September Letters to the Editor

D. Silverman is a joy to read!
It is such a pleasure each month to open my VillageView and see what surprises D. Silverman has for us. He lightens the dark and casts shadows on the light and pulls us into discovery of our treasured Village. Thank you thank you Village View!
—Liz Ryan, long-time resident of W. 12th St.

Mary Street Mystery
I greatly enjoyed Brian Pape’s article on the peregrinations of West 4th Street’s name. Even more, I was delighted to see that you reproduced part of a Bridges map which includes the enigmatic name of “Mary Street” immediately to the west of Monument Lane (aka Greenwich Avenue today). Gilbert Tauber at http://www.oldstreets.com/index489c.html?letter=M writes:“Mary Street (2). (E19) A former name of Waverly Place north of Christopher Street, shown on the 1803 Mangin-Goerck Plan. It had been renamed Catharine Street (4) by 1813, when the latter name was changed to Factory Street. and Mary Street (3). According to Post, a former name of Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place.” [note: “Waverly Place” seems to have shown up on maps around 1865].
What is a continuing mystery about Mary/Catherine/Factory/Waverly is its northern terminus, presently at Bank Street. Prior to 1865 maps showed this street ending some times one or even two blocks north of Bank Street. Perhaps Mr. Pape will discuss this in the future. Thank you.
—C.J. Scheiner