James Madison Plaza

Pearl St., Madison St. and St James Pl.

Manhattan, 10038

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

James Madison Plaza takes its name from the combination of the two street names that bound it, St. James Place and Madison Street. St. James Place is named for nearby St. James Roman Catholic Church, located on Oliver Street. Madison Street was originally known as Bancker Street, after a son-in-law of the noted philanthropist Henry Rutgers (1745-1830). In 1826, after the Banckers asked that their family name be withdrawn from the street, the City of New York renamed the thoroughfare Madison Street in honor of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison (1751-1836).