Atlas of 34 early- to mid-19th-century hand-drawn maps of sections of Manhattan. The atlas is on paper watermarked "JWhatman Turkey Mill 1856".
The maps work northward in a mostly comprehensive fashion covering wide sections of Manhattan between 14th Street and 68th street, with a final map covering a section from 80th to 86th on the west side of Central Park.
The atlas was drawn during the great parcellation of Manhattan, as the estates of early landowners and farmers were subdivided to better fit the city's new (and now famous) grid. Here we see the farm-sized plots broken down into rowhouse-sized lots. Some of the lots are color-coded, presumably indicating sale or ownership.
It seems likely that the maps were created for someone intimately involved in Manhattan real estate subdivision, sale, and/or development in the 1850s.
Many of the maps make reference to map numbers in some unnamed depository (e.g., "C.C. Moore Map in Lib. 235. p. 556-558..."), possibly city archives deposit numbers?
Overall the map would make for an interesting digitization and composite project, much like what was done with the Randel Farm Maps: thegreatestgrid.mcny.org/randel-composite-map
As the coverage of the city is substantially similar to the Randel maps, and many of the farms on both sets are the same, the two works provide an interesting comparison of Manhattan from the early 19th century to the middle of the century.
Map Coverage
- 14th Street to 34th Street, and 1st Avenue to 7th Avenue.
- 14th Street to 38th Street, and 7th Avenue to the Hudson River.
- 14th Street to 20th Street, and 2nd Avenue to 4th [Park] Avenue.
- 14th Street to 20th Street, and 4th [Park] Avenue to 6th Avenue.
- 14th Street to 20th Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 14th Street to 20th Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.
- 20th Street to 26th Street, and 2nd Avenue to 4th [Park] Avenue.
- 20th Street to 26th Street, and 4th [Park] Avenue to 6th Avenue.
- 20th Street to 26th Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 20th Street to 26th Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.
- 26th Street to 32nd Street, and 4th [Park] Avenue to 6th Avenue.
- 26th Street to 32nd Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 26th Street to 32nd Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.
- 26th Street to 32nd Street, and 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue.
- 32nd Street to 38th Street, and 2nd Avenue to 4th [Park] Avenue.
- 32nd Street to 38th Street, and 4th [Park] Avenue to 6th Avenue.
- 32nd Street to 38th Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 32nd Street to 38th Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.
- 32nd Street to 38th Street, and 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue [Hudson River].
- 38th Street to 44th Street, and 2nd Avenue to Avenue A.
- 36th Street to 44th Street, and 4th [Park] Avenue to 6th Avenue.
- 38th Street to 44th Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 38th Street to 44th Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.
- 44th Street to 50th Street, and Avenue A to 2nd Avenue.
- 44th Street to 50th Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 44th Street to 50th Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue.
- 44th Street to 50th Street, and 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue [Hudson River].
- 50th Street to 56th Street, and Avenue A to 2nd Avenue.
- 50th Street to 56th Street, and 2nd Avenue to 4th [Park] Avenue.
- 50th Street to 56th Street, and 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.
- 50th Street to 56th Street, and 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue.
- 56th Street to 62nd Street, and Avenue A to 2nd Avenue.
- 56th Street to 62nd Street, and 2nd Avenue to 4th [Park] Avenue.
- 62nd Street to 68th Street, and 2nd Avenue to 4th [Park] Avenue.
- 80th Street to 86th Street, and 8th Avenue to 10th Avenue. [Mentioning Central Park.]