What's 110 acres in Central Park worth?

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

I've known for a long time that my father's side of the family in this country traces back to 1663 when two brothers from a part of present day Belgium, then Holland, came and settled in New Amsterdam (Manhattan Island.) I've joked the family lived in Harlem back when it was a nice neighborhood. But I've always wondered where they really did live.

Over the years, I've learned one of them purchased land somewhere in what's known as the Bowery today. Other than little asides here and there that the family was among the big landowners at the time, the other one was a mystery until this weekend when I located a book written by a family member over 100 years ago which describes the general area of his land. Turns out, he owned roughly 110 acres, bounded on the north by 110th St, or Central Park North as it's known in that part. What was originally known as 6th Ave, then Lenox Ave, and today co-named as Malcolm X Blvd, wasn't there until the 1830s, but would have gone straight thru the property, and a house built by a subsequent owner. I looked all that up, and that 110 acres is all part of Central Park today, and in light of my joke, Central Park North IS also the south boundary of Harlem!

The land was in the family for just shy of 100 yrs, until 1761. Just for giggles, I wonder what it might be worth today?

Rick C

 

[GRAMPS 51]

Hi I don't know for sure but there would be more zeros on the number than I could count :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gramps

 

[Pat-inCO]

What it's worth, or what it would cost to buy it now?

To buy it now would bankrupt bill gates. :lol:

 

[m657]

that's got to be a very interesting story.....

 

[Jimbo357mag]

What is land worth if you can't hunt or fish or build on it.
I would say you are lucky your folks traded for something useful down the road.

 

[RSIno1]

My dad's ancestors also came into New Netherland in 1652 and had land in the Bowery (Dutch for farm) and Flat Bush. They ended up as shoemakers in the Mohawk Valley by the Revolutionary War. His Pilgrim ancestor had warehouses in what became Lower Manhatten in 1640. My dad's family did pretty well moving west. They moved with several families buying forest and then selling the trees/lumber and making farms which they sold to move further west. Worked pretty good til they got to MI where the land they cleared wasn't good as farm land. That was the 1830s and they stayed there until my dad finished the westward trip moving us to CA in 1952. Following the family tradition he cleared an orange grove and built our house.

 

[Rick Courtright]

What is land worth if you can't hunt or fish or build on it.
I would say you are lucky your folks traded for something useful down the road.

Hi,

Jimbo, you can take a look at the area on Google Earth: search for Central Park North and Malcolm X Blvd. The land in question is on the south side of CPN, and Malcolm X comes in right at the center of the park. Some of the very northern tip of the park is covered by a small body of water, about 10-11 acres, called Harlem Meer (Harlem Lake, or "little sea" in Dutch?) On the north side of the lake is a visitor center, and across from it on the south side is a point which is labeled "Nutter's Battery." The old book says Valentine Nutter was the fellow who took possession of the property after the last guy in our family who owned it died: there were some long contested property rights issues that went back to the days the English took Manhattan Island from the Dutch (Peter Stuyvesant and all) that were finally settled in court, and after he paid off the heirs title changed hands.

I dunno if there is any armament at the battery--with a name like that one can assume--but apparently there were some gun emplacements in the area during the War of 1812. And if the Wiki folks got it right, much of that area was low or wetlands, so there was probably some waterfowl and perhaps other game to be hunted. There are still waterfowl, and they fish in the lake even today! There are largemouth bass, a variety of sunfish and a couple of other species: it's all catch and release, and the park even supplies the gear at the visitor center, no charge! So maybe there was, and in my mind still is, more "value" to the land than just the monetary part?

Rick C

 

[gramps]

Wow, Rick, that is great history! . I guess it is about as much as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, or the Golden Gate Bridge :mrgreen: Meaning-it is probably not for sale. :shock:
gramps

 

[GunnyGene]

The way things are shaping up lately, Central Park probably won't be worth very much after it becomes radioactive. :shock:

 

[Colonialgirl]

Wait until Obama's Islamic Muslim invaders move in and take it over.

 

[Cholo]

What's it worth now? Ask Trump. I think he knows real estate prices in NYC :mrgreen:

Cool story!

 

[wunbe]

Forget about it. The first and last time I was in NY I bought all of Central Park and I'm holding onto it. Together with that bridge, I'll be set for retirement.

wunbe