Estate / Collection: Collection of a New York Surveyor

[MAP - GREENWICH VILLAGE]
SMITH, GEO[RGE] B.; [after] EDWIN SMITH. [A manuscript survey map showing the Hudson River waterfront in Greenwich Village, including Fort Ganseveoort. "New York, June 12th 1827 / Edwin Smith" and "I certify this map to be a true copy from / the public maps in the Street Commissioner's office / of the City of New York / New York, May 19th 1850 Geo. B. Smith." Manuscript map in ink on paper, hand colored, old linen backing, red ribbon border. 16 1/2 x 23 3/8 inches (42 x 59.5 cm); Dust soiling along edges and to backing, creases and cracks, light spotting, losses to cloth border, later manuscript annotations in pencil, backing with old manuscript annotations and later ink stamps.

A survey map showing the area from West 11th Street (here called Hammond Street) to West 15th Street, and from the Hudson River shoreline to Hudson street. The map superimposes the contemporary 1827 city with the earlier, historic city, showing both West Street, which was built out into the Hudson on infilled land, as well as the earlier high and low water lines. It includes information on landowners, and on certain sections of infilled land that were granted by the city to major property holders, including John Jacob Astor. Fort Gansevoort, built just in time for the War of 1812, is shown in the map at the corner of Little West 12th Street and 10th Avenue, and the fort's exact measurements are given. Though equipped with twenty-two guns, a shot-oven for heating the cannonballs, an arsenal and a barracks, it never saw action during the War. It was demolished sometime between 1849 and 1854.