H Wm h IMII I) SI All S Ol \MI RICA . M E FOUNUKD 18 10 W A S H I N G I ON. DC • 'O I*—«T944-I y View of the Stores on. the wliarf, from ftie Hiver. FROiNT St. V.lmtt Ir* IS K VV WATER S T. ■iiiniiiiiMwmn -: i SO 20 20 20 ' L.-k-I. Mock , mil,,- wharf is 100 leet lon,r. 3>y 40 feet wide, aitd com air, s 4 Stores , 50 feet long by 20 feet wide, aii.d the a^era^e distance,from the Ttiver. is 75 •4 V — i ^ A PROPOSAL FOR ALTERING THE EASTERN FRONT CITY OF PHILADEPHIA, WITH A VIEW TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF MALIGNANT DISORDERS, On a Plan conformable to the Original Design WILLIAM PENN'.^ttfAv*-. BY A CITIZEN OF PHILADELPHIA. ^ low. oi lower than they have been for man* )c;ii\ and money i- ea*ih obtained. In submitting thi* plan to \our judgment I am aw an- that the un dcrtakiiur is of great magnitude, but h\ no means s,> ditlieult as many ma\ imagine, which the information I ha\c collected and now la> before miii will clearly show. The advantages to be deri\ed from it are al- most incalculable. It would make our «it\ as healthy as any in the world; it would i;i\e em- ployment to a icrcat number of mechanics and labourer-: it would put into circulation a large sum of money, and principally among that por- tion of our citi/rns who arc the most in need of succour: it would remove many dram—hops and other immoral nuisances: it would material!) 1c*m-ii the risk from fin*: and in line, it would make Philadelphia the handsomest of eitie-. Ha\in_; thus stated some of the advantage*. it remains for me to show what would be the probable co^i of the undcrtakinur; say for the purchase of all private property between Vine and Spruce streets including the cast side of Front-in t to the river Delaware: the assess- 32 5 ment of which property, for the year 1820, is as follows:—viz. Bolls. Dolls. Upper Delaware Ward, \ Including all pro- / 192,765 Low er do. do. 1 perty on the east I 224,970 High Street do. f side of Front St. \ 415,700 Chesnut do. > and through to I 287,043 Walnut do. I the river Dela- 1 297,362 Dock do. ware. [ 275,800 / \-------1,693,640 I shall not be far from the truth in saying (after see- ing the above assessment) that the whole can be bought for - -.....3,000,000 To which add an estimate of the expense necessary to complete the plan, made by Mr. Strickland, and in which he has made a liberal allowance, - 651,000 3,651,000 At 6 per cent, per annum, is 219,060 From this it appears that the whole cost would be about three millions six hundred and * fifty-one thousand dollars, equal to two hundred and nineteen thousand and sixty dollars per an- num. Here I beg leave to state, that about fifty gentlemen in Boston subscribed half a million of dollars for the erection of a large wharf and fifty warehouses on it, and for which they receive a handsome income: must it be said that the city of Philadelphia cannot accomplish a highly im- portant improvement that will cost but about Il seven times the amount of what was done l>\ a few indixiduals in a sister < itv The way in which the principal or interest ol the debt, if incurred, is to he paid, will he from the sale or rent of the stores to the hii?he>t bidder in fee for the store and ground occupied by it; from the wharfage on vessels and on all packa- ges imported and exported: and from an assess. ment on the- property on the west side of I nrnt street and streets adjacent, for as much as it may be increased in value b\ the proposed al- teration, and which would amount to at least one hundred and lifty thousand dollars; as Front street would certainly become the most valuable situation for business and the most de- sirable for icsidcnee in the city. There are, according to the plan, 132 store*, 20 by 100 feet, which will be worth about 81,33:>,:,}& 33. If: : at »'. per cent, per annum, it HO.OOCJ Wharfage on imports, foreign, lay on 534,fKM) pat ka- -<•- at an a\»raii« of 8 cent» per package.....42,7 20 Wharfa-. on forei»it export* will certainly exceed the above, but put at the iame,..........42,7Hi Wharfage on dmn.^tu import* and export*, nay . . . 30,000 Wharfage on \< »*els estimated at about one half the present rate......................23,i>»>0 Dolli. £21,000 5 7 From this statement it appears that the re- venue would be equal to the expense, allowing for the loan required six per cent, interest; hut it is highly probable that money could now be obtained (on the security that the city could give) at five per cent, per annum; in which case there would be an annual surplus of thirty- eight thousand four hundred and fifty dollars, to be appropriated as a sinking fund; to which might be added the sum assessed on property on the west side of Front street and adjacent thereto. The estimate of packages is made from the Custom House returns for the years 1807 and 1819, which give the above as an average num- ber for one year, without including steel, bar- iron, hides, dye-woods, plaster of paris, hemp, twine, salt, coals, lead, limes, oranges, cocoa- nuts, and various other articles that come loose, and which would pay a considerable sum. Heretofore I have said nothing about the property of New-Market Ward, running from Spruce to South street; and although not inclu- ded in the preceding estimate, it would be ne- cessary for the city to purchase it, as otherwise s it would l>e difficult to collect the proposed wharfage on package*, while such good and coincident wharves could be had free of that charge: but as this ward would require but a trifling alteration, it would unquestionabh pa> the interest of the purchase money. Should each particular trade take stores ml. joining each other as in other large cities, it will be a great convenience to the mere hunts: there would he no danger of business going be- yond the limits of the city, whate\cr induce- ments might be held out, as the dillercucr ol porterage would more than pay the wharfage; besides, no vessel from a foreign port can dis- charge above \ ine or below South streets, with- out special permission of the collector. Having now gi\en my calculations founded on the best information 1 ha\e been able to ol»- tain. you will on examination be able to deter- mine whether they arc founded on good grounds; if they are. the difficulty apprehended by main will l>e d me away. No doubt the plan now suggested may be much improved: it is certain- ly very desirable that a regular plan for the gra- dual improvement of the wharves should l>c 9 early adopted^and when a wharf rernjires re- pairing, it should be done in ^onfojiiiity_with that pian; the repairs shouldbe donewith stone from low water mark, which would contribute to health as well as durability.________ I must notice that the city would lose the taxes for one year while the improvement is going on, say on two squares annually, at an average of about three thousand five hundred dollars per square. Should the trade of our city increase, which we have every reason to expect, the revenue to the city would increase in the same proportion. The mode of carrying the plan into execu- tion, should it be deemed worthy of considera- tion, can be digested by such body as may be appointed to consider the same: All of which isj*espectfully submitted by the public's Humble servant, PAUL BECK, Jr. K in STATUMKNT. Tin- following i* an intimate of the n>-.tdf one block ol -tnrrv, M/e -4n I• \ |i«l tret, two and one half stone* high. DJh. I.m^- for foundation-................-u<' l0t of a block 4<>bv 1CK) feet.....:»><> One hall of a store '20 by 100 feet, say . ' '" Number of stores,........*3'2 N.-t cost of 1.12 stores,..........495,000 I ..•■ following i* an e-tiniate of tin* toal cost of pullin- down old building and cleaning fift\ millions of bricks, allow in- ten mil- lions IhIh' broken and unfit lor use, . f..V>O0 Removing and hauling rubbi»h, filling up old cellars, kc................. kooo \mounts carried forward, .... 73,0O<> 493,000 11 Amounts brought forward,.... 73,«00 495,000 Building stone wall along the bank on east line of Front street from Dock to Vine street,...................18,000 Iron railing along the east line of Front street 15,000 Brick and stone paving and regulating wharves and streets,................50,000 ------ 156,000 Total cost,.............dolR 651,000 (Signed) WILLIAM STRICKLAND, Architect. Philadelphia, Oct. 27, 1820. 170 £3