Fraunces Tavern, Corner of Broad and Pearl Streets

The historic Fraunces Tavern in the 1970s, considering the car models in the photo. The craze for big cars in the United States ended after the first oil crisis of 1973, then Japanese small cars became popular. The skyscraper on the left is the 55 Water Street, completed in 1972, with 53 floors. The skyscraper on the right is the 25 Water Street (4 New York Plaza), built in 1968. Below, enlargement of the Tavern building.

The historic Fraunces Tavern is located at 54 Pearl Street, on the southeast corner of Broad Street, in Lower Manhattan. Since 1904, it is owned and operated by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York. Samuel Fraunces bought the mansion and established a tavern in the place, in 1762. Eleven of the present 16 buildings in the block were constructed between 1827 and 1833.

In 1974, the Uris Corporation, which owned the buildings surrounding the Fraunces Tavern, threatened to demolish them, with plans to replace several of the buildings with a parking lot. Then the New York Landmarks Conservancy stepped in to halt the demolition. In 1978, the buildings on the Fraunces Tavern Block were saved when the New York Landmarks Conservancy purchased them.