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EARLY NEW YORK CITY WARDS In 1791 the seven old wards were dissolved and seven new wards created, with different In October 1683 the City of New York, then boundaries and designated by numbers. Between entirely south of the Wall (now Wall Street), was 1791 and 1853 the number of wards was increased divided into five wards, or political units, called the to 22. When the future Bronx was annexed it was North, South, East, West, and Dock wards. All of divided into wards 23 and 24. Manhattan Island north of the Wall was the Out Ward, consisting of the Harlem and Bowery In the 19th century New York City politics was Divisions. Over the next 100 years the city grew based on the wards, and most city dwellers were north to about Chambers Street, extending the very conscious of the ward in which they resided, North, West and East wards and in 1730 adding a especially if they lived below 14th Street where 16 seventh ward on the east side, called of the 22 wards were located. The wards became Montgomerie’s Ward after John Montgomerie, increasingly associated with fraud and were governor of New York and New Jersey (1728- stripped of political significance by the end of the 1731). 19th century. They were abolished in 1936.

Table 1: Wards of the Old City of New York, now Borough of Manhattan (updated February 25, 2016; replaces Table 1, pp. 776–777)

The first numbered wards were created in 1791. Boundaries were set by the state legislature, the last changes made in 1853. Street boundaries refer to the middle of each street. All wards bordering on the rivers extended either east to the Long Island shore or west to the New York/New Jersey state line.

Table 1: Wards of the Old City of New York, now Borough of Manhattan

Ward Boundaries When Created or Divided Neighborhoods, Old and Current 1 1791 West side, south of Little Queen (Cedar) St. and west (1803) New Amsterdam, from Nassau, Broad, and Dock Sts. and Exchange Market to Financial District, Battery, and Hudson River, including the small islands in the Bay Governor’s, Liberty, and Ellis 1803 Wards 1 and 2 merged as new Ward 1, all Manhattan Islands south of Thames and Pine Sts. 1817 All Manhattan south of Liberty St. and Maiden Lane 2 1791 East side south of Crown (Liberty) St., Maiden Lane, and (1803) South Street Seaport, Fly Market, from Nassau, Broad, and Dock Sts. and Exchange The Swamp, Financial District Market to East River 1803 Relocated to former Ward 3, from Pine St. north to George (Spruce), Gold, and Ferry Sts. and Peck Slip, between Nassau St. and East River 1817 South boundary changed from Pine St. to Maiden Lane and Liberty St., west boundary from Nassau St. to Broadway and Chatham St. (Park Row)

Table 1: Wards of the Old City of New York, now Borough of Manhattan

Ward Boundaries When Created or Divided Neighborhoods, Old and Current 3 1791 East side from Crown (Liberty) St., Maiden Lane, and Fly (1803) Lower West Side, Market to George (Spruce), Gold, and Ferry Sts. and Peck Financial District (World Slip, between Nassau St. and East River Financial Center now 1803 Relocated to west side (former Ward 4), from Thames Brookfield Place), Tribeca and Pine Sts. north to Murray St., between Nassau St. and Hudson River (Murray St. then extended east to Nassau St.) 1817 Boundaries changed, now Liberty St. to Reed (Reade) St., between Broadway and Hudson River 4 1791 West side, from Little Queen (Cedar) St. to Murray St., (1803) Parts of Chinatown, between Nassau St. and Hudson River Lower East Side, South Street 1803 Relocated to East side (former Ward 5), from George Seaport (Spruce), Gold, and Ferry Sts. and Peck Slip to Catharine St., between Chatham St. (Park Row) and East River 5 1791 East side, from George (Spruce), Gold, and Ferry Sts. and (1803) Lower West Side, St. Peck Slip to Catharine St., between Chatham St. (Park Row) John’s Park, Tribeca and East River 1803 Relocated to West side (former west part of Ward 6), from Murray St. to stream running out of Fresh Water Pond (roughly Canal St.), between Broadway and Hudson River 1817 South/north boundaries Reed [Reade] St. and Canal St. 6 1791 West side, from Murray St. to stream running out of (1803) Commons (City Hall Fresh Water Pond (roughly Canal St.), between Hudson River Park), Civic Center, Five Points, and Chatham St. (Park Row), Bowery Lane, Bayard St., original Chinatown Rynder’s (Collect, Centre) St., Hester St., Great George St. (Broadway) to stone arch built across said stream 1803 Divided to create new Ward 5; now an inland ward from intersection of Broadway and Chatham St. (Park Row) north to Grand St., between Broadway and Chatham St./Bowery 1827 Divided to create Ward 14, north boundary now Canal, Collect (Centre), and Pump (Canal east of Centre) Sts., modified in 1829 to Walker and Pump (Canal) Sts. 7 1791 All Manhattan north of Wards 5 and 6, the southern (1808) Lower East Side, boundary being East River, Catharine St., Bowery Rd., Bayard Corlears Hook, part of St., Rynder’s (Collect, Centre) St., Hester St., Great George St. Chinatown (Broadway) to the stone arch built across the stream running out of the Fresh Water Pond, and along said stream (roughly Canal St.) to Hudson River 1803 To form Wards 8 and 9, Ward 7 reduced to bounded west by Catharine St. and Bowery Rd., east and south by East River, and north by Stuyvesant St. (present-day Stuyvesant St. is remnant of a longer street that extended to the river) 1808 To form Ward 10, north boundary changed to Division and Grand Sts.

Table 1: Wards of the Old City of New York, now Borough of Manhattan

Ward Boundaries When Created or Divided Neighborhoods, Old and Current 8 1803 Created from Ward 7, from the stream leading from the (1827) Lower West Side, South Hudson to the Fresh Water Pond (roughly Canal St.), north to Village/ Hudson Square, SoHo Love Lane (or Abingdon Rd., approximately 21st St.), between Hudson River on the west and on the east Bowery Rd., Bayard St., Rynder’s (Collect, Centre) St., Hester St., and Great George St. (Broadway) to the stone arch built across the aforesaid stream 1817 To accommodate revised Ward 9, new bounds from Canal St. north to Art St. (Astor Place/ Waverly Place) and Christopher St., between Hudson River and Broadway, Grand St., and Bowery Rd. 1825 To allow further expansion of Ward 9, north boundary now Hammersley St., North St., and Houston St. (all three later combined as Houston St.) 1827 To form Ward 14, east boundary now Broadway 9 1803 Created from Ward 7, all Manhattan north of Love Lane (1832) Greenwich Village (or Abingdon Rd., approximately 21st St.), Bowery Rd., and (West Village), Meatpacking Stuyvesant St. District, part Little Italy. Mid- 1817 Revised to add part of Ward 8, now all Manhattan above 19th century wards 9 and 15 Christopher St., Art St. (Waverly Place and Astor Place), had highest percentage of Bowery Rd., and Sixth St. native-born residents so were 1825 To form Ward 12 and part of Ward 11, more of Ward 8 is called the “American wards.” added so Ward 9 covers Greenwich Village, from Hammersley St. (West Houston) and Houston St. to 14th St., between Hudson River and Bowery Rd./Fourth Ave. 1832 To form Ward 15, east boundary now Sixth Ave. and Carmine, Bleecker, and Hancock Sts. (Hancock later Cottage Place, obliterated when Sixth Ave. extended south) 10 1808 Created from Ward 7, from Grand and Division Sts. north (1827) Lower East Side, part of to Stuyvesant St., between Bowery Rd. and East River Chinatown 1825 To form Ward 11, north boundary now Rivington St. 1827 To form Ward 13, east boundary now Norfolk St. 11 1825 Created from Wards 9 and 10, from Rivington St. north to (1837) parts of Lower East 14th St., between Bowery Rd./Fourth Ave. and East River Side, Little Germany, East 1837 To form Ward 17, west boundary now Clinton St. and Village Ave. B 12 1825 Created from Ward 9, all Manhattan north of 14th St. (1850) parts of Upper East 1836 To form Ward 16, south boundary now 40th St. Side (Yorkville), Upper West 1850 To form Ward 19, south boundary now 86th St. Side (Bloomingdale), and Seneca Village; all of Harlem, Morningside and Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill

Table 1: Wards of the Old City of New York, now Borough of Manhattan

Ward Boundaries When Created or Divided Neighborhoods, Old and Current 13 1827 Created from Ward 10, from Division and Grand Sts. to Lower East Side Rivington St., between Norfolk St. and East River 14 1827 Created from Wards 6 and 8, from Canal, Collect Little Italy, parts of Chinatown, (Centre), and Pump (Canal east of Centre) Sts. north to SoHo Houston St., between Broadway and Bowery 1829 south boundary Walker St. and Pump (Canal) St. 15 1832 Created from Ward 9, from Houston St. to 14th St., Greenwich Village, between Sixth Ave., Carmine, Bleecker, and Hancock Sts., and Washington Sq., parts of Bowery/ Fourth Ave. (Hancock later Cottage Place, NoHo, Astor Place, Union Sq., obliterated when Sixth Ave. extended south) Little Italy. 16 1836 Created from Ward 12, from 14th St. to 40th St., (1851) Chelsea; parts of between Hudson and East Rivers Meatpacking and Tenderloin 1846 To form Ward 18, east boundary changed to Sixth Ave. 1851 To form Ward 20, north boundary changed to 26th St. 17 1837 Created from Ward 11, from Rivington St. to 14th St., Little Germany, East Village, between Bowery and Ave. B/Clinton St. Lower East Side, parts of Astor Place and NoHo 18 1846 Created from Ward 16, from 14th St. to 40th St., (1853) Union Sq., Madison Sq., between Sixth Ave. and East River Stuyvesant Sq., Gramercy 1853 To form Ward 21, north boundary changed to 26th St. Park, Flatiron, Ladies Mile, Bellevue, Gashouse District, part of Tenderloin 19 1850 Created from Ward 12, from 49th St. to 86th St., (1853) Turtle Bay, Sutton between Hudson and East Rivers Place, most of Upper East 1853 To form Ward 22, west boundary now Sixth Ave./Central Side; parts of Tenderloin, Park Midtown, Yorkville 20 1851 Created from Ward 16, from 26th St. to 40th St., Parts of Chelsea, Hell’s between Hudson River and Sixth Ave. Kitchen, Garment District, Tenderloin, Midtown 21 1853 Created from Ward 18, from 26th St. to 40th St., Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Rose between Sixth Ave. and East River Hill, parts of Tenderloin, Midtown, Bellevue 22 1853 Created from Ward 19, from 40th St. to 86th St., Parts of Hell’s Kitchen, between Hudson River and 6th Ave./Central Park Tenderloin, Midtown, Upper West Side (Bloomingdale), Seneca Village Table created by Harry Macy Jr., February 25, 2016. Disused names are in italics.