From The Peopling of New York City

Research Plan and Summary

My research on this street consisted of implementing the use of these various sources:

Initial Online Research In the beginning, I began my research my focusing on "google related" searches. These helped me to gain a very broad sense of Park Avenue, but

Me at the New York Public Library Research Branch at 5th and 42nd

I quickly learned that primary sources were needed in order to learn about the in-depth "secrets" behind the Park Avenue Armory. Brooklyn Public Library – Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza Here, I acquired a wealth of information on the armory. From

The Entrance to the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza

New York City guidebooks to encyclopedias of decades past, I was able to locate old photographs and texts on the armory itself. New York Public Library - Research Branch at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street This was perhaps one of the most helpful of the sites I visited for my research. Here, I was able to locate census records and other vital records (such as passports) using the online databases at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library (H&SSL). Most importantly, I was able to locate primary documents at the Irma and Paul

One of the most helpful starting points for research at the Brooklyn Public Library. Undoubtedly, others in our class must have come across this book if they visited this library.

Milstein Division of United States History (Local History and Genealogy). This ranged from archived newspaper clippings about the 7th regiment armory from the past century to New York Passenger List Indexes. Ancestry.com Here, I was able to locate census sheets and passenger lists about the two people I investigated for my project: Charles William Clinton and Louis Comfort Tiffany. These sources helped me learn about the occupations of Clinton and Tiffany, as well as information about their families ranging from where they lived to how many servants they housed.

New York Times Archived newspapers that feature the Park Avenue Armory were found. They allowed me to learn about many of the incentives behind the actions of the Armory. For instance, one of the articles you will read in Stage 3 help to elucidate the ways in which the armory attempted to raise funds (as stated earlier, this armory was funded largely by private donors).

Visiting the Present-Day Armory I visited the armory in present day Manhattan to gain an enhanced understanding of its current functions in relation to its past roles in New York City. I learned that the Armory currently functions as an artistic center often rented out by private parties that seek rental space for various occasions.

Now on to the findings...