History of 14th Street and Union Square

14th Street has gone through many changes during the last 250 years, from a farm land to a residential area, from an area of high society and culture to one of mass commerce and division between the established and the struggling, and from an area filled with depressed businesses and drugs to one of thriving retail and new popularity. It has been affected as well by new modes of transportation and by rapidly changing immigrant populations. Most of all, 14th Street was and is diverse — institutions such as Tony Pastor’s in Tammany Hall, the Academy of Music, DelMonico’s, and provided entertainment, while stores like Tiffany’s, Schirmer’s and Brentano’s provided fine retail. The Consolidated Edison Company's Generating Station on the east side hummed while the Meatpacking District to the west teemed with life. Later on, Klein’s offered bargain prices and various unions used the convenient open space of Union Square for their demonstrations and local buildings for their offices and meeting halls. The location of these organizations and businesses, which had city-wide importance, highlights the nature of 14th Street as a central thoroughfare in New York City.

The purpose of documenting the history of 14th Street is to provide a comprehensive look into the places and events that made 14th Street into the dynamic street we know today. By attempting to better understand the street, its architecture, its communities, and its people, we hope to provide a plan for the preservation of its history and character. The History Section has been divided in several parts. The Overview gives a general history of trends and developments on 14th Street. Then, individually themed sections provide a more comprehensive look into the various histories of 14th Street and act as a more specific reference for those interested in learning about the individual resources and issues addressed in later sections. Finally, the timelines we have created offer visual representation of the information we have collected and detailed in the previous sections.