The first known building code was
established in 1625 by the Dutch West India Company. Their focus was on meeting public safety and
sanitation needs. The colony was known
as New Amsterdam and it had a population of 200. It was conquered by England in 1664 and was
renamed New York. Building codes governing
construction, fire prevention and sanitation were in place by 1676.
By 1749 there were 1,834 structures in
the city and more than 1700 were situated below Duane Street. In 1766, all buildings were required to be
constructed of brick or stone with roofs made of tiles or slate. Fire limits were established in 1775 within
which only brick or stone buildings or frame buildings of no more than 14 feet
in height could be built. Party or fire
walls between adjoining buildings became mandatory in 1791.
A number of yellow fever epidemics
beginning in 1795 caused terrible destruction and loss of lives resulting in a
need for greater focus on light, air and sanitation. The codes were substantially revised in 1860,
after a major tenement fire which killed 20 people. A new act was passed in 1866 to require fire
escapes for buildings with six or more families. The first Tenement House Law was enacted in
1867.
Emphasis shifted to building materials
and structural safety with the rise of skyscrapers towards the close of the
century. By 1900 there were 82,652
tenements, housing 2.4 million of the 3.4 million population of the City of New
York. Multiple Dwelling Law was enacted
in 1929, which superseded the Tenement House Law.
The construction code was further
revised in 1938, which is known today as the Old Code. The next revision was in 1968, followed by a
more recent revision in 2008.
Illustration credit: Jacob C du Trieux
Illustration credit: Jacob C du Trieux
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