FIFTH   AVENUE
 

13
 

From a photograph.
 

Collection of Frank Cousins.
 

RESIDENCE OF EUGENE DELANO.

At the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Washington Square North.
 

Mrs. Emily Johnston de Forest in her interesting life of her grand¬
father, John Johnston, describes the beautiful gardens of these houses
and charmingly portrays the delightful yet simple life and society of
this aristocratic part of New York from 1833 to 1842. "The houses
in the 'Row,' as this part of Washington Square was called, all had
beautiful gardens in the rear about ninety feet deep, surrounded by
white, grape covered trellises, with rounded arches at intervals and
lovely borders full of old-fashioned flowers." Some of these gardens
may still be seen from Fifth Avenue. Although some of the Row
had cisterns, all the residents went for their washing water because of
its softness to "the pump with a long handle" that stood in the Square.
Concerning this pump Mrs. de Forest tells the following amusing
story. One of her grandfather's neighbors requested his coachman
to fetch a couple of pails of water for Mary, the laundress. The
coachman said that this was not his business, and upon being asked
what his business was, replied, "To harness the horses and drive
them." Thereupon he was requested to bring the carriage to the
door.    His employer then invited the laundress with her two pails to
 

Life in the
"Row" as
described by
Mrs. Emily
Johnston
de Forest