This is
an old representation of the old Fraunces Tavern. Illustration from the New
York illustrated, originally published in the Appletons'
Journal, No. 272, Vol. XI, Jun 6, 1874. Original title: The De Lancey
House as it is Today. We can see the number 54 in the door on Pearl Street
and signs of "Washington's Head Quarters" on both fronts: Pearl and Broad
streets.
It illustrates an article about the de Lancey Mansion by Benson John Lossing (1813-1891). An illustration of the Long Room in the mansion also accompanies this article. In his article, Lossing wrote:
"In the oldest portion of the city of New York, at the southeast corner of Pearl and Broad streets, stands a stately old building, around which cluster many interesting historical and social memories. It was built at the beginning of the last century, by Stephen de Lanci, or de Lancey, the ancestor of that family in America. He was an active Huguenot, of noble blood, and when the tolerating Edict of Nantes was revoked by Louis XIV, in 1685, he fled from his home in Normandy, with no other fortune than his mother's blessing and some family jewels, which she quilted into his doublet. He was then twenty-three years of age, well educated, and full of energy and hope. He went to Rotterdam, in Holland, and thence to London, where he became a naturalized citizen of England; and, in the summer of 1686, he came to New York, where he was admitted a freeman under the seal of the city. With the capital of education, integrity, and the proceeds of the sale of his jewels, he entered into mercantile business, and very soon became a wealthy man, and highly esteemed citizen. In 1690 he was a member of the Court of Admiralty, and from 1691 to 1694 he was an alderman of the city.
Mr. de Lancey married Anne, daughter of Stephanus Van Cortlandt ; and on land conveyed to him by his father-in-law, he built the mansion above delineated,...
When the De Lancey house ceased to be a tavern is not certainly known. Its roof was burned off about forty years ago, ... The ancient part may be distinguished from the modern by the smaller, imported bricks and thicker walls. It has now degenerated from the superb residence of one of the wealthiest and most distinguished families of old New York to that of a German tenement-house, with a lager beer shop on the lower floor.
Note: telegraph poles, not seen in this engraving, already existed on Broad Street in 1873, at least in the part near Wall Street. They began to be installed in the late 1860s.
