City - New York NY - Fraunce's Tavern 1890

by Mike Savad

Title

City - New York NY - Fraunce's Tavern 1890

Artist

Mike Savad

Medium

Photograph - Colorized Photo

Description

Colorized photo from 1890
Original Title: Fraunces Tavern
Location: Manhattan, NY, 54 Pearl St

This is Fraunces tavern, it the oldest landmark in the city. It was originally built as a home in 1719, then later on in 1762 it became a tavern and meeting place for the Revolutionary War. George Washington used this place now and then to help plan things, before they all moved to a better spot in Philadelphia, then Maryland.

Besides being a tavern, it also ran as a hotel/boarding house, for a very long time. After a while though the building started to look run down, by the time it was 1900, the building was ready to be demolished and turned into a parking lot.

The conservation group known as the daughters of the Revolution, convinced the city that the building should stay and be designated as a park, under eminent domain. The historical preservation society was just being created during the time this building was saved.

In 1904 the Sons of the Revolution bought the building, they kicked out all the tenants (over 30 of them lived there), and restored it. They removed the top two floors, as those were added additions (probably to make it into a hotel)

By 1907, it was opened up as a tavern again, the reconstructed it to make it look what it probably looked like when it was first made back in the 1700's, it looks nothing like the building as is shown here.

Uploaded

May 18th, 2016

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