The first bridge to Manhattan, stood near what is today the corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 230th Street, then the bank of Spuyten Duyvel Creek. The short wooden structure was built in 1693 by Federick Phillipse, whose royal patent justified the name King's Bridge and the imposition of highly-resented tolls. Kingsbridge in the nineteenth century came under the control of Yonkers. Kingsbridge later annexed itself to New York City. The town of Kingsbridge, centered on 230th Street, prospered in its rural setting until the Broadway line of the IRT subway was completed in 1907, and urbanization of the area began. By 1923, a canal had been cut almost a mile to the south, and the old creek filled in, leaving the site of the King's Bridge high and dry. Today, many quaint two-family houses grace this tree-lined area. Convenient shopping on 231st Street and Broadway, worship and close proximity to the New York City 1/9 subway make Kingsbridge a desirable place to live.