2. Nancy L. Kourland, an associate at the New York City
firm of Rosen & Associates, takes an active role in her
community. Nancy L. Kourland supports the Central
Park Conservancy and stands out as a member of
Carnegie Hill Neighbors.
The history of Carnegie Hill begins with the story of
the Wickquasgeck tribe. They lived on a piece of land
they called Manhatta, or “Hilly Island,” a name that
refers to the pre-development rolling hills of the
area. After the Dutch announced that they had
purchased the area, the parcel of land now known as
Carnegie Hill came into use as cultivated farmland.
3. Originally belonging solely to Peter Van Ogliensis and later
to his descendants, it eventually was divided into parcels
yet remained farmland well into the early 1800s.
With the beginning of Manhattan's grid plan and the
continuing parceling of land in the area came Carnegie
Hill's first clapboard houses. Built originally between 1852
and 1860, they remain the oldest buildings in the area.
The coming of the railroad led to the building of factories,
breweries, and large houses erected by the owners of
these businesses. By the 1890s, the area's signature
rowhouses began to arise, and in 1909, the coming of
Andrew Carnegie heralded the coming of elegant and
architecturally varied residences.
