Commissioners' Plan of 1811

Background. By 1810, New York City had surpassed Philadelphia as the most populous city in the United States. The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 laid out the island of Manhattan in its familiar grid plan. The design called for twelve numbered avenues running north and south, roughly parallel to the Hudson River, each 100 feet wide, with First Avenue on the east side and Twelfth Avenue on the west side.

Commissioners. Gouverneur Morris was one of the three men who drew up the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which laid out the Manhattan street grid. Morris separately served as chairman of the Erie Canal Commission from 1810 to 1813, work distinct from his role in the street grid plan.

Publication. The Commissioners published their plan in March 1811 as an eight-foot map, redrawn by William Bridges from Randel's original and engraved by Peter Maverick, accompanied by a 54-page pamphlet. The maps were filed by the Council's clerk on April 2, 1811, two days before the Commission's legal deadline. The plan received perfunctory press treatment despite its dramatic effect on existing property lines.

Plan Origins. The Commissioners' Plan was largely identical to the Mangin–Goerck Plan in areas previously deemed speculative. Randel's surveying in 1809 focused on positioning Common Lands and Goerck's lots. A provisional contract with Randel was signed in December, leading to the delivery of final maps on March 22, 1811, which were filed shortly thereafter.