The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-24
JERSEY Cu'Y's FIRST HOTEL.
Stories of the Old American House and
of the Town In Those Days


of the Town In Those Days.
The remodelling of the old American
Hotel property, adjoining Ewing's Hote.
in lower Montgomery street, has brought
to mind scraps of historyof the firstregular
hotel erected in Jersey City. Most of the
citizens who were here when the old hotel
fourished without practical opposition
have passed away and those who remain
do not profess to be acquainted sufficient
" with its history to give accurate state
ments pertaining thereto
1t has not been used as hotel for some
years. Proprietor Ewing, of Ewing's
Hotel. gave up some time ago the upper
stories, which he had for years used in
has been used for years as a tailoring
establishment. The Hudson County Dis
patch occupied the basement for a num-
Der of years. The proprietors OF that
newspaper moved out some months ago
Mr.. John Mullins. the Newark avenue
carpet dealer, recently purchased the
property. He proposes to do away with
the basement and fit up three large store
rooms with floors on q level with the side
walk. The three stories above will in all
probability be used as family apartments,
as in any apartment house.
HALF A CENTURY OLD.
The building was erected over half a
century ago. It is represented in a pic
ture of the block on the Douglas man
published in 1S41. 1t was built by the
late George Washington Edge Ia this
picture it is represented as three story
brick building. vacant lot lay between
the building and that now known as
Ewing's Hotel. Mr.. G.. w. Edge himself
subsequently extended the hotel property
across the vacant lot and added another
story to the entire structure. In this same
picture the Darcy building, which was
subsequently enlarged, built further
heavenward and christened the Fuller
Building, stands out as one of the most
prominent buildings in the City at that
time
Opposite is the little lottery office where
Noah Taylor won enough money to set
up what Is now known as Taylor's Hotel
In the picture Hudson street is not built
up, and the rear of prominent buildings
in Grand street is exposed to view. At
that tlme the ferry was located at the
foot of Grand street. On Hudson street.
short distance from the Darcy Build
ing. stands the little old log cabin built
by political enthusiasts during the Presi-
Dental campaign of President Ben Har-
rison's grandfather
WELL KNOWN LANDLORDS
Its various proprietors were well known
men in Jersey City. A Mr.. Danberry.
who ran sort ofhostelry on York street.
is said to have been the Americans first
piVpEtSSoi. 11cHEy w. Bedn also ran 1T
for some years. Mr.. Bean left Jersey
City TO engage in the hotel business ia
Washington. John Berian, who got into
politics, was elected an Alderman, and
subsequently appointed to a good official
position In connection with the State
Penitentiary, was aloo one of it's pro-
prietors as was Mr.. John Warner, whose
proprietorship antedates that of Mr..
Berian.
In its early days its main business OBJ
position was that of the old Philadelphia
Hotel, now known as Eging,s. But the
old Philadelphia Hotel did not rank with
It in scale
The establishment OF Taylor's Hotel
along about "a and the subsequent
springing up Of numerous smaller hotels
took away much of its business, and
caused the American to degenerate from
the proud position it once held.