St. John's Park
Encyclopedia
St. John's Park is a square in TriBeCa
, Manhattan
, New York City
. It is currently bounded by Laight, Varick
, Beach
and Hudson
Streets. The square has been used for many different purposes since the colonization of New Amsterdam
in the early 17th century.
granted to Dutch immigrant Roelof Jansen in 1636 by New Amsterdam governor Wouter van Twiller
. Jansen died just a year later, in 1637 and left the land to his widow, Anneke Jans. A contemporary manuscript describes the earliest development of the land in 1639, stating the "plantation [was] new and consist[ed] of recently cleared land [and had] a tobacco house and [was] fenced." Jans's claim was renewed when Peter Stuyvesant
granted her a patent
in 1654.
When Jans died in 1663, her will stipulated that the land should be liquidated, with the proceeds going to the children from her first marriage. The heirs sold the property in March 1670 to Francis Lovelace
, but he lost it when the Dutch reclaimed New Amsterdam in 1672. England recaptured the territory in 1674, and New York governor Edmund Andros
claimed the land for the Duke of York
.
The parcel was leased to various parties for the next quarter century. In 1700, the land was leased to Trinity Church, which then gained title to the land under a patent from Queen Anne in 1705.
Trinity held the parcel as farmland until 1800, when it began to develop the land as New York expanded northwards. Trinity built a new church, St. John's Chapel
, on the Varick Street side of the square, which was turned into a private park and given its current name. The park was intended to spur local residential development, which attracted many upscale residents. The church granted certain local residents access to the park, giving them keys to open its gates. By 1807, the park and the neighborhood that developed around it was known as Hudson Square. In addition to serving the local residents, the park was used for church events, including annual festivals for children of the parish. During the coldest winters, the park trustees flooded the park to create a large public ice skating
rink.
As New York continued to develop, land in lower Manhattan
became increasingly valuable, and in 1867 Trinity sold the park to the Hudson River Railroad for $1 million, split between the church and the park users. The railroad purchased the land to build a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²), $2 million freight depot to terminate the new West Side Line
.
The depot was removed in 1927 to make room for the eastbound exits of the Holland Tunnel
. Five exits form a circular road contained within the square. The inner portion of the square is no longer accessible to pedestrians.
TriBeCa
Tribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is currently bounded by Laight, Varick
Varick Street
Varick Street runs north-south in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Varick Street originates in TriBeCa, at the intersection of Leonard Street and West Broadway. It runs through the western portions of TriBeCa, Hudson Square and the West Village, where it merges with Seventh Avenue South...
, Beach
Beach Street (Manhattan)
Beach Street is a street in the TriBeCa neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs East-West between West Broadway and West Street, and crosses York Street, Varick Street, Hudson Street, Collister Street, Greenwich Street and Washington Street.Named for Paul Bache, the...
and Hudson
Hudson Street (Manhattan)
Hudson Street is a north/south oriented street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Running from TriBeCa to Greenwich Village and through Hudson Square, Hudson Street has two distinct one-way traffic patterns that meet at Abingdon Square, at the street's intersection with Eighth Avenue and...
Streets. The square has been used for many different purposes since the colonization of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
in the early 17th century.
History
The land on which the square sits was originally part of a larger 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
granted to Dutch immigrant Roelof Jansen in 1636 by New Amsterdam governor Wouter van Twiller
Wouter van Twiller
Wouter van Twiller was an employee of the Dutch West India Company and the Director-General of New Netherland from 1633 until 1638...
. Jansen died just a year later, in 1637 and left the land to his widow, Anneke Jans. A contemporary manuscript describes the earliest development of the land in 1639, stating the "plantation [was] new and consist[ed] of recently cleared land [and had] a tobacco house and [was] fenced." Jans's claim was renewed when Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
granted her a patent
Land patent
A land patent is a land grant made patent by the sovereign lord over the land in question. To make a such a grant “patent”, such a sovereign lord must document the land grant, securely sign and seal the document and openly publish the same to the public for all to see...
in 1654.
When Jans died in 1663, her will stipulated that the land should be liquidated, with the proceeds going to the children from her first marriage. The heirs sold the property in March 1670 to Francis Lovelace
Francis Lovelace
Francis Lovelace was an English Royalist and the second Governor of New York colony.He was born the third son of Sir William Lovelace and his wife Anne Barne of Lovelace Place, Bethersden and Woolwich, Kent. He was the younger brother of Richard Lovelace, the Cavalier poet...
, but he lost it when the Dutch reclaimed New Amsterdam in 1672. England recaptured the territory in 1674, and New York governor Edmund Andros
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
claimed the land for the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
.
The parcel was leased to various parties for the next quarter century. In 1700, the land was leased to Trinity Church, which then gained title to the land under a patent from Queen Anne in 1705.
Trinity held the parcel as farmland until 1800, when it began to develop the land as New York expanded northwards. Trinity built a new church, St. John's Chapel
St. John's Chapel (New York City)
St. John's Chapel was a chapel in the Episcopal parish of Trinity Church .- History :It was constructed in 1803 to designs by John McComb Jr. and his brother Isaac McComb on Varrick Street with a sandstone tetra-style prostyle portico with supporting a tower rose tow 214.25 feet. Master builders...
, on the Varick Street side of the square, which was turned into a private park and given its current name. The park was intended to spur local residential development, which attracted many upscale residents. The church granted certain local residents access to the park, giving them keys to open its gates. By 1807, the park and the neighborhood that developed around it was known as Hudson Square. In addition to serving the local residents, the park was used for church events, including annual festivals for children of the parish. During the coldest winters, the park trustees flooded the park to create a large public ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
rink.
As New York continued to develop, land in lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
became increasingly valuable, and in 1867 Trinity sold the park to the Hudson River Railroad for $1 million, split between the church and the park users. The railroad purchased the land to build a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²), $2 million freight depot to terminate the new West Side Line
West Side Line (NYCRR)
The West Side Line, also called the West Side Freight Line, is a railroad line on the west side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. North of Penn Station, from 34th Street, the line is used by Amtrak passenger service heading north via Albany to Toronto, Montreal and Chicago...
.
The depot was removed in 1927 to make room for the eastbound exits of the Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...
. Five exits form a circular road contained within the square. The inner portion of the square is no longer accessible to pedestrians.