18th Century,hand colored Map of East River, New York, shows old Jewish Cemetery

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This item is a wonderful, original hand colored map, the creeks feeding into the East River, from the corners of Rutgers and James Street, and Cherry Street areas of New York City.Basic area seems to plot out an area originally known as the commons.Of interest is a plot of the Jewish Burial Ground. Judging from the maps of Manhattan, this would be the Shearith Israel's "first cemetery," near Chatham Square. Map is a circa 1800 copy of an original map done in 1744 by Evert Bancker. Map is 16x20, folds, minor acid free repairs done om back, else in overall good condition, would frame up nicely..First Shearith Israel Graveyard -- also known as Chatham Square Cemetery -- is a tiny graveyard at 55-57 St James Place in Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York. It is the oldest of three Manhattan graveyards currently maintained by Congregation Shearith Israel (Hebrew, "Remnant of Israel"), which is itself the oldest Jewishcongregation in North America.[2] (The Congregation was formed by Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic Jewish immigrants in 1654.) Today, the cemetery is a mere fragment of its original extent. Only about a hundred headstones and above ground tombs can still be seen in what remains of the old burial ground, which rises slightly above street level. It is the only remaining 17th century structure in Manhattan.The "Commons" ( the present Park) was a well-known spot in early New York. Through it passed the post-road to Boston, the present Chatham street, and for many years this was the place for public executions. North of the Commons, or the Vlackte (the "Flat"), lay the FreshWater Pond (to which allusion has already been made) with its neighboring district Koleh Hook, or Collect, below the Commons." Near the Collect rose Potter's Hill. At its foot followed the "Owl's Kill," leading the waters of that pond through the marshes of "Wolfert's Valley" to the East River. Toward the river was the Swamp, the present Ferry street and neighborhood, a low marshy place, covered with bushes and briars.* As the city gradually extended its limits, the powder-house, at first built on the Commons, was considered unsafe, and a new magazine was built in 1728 upon a secluded little island in the Fresh-Water Pond. Not far from this place, in the course of the following year, Noe Willey, of London, gave to his three sons in New York the ground for a Jewish cemetery. It was bounded by Chatham, Catherine, and Oliver streets, and was to be held forever as a burial-place for the Israelites. But the wishes of the old Hebrew have been violated long since, for Chatham street now runs through the sacred enclosure, and Mammon has erected a bank and stores upon the spot. Some tomb-stones, however, still stand, like grim sentinels, to keep guard over this once hallowed and venerable grave-yard.+ In 1744, this tract was sold for £200 to Jacobus Roosevelt, who divided it into fifty lots and established on them several tanneries. This indicated its future destiny, and ever since it has been the center of the large leather trade of the city. More immense fortunes have been made about that region than any other of the same extent in the city. It was originally called Beekman's Swamp, and leased to Rip Van Dam, a member of the Council, for twenty-one years, at a yearly rent of twenty shillings.Please view the other historical and Civil War related documents I'll be listing this week.SEE SCAN.I now accept PAYPAL but PREFER other forms of traditional paper payment. Buyer pays shipping(usually FREE within the US and $12 for International),payment must be received within 5 days. read more

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