Washington Street, at the S.E. corner of Sands Street, showing the Samuel Bowne house; he was born at Pelham N.Y., in 1790. In 1809 he together with his brother Rodman, purchased the New Ferry called the Catherine Street Ferry. In 1814, the Bowne brothers were the first to abandon the use of sail and oar as motive power and introduced, in 1822 the first horse boat, and in 1824, they introduced the first two steamboats, single-hulled, the first of this class to be used on the East River. They were named the "Independence" and the "George Washington". The brothers operated together until 1836. Samuel Bowne on March 24, 1852, disposed of the Ferry to Smith and Sulkley, who eventually merged their interests with those of the Union Ferry Co. Samuel Bowne died in this house, which was demolished in 1922 or 1923.
Eugene L. Armbruster Collection.
Photo from the New York Public Library - Milstein Collection
