Savannah morning news., 1886-04-28
AN HISTORIC PLACE.
A Story of Revolutionary Days-A Relic
of the Sons of Liberty.
From the PhaadslDhia Times.


From the Phaadslphia Times.
NEW YORK. April 25.-The old Bowling
Green house, on the east side OF Broad
way, adjoining the Welles building, is
one Of the oldest structures IN this city,
and now that it is being demolished, his
toric memories of pre-Revolutionary
times are recalled. In tearing the struc-
ture down some Of the mortar was ana
lyzed by the master mason and found to
consist of about the same ingredients as
thatused at the present day, but mixed in
different proportions. Notwithstanding
this it was much f mer
set than any similar compo-
sition manufactured for the same purpose
to-day, and the whole building was built
in a fashion that indicated great strength
and durability. At each corner the
framework was doyetailed in an ingen-
GUS manner ard firmly attached to the
adamantlne wall of brick and cement. No
modern house could boast Of sue n solid
structure. This way of building houses
was characteristic OF the old knicker-
/ bockers, and wherever they have left
/ traces OF their mechanical skill through
out the city, like themselves, snort, stout
and lasting buildings are discovered.
In early Revolutionary days the Bowl
ing Green house was used as hotel and
coffee house. The Sons Of Liberty a So
ciety formed for the purpose OF tanning
into activity the already enkindled flames
OF independence and liberty made this
/ house their headquarters, after having
moved from their original place of resort,
called by them the Kings Arms Tavern,
and subsequently known as Burns Coffee
! House. This latter building stood at No.
Broadway, and WAS once occupied by
General Washington and General Howe
respectively When it. passed into the
hands of Cyrus W. Field, q few years ago,
it was demolished, and a more modern
structure erected on its site. The Bowl
ing Green house derived its name from
the park which il faces, and associated
intimately with the history OF this park
is an interesting incident, which occurred
in the demolished building during the
Revolution.
When Bowling Green was laid out in
1923 no record OF any other pleasure
ground was known in this country and for
several years it had no rival. 1t was in
;he shape of triangle, and twice year
agricultural fairs were held on its grounds.
In 1868 the first market was opened to the
public there and in 1890 the iron railing
which now surrounds the green was put
up, at a cost of several hundred pounds.
over to this country at the expense of the
colonists. In 1910 the posts, which stand
about ten feet apart, were decorated with
the likeness of George Ill, which caused
an additional expense of several pounds.
The inhabitants of New York grumbled
at the time, for they we're not fa-
vOrably impressed with a broth
erly feeling for the third George, but
they we're allowed TO be put on without
nnnnaifinn Tho Of hn
soon became the hotbed Of rebellion, and
as they had taken UP their headquarters
in the old Bowling Green house it became
a constant annoyance 10 them to see the
likeness OF their most hated enemy ever
staring them in the face whenever they
chose to look out of the window of their
house. At last their Evaporation got the
better of discretion, and on July 10, 1916,
they entered the park in a oody and
tw listed OFF the likeness Of the King and
threw them into the river. On the same
day the statue of the King was pulled
down from its pedestal in Bowl
ing Green and carried triumphant
| ly through the streets. At night
it was taken by the sons of Liberty to
/ their headquarters and set up In their
/ banquet hall, where they drank to its
health and otherwise showed their deep
respect for the representation Of their be-
| iONeu Mug n DuSiu6eS uiebLinR was
then held and decision reached that it
would be well TO send the statue out OF
the city. This decision was acted upon
and the next mOrnngit WAS forwarded to
! Gov. Oliver Wolc0tt, at Littleteld, Conn.
! The Governors wife and daughters had
the leaden statue run into bullets, making
no less than $4,000, which did effective
! service in the American army.
The room in which the statue was kept
over night was on the second story of the
Bowling Green mouse, ana at the farther
end OF the room was scratched In almost
! illegible letters these words: king
George III. dimes with us Tonight" The
wOrkmen in tearing the building
down discovered this lettering,
which seems to be the work Of knife or
some other sharp instrument, and for
some time they were disposed TO leave that
wall standing. Bpt with the rest of the
structure it has now been demolished, and
in a short time another building will take
| it's place, and the old Bowling Green
house with ali OF its historical memories
! will be thing of the past.
JOAQUIN MILLER AND HIS WIFE