Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-03-28
nor FINEUIL NAIL WAS BUILT.
The Huguenot Family After Whom 1T Was
Named.

HOW F.INEUIL HAIL WAS BUILT.
The Huguenot Family After Whom 1T Was
Named.
At meeting Of the Bostonian Society
Mr.. Abram English Brown of Bedford
read paper on Peter Faneuil and
His Gift" says the Boston Herald.
The Faneuis, be said, were Huguenots,
and after they we're driven from France
they came to this country. Benjamin
Faneuil settled in New York, but
Andrew Faneuil remained in Boston.
Andrew Faneuil brought property
from France and soon began to amass
fortune He had splendid mansion
on fremont street, where he lived in
great luxury, and where he maintained
very beautiful gardens. He was lender
in the Huguenot Church.
When his wife died, without offspring,
he began to consider how he could
best provide for the perpetuation of the
family name He finally sent to New
York for one of Benjamin Faneuil's
sons, and installed this young man,
whose name was also Benjamin, us his
prospective heir. But the uncle i'm
posed ono condition-the young man
must never marry.
Presently Benjamin fell in love,
acknowledged to his uncle his inten-
tion TO marry, and was promptly evicted
from the fremont street mansion.
Then Andrew Faneuil brought over to
Boston ms bis heir another son of the
New YORK family, Peter. Peter proved
to be u youth of good qualities and
business capacity, and he soon began
to make money on his own account.
He obeyed the command about marry.
ing, but there is reason to believe that
he entertained very tender feelings for
the daughte. of the collector of the
port. aud that he would have married
her had his uncle died little sooner
than he did.
Upon the death of his uncle Peter
spared no expense in funeral arrange
ments, and everything was conducted
on lavish scale. Although Peter now
came into possession ct the largest
fortune in the province 1t did not ruin
him. lie continued to apply himself to
business and philanthropy. Still, he
lived IN luxury. lie purchased the
boss wines the world afforded, bought
his clothes in London and impoi tod his
carriages from the same city.
1t was Peter Faneuil who started
the movement which resulted in the
building of Kings Chapel in stone,
and this building, as 1t now is, is
monument to him. When the Huguenot
Church ceased to exist, as it did soon
after the death of Andrew Faneuii, the
Faneuil family began to worship at
Kings Chapel.
One of the greatest exoitements
Boston had ever known came about
through Peter Faneuil's offer to build
for the town a marketEouse IN Dock
Square. A town meeting was called TO
consider the proposition, and the idea
was strongly objected to, many people
feeling that general market place
would make 1t impossible for them to
trade at their pleasure With itinerant
market men.
When the offer OF Faneuil was voted
upon it was accepted by majority OF
only seven votes, aud even this small
majority would not have been secured
had it not been made plain to the people
that the itlnerant market men were to
be allowed to sell as Of old.
The market place was finished in
l742. BY that time public opinion had
changed greatly, and Faneuil was given
a formal vote of thanks by the town,
the hall over the market place was
given his name, and his portrait and
coat OF arms we've hung in the hall.
Peter died in 1742. As he was a
bachelor, and had left no will, Benja-
min Faneuil, who had once been
evicted from the Faneuil mansion for
marrying, returned ald became the
master of 1t, bringing with him his
wife and children.
The market which Peter built was
su bsequently destroyed by lire, and was
rebuilt by the town. 1t was hoped
that the funds for this purpose would
be realized :, by lottery which was
authorized, but the lottery never full
filled its purpose. In 1906 the market
was doubled in width and enlarged,
but the hall, which was 1.-THE cradle OF
liberty, ~ was retained intaot