I was exploring downtown Manhattan when I decided I should get something to eat. I came across this cute little colonial brick house named Fraunces Tavern, and my historical nerdiness sprang into action. Could this be the Fraunces Tavern frequented by early American powerhouses like George Washington? I knew I had to find out. Explore with me the cute colonialist architecture yet powerfully influential meeting place of the American Revolution.
Fraunces Tavern is a small, traditional house on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan. Initially, the site was in the East River but was land-filled to make more space on the island. The first development on the site was of Stephanus van Cortlandt before giving the land to his son-in-law, Étienne “Stephen” DeLancey. DeLancey constructed the house that currently exists on the site in 1719. Slowly rising through the Dutch ranks (at the time, Manhattan was a Dutch colony), DeLancey used his home as a headquarters for his political career before selling it to Samuel Fraunces (hence the name) in 1762.
Under the ownership of Fraunces, the building became a tavern home to some of the most influential moments of the American Revolution. The Sons of Liberty used the house to plan the Boston Tea Party, the founding of the New York Chamber of Commerce, and the first Board of Governors for New York hospitals met there — all before the American Revolutionary War. During the war, British cannons damaged the house as Americans, including Alexander Hamilton, fired upon the British fleet.
While the British occupied New York during the war, the tavern acted as a tavern, with the occasional meeting of the Sons of Liberty. At the war’s end, George Washington used the tavern to bid farewell to his officers as he retired. However, retirement did not last, as he became the first American president a few years later. After founding the American government, Fraunces’s tiny house was the home of the finance, war, and foreign affairs departments — acting as the hub for the newborn United States government. However, once the government relocated to Philadelphia and then to Washington, D.C., the tavern ended its reign as one of the most influential sites for the American government.
All of the history, including original artifacts and layouts of where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had their last social meeting before their infamous duel, is only five dollars for students to enter. It is a complete immersion of history with the original stairs, tables, and maps sprawled around the room. There is also an exhibit that the Sons of Liberty (the current owners of the building) host. When I visited, the exhibition explored the popular references (like in Marvel Comics) of George Washington. Beyond the museum, Fraunces Tavern is also — a tavern. The first floor of the building operates a cute little eatery that will satisfy anyone’s urge to eat where Hamilton, Washington, and other Revolutionaries lived hundreds of years ago.
Fraunces Tavern is a beautiful, hidden gem of New York history. Embodying early American history, historical architecture, and tasty meals, the tavern is the perfect combination of fascinating history and a place to hang with friends and eat the food of the American heroes we learned in elementary school.
