Variety of Houses in Murray Hill

Going way back before the Revolutionary War, a rich Quaker merchant became sort of a gentleman farmer in what would become lower Midtown...

There was a steep, rocky outcropping that over many years was cut down and dug through so the hill in Murray Hill is not so big today.

The Murrays had a rich history..some sided with the British in the Revolution, others--including the redoubtable matriarch-- supposedly invited the British General Howe over for tea and distracted him for several hours, allowing Israel Putnam and George Washington to run and escape capture with all their troops...

After 1820 or so, the city grid street plan was imposed and all the area began to be divided into lots.

According to Wikipedia:

In mid-19th century the rich, temporarily, and the upper middle class more permanently filled the brownstone row houses that filled Murray Hill's streets, the Brick Presbyterian Church followed its congregation; selling its site facing City Hall Park, it rebuilt in 1857 closer to its congregation, on the smoothed brow of Murray Hill, at Fifth Avenue and 37th Street.^[14] But when J. P. Morgan built his conservative brownstone free-standing mansion in 1882 on Madison Avenue at 36th Street, which is today a part of The Morgan Library & Museum, it was considered a fashionable but slightly old-fashioned address,^[15] as the rich were filling Fifth Avenue with palaces as far as Central Park. Instead stylish merchandising was changing the neighborhood; Madison Square Park, at this time considered a part of Murray Hill, was bordered by the fashionable ladies' shops of the day on Fifth Avenue.

Today's borders are officially from 34th to 42nd Street and from Third to Park Avenues...

What used to be called "Curry Hill" south of 34th Street because of its Asian Indian population now often claims to be part of Murray Hill...

Some very scenic remnants of the past still exist, such as Sniffen Court --once stables, now a courtyard of expensive townhouses-- on 36th Street.

And of course, eventually a lot of apartment buildings were built in the area...I have found two that both call themselves "The Murray Hill."