Apthorp Mansion, 1891.

The Apthorp Farm was a large plot of land on what is now the Upper West Side of Manhattan (approximately 78th to 99th Streets, from Central Park to the Hudson River). Loyalist and merchant Charles Ward Apthorp purchased parcels and built a mansion in 1764 at what is now 90th Street and Columbus Avenue. It was considered one of the grandest pre-Revolutionary houses in Manhattan. The Hudson River-facing mansion was called "Elmwood" because of the large, mature elm trees that stood nearby. During the Revolutionary War the home was occupied by both sides at various points, a hard fact for the faithful British subject, Apthorp.

In the mid 19th century the house and some of the surrounding land became "Elm Park," a beer garden, picnic area, and inn popular among German immigrants. It was also used as a parade ground, where in 1870 a clash between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants resulted in eight deaths. The home was demolished in 1891, while the original acreage had largely been divided and sold off decades earlier.

In 1908 a large apartment house was constructed on the full block between Broadway and West End Avenue and West 78th and West 79th streets. That plot of land had once been occupied by a different home built by Apthorp in 1759 (and sold to someone else less than ten years later). The 20th century apartment building was named for the original landowner.