DOCUMENT OVERVIEW

🏙️ Offered here is an ORIGINAL FEBRUARY 23, 1906 NEW YORK CITY REAL ESTATE LETTER concerning the CONDEMNATION PROCEEDINGS OF PIER 14 on the EAST RIVER. The letter appears on the ornate letterhead of the CRUIKSHANK COMPANY, successor to E. A. CRUIKSHANK & CO., located at NO. 141 BROADWAY in NEW YORK.

The correspondence reports on testimony regarding the value of the Pier 14 property and records a striking difference between valuations submitted by experts representing the OWNERS and those representing the CITY. The owners’ experts placed values as high as $400,000, while the City’s experts submitted valuations of $148,772.29 and $160,562.43.

This is an exceptional early-20th-century NEW YORK REAL ESTATE AND MUNICIPAL LEGAL DOCUMENT involving waterfront property, eminent-domain proceedings and several substantial monetary valuations.

DOCUMENT DETAILS / LETTER CONTENT

🏢 Printed company name:

CRUIKSHANK COMPANY

📜 Printed lineage:

SUCCESSOR TO

E. A. CRUIKSHANK & CO.

📍 Business address:

NO. 141 BROADWAY

NEW YORK

🏙️ Printed business designation:

REAL ESTATE

📅 Date:

FEBRUARY 23, 1906

🏛️ Printed establishment date:

ESTABLISHED 1794

✉️ Addressed to:

LEWIS CRUGER HASELL, ESQ.

NO. 1 GREENE STREET

NEW YORK CITY

⚖️ Subject line:

IN THE MATTER OF THE CONDEMNATION PROCEEDINGS OF PIER 14, E. R.

📝 The letter reports that testimony concerning property values would probably be completed at the next session of the COMMISSIONERS. It further states that MR. HARRIS was expected to finish the CROSS-EXAMINATION of the City’s final witness.

REPORTED PROPERTY VALUATIONS

🏠 REPRESENTING THE OWNERS:

💵 MR. WILLIAM L. DE BOST — $375,000.00

💵 MR. MICHAEL COLEMAN — $400,000.00

🏛️ REPRESENTING THE CITY:

💵 MR. HERBERT C. PLASS — $148,772.29

💵 MR. MARTIN McHALE — $160,562.43

📊 The highest owners’ valuation exceeded the lowest City valuation by $251,227.71, illustrating the enormous disagreement at the center of the condemnation case.

✍️ The letter closes:

“WE ARE SENDING YOU THIS INFORMATION, TO KEEP YOU ADVISED IN THE MATTER.”

It is signed on behalf of CRUIKSHANK COMPANY by W. L. DE BOST, VICE PRESIDENT.

PRINTED COMPANY OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

👔 Officers listed on the letterhead:

WARREN CRUIKSHANK — PRESIDENT

WILLIAM L. DE BOST — VICE-PRESIDENT

BENJAMIN HARDWICK — SECRETARY AND TREASURER

📋 Directors listed:

F. A. CRUIKSHANK

WARREN CRUIKSHANK

WILLIAM H. PORTER

ROBERT L. GERRY

R. HORACE GALLATIN

WILLIAM L. DE BOST

BENJAMIN HARDWICK

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

⚖️ CONDEMNATION PROCEEDINGS allowed a government body to acquire private property for a public purpose while requiring compensation to the property owners. Determining FAIR MARKET VALUE was often the central dispute, with each side presenting expert witnesses and competing valuations.

🌊 Pier 14 on the EAST RIVER was part of New York City’s valuable commercial waterfront. In 1906, Manhattan piers supported shipping, warehousing, freight handling and regional commerce, making waterfront property particularly important and potentially extremely valuable.

🏙️ The enormous gap between the owners’ and City’s valuations reveals the financial stakes involved. The owners’ experts valued the property at $375,000 and $400,000, while the City’s witnesses placed it below $161,000. This original letter preserves a direct record of that dispute while testimony and cross-examination were still underway.

WHY THIS STANDS OUT

⭐ Documents the CONDEMNATION OF PIER 14 on the NEW YORK EAST RIVER.

⭐ Records four substantial expert valuations ranging from $148,772.29 to $400,000.

⭐ Includes the remarkable $251,227.71 difference between the highest and lowest valuations.

⭐ Directly references COMMISSIONERS, TESTIMONY and CROSS-EXAMINATION.

⭐ Appears on attractive CRUIKSHANK COMPANY real estate letterhead marked ESTABLISHED 1794.

⭐ Retains the original W. L. DE BOST signature as VICE PRESIDENT.

⭐ Strong crossover appeal for collectors of NEW YORK CITY HISTORY, REAL ESTATE, WATERFRONT COMMERCE, EMINENT DOMAIN, LEGAL DOCUMENTS and FINANCIAL EPHEMERA.

CONDITION

📄 Original 1906 letter showing expected age-related toning, horizontal and vertical filing folds, light scattered spotting, minor edge and corner wear and general handling marks. A few small punctures or filing marks are visible. The ornate company heading, complete typed content, large monetary valuations and handwritten vice-presidential signature remain clear and highly displayable. Please review the photograph carefully for the most accurate assessment of condition.