The Smallest Piece of Private Property in New York City

(via Amusing Planet)  At the southwest corner of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue, in front of the entrance to the Village Cigars store, there’s a small triangular mosaic set into the sidewalk which reads “Property of the Hess Estate Which Has Never Been Dedicated for Public Purpose”.  The land where the 500-square-inch mosaic lies was part of a larger property belonging to David Hess, where once stood a five-story residential building called the Voorhis Apartment. In 1910, the city decided to construct a new subway line and widen the streets, which meant demolishing nearly 300 buildings in the area. Voorhis Apartment was among the buildings slated for demolition.