Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-25
GOTHAM . OLDEST nous {.
Where enc First Oioe6 % che 0ev.
ooution Was 8ksd.

Who're che First Sliced % che Rev.
eIutlen Yves Shed.
Several decades previous 60 the
Revolution, when the Sons of
Liberty were struggling to bring theI
citizens Of New York to sense OF the
indignity that was being heaped|
upon them by the British Govern.
ment, the city sold lots on what IL
now William street to enterprlsing
citizens, who agreed to erect houses
Of two or three stories on them. OF
the houses built ut this time, or at
any time previous. during the early
days Of New Amsterdam, the oldest
now standing Is n quaint threc-story
brick structure Mt 122 William
street.
The house, which has changed in
appearance but little since IL was
first built, Is owned by Thomas b.
Clifford, OF Toms River, N. j., By
whose ancestor, Samuel Guilford, t.
was purchased from its builders In
1913. Prior to that year nothing Of
the owner Of the place is known, for
the records Of transfer have long
since crumbled to dust. and nothing
now remains Of the original builders
but the queer.looking little house,
the bricks Of which have outlived the
sons and great grandsons Of tho mon
whose hands laid them.
In Revolutionary times the site Of T
l22 William street WAS the summit
OF what was then known ~ Goldent
Hill. II was on this piece Of historic
ground that the first blood Of the
Colonists was shed, for the battle OF
Golden Hill, In which an old Quaker
was badly wounded by the British
soldiers, occurred about two months
previous to the famous massacre Of 4
the citizens on the Boston Common.
The battle took place directly behind
122 William street, and the house ct
that time was an old one, and had
been used rs q tavern. Later on u
became the rendezvous OF Washing
ton, Lafayette, Baron Steuben, Gen.
Putnam, and later still Of the noto-
rlous Capt. Kidd, Marshall Cum
bingham and Benedict Arnold. For
more than 100 years the unpreten-.
tious little building was buried In
oblivion, between the walls Of big
commercial houses that wero built
around u, and had nothing 70 dis
tingulsh u from It's modern neigh.
bors but It's antique appearance. The
house 10 built Of brick imported
from Holland, laid In o cement that
10 as imperishable a. the brlcks
themselves. The roof IL slanting,
with two attic windows running out
to Its edge, and the building, taken
rs q whole, Is d perfect type OF what
u New York house OF the Revolu.
tionary period looked like.
As In most houses that were erect.
cd during the early days Of New York,
122 William street has In the base
ment two Of the famous Dutch ovens
which were the house anchors and
pride Of the Knickerbockers. The
kitchen, In the basement. is built
after the English models, with on i'm.
imense mantel elaborately inlaid with
tiles Of porcelain, about six inches
square, each tile containing some his
torlc, religious or secular event.
The illustrations on those tiles are
almost obllterated now, but few Of
them still remain. The most striking
feature OF the building 10 its tall
chimney tower. built also OF Holland
brick. This small pile has withstood
the storms and shocks Of almost two
centuries, and, with the exception Of
two or three small patches. made re.
Gently. ID 90 firm and fit for use to.
day % 1t was when the Sons OF L,ber-
ty were battling for the independence
81 our Republic.