The Lost Museum Archive

By 1865, New York City spread as far north as 42nd Street, but the vast majority of businesses remained below 14th Street. The economic and cultural heart of the city continued to be below Canal Street where P.T. Barnum's American Museum was located. This bird's-eye view of lower Manhattan allows users to select a magnifier to view buildings, streets, and parks, or to select specific buildings and cultural sites to learn more about some of New York City's cultural and economic institutions in the mid-nineteenth century.