Broadway in the 19th Century

Illustration published by Currier & Ives, New York, 1875. Original title: Broadway, New York: From the Western Union Telegraph Building [on the left, at 195 Broadway, corner of Dey Street] looking north. Source: Library of Congress.

Construction of this Western Union headquarters was announced in 1872. The building was designed in the French Second Empire style by George Browne Post. It was completed on February 1, 1875. There was a 3-story mansard roof and the basement was half a level below Broadway. It was 230 feet tall at the top of its clock tower, being one of the tallest buildings in New York.

This print also shows the diverse array of horse-drawn vehicles that filled the streets.