Chatham Square, New York, 19th Century
Lithograph entitled: Chatham Square, New York. Depicts the bustling area of Chatham Square, a lively and diverse part of New York City. Although not identified as the 7th Regiment, a militia unit possibly engaged in a private drill marches through this public space, much in the way the 7th did prior to the construction of its armories. Chatham Square was named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister of Great Britain before the American Revolution. Up until about 1820, the square was used as a large open air market for goods and livestock, mainly horses. By the mid-19th century, it became a center for tattoo parlors, flophouses and saloons, as a seedy section of the old Five Points neighborhood. In the 20th century, after The Great Depression and Prohibition, the area was reformed
