Fraunces Tavern Block, Old New York

The Fraunces Tavern Block, bounded by the southern curb line of Pearl Street, the western curb line of Coenties Slip, the northern curb line of Water Street, and the eastern curb line of Broad Street, in Manhattan. Eleven of the present 16 buildings in the block were constructed between 1827 and 1833. It was designated a New York City Historic District, in 1978, by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Photograph taken about 1936 for the Federal Writers' Project. Source: NYC Municipal Archives Digital Collections.

Fraunces Tavern is seen in this photo on the corner of Broad Street and Pearl St. The Fraunces Tavern Block Historic District, stands today as a vivid reminder of the early history and development of this section of Manhattan. The block was created entirely on landfill in the late 17th century, and it was the first extension of the Manhattan shoreline for commercial purposes. Before that time it was the eastern end of the basin created when the Great Dock was built in 1676.

Samuel Fraunces bought the de Lancey mansion in 1762 and established a tavern in the place, which served as an important meeting place and held federal in the 18th Century. The building that exists today is a reconstruction, made in 1906-1907, using the portion of the original structure that survived the fires in the 19th century. The parts added after the fires were dismantled.