Can you imagine strolling through the Lower East Side and seeing a 41 acre farm? Obviously New York City has transformed over the last few centuries, but a trip to the past would reveal that very farm in the spot Gilsey House now stands.
The Man Who Started It All
In the late 1700s, Casper Samler purchased 41 acres of land that stretched from present day 23rd Street to 42nd Street. Casper ran a dairy farm on the land, which was triangular in shape and bound by Bloomingdale Road (Broadway) & the old Eastern Post Road (the road to Kingsbridge).
St. George Cricket Club
In the 19th century, the St. George Cricket Club, known as the Dragonslayers, began using the empty land behind Casper’s farmhouse as their playing grounds.Though it was described as "dwarfish and insignificant" in appearance, a small ale house on the property was the players’ favorite location from 1838-1844.
The Ale House
The ale house proprietor, Ralph Burroughs, was famous “as a cultivator of the most luscious and delicious kitchen stuff to be purchased upon the Manhattan island,” which clearly was the more important factor. Players would walk through the Burrough’s garden to the cricket grounds
after enjoying a hearty vegetable dish from the ale house.
Gilsey House
When Casper died in 1810, his farm was passed down to his grandchildren and step-daughter, Margaret. In 1869, Peter Gilsey leased a large portion of land from the estate for $10,000 a year and tore down the farmhouse to make way for Gilsey House. This structure served as an eight-story hotel until it closed in 1911 after a long conflict with the hotel operator and the Gilsey estate over the lease terms. In 1980, it was converted into co-op apartments.
Today, Gilsey House still stands on the corner of Broadway & West 29th Street. Even with all our knowledge about how far Manhattan’s infrastructure has come, it’s crazy to think that a dairy farm and cricket grounds used to sit where apartment buildings are now. Are you looking to keep up to date on more NYC buildings and news? Connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!
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