Nichol & Billerwell, 443-445 Broadway, New York, 2009  

Hamersley Street was the stretch of what is now Houston Street west of Macdougal St. According to William Van Rensselaer Miller, writing in Select Organizations in the United States (1896), Hamersley Street was named after William Hamersley (1687-1752), an officer in the English navy who came to America in 1716, married into a famous Dutch family, and "was a vestryman of Trinity Church from 1731 to 1752." However, according to Mrs. Martha Joanna Lamb and Mrs. Burton Harrison, writing in History of the City of New York, Vol. 2 (1880), the street was named after William Hamersley's son, Andrew Hamersley (1725-1819), described as "a rich importing merchant." The Hamersleys are buried in the family vault, Trinity Churchyard at the head of Wall St., Manhattan.

The Nichol and Billerwell Iron Foundry was located at 33 Hamersley St. from around 1854 to 1860. The street was re-named Houston St. around 1861, and Nichol and Billerwell continued at the new address, 224 W. Houston St., from 1861 until around 1875/76. This ad for the Hammersley Foundry: Nichol & Billerwell appeared in Trow's New York City Directory of 1876. Billerwell continued alone at this address for a few years after. This ad for the Hammersley Foundry: G. B. Billerwell & Co. appeared in Trow's New York City Directory of 1878.

Nichol and Billerwell were both born in Scotland. John Nichol (1822/23?-ca.1888) filed a petition for naturalization 17 Sep. 1852, giving his former nationality as English. Slightly preceding but also overlapping with his partnership with Geoge Billerwell, Nichol was in business with George F. Merklee as the iron founders Merklee & Nichol (approx. 1851 to 1857, and also located on Hamersley St.). More on this company is available on the Merklee & Nichol page. John Nichol had a son, John Nichol Jr. (1847-1902) who was also an iron founder at Nichol and Billerwell. At the time of the 1880 U. S. Census John Nichol Sr. was in business as an importer of granite. This business at 99 Maiden Lane also dealt in paint.

George B. Billerwell (1822-1901) appears in the U. S. Census of 1860. He lived at the time with his mother, Margaret Billerwell, age 60. His occupation was Iron Founder. A younger sister, also Margaret Billerwell, age 24, lived with them. In 1870 Billerwell lived alone with his sister. In 1880 he lived with his wife, Sarah, and their daughter, Edith, age 6. The family lived on 5th Ave. between 130th St. and the Harlem River. On Billerwell's death in 1901 notice was placed in the New York Times by the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the death of "Brother George B. Billerwell ... for forty years a member of the society."

Other Nichol & Billerwell labels are found at:

47 Howard St.

20-22 Mercer St.

429 Broome St. SW corner of Crosby

Many others are extant from a later date after Hamersley St. was changed to Houston. For example:

19 Mercer St.

35-37 Wooster St.

53 Lispenard St.

468 Broome St.

Copyright © 2009 Walter Grutchfield