site and during this period of New York’s history the Bowery was the exclusive district for the elite of the little Dutch city.[1]
In New Amsterdam itself, the best street appears to have been Pearl or Perel on account of its commanding a fine view of the East River. At the corner of Pine and Pearl Streets stood the Dutch West India Ware House. Adjoining this building was Herrman’s “town house”, a substantial mansion built in Dutch style of brick and stone.[2] It is thought that either the foundation of this house or of the warehouse next to it still serves for the foundation of subsequent buildings and that this wall alone is all that remains to be seen to the present day of the colonial Dutch architecture of New York City.
Herrman had another house in New Amsterdam which he thought suitable for himself and his family. It was not as fine a mansion as the one on Pearl Street nor did it command as fine a view of the river. This house was known as Smits Valley (along the East River from Wall to Fulton Streets). A New York Directory for 1665 gives this as the residence of the Herrmans. For that year he was assessed one guilder for the house.[3]
The brick mansion on Pearl Street Hermann likely reserved for those rarer occasions when he had important guests to entertain. As one of the chief burgers of the village he no doubt often entertained notable visitors from Holland. In this house Dr. George Hack and his wife lived while in New Amsterdam and here Herrman entertained other members of the Maryland and Virginia gentry who came to see him on business. The Englishmen of the southern colonies, probably because of
- ↑ Dutch Mss. Vol. I. p. 210.
- ↑ Close to Herrman’s house on Pearl Street stood the “Stadthuys” (Town Hall) bu out 1655. It was when built regarded as one of the architectural wonders of America. (Shepherd, W. R. New Amsterdam, 1917, p. 18.)
- ↑ Wilson, J. G. Hist. of New York, Vol. I. p. 338.
