National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service}}
{{cite web|date=June 24, 1997|title=American Bank Note Company Office Building|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1955.pdf|access-date=August 13, 2021|publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission}} {{As of|2018}}, the building was being marketed for residential use.{{cite web|last=Alexa|first=Alexandra|date=December 3, 2018|title=In the market for a palace? This massive FiDi landmark is 50% off|url=https://www.6sqft.com/in-the-market-for-a-palace-this-massive-fidi-landmark-is-50-off/|access-date=August 13, 2021|website=6sqft}}

The Delmonico's Building is located at 56 Beaver Street, at the southwest corner of South William Street. Housing a location of Delmonico's Restaurant, it is an eight-story brick building completed in 1891.{{cite web |title=Delmonico's Steak House NYC 10004 |url=https://delmonicos.com/ |website=Delmonico's Steak House NYC 10004 |access-date=1 March 2020}}{{cite NY1880|page=734}} Delmonico's was intended to complement the New York Cotton Exchange building of 1883–1885, across the street. It is a New York City designated landmark.{{cite web|date=February 13, 1996|title=Delmonico's Building|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1944.pdf|access-date=2021-08-13|publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission}}

At the eastern end of Beaver Street, where it merges with Pearl Street, is 1 Wall Street Court. Constructed between 1903 and 1904 as a speculative development, it is a New York City landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web|date=July 6, 2005|title=Historic Structures Report: Beaver Building|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/05000668.pdf|access-date=August 13, 2021|publisher=National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service}}
{{cite web|date=February 13, 1996|title=Beaver Building|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1942.pdf|access-date=August 13, 2021|publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission}} 1 Wall Street Court was originally known as the Beaver Building and contained the offices of the Munson Line, a steamship-line company in the Americas.{{Cite news|date=May 8, 1921|title=Munson Building Opens; Steamship Company Completes Project Begun a Year Ago.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/05/08/archives/munson-building-opens-steamship-company-completes-project-begun-a.html|access-date=August 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331}} The building also served as the home of the New York Cocoa Exchange from 1931{{cite news|date=April 25, 1931|title=N.Y. Cocoa Exchange Going to New Home|page=23|work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle|url=https://bklyn.newspapers.com/clip/57552163/|access-date=August 13, 2021}}{{Cite news|date=April 26, 1931|title=Cocoa Exchange Moves To New Trading Quarters|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1931/04/26/archives/cocoa-exchange-moves-to-new-trading-quarters.html|access-date=August 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331}} to 1972.{{Cite news|last=Ennis|first=Thomas W.|date=May 2, 1972|title=Cocoa Unit Opens at New Quarters|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/02/archives/cocoa-unit-opens-at-new-quarters.html|access-date=August 13, 2021|issn=0362-4331}} It was turned into residential condominiums by 2006.{{cite web|title=1 Wall Street Court|url=https://www.ccm.nyc/1-wall-street|access-date=August 13, 2021|website=CCM}}{{cite web|date=April 19, 2006|title=Development Du Jour: The Cocoa Exchange|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2006/4/19/10606900/development-du-jour-the-cocoa-exchange|access-date=August 13, 2021|website=Curbed NY}}

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{{Manhattan streets}}

Category:Streets in Manhattan

Category:Financial District, Manhattan