Lower Manhattan Walking Tour
Brief History For over 100 years, New York City only existed
below Chambers Street, therefore making Lower Manhattan the
birthplace of the city of New York. • City Hall Built by the Dutch
in the 17th century, city hall is the oldest city hall in the
United States which still houses original government functions,
such as the offices of the
Mayor of NYC. Both the interior and exterior are designated NYC
Landmarks.
• Jacob Wrey Mould Fountain- Jacobn Wrey Mould was a British
architect, illustrator, linguist and musician who in addition to
designing the fountain at City Hall Park, also contributed to the
design of NYC’s Central Park.
• Woolworth Building – It was called the “Cathedral of Commerce”
and used to be the tallest building in NYC at one time.
• Saint Paul’s Chapel of Trinity Church – Built in 1766 as an
extension of Trinity Church, George Washington was a regular to
this church.
• Federal Reserve Bank- Established in 1914, the New York
Federal Reserve Bank is one of the most influential of the 12
Federal Reserve Banks. The Bank was moved to this location in
1924.
• South Street Seaport- SSS was first used as a port and trading
outpost in 1625 by the Dutch. With the influx of the first settlers
to lower Manhattan, the area quickly began to develop. SSS is a
designated historic district of NYC and features some of the oldest
architecture in Manhattan.
• Wall Street- Anchored by Wall Street, New York City has been
called both the most economically powerful city and the leading
financial center of the world. It spans over 8 blocks and gets its
name from the Dutch, who built a wall and fortification to keep out
the native Americans.
• New York Stock Exchange- The NYSE nicknamed “The Big Board”,
is by far the world’s largest stock exchange. The main building and
the 11 Wall Street building were designated National Historic
Landmarks in 1978.
• Trinity Church- The Trinity Church has been significant to New
York City's history for over 300 years. Since that time there have
been 3 Trinity Churches built in the same location, the third
edition is the most current and was completed in 1843. • Charging
Bull - Originally a piece of guerilla art, the
charging bull sculpture was created by the artist, Aturo Di
Modica in 1989 to represent aggressive financial optimism and pro
sperity. The sculpture weighs 7,100 lbs or 3,200 kg!
• Battery Park - The park gets its name from the artillery
batteries that were positioned there during NYC’s early years in
the 17th century to protect the early settlement. Later it became a
landfill for the city, and was not converted into a park until the
1970’s.
• 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center / The Freedom Tower –
The 9/11 memorial is located at the World Trade Center site, the
former location of the Twin Towers and was planned in the immediate
ad. One World Trade Center (WTC) is the tallest building in the
United States, and the western Hemisphere, and 6th tallest in the
world. It is 104 stories high.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Hall
https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3895.html
https://www.downtownny.com/lower-manhattan-historical-highlights
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Bank_of_New_York
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Church_(Manhattan)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charging_Bull
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battery_(Manhattan)
http://art-nerd.com/newyork/woolworth-building/
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1558&bih=896&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=tfmHXIqPEqed_Qb_2ZyoCw&q=chraging+bull+&oq=chraging+bull+&gs_l=img.3...5283084.5292136..5292282...6.0..2.145.1882.12j7......5....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0i67j0j0i10j0i10i24.p-ZWT3plHQQ#imgrc=LTumebkXKscZkM:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center
