At one point in New York City history, the Little Germany neighborhood of Lower Manhattan used to be an important part of New York History. The area, known in German as Kleindeutschland and called Dutchtown by non-germans, was an immigrant enclave whose beginnings date back to the 1840s. Though a variety of factors—population changes, a monumental ship fire—led to the eventual downfall of what was once a proud neighborhood, its history still looms large in the broader narrative of the city. If you want to know more about some remaining parts of the neighborhood still standing today, keep reading below!

The German-American Shooting Society Clubhouse was built all the way back to 1889. It's located in St. Mark's Place, which used to be the beating pulse of Little Germany. This building, done in the German Renaissance style, was the home base for 24 different offsite target practice companies.
Wally Gobetz/Flickr
This is the former site of the St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Since 1940, it has been a synagogue.
Beyond My Ken/Wikimedia Commons
Opened in 1884, the Ottendorfer Library is the oldest branch of the New York Public Library. It was built alongside the German Dispensary by Oswald Ottendorfer and his wife Anna. At the start, half of all books were in German.
Wally Gobetz/Flickr

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Here is Stuyvesant Polyclinic, which was designed by the native German architect William Schickel and inspired by the architecture of the Italian Renaissance.
Wally Gobetz/Flickr
The clinic is one of the first buildings in New York to showcase ornamental cotta.
Wally Gobetz/Flickr
Following the General Slocum disaster—a fire during an East River cruise that killed 1,021 passengers—a good portion of Little Germany’s population moved to Yorkville, pictured here, and the neighborhood began to change.
Leifern/Wikimedia Commons

If you happen to be visiting New York, you should take a trip to see what’s left of Little Germany. It’s an important part of New York City history. While you are in the city, why not check out this fun man-made island? And, if you need a place to stay that is truly in the thick of it all, we recommend the Holiday Inn Express, Times Square.

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