New York City in the 1860s

An artist’s panoramic illustration where lower Manhattan, New Jersey and both Hudson and the East Rivers are visible, along with Brooklyn and Queens in the distance.

Photograph shows traffic and businesses along Broadway, New York City, New York.

A slightly elevated perspective of a bustling street known as Broadway, which remains a hub of commerce and culture to this day.

Photograph shows the “National Bank of the Republic” (NBR), “National Bank Note Company” at right, other commercial buildings, pedestrians and traffic on Broadway.

An early photograph of Trinity Church on Broadway.

1865 photograph shows commercial buildings, pedestrians and street traffic at Fifth Avenue in New York City. Includes the Worth Monument in the distance.

The Church of the Ascension is an Episcopal church in the Diocese of New York. It was built at 36–38 Fifth Avenue and West 10th Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan New York City.

An artist’s rendering of Squatters near Central Park living among farm animals in their shacks.

A photograph of Central Park in its pristine and far less developed stage, compared to what we know today.

Photograph of a man in a suit standing pensively on a bridge overlooking the arched footpath beneath.

A photograph of the Music Pavilion on a quiet and overcast autumn day.

A photograph of Manhattan Market, created by Architect H. G. Harrison at 34th Street, New York City in 1869

George Washington is a large bronze sculpture of George Washington by John Quincy Adams Ward, originally installed on the front steps of Federal Hall National Memorial on Wall Street in New York City.

Instantaneous Panoramic View of Union Square, flanked on the right side by the famous electric trolley cars that once served as mass transit.

A northeast view of Union Square and 4th Avenue crowded by trolleys and pedestrians during peak hours.

Aerial view of Union Square on an overcast morning. The streets are sparsly dotted with pedestrians and street cars.

A photograph shows a famous intersection of downtown Manhattan, lined with trolleys and a vastly different urban landscape.

Construction began at 120 Broadway on the Equitable Building in 1868. It was completed in 1870.

New York City’s original, Multi-storied post office building. The building is characterized by arched windows and columns on each level.

An illustration of a busy corner of downtown Manhattan. The corner of Chatham and Pearl Streets were home to many markets and storehouses.

Housing was often organized by local communities to provide food and shelter to those most in need.

Piers 17 and 18, located in the South Street Historic District Extension, stand as physical evidence of the water-oriented economy of New York City in its developmental years.

A lone silhouette under a shaded pedestrian overpass is captured against the backdrop of Wall Street’s ferry and Brooklyn in the distance