Paulus Hook was a circular piece of upland lying east of
what is now Warren street, and consisted of sand hills, some
of considerable height. On the north was Harsimus Cove, First
street; on the east the river, on the south Communipaw Cove,
South street, and to the west, salt marsh, which was covered
with water at high tide. It was sold by the West Indian
Company to Abraham Isaacsen Planck, May 1st 1638, for the
sum of four hundred and fifty guilders, calculated at twenty
stivers to the guilder. It remained in the Planck family until
August 2d, 1699, when it was sold to Cornelius Van Vorst for
f300 "current money of New York." During this time it was
used as farm land until 1794, as most of it continued to be until
1804.
