McKelvey, John Jay (sold)
John Jay McKelvey (May 24 1863 – October 19 1947) was an American author, attorney, and preservationist who set precedents in case law to stave off urban development of his Spuyten Duyvil community in The Bronx. The neighborhood had long been an enclave for the wealthy, and as the city grew around them residents of the neighborhood joined McKelvey in fighting threats to their park residence district. McKelvey used realty buyouts to protectively develop in such way that would save his picturesque tranquility. In the 20s he would bend so far as to develop idyllic garden apartment buildings like his visionary Villa Charlotte Brontë. Critics suggested that McKelvey's vision was driven by profit and oblivious to the needs of a growing city, although his projects also included the development of the Henry Hudson Monument and Edgehill Terraces.
Very Rare, Evocative Map of a Bucolic Corner of New York City.
Map of the Along the Hudson Park Spuyten Duyvil Hill, Borough of the Bronx, City of New York. Property of the Along The Hudson Company.
sold
- Digital Map Information
- Suitable for large format printing
- Full resolution TIFF file
- ICC color profile embedded
- Delivered instantly via download link
This is a separately issued William Klein 1909 broadsheet map of the northern part of New York City's Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood, promoted here as 'Along the Hudson Park.' This neighborhood had long been - and largely remains - an enclave of residences that were picturesque and oddly remote despite being situated within the city limits. (more details)
Very Rare, Evocative Map of a Bucolic Corner of New York City
Map of the Along the Hudson Park Spuyten Duyvil Hill, Borough of the Bronx, City of New York. Property of the Along The Hudson Company.
sold
- Digital Map Information
- Suitable for large format printing
- File Size: 29.21 MB
- File Type: ZIP / TIFF
- ICC color profile embedded
- Delivered instantly via download link
This is a separately issued 1909 broadsheet map of the northern part of New York City's Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood, promoted here as 'Along the Hudson Park.' The development extends from about W. 227th up to W. 232nd, and from the Spuyten Duyvil Parkway (now the Henry Hudson) to the Hudson River. This neighborhood had long been - and largely remains - an enclave of residences that were picturesque and oddly remote despite being situated within the city limits. At the beginning of the 20th century urban life steadily encroached on these pockets of pastoral living. As early as 1901, local citizens led by attorney John Jay McKelvey began protesting the overflow into their neighborhoods of tuberculosis patients wandering off from nearby Seton Hospital. Thereafer, McKelvey litigated and legislated against what what he referred to as The City Ugly (in a mordant reference to the 'City Beautiful' movement.) The 'Along the Hudson Company' was one such effort: the company bough properly protectively - often backed by other owners - selling it to those thought to be congenial neighbors, and limiting strictly the use of those lots in the terms of sale. If at least 15,000 square feet, the lot could have a stable, but otherwise construction on these lots were restricted to single-family homes. The neighborhood was advertised in Country Life magazine in 1910:
If you are a person of character and responsibility, with tastes which center about your home and family, and if you have felt the narrowness of City life, then we will gladly show you Something Different. Along-the-Hudson Park on Spuyten Duyvil Hill. A Bit of the Adirondacks Set Within the City Gates and Permanently Restricted. It costs from $20,000 to $40,000 to be a dweller in Along-the-Hudson-Park, but is work it.(more details)