described further as beginning at the north side of the present Bennett avenue where it curves into Broadway opposite Nagel avenue. In later deeds it is described as beginning 23 links, or 15.18 feet, northwest of the bridge which carried the Kingsbridge road over a brook; and the brook may be seen to-day running into a culvert under Broadway at Bennett avenue. This boundary line became a permanent landmark in subsequent conveyances, although the old lot boundaries of the Fourth Division became obliterated.

An idea of the enormous increase in real estate values of this section of the city is gained from the fact that the consideration mentioned in this last conveyance of nearly 97 acres was only $10,000. Eight years later, as will appear hereafter, only eleven acres of this tract sold for $10,000.

By the conveyances above mentioned, Chittenden consolidated his holdings in 1846 from 185th to 197th streets, the total being about 130 acres.

VI

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BILLINGS ESTATE

The Libbey Tract and Libbey Castle

It is next in order to trace the dissolution of the Chittenden estate, so far as it affects Fort Tryon, and the gathering together of various fragments of it by Mr. C. K. G. Billings. This subject naturally divided itself into two parts, the division line being the midway line of lot No. 9 of the Fourth Division or line C-C' on plate 26.

Taking up the portion south of that line, we find that on November 1, 1851, Chittenden conveyed to Henry Coggill for $7,300, a tract of 11 acres and 321⁄2 perches lying immediately south of line C-C'. The northern boundary line of this 11 acres 3212 perches, began at C' 23 links (15.18 feet) north of the brook crossing the Kingsbridge road at Bennett and Nagel avenues, and ran, according to the conveyance, north 61° 15' west 1566.84 feet to the Hudson river at C; thence south 28° 30' west 300.96 feet to D; thence south 61° 15′ east 1640.76 feet to the Kingsbridge road at D'; thence northerly along the Kingsbridge road four courses agregating 316.14 feet to the place of beginning, C'. (Liber 592, page 321.) This is the lot upon which, east of Fort Washington avenue, the so-called Libbey Castle was subsequently built.*

On June 2, 1852, Chittenden conveyed to Coggill for $10,000 another parcel containing 11 acres, a rood and 18 perches south of and adjoining the parcel above described. Its boundary began at D', at the west side of the Kingsbridge road at the southeast corner of the first parcel, and ran thence along the southern line of the first parcel north 61° 15′ west 1640.76 feet to the Hudson river at D; thence south 31° 45′ west 301.62 feet to E; thence south 61° 15′ east 1660.56 feet to the Kingsbridge road at E'; thence northerly along the road 299.97 feet to the place of

* This parcel is considered by other authorities whose opinion is entitled to respect as the southern half of lot No. 9 of the Fourth Division of 1712 and the present writer accepts it as such, subject to revision in the light of future information. Lot No. 9 contained over 32 acres, therefore 11 acres 32% perches was not half of it.

beginning at D'. (Liber 602, page 439.) Other authorities consider this parcel to be lot No. 8 of the Fourth Division of 1712 and we accept the identification subject to revision if future information shows to the contrary.

On July 1, 1852, Coggill conveyed parcel C-C'-D-D' to James Phalen for $10,000. (Liber 611, page 461.)

On the next day, July 2, 1852, Coggill conveyed parcel D-D'-E-E' to Phalen for $12,362.50. (Liber 611, page 458.)

On May 28, 1855, Phalen conveyed both parcels C-C'-D-D' and D-D'-E-E' to Augustus C. Richards for $25,000. (Liber 684, page 522.)

On February 26, 1869, Richards conveyed both parcels to Gen. Daniel Butterfield "of the United States Army" for $275,000. (Liber 1091, page 276.)

The rapid increase in real estate values in this section is indicated by the fact that whereas Watkins in 1844 sold to Chittenden 96.9 acres for $10,000 or at the rate of about $10.33 an acre, twenty-five years later Richards sold about 222 acres to Butterfield for $275,000 or at the rate of about $12,222 an acre.

On March 19, 1869, Gen. Butterfield conveyed the parcels C-C ́D-D' and D-D'-E-E' to William M. Tweed for the same consideration, $275,000. (Liber 1127, page 208.) At this time, the Tweed Ring was in the height of its successes; Tweed was in funds and the real estate records of this period show many transactions in which he figured as grantee. Among his enterprises about this time he made a venture in the hotel business in connection with the old Metropolitan Hotel at 582 Broadway, between Prince and Houston streets, but he exceeded his ready resources in furnishing it.* Two years after he acquired the property at Fort Tryon, public uneasiness over the plundering of the City became acute, and on August 16, 1871, Tweed conveyed the two parcels before mentioned to his son Richard M. Tweed for $250,000.† (Liber 1194, page 195.) Pressure by the creditors who furnished the hotel obliged Richard M. Tweed, on October 25, 1871, to convey the two parcels to the Pottier & Stymus Manufacturing Co. for

* The Metropolitan Hotel property belonged for a long time to Alexander T. Stewart.

† Wm. M. Tweed was arrested on December 16, 1871. He died in prison April 12, 1878.

(Liber 1194, page 204.)

$250,000. The Pottier & Stymus Manufacturing Co. were a great upholstery, furniture and decorating firm.

On December 1, 1871, the Pottier & Stymus Co. sold the two parcels to William Armstrong for $150,000. (Liber 1206, page 93.)

1

On November 7, 1872, Armstrong sold the two parcels to Alexander T. Stewart, the famous merchant, for $150,000. (Liber 1263, page 43.)

Mr. Stewart died in 1876 and on June 4, 1880, his widow Cornelia sold the two parcels to William Libbey for $112,500. (Liber 1542, page 428.)

It is from the Libbey family that Libbey Castle derives its name although they did not build it, as will appear hereafter.

On November 14, 1894, William Libbey conveyed to Jonas M. Libbey a portion of these parcels containing 3.121 acres, bounded on the east by the Kingsbridge road, from C' to E', on the west by a line parallel with and distance 225.8 feet therefrom, on the north by the included portion of the line C-C' and on the south by the included portion of the line E-E'. (Liber 5, page 208, in section 8 of Conveyances in the Register's Office, Hall of Records. ) But this conveyance has no special significance as the same property appears to have been included in a subsequent conveyance between the Libbeys.

On January 10, 1896, William Libbey conveyed to Jonas M. Libbey and Frederick A. Libbey all of parcels C-C'-D-D' and D-D'-E-E' including the 3.121 acres last above mentioned. (Liber 6, page 389, in section 8.)

By some unexplainable coincidence of dates, on the same date (January 10, 1896) on which William Libbey "personally appeared" and executed the foregoing conveyance, his wife Elizabeth appears as a widow and conveys her right of dower in the property to Jonas and Frederick. (Liber 6, page 389, section 8.)

On September 1, 1903, Elizabeth Libbey, widow of William, conveyed to Jonas and Frederick Libbey her interest in the two parcels and certain other property. (Liber 19, page 306, section 8.)

and

Now the parcels C-C-D-D' and D-D'-E-E' became split up; on the same date above mentioned, September 1, 1903, Jonas sold,

to Frederick Libbey his interest in that portion of parcel C-C'D-D' lying between Fort Washington avenue and Broadway. This lot is said to measure 291 feet 8 inches between its southern and northern boundaries. By the same deed, Jonas conveyed to Frederick his interest in the portion of parcel C-C'-D-D' lying between Fort Washington avenue and Boulevard Lafayette, and enough of parcel D-D'-E-E' adjacent thereto between the avenue and boulevard to make the distance between the northern and southern boundaries of this portion 400 ft. (Liber 20, page 135, section 8.) This deed is especially interesting, as it contains restrictions running with the title, against 35 different kinds of use, including any distillery, brewery, slaughter-house, factory, foundry, bone-boiling establishment, church, reformatory, school nunnery, stable, hog-pen, etc, etc.

In order to confirm and correct certain details in the description in the deed of September 1, 1903, Jonas Libbey executed another conveyance of the same interest to Frederick Libbey on March 4, 1904. The northern boundary of the lot east of Fort Washington. avenue is stated to be 623.85 feet long and the southern boundary 765.22 feet long, the two boundaries being parallel and 291 feet 8 inches apart. The northern boundary of the lot west of the avenue is stated to be 324.66 feet long, the northern and southern boundaries being parallel and 400 feet apart. (Liber 20, page 273, in section 8.)

The portion lying west of Fort Washington avenue was sufficient to make four lots, each 100 feet wide, running through to the Boulevard Lafayette. For purposes of description we will refer to the northern three from north to south as X, Y and Z. (Plate 26.)

On December 5, 1904, Frederick A. Libbey conveyed lot X above-mentioned to Cornelius K. G. Billings. (Liber 22, page 152, section 8.)

On December 27, 1904, Libbey sold to Hugh J. Grant the 100 foot lot Y, lying between Fort Washington avenue and Boulevard Lafayette; also the portion of parcel C-C'-D-D' lying between Fort Washington avenue and Kingsbridge road, on which Libbey Castle stands. (Liber 21, page 278, section 8.)