96
 

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

proves that Oliver De Lancey had conveyed the farm to his
daughter, no doubt to avoid its confiscation,

1779, March 31. "To be Sold at private Sale. The Farm so
delightfully situated at Bloomingdale, on the Island of New-
York, six miles from this city, belonging to Miss Chariotte De
Lancey, commonly called De Lancey's Farm, bounded north¬
erly by Mr. Apthorp's Farm, easterly by the Commons,
southerly by Judge Bayard's, and westerly by Hudson's
River, containing one hundred and eighty-three and one-half
acres, having two large kitchen gardens well fenced and in good
order, sundry orchards, a farm house and two barns thereon,
one with sheds and other buildings, forty acres of extraordinary
fine wood land in one parcel, four acres in another and several
small pieces. . . ." Applicarion to be made to John Kelly,
Notary Public or Brig. Gen. De Lancey,—Royal Ga%., March

3». 1779-

It will be noted that this advertisement recites no dwelling
house,

Charlotte De Lancey, or her representatives, sold this
property to Joseph Orchard of New York, a baker. The deed
has not been found,

Sept. II, 1781, Joseph Orchard mortgaged the land "Known
as the De Lancey Farm," about 183 acres, to Daniel Cock and
Daniel Underbill, both of the Township of Oyster Bay, far¬
mers, for 2500 Spanish Milled dollars.—Liber Deeds, XLI:
73 (New York). The mortgage did not recite a dwelling house;
merely "buildings, offices, gardens," etc

The old Bloomingdale Road, which at this point ran east of
the later road, as shown on the map, divided Joseph Orchard's
land into two farms. He conveyed the 40 acre farm west of the
old road to John Lovell, April 12, 1785 "With the dwelling
house. Buildings, ofiices and gardens."—Ibid., XLII: 360.

These recitals prove that on this 40 acres between the road
and the river. Orchard had a dwelling house, before 1785,
although there was none there in 1781.

A comparison of the advertisement with the Randel Map
shows that the physical situation had changed very fittle in
thirty years. Orchard had evidently rebuilt on the site of the
mansion destroyed in 1777. The new house, a large one with a
hipped roof, stood on a knoll about 400 feet from the river,
a long distance back from the road. To the north of the
house, a farm house and other buildings, accurately described
in the advertisement of 1779. A dock is shown on the Randel
Map. Perhaps it was the landing place of the troops on that
November night in 1777.

On the present city plan, the house would be south of 88th
St., about 100 feet east of Riverside Drive; the farm house in
the block above; the barn, "with sheds and other buildings," in
the bed of Riverside Drive at 89th St.; the other barn 100 feet
to the east, partly in the bed of 89th St.

This determinationof the site of the second De Lancey house
at Bloomlngdale seems to be correct,

Stephen De Lancey's house, built beiore 1729, probably
occupied the site of the later Vanden Heuvel mansion on the
west side of the Bloomingdale Road, near the southerly boun¬
dary of the farm.

Oliver De Lancey sold it to Apthorp in 1763. Apthorp sold
it to his brother-in-law, McEvers, in 1767, When Vanden
Heuvel got the land and erected his fine mansion, c \~i<fi, he
probably built on the same site, near the turn of the road.

The exact location of Stephen De Lancey's country house
has not been proved, absolutely, notwithstanding intensive
research. However, the study of the farms indicates that sites
once well chosen were used for later buildings. This especially
applied ro country houses.

John Lovel, who bought Orchard's house and farm, had pur¬
chased John Van Cortlandt's 20 acres before referred to, Dec
15,1784.—Liber Deeds, XiXi: 324.
 

Aug. 19, 1791, he sold the entire tract, about 60 acres, to
John Wilkes for £3500.—Liber Deeds, LII: 493 (New York),
Wilkes immediately began the erecrion of the splendid house
described in the advertisement quoted in Chronology, April 22,
1793. The house had been completed in September, 1792. Mr.
Wilkes had become financially embarrassed, and was obliged
to transfer all his property here to trustees for the benefit of
his creditors, Sept. i, ij^2.—Liber Deeds, XLVIII; 35g (New
York), The advertisement, which is detailed and Interesting,
says that the house was finished on a plan of elegance and con¬
venience equalled by few houses on the continent.

On the Randel Map, this is shown as the house of John
McVicker, south of, and partly in the bed of 86th St. It vested
in McVicker in 1801.—Liber Deeds, LIX: 177 and LX: 460
(New York).

All of the Joseph Orchard farm east of the old Bloomlngdale
Road, called 145 acres, vested In Samuel Stillwell, April 7,
1791.—Liber Deeds, XLVl: 549 (New York), A survey made
by C. Th. Goerck, January, 1796, is copied on Map No, 610,
New York,

THE JAMES W, DE PEYSTER FARM

Block Check List, 1992-1975-1961-1924-1923-1850-
i842-i862-i884-i894-i895-i885-j886-i9go-igg2.

James W. De Peyster's farm, 133 acres more or less, com¬
prised a tract of 120 acres, formerly of Harman Vandewater,
and lot 8 on Montanye's Flat, nearly 13 acres.

The early history of the Vandewater parcel is identical with
that of the Nicholas De Peyster farm, down to the partition
between Vandewater and Hoogland.

Harman's son, Benjamin, succeeded to his father's lands in
I7JI-

, Harman Vandewater's land, in the De Key tract, had no
frontage on the river, nor on any road; so that either he or his
son, Benjamin, bought the lot on Montanye's flat as an outlet
to Harlem Lane. Riker, Hist, of Harlem, 593, J94, gives a
synopsis of the  ritle  to the parcel into Benjamin Vande-

At some rime earlier than 1784, a twenty-acre parcel of
woodland had been conveyed to John Livingston. The sheriff
sold this "On a debt of John Livingston in the sum of £438."
Thissuit was in Albany. The sheriff of New York was ordered
to sell all of John Livingston's lands in his bailiwick.

Marinus Willitt, Sheriff, to Isaac Stoutenburgh.
Deed dated Dec 13, 1784.—L(*er Deeds, XLIII: 325 (New
York).  Consid. £235.

Conveys land at Bloomingdale in the Outward of the city 01
New York bounded on the south, west, and north by lands
late of Adrian Hoogland; now of Nicholas De Peyster.
Bounded east by lands of Benj amin Vande Water. Containing
ig^ acres.

Isaac Stoutenburgh and Wife to James W. de Peyster.
Deed dated April 11, iy86.—Liber Deeds, XLIII: 326 (New
York).

Conveys same tract of land.

Benjamin Vande Water to James W, de Peyster.
Deed dated Oct. 16, 1785,—Liber Deeds, XLIII: 134 (New
York).

Conveys a tract,'piece, or parcel, of land in the Out Ward of
the city of New York, containing 113 acres, I rod, and 12
perches.  The description follows Goerck's survey of Oct,12,

17B5.

This deed mentions no house. Possibly the old Harman Van¬
dewater house, which is shown on the Maerschalck survey of
1750 (Pl. 36, Vol. IV), was no longer useful. The site of the old
house was a little to the north of the Library of Columbia  ■
University.                                                                           ;