J. Clarence Davies Papers, 1906 - 1934
Information, Description, and Finding Aid
Collection Information
Reference: MS-DAVIES
Dates: 1906 - 1934
Extent: 2.67 linear feet
Finding Aid Information
Creator(s): Steven Payne, Ph.D., Librarian and Archivist
Date created/updated: April 28, 2020
Administrative History/Biography
J. Clarence Davies, Inc. was established in The Bronx in 1889 by J. Clarence Davies, who himself came from a long line of prominent realtors. His son, also J. Clarence Davies, took over the company in 1934 and led its operations until 1977, when he suddenly died of a heart attack while traveling for business at the age of 64. At the height of its activity in The Bronx, J. Clarence Davies, Inc. brokered the sale of many of the sprawling estates of wealthy (or formerly wealthy) Bronx families, which helped open the borough up to rapid real estate development—as well as predatory speculation.
Description/Scope and Content
The collection is comprised of material from the twentieth-century real estate company, J. Clarence Davies, Inc. The archival collection contains real estate binders on the sale of Bronx properties as well as scrapbooks of newspaper articles on matters of real estate concern. Other material originally included in the collection was placed in the Society’s Research Library, Photograph Collection, Atlas Collection, and Object Collection in 1999. The practice of breaking up archival collections in this manner has been discontinued as of January 2020.
Provenance
The J. Clarence Davies Collection was donated to The Bronx County Historical Society in March 1990 by the firm of Clarence Davies, Inc., when it was closing its South Bronx office at Third Avenue and E. 149th Street.
Preferred Citation
[Item name or description,] The J. Clarence Davies Collection, box_, folder_, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Points of Access
- Bronx, New York -- Third Avenue and E. 149th Street
- Bronx Neighborhoods -- South Bronx
- Individuals -- Davies, J. Clarence -- Davies, J. Clarence Davies , Jr.
- Real Estate -- rapid real estate development -- sprawling estates of wealthy -- predatory speculation -- prominent realtors
Related Collections
- Bronx Borough President Annual Reports. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx Board of Trade records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx County Clerk records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx Old Timers Association records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Boy Scouts of America Bronx Council records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx Society of Arts and Sciences records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Baychester Nereid Taxpayers and Civic Association records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx River Restoration Project records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Early Bronx Borough Presidents records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Early Bronx Borough Presidents, Local Board records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Judge William S. Evans papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Fire Department of New York, Bronx records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Albert F. Gescheidt papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Louis F. Haffen papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Haffen family papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Hallock & Hallock records. The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Carl Halpern papers. The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- R. Hoe & Co., Inc. records. The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Richard W. Lawrence papers. The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- O'Connor Family papers. The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Series
| Series | Title | Box | Folders |
| 1 | Property binders and scrapbooks from Clarence Davies, Inc. | 1 | 1–11 |
| 2 | Real estate binders and scrapbooks from Clarence Davies, Inc. | 2 | 1-10 |
Container List
Series 1: Property binders and scrapbooks from Clarence Davies, Inc.
|
Box |
Binder/Scrapbook |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
1 |
Property binder: Henry Astor Trust Estate, Eden Farm, Williamsbridge |
1920 |
|
1 |
2 |
Property binder: William Waldorf Astor Estate, Williamsbridge |
1922 |
|
1 |
3 |
Property binder: Burke Relief Foundation, East Bronx |
1920 |
|
1 |
4 |
Property binder: Hennessey Estate, University Heights | 1914 |
|
1 |
5 |
Property binder: King Estate, Van Cortlandt Park + north | 1920 |
|
1 |
6 |
Property binder: Lorillard Spencer Estate, Williamsbridge Road |
1917 |
|
1 |
7 |
Property binder: Schrenkeisen-Huber Sale, White Plains Rd. South, Hugh Grant Square |
1915 |
|
1 |
8 |
Property binder: Benjamin Stern Estate, Pelham Parkway, |
1919 |
|
1 |
9 |
Property binder 1: Van Cortlandt Estate, Broadway and W. 242nd Street + north |
1919 |
|
1 |
10 |
Property binder 2: Van Cortlandt Estate, Broadway and W. 242nd Street + north |
1919 |
|
1 |
11 |
Scrapbook: Real estate-related news articles |
1934 |
Series 2: Real estate binders and scrapbooks from Clarence Davies, Inc.
|
Box |
Folder/Scrapbook |
Contents |
Date |
| 2 | 1 | Property binder: Broadway-City Line Property Co. | 1914 |
| 2 | 2 | Property binder: Bowie Dash Estate, Broadway and W. 238th Street | 1915 |
| 2 | 3 | Property binder: Louisa Dash Estate, Spuyten Duyvil Parkway and W. 238th–242nd Streets | 1918 |
| 2 | 4 | Property binder: Lowenthal Estate, Tremont Avenue/West Bronx | 1922 |
| 2 | 5 | Property binder: Morris Estate Sale, Mott Avenue and East 153rd–156th Streets | 1915 |
| 2 | 6 | Property binder: Morris Park Estate, vol. 2 | 1913 |
| 2 | 7 | Property binder: Pearsall Estate, Williamsbridge Road | 1914 |
| 2 | 8 | Ledger book: Pearsall Estate, Williamsbridge Road | 1914 |
| 2 | 9 | Property binder: Spofford Ave. Realty Co., Longwood | 1923 |
| 2 | 10 | Scrapbook: real estate-related news articles, c. 1915, as well as 1906 article about Mrs. Russell Sage’s donation of Schwab Estate to NYU. | 1906 - 1915 |