Coffee House Slip, Tontine Coffee House, Wall Street

Wall Street, looking east towards East River. Original title: Coffee House Slip. Engraved M.I. Danforth for the Picture of New York and Strangers Guide, published by A.T. Goodrich, 1828.

At the time this area was known as Coffee House Slip, because since the 18th century coffee houses flourished here. They were a kind of civic forum, among other things. The Tontine Coffee House (left), northwest corner of Water Street, was established in 1793. Its name changed to "Tontine Building" in 1843, demolished in 1855 and replaced by a new Tontine Building on the same site.