The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-13
BROADWAY CENTRAL HOTEL


CHistory)
Located opposite Bond street is one of
the largest public houses in New York.
On this memorable site La Fargo, a sa-
gacious French investor, built the La
Fargo House, which was opened in 1856.
Back of the hotel stood Tripler Hall, the
scene of Jenny Linds triumphs The
hall was remodeled into Burton's New
London Theatre, then the largest in New
York. and subsequently into the Winter
Garden, where Edwin Booth played
Hamlet for 100 consecutive nights. In
1869 after La Farge's death, and the
burning of the Winter Garden the entire
property was acquired by the late E. s..
Higgins, the carpet manufacturer, who
erected here the most palatial and sub
stantial hotel in New York, at first
known as the Southern Hotel, and after
ward as the Grand Central Hotel. The
great dining hall occupies the locality
made famous by Jenny Lind and Edwin
Booth, where Adelina Patti made her
first public appearance and where Rachel
met her first American audience. The
house in 1892 passed into the proprietor
ship of the Hon. lilly Haynes, who had
made a notable success of the old United
States Hotel at Boston. The original
cost of the Broadway Central was
81 000 900, and nearly a quarter of a mil
lion more was spent by Mr.. Haynes in
thoroughly renovating, refitting, refur-
nishing and reorganizing the entire prop
erty. It is a solid and magnificent struc-
ture, with seven stories above the main
floor, and very spacious and comforts
able public rooms. 1t is admirably pro-
teeted against fires, having massive stone
and brick division walls once in Is feet
throughout the main building, with
broad halls running the entire length of
the building. from Broadway to Mercer
street, and numerous stairWays, together
with every possible protection against
fire. It is in an interesting part of the
city, close to Blocker street. the Latin
quarter of New York; Washington
square, the site of the triumphal arch .
I nlHRpC
libraries and the centre of the pub
fishers quarter, the Bowery, with its
picturesque humanity. and the Cooper
institute. Only a few blocks north is the
group Of buildings pertaining to Grace
Church. one of the handsomest sights in
the metropolis. In front of the hotel
flow the vast and impressive human tides
of Broadway
One of the most important, and some
times the most expensive, things in a
great city is the matter OF translr1rta-
ton, getting about from one point to
another. In this respect no hotel in New
York has the convenience of such a cen
trail location, together with the rapid
and economical transfer to all points, as
the Broadway Central Hotel.
The new Broadway cable lines, with
their branches and extensions, now cover
all the great avenues. the new Lexington
avenue line. coming down from Harlem.
on the east side of the Grand Central
station brings passengers direct from
42d street to the door, while the Broad
way line from the battery 70 central
Park passes every fashionable store,
theatre and attraction of the city. The
new Columbus and Lenox avenue lines
take passengers clear up to Grants
tomb Harlem river and Hight bridge,
while both the Third and Sixth avenue
elevated roads. one block in front and
one in the rear. give every possible facili-
tv for reaching al suburban locations
al the least possible charge. The cross
town cars pass Broadway, both above
and below the hotel. connect directly
with every foreign and coastwise steam
or. an the ferries. Battery and Brooklyn
bridge trains. Read Kings handbook Of
New York city, 1895.