New-York Historical Society

This Day in History

Today in 1883 The Brooklyn Bridge, the engineering marvel that was then the longest span in the world, opens with fireworks and fanfare; the festivities are marred by the deaths of twelve pedestrians trampled in a panic.

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The New-York Historical Society and NYC Media, the official network of the City of New York, have partnered to produce a special series of 90 one-minute videos that feature the staff of the New-York Historical Society as they answer some of the most captivating questions ever posed to them about the City’s fascinating and unique history. And now, the series has been nominated for a New York Emmy award!

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When Was the First Apartment Building Constructed in NYC?

Although multiple-unit tenements were being constructed in the 1830s, these were not considered true apartments because the units did not include a private toilet. The "Stuyvesant," located at 142 East 18th Street and designed by architect Morris Hunt, is generally regarded as the first upscale apartment building in New York. It was built in 1869-1870.

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Did P.T. Barnum Keep Live Whales in His Museum on Broadway?

P.T. Barnum ran a popular museum on the corner of Ann Street and Broadway. Live animals were among its perennial attractions. The whales, brought from Labrador in a refrigerated train car, lived in a huge tank within the large wooden building. When a giant fire broke out in July, 1865, the glass tank was broken in an effort to quench the flames and the whales left to flop on the floor. After the fire, at least one whale carcass was left to rot on Broadway for several days, perfuming the atmosphere and drawing flies.

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What is the Oldest Building in New York City?

The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, at 5816 Clarendon Road, Brooklyn, is the city's oldest surviving stucture. Built in stages beginning around 1652, it housed descendants of Pieter Claesen Wyckoff until 1901, when they sold the property. Repurchased by the Wyckoff Family Association in 1961, it was the first building granted protection by the newly-formed Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965.

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What is the New-York Historical Society and Why is New-York Hyphenated?

Founded in 1804 as a repository for books and documents dealing with American history, the New-York Historical Society was the city's second library and first museum. Designated a "Society" in emulation of the great European scientific bodies of the Enlightenment, the organization used (and has retained) the hyphenated version of the city's name that was common at the time.