It’s no surprise that in the 19th century, all the big New York newspapers made sure they had office space as close to City Hall as possible. That’s where all the action was.
Which is how a small length of Park Row opposite City Hall earned its nickname.
On the left with the dome at the top is the New York World/Pulitzer Building. Next is the headquarters for the New York Tribune.
The one at right housed the The New York Times, before they moved uptown to Longacre—renamed Times–Square.
City Hall Park has a neat history. Adjacent to the old Collect Pond, it started as a 17th century commons where colonists took their livestock for water.
It’s been the site of rioting for 300 years now—and writer Jack London’s temporary home in the first decade of the 20th century.
Tags: City Hall NYC riots, Collect Pond NYC, Jack London, Newspaper Row New York City, old newspapers in NYC, Park Row history, The New York Tribune Building, The New York World building, Vintage NYC postcards
Ephemeral New York 
November 23, 2010 at 10:07 pm |
Hasn’t Park Row been closed off since 9/11? Closed to vehicular traffic, at least? I don’t know about pedestrian traffic. I hope not. I believe the businesses along there have complained of their losses as a result of the ban. I’m not sure if the whole street or just certain blocks are affected.
November 23, 2010 at 10:08 pm |
I forgot to say, nice image, and thanks for identifying the buildings.
November 24, 2010 at 3:52 am |
Thanks! I’m not sure if Park Row is still closed off to vehicular traffic. I think there’s one small stretch that’s been shut down to cars, but the rest is open.
November 28, 2010 at 6:00 pm |
Park Row is open, vehicle traffic into City Hall Park and one of the streets going east are closed to traffic except for those who have authorization.
December 31, 2010 at 12:06 pm |
[…] Hearst stepped forward to organize what the Journal called a “great carnival,” a celebration replete with “volcanoes of fireworks and floods of pulse-quickening music,” all centered around City Hall Park, near what then was Newspaper Row. […]
March 12, 2011 at 4:58 am |
More blats whose buildings appear: The Sun in the shorter building between The World and Tribune. The Staats-Zeitung is the ornate building whose roof and top floors are visible beyond tower of City Hall. Zeitung and Herold were published at 22-24 N. William St, framed here by Staats-Zeitung to left and Manhattan terminal of Brooklyn Bridge to the right.
March 13, 2011 at 1:21 am |
Cool, thanks TJ. It must be the same Sun building on Chambers and Broadway with the lovely clock still in existence and cheery slogan:
“The Sun: It Shines for All”
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/the-sun-it-shines-for-all/
March 13, 2011 at 7:54 pm |
The Sun moved from Park Row to the clock-adorned home on Broadway to relieve constraints of the 5-story, 75-foot-square Park Row building, itself erected in 1811 as the first permanent home of Tammany.
Here and elsewhere around the perimeter of City Hall Park were thrown up fortifications in 1776, from which some strategists of the Revolution envisioned a defense. Recent occupants of City Hall betray a similar intention to withstand siege. Fortunately, the original plans yielded to Washington’s Fabian program.
February 26, 2017 at 3:35 pm |
Great information and photos. I found you while researching nineteenth century New York for one of my books. Your blog has really helped me to get a feel for what the city was like back then, thanks.
February 26, 2017 at 7:05 pm |
You are welcome!
August 7, 2017 at 6:31 am |
[…] the delivery wagons lined up in front of various newspaper buildings, ready to bring the latest edition of the news of the world to the city. (Here they are in a closer […]