They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. But they didn’t pave this. Right here in the middle of a bustling New York City sidewalk is the Hess Triangle. A tiny plot of land a testament to stubbornness and a surprisingly fascinating history.
This isn’t just any triangle. It’s a 500-square-inch piece of private property. Embedded in the sidewalk at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street. The tiny triangle is covered in a mosaic. It proclaims “Property of the Hess Estate Which Has Never Been Dedicated For Public Purposes.”
The story begins in 1910. The city decided to widen Seventh Avenue. Over 300 buildings were condemned and demolished. One of those buildings was the Voorhis. A five-story apartment building owned by David Hess. He fought the city. He fought hard. He lost. But not entirely.
When the dust settled in 1914. A tiny sliver of his property remained. A small triangle. The city asked Hess to donate it. He refused. He had the mosaic installed in 1922. A permanent middle finger to the city’s eminent domain.
The Hess Triangle remained a symbol of defiance. It remained a reminder that even the smallest landowner can make a stand. Years later in 1938. The Hess family sold the triangle to the adjacent Village Cigars store for $1000.
Even though countless pedestrians walk over it daily. The tiny triangle remains private property. A testament to David Hess’s unwavering spirit and his refusal to be easily conquered. The little triangle is a reminder that sometimes the smallest battles can produce the most enduring legacies. A tiny plot of land with a giant story. The Hess Triangle. A true New York City icon.