In this blog, I combine a bit of historical background on both the antique photograph on my featured postcard along with solving a bit of a mystery pertaining to the recipient.

While trying to decide upon a postcard to feature, I sorted through a group of them and became intrigued by this old photo taken in New York City. It took some research, but I was successful in being able to identify the building in the forefront and its location.

The recipient of this postcard, Miss S. A. Potter (Sarah A. Potter), is a name that is familiar to me from several other cards in my possession. It had been my assumption that she was a friend of Aunt Etta’s (Henrietta James Hooper). Finally, I spent some time digging into Sarah’s background and was able to find that common-ground connection to Aunt Etta.

Later in this blog piece, I will give greater details as to Sarah’s genealogy. In the meantime, I will say that by solving the mystery of who Sarah was, it led me to a pleasant surprise of learning that she was actually a descendant of Roger Williams (founder of Rhode Island).

Pictured on my featured antique postcard is the original Castle Garden building which was located in “The Battery” at the tip of Manhattan, New York City. It is the present-day site of the Castle Clinton National Monument where you would buy tickets for the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty (also seen in the distance on the postcard) and Ellis Island.

In about 1824, this Castle Garden building was expanded and opened as an amphitheater.

Prior to the construction and opening of Ellis Island in 1892, Castle Garden served as an immigration station from 1855 to 1890 for about eight-million folks coming into the country from mainly European locations.

The original photograph used to print this postcard seems to have been taken prior to 1896, as during that time the Castle Garden building was renovated and reopened as the New York Aquarium–changing the exterior appearance.

During the 1940s, the aquarium building was partially demolished and in 1946 it was declared Castle Clinton National Monument. It was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1966.

Along the way since then, this site has received various updates such as an added bikeway area and it has received ongoing restoration efforts.

Print on the front of the postcard reads “A67 The Harbor, N.Y. City”. According to the printing on the reverse side of this postcard, the publisher was “The Rotograph Co., N.Y., City (Germany)”. There is a stamped marking in the corner on the reverse side that reads: “Sol-Art-Prints”.

This postcard has an undivided back and was double-postmarked in 1906; an underlying postmark stamp reads New York (where it was sent from) and the overlaying postmark reads Providence (where the card was received).

The recipient was a friend of Aunt Etta’s, Miss Sarah A. Potter and was addressed to her at 271 North Main Street, Providence, RI.

The address location on the card, 271 North Main Street, Providence, was actually the address of St. John’s Church. Sarah had been a missionary with that church for almost 35 years. The church was later renamed the Cathedral of St. John.

Although I don’t know a lot of details, I do know that Aunt Etta was at that church location for a while and I do have several postcards addressed to her there. She may have resided there after her children died and became friends with Sarah during that time. In my possession are some postcards of St. John’s Church that I may post in later blogs.

Sarah Allen Potter was born on September 4, 1836, in Providence, Rhode Island. She died in Providence, on October 22, 1914, as a result of being hit by an automobile at the intersection of Waterman and Gano Streets. She is buried in the North Burial Ground, in Providence.

According to an article in the Providence Journal dated October 23, 1914, it was reported that Sarah had been walking to the church on the evening of the accident to attend a meeting of the Girl’s Friendly Society–she was branch secretary.

At the time of her death, she resided at 238 Gano Street, a walkable distance to the church. Prior to her church missionary work, Sarah had been a teacher.

She had at least two brothers, that I could determine; namely, Henry and Charles Potter.

Sarah was the daughter of Roger Williams Potter (1792-1878) and Sarah Louisa (Langley) Potter (1801-1884).

Parents of Roger Williams Potter were Holliman Potter (1752-1835) and Sarah Allen Potter (1757-1822). It might be assumed that the younger Sarah had been named after this grandmother.

Sarah was a descendant of the Founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams (Cir. 1604-1683) and his wife Mary Barnard.

She comes down from their son Joseph (1643-1724) and his wife Lydia Olney; followed by his son Joseph (1673-1752) and wife Lydia Hearnden.

Her next generation joins her Potter and Williams lines via Jemima Williams and Benjamin Potter. Their son, Holliman, was Sarah’s grandfather as mentioned above.

As time goes on, I have interest to research further into Sarah’s Benjamin Potter to see if we may actually be related on my dad’s side. Aside from that, I am glad to have solved my little Sarah Potter mystery.

In closing, I have to wonder how rare this particular photo of Castle Garden is because I could not find any others quite like it during my limited research.

Until next time…

Reference Sources

Websites:

The Battery; History; thebattery.org/history; Accessed 3 January 2026.

Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island; About; The Cathedral; episcopalri.org; Accessed 18 January 2026.

Roger Williams Family Association; Four-Generation Genealogy; RogerWilliams.org; Accessed 2 January 2026.

The Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation; Discover; Ellis Island; Overview and History; statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history; Accessed 3 January 2026.