The herald., 1898-03-07
4 FAMOUS cpepHougsE
CLOSED az THE DEATH OF ITS
PRoPRIEToR
ARelic Of Old New Fork That Has
IS Entertained Five Genera y
tions of People

sf,,d Tom !" famous little ale and chop
house in Thames street, near Irlnity
church. was closed yesterday, and notice
on the door announced the deatn OF
Thomas J. Hotahan, its proprietor. Al
though another Holahan gave to this
quaint and historic public house the name
Sfhas borne for three-score OF years, the
man whose life has just ended was the only
ssCld Tom known to the present genera
tion, and he Was widely and cordially es-
teemed. Unassuming in manner. even
tempered. Industrious, of unquestioned
probity, and most agreeable caterer ne
W6s personally known and liked by many
6updreds of downtown business men.
The news Of his death caused pang OF
sorrow to every one OF the regular patrons
OF this ancient establishment. There were
many who turned disappointedly away from
the closed doors yesterday who Tor score
Of years had eaten their luncheons there
with the regularity of clockwork. since
the present building was erected this Place
had not been closed except on Sundays
and holidays. The fact that Mr.. Holahan
was in poor health had been known 10
most Of his patrons for month or more
but there was no intimation that MS Illness
was of dangerous character until lew
days ago the announcement was mace thai
he had been obliged to take to his ped.
His apartments were over the restaurant.
-
leaving four daughters. Mr.. Holahan
death occurred at o'clock yesterday morn
ing from heart failure He was porn IN
this city about sixty years ago ana hetooh
up the restaurant business under the olrec-
tion of his father and assumed the pro-
prietorship of "Old Toms" when the elder
Holahan died.
A QUIET, sOCIABLE AIR
With its sanded floor. Its primitive wood
- Ia ~tntSI IrnG tc a.
like cooking and bounteous service, Its
spick and span cleanliness and its Knick-
erbocker tobies brimming with good ale
drawn from the cask in the cellar, this
noted public house always retained Its
wholesome, old-fashioned character. Its
patronage being OF a permanent nature,
a quiet sociability has usually pervaded
the place. Until recently "Old Tom
himself, rotund. affable and alert. has pre-
sided. white-aproned and often in his shirt
sleeves, over the midday service.
A wealth of historic recollections cling
about "Old Toms" For nearly hum
dred years public house had stood on or
near the site Of the present building at
Thames and Temple street. This build
ing was erected about a quarter of GEN.
tury ago, while the cobweb-lined ale house
of the original "Old Tom was yet stand
ing on an adjacent lot. The old house be-
torn down. When the parent chop house
was established in this locality the City
hotel stood where the Boreel building now
stands. In the rear of the old hotel was
the chop house. The original building was
erected before the Revolution. and Is said
to have been the residence Of Charlotte
Temple. Afr her death William Wake
converted the lower part of the place into
an ale and porter house. He conducted the
FOL chv,,oy death In 1911 when
1t became the property of William Rey-
nolds, who retired in 1884 and was sue
ceeded by Messrs. Nunns & Lee. Four
years thereafter Thomas Holahan became
the proprietor, and the place took the name
It now bears. 1t has enjoyed an extraordi-
nary popularity throughout Its long ca
reer. and seems to have steadfastly main
tained reputation as place for good
eating and good drinking
SOME FAMOUS PATRONS
1t was in this historic chop house that
Alexander Hamilton took his last meal be-
fore departing for Weehawken to meet
Aaron Burr. Washington, Jefferson and
Madison are counted among the early pa
irons of the place, and 1t was the regular
resort of Fitz-Greene Halleck, N. p. Willis
George Morris, Edgar Allan Poe. Burton,
Thomas Hamlin, the elder Wallack, John
Brougham and other celebrities OF Ameri-
can literature and the stage.
Old New York merchants by the score ate
their chops, smoked their pipes and drank
their ale in ''Od Toms" John Jacob AS
tor, the founder of that family in this
country, was a loyal patron of the old chop
house, and he inculcated love for the
place in the breasts of his descendants.
Five generations of the Astor family have
stretched their legs under the substantial
tables of this historic chop house. William
b. Astor lunched there regularly, in COM
pany with Peter Cooper. A. I. Stewart,
Commodore Vanderbilt, Daniel Drew and
other noted New Workers Of that period.
John Jacob Astor, the second, was a fire.
quent patron of the place. and his son,
William Waldorf Astor, seemed to have i'm
bibed his great-grandfather's fondness for
the place. 1t is not many years ago since
william Waldorf Astor took his young
sons to 'Old Toms" and proudly said to
the man who died yesterday morning:
"'rhis makes the fifth generation of my
family that has patronized this old chop
house"-New York Times, Feb. II.