William Bridges, Adolphus Loss, and Amos Corning. Map of Several Lots on Greenwich and Washington Streets. 1805

William Bridges, Adolphus Loss, and Amos Corning
Map of Several Lots on Greenwich and Washington Streets, New York City
New York, circa 1805
Manuscript map in brown ink on laid paper
Sheet size: approx. 26 x 18 ½ inches

This rare and detailed early 19th-century manuscript map of lower Manhattan was surveyed by William Bridges, Adolphus Loss, and Amos Corning—figures central to New York’s urban development during its formative decades. Focused on the lots between Greenwich and Washington Streets along the Hudson River, the map documents the transformation of the waterfront below Rector Street, including landfill, wharf extensions, and changing lot ownership.

Drawn in delicate brown ink, the map carefully delineates property boundaries, proposed streets, and historical annotations including the names of owners and references to prior surveys. It reflects the city’s rapid westward growth into the Hudson, driven by mercantile expansion and municipal planning. As surveyor for the famed 1811 grid plan, William Bridges’ involvement connects this map to New York’s foundational urban reorganization.

Despite age and damage, the map remains a vivid and vital record of early Manhattan land use—part legal document, part developmental blueprint, and part cartographic artifact.