History of the United States, Volume 2Andrews, Elisha Benjamin
History
History of the United States, Volume 2
Andrews, Elisha Benjamin
United States -- History
Another table exhibits approximately the number of houses in the
principal cities of the country in 1785-86. It was customary then in
estimating population to allow seven persons to each house. This
multiplier is probably too large rather than too small.
Population, multiplying
Houses. number of houses by seven.
Portsmouth, N. H 450 3,150
Newburyport 510 3,570
Salem, Mass 730 5,210
Boston 2,200 15,400
Providence 560 3,920
Newport 790 5,530
Hartford 300 2,100
New Haven 400 2,800
New York 3,340 23,380
Albany and suburbs 550 3,850
Trenton 180 1,260
Philadelphia and suburbs 4,500 31,500
Wilmington 400 2,800
Baltimore 1,950 13,650
Annapolis 260 1,820
Frederick, Md. 400 2,800
Alexandria 300 2,100
Richmond 310 2,170
Petersburg 280 1,960
Williamsburg 230 1,610
Charleston 1,540 10,780
Savannah 200 1,400
The first New York City Directory appeared in 1786. It had eight hundred
and forty-six names, not going above Roosevelt and Cherry Streets on
the East side, or Dey Street on the West. There were then in the city
three Dutch Reformed churches, four Presbyterian, three Episcopal, two
German Lutheran, and one congregation each belonging to the Catholics,
Friends, Baptists, Moravians, and Jews. In 1789 the Methodists had two
churches, and the Friends two new Meetings. The houses in the city were
generally of brick, with tile roofs, mostly English in style, but a few
Dutch. The old Fort, where the provincial governors had resided, still
stood in the Battery. The City Hall was a brick structure, three stories
high, with wings, fronting on Broad Street. Want of good water greatly
inconvenienced the citizens, as there was no aqueduct yet, and wells
were few. Most houses supplied themselves by casks from a pump on what
is now Pearl Street, this being replenished from a pond a mile north of
the then city limits. New York commanded the trade of nearly all
Connecticut, half New Jersey, and all Western Massachusetts, besides
that of New York State itself. In short it did the importing for
one-sixth of the population of the Union. Pennsylvania and Maryland made
the best flour. In the manufacture of iron, paper, and cabinet ware,
Pennsylvania led all the States.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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