Newspaper Row

Newspapers in the 19th century liked to be close to the source of news—city hall. In the second half of the nineteenth century (roughly 1875-1900), Park Row in Manhattan was also called Newspaper Row. It housed nearly all of New York’s newspapers—the Times, Sun, World, Herald, Tribune, Press, and more. The New York Herald left Newspaper Row for what would be called Herald Square, and the New York Times left for what would be called Times Square. Today, no major newspaper exists on Newspaper Row.
 
 
1 February 1882, Chicago Daily Tribune, pg. 1:
The Building the One Formerly Occupied
by the “World” in News-
paper Row.
 
28 April 1889, New York Times, “How to See New-York City,” pg. 17:
Newspaper-row begins or ends near the northeast corner of the park, for directly opposite this corner is a granite building standing by itself, with an outlook on three sides, which was built by the Staats-Zeitung, the leading German morning paper. The Corporation Counsel and the Tax Commissioners occupy two or three floors in this building. The building looks out upon Park-row. This is the street upon which the principal newspaper officers are situated. They begin at Frankfort-street, which is one short block south of the Statts-Zeitung Building. On that corner the Sun is published in a brick building which, although four stories high, is a pigmy in height compared with giant structures which rear their heads in this neighborhood. Adjoining the Sun Building is the Tribune Building. When this structure was put up about fifteen years ago it was considered quite a monster, and its tall tower acquired a more than local fame. Even as late as last year the Tribune Building was quite conspicuous compared with its neighbors. It has now been completely overshadowed by the massive and majestic structure erected for THE TIMES. The scientific papers have contained many descriptions of this architectural wonder. It was the firs ttime that a building enterprise of any magnitude was undertaken and carried to completion of an entirely new structure without disturbing the principal tenants of the old building. Not the least strange part of this undertaking is that absolutely no trace was left of the old structure, the tenants having been moved about during this transformation process, and scarcely themselves realizing the wonders that were worked literally within their sight. No one will have trouble in recognizing THE TIMES Building, because it is the most striking of all the structures that face the City Hall Park.

On the corner below that which THE TIMES owns was formerly situated the World, but a sweeping fire some ten years ago destroyed this building, and it has since been replaced by a mammoth office building built by Orlando B. Potter and bearing his name. The World is quartered about midway along the next block, and at the foot of Park-row, where a junction is made with Broadway, the Herald occupies a substantial white marble building .
 
5 July 1936, Washington Post, pg. B2:
Linotype Marks 50th Year:
Revolutionized Graphic Arts
 
First Machine Used in Composing Room of New York
Tribune in Newspaper Row July 3, 1886;
John T. Miller Was First Operator.
 
9 April 1941, New York Times, pg. 47:
The old eleven-story Potter Building at 2-8 Beekman Street, occupying the entire blockfront between Park Row and Nassau Street, was sold at auction yesterday in the Vesey Street salesrooms. (...) The structure was erected by the late ex-Representative Orlando B. Potter more than fifty years ago, when the Park Row section was known as Newspaper Row. It was the first building in the city to be ornamented elaborately with terra cotta, and the first in the locality to have its iron and stone work covered with hollow brick.
 
14 September 1954, New York Times, pg. 29:
Park Row Area Losing Last Newspaper;
German Language Daily Going to Queens
 
Mid-twentieth century traffic is chasing the last newspaper out of the downtown Manhattan area that used to be known as “Newspaper Row.”
 
The New Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold Building—seventy-four years old, eight stories high and situated at 22-24 North William Street—stands smack in the way of a projected approach to the newly refurbished Brooklyn Bridge.