Project logbooks, 1890-1906, of Thomas Crimmins Contracting Company and antecedent partnerships, a major New York City construction contracting firm specializing in excavation and foundation work for commercial and private properties and public...
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Project logbooks, 1890-1906, of Thomas Crimmins Contracting Company and antecedent partnerships, a major New York City construction contracting firm specializing in excavation and foundation work for commercial and private properties and public works. Founded by Thomas Crimmins in the 1840s, the Irish-American family business rose to prominence under the direction of his son John D. Crimmins (1844-1917). It ceased construction work in the 1990s. The logbooks document work for over 200 projects, almost entirely at sites in Manhattan and the Bronx. There are a few sites in western Queens County, including the Crimmins Realty Company, as well as plans for a trolley line in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Projects include large private residences, public libraries, schools, churches, hospitals, municipal buildings, factories, breweries, hotels, and charitable institutions, as well as major transportation and utility projects, reflecting the expansion of the City's infrastructure at the turn of the 20th century. Project logs, varying in detail, typically contain the project name, contract text, specifications, estimates, and work notes, with engineering plans for excavations, foundations, paving work, and grading levels, as appropriate. Later logs are usually only titled plans. The collection also contains loose notes and computations, a 1901 letter of introduction for an engineer, and an oversize loose plan. Each volume contains an index.
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