The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-02
THEY HAVE HISTORY
ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRuGclf
FOR INDEPENDENCE.

Frsuness' aosel. Once the Resers Of Heroes
kow . Saloon-Old Tavern on she Kings.
bridge Road Tho Austen Homestead
Scene Of Both Love aud Tragedy.
The American OF the present day haa
often been accused, and perhaps not alto
gether unjustly, of having no regard
for the household gods CT his fathers and
OF being so intensely practical that in his
rush for wealth he sweeps away the monu.
ments of history. While the bronze tab
lets erected by the Sons of the Revolution
on many historical spots stamp the accu.
sation as true there are st!ll many places
on Manhattan Island and in Its environ
ments where important events in the his
tory OF this country transpired which re-
main practically unchanged in appearances
except by decaying process Of time.
A stranger would hardly think that one
OF the most vaunted historical relics OF the
Revolution could be found within a stone
throw OF the Stock Exchange. Yet
Fraunces' tavern, which still stands on the
southeast corner Of Broad and Pear.
streets, remains almost as IL vas in the
days OF Washington.
During the war of the Revolution this
was undoubtedly the most popular public
house IN town. The exact date OF its ereo-
ton is unknown. 1t is believed that
Stephen or Etienne de Lancey built it in
the year 1880, as the old land records show
that in that year Stephanus van Cors-
iandt, whose daughter De Lancey mar
ried, conveyed TO her the plot Of ground
on which the building is situated. In 1864
Samuel Frances purchased the property,
transformed il into a tavern and named
1t Queen Charlotte's inn.
During the war for liberty the Ameri-
cans and royalists occupied the tavern In
turn, and Sir Henry Clinton and Wash
ington each occupied its cham bers when
their respective forces were in possession
of the city. Its owner, Samuel Fraunces,
became the steward Of the American ar
my, and in the corner room one fight CT
stairs up from the street Washington part
ed with the officers of his army after the
evacuation of New York by the British.
That same room Is still used for assem-
blages, civil and political. Here the Sons
of the Revolution meet on Washington's
Birthday. The first or street floor Of the
old building is now used as a saloon. How
much longer the structure will withstand
the onward march Of progress is conun-
drum. As Ii is it has survived six gener-
ations of tenants.
After the battles on Washington or Har-
lem Heights during the Revolution there
was a great gathering of tho scattered
forces Of the Americans at a house which
is still standing on Kingsbridge road,
at the foot of the carriage road that leads
up to Inwood. This building, known as
the Old Black Horse tavern, was then a
new building, and IL report be true there
have been no changes made in it from that
day to this. 1t is said that Washington
and his staff slept there the night after
the battle on the heights, and that Tory
spy was hung from Its old signpost. The
old inn is now inhabited by an ancient
German couple engaged in the cabbage in
dustry.
A little farther up Kingsbridge road is
the old Van Tassel homestead, better
known as the Old Century House. 1t is
said that 1t was built in 1885 for Levi
Van Tassel, and that at the time Of the
battle of Harlem Heights it was one of the
properties of the Van Cortlandt family.
There Is legend connected with this
house that Major Andre, accompanied by
Sir Henry Clinton, stopped there the night
preceding Andres start on his journey to
meet Benedict Arnold. They sat up all
night and parted in the morning, Sir
Henry Clinton returning to New York.
The house is in good state Of repair and
is inhabited.
One Of the most ancient landmarks In
this section ws;ich has defled the ravages
of time is the old Austen homestead on
Pennsylvania svenue, Clifton, n. Y. This
charming old residence was erected in
1910 and is az the present time in re-
state Of preservation. 1t stands
close to the writer's edge, surrounded by
broad and sweeping lawns, bordered with
lilac bushes, which bloom during their
season in plenteous profusion. The house
itself, covered with vines, vies with the old
home of Washington Irving, Sunnyside,
in romantic beauty. During the stirring
times of the Revolution this mansion shell /
tered, in turn, both loyalist and royalist, |
patriot and Tory, and was the scene Of !
both love and tragedy. The story goes |
that q trooper Of King George loved one Of /
the daughters of the house Of Austen, I
famed for the beauty of its women. She, |
being intensely loyal to the cause OF liber- |
ty, rejected his advances. after which he, !
apartment an6 hanged himself. Thus the |
legend that srme of the chambers OF the /
old house are haunted has gained many 4
and it is said that even until /
this cay, at ,he hour Of midnight, the 1
tread Of feet and the clanking /
and jingle of che dead dragon s spurs can
be heard in she halls of the old house. !
General Wash tngton was a welcome guest |
the9s, of the Austen home, ana
both he and Lafayette were frequent Wis
tors there. Cir Henry Clinton, Knyphau-
sen, Lord Howe and other royalists were
also frequent visitors there, but they were
never welcoL c. In this house Colonel
David Z. Austen, auditor Of the city OF
New York AMI colonel Of tho Thirteenth
'egiment Of She national guard of this
tate, was BON and spent his early boy
rood The Old house is now occupied and
,wned by J. r. Austen, who is justly
proud Of the historical associations clus-
ering about it. As long as he lives, at
East, there VII be no danger of its de-
York Times
Geologic Time.
Professor 9. d. Wolcott expresses the
,pinion, CONTRARY TO that entertained by
ONE emmett scientists. tina. geologic