Identifier: greateststreeti00jenk (find matches)
Title: The greatest street in the world : the story of Broadway, old and new, from the Bowling Green to Albany
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Jenkins, Stephen, 1857-1913
Subjects: Streets--New York (State)--New York. Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.)
Publisher: New York London : G. P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: Rutgers University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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NIBLOS GARDEN, SHOWING TENTS destroyed by fire on February 15, 1866, the City Assembly Rooms, which were overhead, suffering a like fate. In early years, a circus called the Stadium was established on the northeast corner of Prince Street. Shortly after the War of 1812, it was used as a place for drilling officers of the militia; later, two brick buildings were erected on the site, in one of which the novelist Cooper lived for some time. The place was known as the Columbia Gardens in 1823 when William Niblo leased it, opening it as a restaurant and garden. In the garden was the old circus building, which Niblo converted into a fully equipped theatre in fifteen days after the burning of the Broadway Theatre, opening it July 4, 1827. A larger and better theatre building was erected and opened in 1829, which was known until its last
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203 204 the Worlds Greatest Street performance on March 23, 1895, as Niblo's Garden. Niblo retired from the management in May, 1861, and the owner, A. T. Stewart, greatly improved the house. In 1852, the Metropolitan Hotel was erected between the theatre and Broadway, but the entrance to the theatre was always from Broadway. In the same building as the theatre was Niblo's Saloon, given over to concerts, spiritualistic meetings, etc., until May 9, 1865, when it was converted into the dining room of the hotel. While many famous actors appeared at Niblo's, it is probably best remembered by the performances of The Black Crook under the management of Jarrett and Palmer, whose ballet and spectacular effects, not to mention the undressiness of the women performers, shocked the sense of propriety of the people of that era. The play had a great run, opening September 12, 1866, and closing January 4, 1868, after four hundred and seventy-five performances; it was revived two years later. If some of the shocked peop

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