WELCOME TO HUNTS POINT!

NORTH BROTHER ISLAND CLICK HERE

LOCAL HISTORY

Text from the original land grant for Hunts Point from the King of England
"Deed to the South Bronx," 1666:

Richard Nicolls Esq.E Governour Generall under his Royall Highnefs James Duke of York and Albany&c of all his territoryes in America; To all to whom thefe Prefents shall come, sendeth greeting.  Whereas there is a certain Tract or Parcell of Land within this Government Scituate, lying and being heare unto and within the Limitts of the Towne of Weftchester, uppon ye maine, being Bounded to the Eaft by the River commonly Called by the Indyans Aquehung; otherwife Bronckx River, extend-ing to the midst of the said River to the north by the markt Trees and by a Piece of Hafsock meadow weftward by a little Brooke called by the natives Sackwrahung and Southward by the Sound or Eaft-River including within itt a certaine neck of Land called Quinnahung; which said Parcell or Tract and Neck of land with the Appurtenances together with Commonage and Liberty for Range of Horfes and--Cattle as far as they pleafe into the woods hath heretofore beene Joyntly Purchafed of the Indyen Proprietors by Edward Jefsop and John Richardson, of Weftchefter aforesaid and due Sattisffaction hath been by them been Given for the Same as by the Deed Remaining uppon Record more at large doth and may appeare Now itt being mutually agreed uppon by both the aforesaid Joynt Purchas.Ers that an equall Divifion shall be made of the said Parcell or Tract of Land and Appertenances between them the said Edward Jefsop and John Richardson their Heires and Afsignes; and to the end the said Lands may be the better manured and Planted for a further Confirmation unto each and either of them, in their Pofsession and Enjoyment of the Premisses--Know yee that by vertue of the Commifsion and Authority unto mee Given by his Royall Highnefs I have Ratifyed Confirmed and Granted and by thefe Presents do Ratify Confirm and Grant unto John Richardfon Aforesaid his heires and Afsignes the moyety or one half of the aforesaid Parcell or Tract of land and---Premifses together with the moyety or one half of all the woods Meadows Paftures Commonage marshes waters Rivers or Lakes theire unto belonging with theire and every of theire appurtenances and of every part and Parcell thereof.  To have and to hold the said moyety or one half of the said parcell or Tract of Land Common=aye and premifses with all and singular their Appurtenances to the said John Richardfon his heires and Afsigns unto the proper ufe and behoofe of the said John Richardfon his heires and Afsigns for ever Hee or they---Rendring and Paying such Dutyes and acknowledgments as now are or hereafter shall be Constituted and---Eftablisht by the lawes of this Government under the Obedience of his Royall Highnefse his Heires and--Succefsors Given under my hand and Seale, at Fort James in New Yorke on the Island of Manhatans the 25th day of Aprill in the Eighteenth Year of his Majesties Reigne Annoq Domini 1666 Richard Nicolls Recorded by order ot the Govenour the day and yeare above written Matthias Nicolls Sear;E

The original: ink on paper, handwritten, approximately 12-3/4" H x 16-1/4" W. The sheet was folded in half once up and down, then in half twice crosswise. Strips of paper have been glued to the back to reinforce these very worn folds. The sheet has other folds and wrinkles, but legibility remains excellent. On the back appears:   Copy Governour Nicholls Grant Of Land at the West Farms--- to John Richardfon  25 th April 1666    No 2 Transcribed 24 February 1996, by David John Leggett, Arlington, Virginia, Eighth great grandson of the above mentioned John Richardson, whose daughter, Elizabeth Richardson (1656-1724) married Gabriel Leggett (1637-1700) in 1676.

What stood at Hunts Point before The Point? Rose Bank

Taken c. 1890 at the earliest, and perhaps much later, this photograph of Rose Bank shows that the house endured a Victorian porch and other additions across the front, as well as a period of decay, during which its roof statuary and balustrade and chimney pots were lost. This photo seems to show several broken windows, as well as a dark, multicolored Victorian paint job.

The first photo is dated 6 May 1891, of Edward Howard Leggett (1845-1927) in a top hat outside 301 Pearl St., where he carried on his business, Leggett & Brother with his brother, Clinton (1847-1937).  They were both born in the Rose Bank House on the Hunt's Point estate. The next three photos are all shots of the same original photo showing Leggett & Brother, 301 Pearl St., with the son of Edward Howard Leggett, Howard Clapp Leggett (1876-1969) and Samuel Demilt Clapp (1874-1936) (left to right) between two unidentified men, probably non-family employees, 20 July 1892.

You may recall that the some or all of the stone for this building came from the Hunt's Point estate.  Here is the excerpt from Letter No. 16: "When I was a comparatively young man, this rock, together with the rock on which my sister had her summer house, were taken away.  There was a gang of men, working for several seasons splitting up these two rocks into large blocks and flat stones.  It was all done with little iron wedges inserted in rows of holes made in the rock and then driven in by the hammer, no powder being used.  All the stone from these two rocks was carried by sloop to New York City and there used for foundation stones for buildings.  The foundation stone of the building in which your father [Edward Howard Leggett, (1845-1927)] is now doing business, No. 301 Pearl Street, came from Rose Bank.  I remember perfectly well seeing these stones, and large flat ones they were, split out from a great rock on the extreme end of what we called the Point lot, and swung off on the deck of a sloop in the deep water which came right up to the rock, and so carried to New York City.  I also remember seeing these large flat stones being lowered to their resting place, now near fifty years ago...."

-- Courtesy of David Leggett

Other images from Hunts Point history, courtesy of the Bronx County Historical Society: