Meet me at the corner of Seaman and Cumming

This Inwood intersection is always good for a laugh. But there is historical significance, as the Seamans are one of New York City’s oldest families.

Family descendants first settled in Long Island in the 1600s, then acquired thousands of acres of land in Upper Manhattan. In the 1850s the sons of Valentine Seaman—a doctor who helped bring the smallpox vaccine to America in the early 19th century—built a country estate on land spanning 214th to 218th Streets. The house featured Inwood marble, which was prized for its crystalline appearance.

Seaman Avenue opened in 1908, winding along the border of Inwood Hill Park. In the 1930s, the estate was sold and dismantled by developers. 

Tags: Inwood Hill Park, Seaman and Cumming Intersection, Seaman Avenue, Valentine Seaman