Series III. Central Park West Construction: Central Portion, 1880-1918

One of the three booklets appears to have been used to keep the meeting minutes, or at least some form of the minutes, for the Committee on Subscriptions for a New Building from May 12, 1885, to January 23, 1886.

The folder includes loose notes and correspondence related to subscriptions found in the booklet.

Includes the 1885 appeal and responses, and includes lists of subscribers with entries to 1891.

Includes various printed appeals for subscriptions and payment.

This folder and the next include the commitments received in response to the 1888 appeal for subscriptions.

Includes lists of subscribers.

This folder and the next include the responses to the appeal for payment of the committed subscriptions.

Includes duplicates of two certifications made by the president and treasurer of N-YHS in connection with the Building Fund: that sufficient subscriptions were raised to satisfy the conditions of an 1885 trust deed made to the Central Trust Company of New York, and that N-YHS received from Central Trust the proceeds of the trust.

Includes correspondence from real estate agents, contractors, and others related to N-YHS's interest in acquiring property during this period.

Includes the abstract of title and the related official title searches for the Central Park West property prepared and bound by N-YHS's attorneys, Weekes Brothers. Included in the bound documents are the deeds/indentures conveying the purchased lots to N-YHS. Also included is the attorneys' memorandum of charges and disbursements in the matter.

This is a modern photocopy of the original document, except that the attorney's cover letter is not included.

Includes one letter from Oscar Straus to N-YHS concerning an easement granted to N-YHS in 1891.

Includes a copy of "Notice of sale of lands and tenements within that part of the City of New York known as the borough of Manhattan, for unpaid taxes for the years 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, and 1897, also for unpaid Croton water rents for the years... : The Aldermanic Chamber in the City Hall, Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, on Wednesday, September 2, 1903, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon / William E. McFaddin, collector of assessments and arrears of the City of New York. New York, 1903." The reference to N-YHS's unpaid amounts is found on page 29.

Includes correspondence, lists, and the 1892 appeal for $1 million to construct a new building on the Central Park West site.

This folder and the next includes the passbooks, check books with stubs, and the returned checks, numbered 1-139, for expenses paid out of the Building Fund held at Central Trust Co. of New York. The stubs include descriptive transaction information. The folder also includes a booklet summarizing subscriptions into the Fund and expenses paid out through 1902. See the following set of folders for the invoices, etc. supporting the payments.

This folder and the next seven include the invoices and other supporting documents for payments from the Building Fund. The documents are in sequence of payments made as noted on the reverse of the documents; the sequence number corresponds with the cancelled check number from the Central Trust account (see above folders). Some payments have multiple supporting documents; the payment number is generally noted on only one of the sheets. There are no documents for payments 1-12 and 138-139; see the checkstubs and cancelled checks for those transactions.

Includes building-related expenses not paid from the Building Fund.

This folder and the next includes drafts of minutes, notes and correspondence, including correspondence concerning York & Sawyer.

Includes correspondence between Committee Secretary Sydney Carney and Committee Chair Samuel Hoffman; see also NYHS-RG 1, Series IV. Official Papers for other documents concerning the Carney and Hoffman exchange.

This folder and the next two includes drafts of minutes, notes and correspondence.

This is a letterpress book started by Clarence Storm in 1904 for the Building Committee, when he became secretary of that committee. It includes only 3 outgoing letters bound in the book (all to York & Sawyer), and two others loose at the front of the book.

Includes the design proposed by architects Howells & Stokes as published in American Architect and Architecture Vol. 84, June 4, 1904. This published plate appears to have been purchased by N-YHS for the Print Room collection. The number 2011.9 is noted on the back. It was moved to the institutional archive in 2016.

Also includes the financial report for Van Norden Trust Company as of January 1, 1908.

Includes specifications for the work, dated November 19, 1903. Oversize blueprint of retaining wall, enclosed by York & Sawyer with their letter of February 19, 1903, was removed to an oversize container; see folder 12 of 12 below.

A former label indicating that some of the documents in this series were from the Hoffman papers, received April 1943, is in this folder.

Includes specifications as of October 1, 1904.

Includes an addenda to the specifications, dated July 27, 1905.

Includes oversize material removed from above folder 2 of 12: blueprint of retaining wall on rear property.

Includes Morgan & Brothers bid for moving collections from the 2nd Avenue site to Central Park West.

Blueprints were removed to an oversize container; see the next folder.

Includes 5 oversize blueprints of museum cases from the Library Bureau.

This folder and the next include signed contracts and correspondence, bids, and records of payments to various contractors. The Andrew J. Robinson Company and its sub-contractors are well-represented here. There is also some correspondence with York & Sawyer. Several documents relate to the arrangements agreed upon between N-YHS and Henry Dexter. The contents of the folders appear to have come entirely or in substantial part from the papers of Samuel V. Hoffman.

Includes a signed contract, and drafts, with the Andrew J. Robinson Co.

Includes contract between the Andrew J. Robinson Co. and the American Bonding Co.

Includes signed contracts with the Andrew J. Robinson Co.

Includes contracts between Andrew J. Robinson Co. and its sub-contractors: Baker, Smith & Co (heating & ventilating), J.B. & J.M. Cornell Co. (iron work), McWilliam Brothers (granite setting), Peet, McAnerney & Powers (electric), and R. Guastavino Co. (tile arches).

Includes contracts of 1906 between Andrew J. Robinson Co. and its sub-contractors: James Morrison, Jr. (plastering), Library Bureau (book stacks, lift and elevator), P. & F. Corbin (hardware), Ronald Taylor (concrete), Traitel Marble Co. (marble work for main staircase), and Voightmann & Co (copper windows). Includes the contract of 1908 between Robinson Co and Henry Dexter for completion of the Museum Room.

This folder and the next primarily includes correspondence between the Andrew J. Robinson Company and Samuel V. Hoffman.

Includes certifications from the New York Board of Fire Underwriters and the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity.

Includes the announcement to newspaper editors of the event; sample invitations, including one directed to Daniel Parish, Jr.; a photograph album of the event with six images; a list of objects in the cornerstone (fragmented); and correspondence, principally with York & Sawyer concerning arrangements.

Includes one oversize blueprint of the grandstand for the ceremony and a plan showing the location of the cornerstone, both from York & Sawyer.

Includes artifacts related to the event including ribbons, pins, and other items.

Includes four drawings (whiteprints) of surveys of the Central Park West site conducted by civil engineer and city surveyor Peter E. Nostrand. The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes three drawings (whiteprints): transverse (#5), Central Park West elevation (#6), and 77th Street elevation (#8). The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes 17 drawings (whiteprints) concerning floor plans, foundation, framing, and others: drawings #1, #2, #3, #4, #7 (rear elevation), #10, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22 (retaining wall at rear property line), #23, and #24. The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes three reproductions of plans related to foundation piers and beams: drawings #15, 16, and 17. The plans were stamped by the New York City Bureau of Buildings as received on November 3, 1902. The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes several conserved, rolled linens. The documents were not unrolled during processing so the specific plans included are undescribed.

Includes two drawings (blueprints): framing plan of 1st floor (#46) and framing plan of 2nd floor (#47). The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes one drawing (blueprint) of transverse section, drawing #30. The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes one drawing (blueprint) of the roof plan. Title box partially missing; plan number unknown. The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes three drawings (blueprints): framing plan of 3rd floor (#missing; dated June 3), framing plan of roof (#missing; dated June 3); and 77th Street elevation (number missing; date missing). The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes two drawings (whiteprints): section through entrance (#60, 1904) and plumbing section (#102, 1905).

Includes three drawings (whiteprints): front elevation (#51, rev, 1904), library stack room (#130; 1905), and granite work (#58, undated).

Includes five drawings (blueprints): #51 (front elevation), #52 (section of entrance, 2 copies), #54 (granite), and #201 (main stairway, 1906).

Includes a watercolor (?) of the proposed Central Park West building, signed by York & Sawyer, and a black and white reproduction of the original.

Includes 13 drawings (blueprints) concerning library: drawings #239, #251, #252 (stairs), #254, #255, #256, #257, #258, #259 (rev), #260, #265, #273, and #274.

Includes one drawing (blueprint) of cross-section of north and south end (#269). The contents were photographed in June 2019 and the digital files are available; a list of the filenames and digital image numbers are in the folder.

Includes one drawing of the floor design for the 77th Street entrance.

Includes eight drawings (blueprints) of the book stack room, book lift and steel shelving. With the possible exception of one drawing, all appear to be from the Library Bureau, though not all are identified as such.

Includes 23 drawings (blueprints) of library cases, chairs, desk, and other furniture, and of the library floor plan.

Includes a specification report and three associated plans from consulting engineers for additions and alterations to the ventilating apparatus for the N-YHS auditorium and library.

Includes three linens with plans for the ventilating work.

Includes six drawings (blueprints) of details of exhibition and museum cases by Snead & Co. There is also one undated drawing, possibly from Snead, of a cast iron leg. Also includes two drawings (blueprints) by Library Bureau of manuscript cases (1918) and the stack layout (undated).