Even if you have never been to New York City, you have heard of the famous street called Broadway. In this article, learn when and how this Manhattan landmark got its name.
What was the original name of Broadway?
When the Europeans arrived to New York City, the Wecquaesgeek people were living in what is now known as Manhattan. Their main north-south trail on the island follows almost exactly what we now know as Broadway.
While the name that the Wecquaesgeek gave to this trail has been lost to history, we know that the Dutch widened this original trail built by these indigenous Americans and called it “Heeren Wegh“, which translates from Dutch to English as “Gentlemen’s Way”.
Eventually, the Dutch lost control of Manhattan to the English. As the story goes, the English were impressed by the width of the street and decided to call it the very original “Broad Way”, which eventually became “The Broadway Street”, then “Broadway Street”, and now just “Broadway”.
Exactly Where Is Broadway?
Most people outside of New York City don’t realize that Broadway is a main thoroughfare through Manhattan. In fact, it is the oldest north-south route in the entire city.
The road runs north from Battery Park near the Netherland Monument through the entire length of the island of Manhattan into Westchester County.
The most famous part of Broadway is located between West 40th Street and West 54th Street.
The photograph above was taken at Trinity Church Wall Street, a building that was completed in 1790. This church is home to a church community that has been active for more than 300 years, even though the original building was burned during the Revolutionary War.
The intersection of Broadway and Wall Street, another famous NYC street, is only a few blocks north of where the road begins.
What year did Broadway get its name?
Prior to the Treaty of Westminster of 1674, Manhattan was under Dutch control, which means that in the 17th century, the road was known by its Dutch name. The exact year that Broadway was changed to its current name is unknown, but by 1776, the road was called “The Broadway Street” on maps.
In short, Broadway has been known by its current name, or some form of its modern name, for more than 250 years. If the British renamed the road immediately after the Treaty of Westminster, the result would be that Broadway has had its name for about 350 years.
Broadway has one of the longest-used street names in the history of the United States.
The image below shows a portion of a map of Manhattan that was produced in 1776, which happens to be the same year that the Declaration of Independence was signed. You can see part of “King George Street” on the map – that’s just one street that didn’t keep its name over time, even though Broadway did.
What does the term Broadway refer to?
Most people have heard of Broadway in the context of some of the amazing shows that are put on there. We know that some actors would love to “be on Broadway”, for example, and be seen by the more than 14 million annual visitors to live performances put on in the district.
Not everyone is aware that the Broadway theater district is made up of many (at least 41!) professional theaters, a few located located directly on and the rest near the road of Broadway. This means that “being on Broadway” is referring to being cast in a part in one of the shows that will be seen in one of these many professional theaters.
Who decided on the name of Broadway?
There is no record as to exactly who decided to change the name from Heeren Wegh to Broadway (or the Broad Way). We can only assume that sometime in the late 1600s, English speakers began to refer to the road in this way, and the name stuck over time.
Eventually, Broadway became the official name and began to show up on maps.
Conclusion
I hope that you found this article about the origin of the name Broadway for the street in Manhattan, New York City, to be interesting. If you have any questions about something that you read, please let me know in the discussion below.
Thanks for reading about the streets of New York today!
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