Fraunces Tavern, Broad Street, New York City

The old five-story building of Fraunces Tavern, originally constructed in 18th century as a family residence and established as a tavern, in 1762, by Samuel Fraunces.

Illustration engraved in 1895 by Edwin Davis French (1851-1906) for the Society of Iconophiles of New York. Original title: Fraunces' Tavern, southeast corner Broad and Pearl streets. Source: Library of Congress. Until the beginning of the 20th century it was common to place the apostrophe before the "s" when writing the name of the tavern, but the name of the owner was Samuel Fraunces, not Fraunce. The Edw. Michels Hotel operated in the building. By 1900, it was replaced by the Charles & George Hotel.

This tavern has been the scene of many historical facts. Among them, the founding of the New York Chamber of Commerce on April 5, 1768, a public dinner given by Governor Clinton to General Washington on November 25, 1783, and General Washington’s farewell to his officers on December 4, 1783.

The building suffered about three or four of fires throughout the 19th century, after which damaged portions were rebuilt and frequently added onto. At each change of occupancy, remodeling took place to suit the current needs. In 1890 glass storefronts were installed in the ground floor. After 1895, another sign "Fraunce's Tavern" was put on the Broad Street front and the pipe for draining water from the roof has changed to go straight down, the way it was before 1890.