SACRIFICED TO A FEED A BRIDGE (1907)
Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes.
The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations.
Do you know the history of YOUR house?
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Most New Yorkers know it when they see it – the Manhattan entrance to the Queensborough Bridge.
It’s congested with vehicles, cars, and pedestrians – all just trying to get onto the bridge or around it.
Most people, though, don’t know what this area looked like before the bridge was built.
In 1907, fortunately for us, someone went around and took pictures of the rows of buildings – mostly wooden – that were doomed to the woodpile, soon to be sacrificed to feed that bridge.
In these pictures, you will see life continuing to go on around these buildings. If you look closely, though, you will see something rarely seen in old pictures of New York City life – everyone is preparing for the end.
Moving vans abound. Sales are announced. You can even see it in the faces of the subjects: “There is not much time before this is all gone…”
To the feint of heart, everything you are about to see – is no more…
These are those pics:
To see these pictures in their glorious hi-res detail, check out this part of the New York City Department of Records Photographic Collection by clicking HERE.
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Brownstone Detectives is an historic property research agency. Our mission is to document and save the histories of our clients’ homes. From our research, we produce our celebrated House History Books and House History Reports. Contact us today to begin discovering the history of your home.
