Newburgh Heritage

Mapping Newburgh’s 19th century boom years

By Mary McTamaney
Posted 7/1/22

There was more behind the incorporation of Newburgh as a city in 1865 than the desire to be more notable or important than we were as a village. New York State was asking its municipalities to take …

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Newburgh Heritage

Mapping Newburgh’s 19th century boom years

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There was more behind the incorporation of Newburgh as a city in 1865 than the desire to be more notable or important than we were as a village. New York State was asking its municipalities to take stock of themselves after the Civil War and report on significant changes.

Of course, population had grown as people came to cities to work in war industries like Newburgh’s many foundries. Manufacturing had taken root and kept expanding into new neighborhoods.

Transportation networks had branched out with the development of new railroad lines and turnpike roads. Old maps no longer represented vigorous new communities like Newburgh. Plus, local place names were confusing and often overlapped with a same or similar name in a nearby place.

So, New York State ordered that communities submit new maps that reflected the official name of each thoroughfare. Too many streets and roads were called by names that varied along their length. Many streets were named before they were “opened” (graded and developed) and the names were changed by the folks who did settle there in a few years. My husband’s childhood block of Prospect Street started out as Stone Street (which ultimately grew with that name on the far north of the city behind today’s North Plank Tavern). Gardiner Street ran along the river where the shipyards operated. Now that name claims a residential post-WWII street off Gidney Avenue. No one today can find a sign for Kemp Street, Green Street, Shelton Avenue or Railroad Avenue (today’s Bay Vew Terrace).

The state’s mandate for consistency in mapping and naming made a positive difference for residents, visitors and future development. It also spurred street improvements. In the decade after the Civil War, these are some of the infrastructure changes in Newburgh’s growth:

Carpenter Avenue was graded from North Street to Western Avenue (now Broadway). William Street was graded and opened between Washington Street and Railway Avenue (now Bay View Terrace). South Street was graded and opened between Carpenter Avenue and South Plank Road. Third Street was graded between Johnston and West Streets, opening a large new area for residential building. South Miller Street was opened as was Ann Street west of Mill Street. Robinson Avenue was graded from North Street all the way to First Street in the fall of 1868 and then graded from First to Railway Avenue in 1871. This gives us a clue to the first disruption and removal of remains from the colored burying ground in the block between First Street and Western Avenue. One of the largest investments by the new city aldermen was the grading and official opening of South William Street all the way from Lake Street to the Hudson River at a cost over $13,000 in 1873 dollars.

To satisfy my curiosity, there aren’t nearly enough early maps to illustrate the changes in our local landscape. Yet, many have been saved and are available to map geeks like me. The Library of Congress website opens the door to lots of maps including the very helpful Sanborn Fire Insurance map series. The New York State archives also shares many [www.nysl.nysed.gov/reference/maps.htm]

One of the best places for local street and road mapping is The Newburgh History Blog [newburghhistoryblog.com/research/] managed by local historian Joe Santacroce. There, in the research section of the menu, are links to many detailed maps of Newburgh in its early years. Open and zoom into the 1854 Ferris Map as one source of lost spaces to see what was and what was planned. Another rich source of local maps and images is the New York Heritage website. Look through the old 1875 atlas pages to see details of Newburgh and other Orange County communities.