New-York tribune., 1901-06-20
PRESCRIPTION OF FRArNcEs' TAVERN.
COST OF THE PROPOSED PARK AND THE BUILD
ING NOT MORE THAN 100000

4>G MI SAofSE 1h<-N SIVo'VV"-
At the meeting of the Board Of Public Improve
ments yesterday map and estimate were received
from the city engineers bureau on the proposed
park at Pearl and Broad sts., embracing the site
of historic Fraunces' Tavern. The creation
of park at this point for the purpose of preserving
the building had been favoraby recommended to
the hoard by the local board of the district in
which the building stands. and the engineer had
been instructed to prepar- map and estimate.
The assessed valuation of the half block proposed
for the park said in the engineers report to
be s1S5Oto and the actual purchase price will prob
ably be about twice that sum- With the necessary
ncidentals of the Improvement. the total cost will
probably be about 100000
The cost of the park and building will be so much
less than popularity supposed that the repre-
sentatives of the American Scenic and Historic
Preservation Society and the Women's Auxiliary
who the authors of the present movement and
who were in attendance yesterday. declared them
selves highly gratied at the report. They have
felt that the project was entirely feasible cost
that would not be prohibitive They believe that
the limited objection to the undertaking. which
was based entirely the supposed enormous cost
predicted by some ObjectOrs be high as
s2.O00OO0-wiIl entirely disappear. and that public
sentiment will unanimously sustain the preserva-
tion of the building in the midst Of a small park
at cost of not over s5OO.O0o. President Coogan OF
the Borough of Manhattan who has espoused the
proposition heartily expressed himself yesterday
ssnguIne that the building would be saved The
Board of Public Improvements will have public
hearing the subject Wednesday, July 10 at
O'clock
No little interest IS taken in this movement by
army men. who, remembering that Washington
bade fare~ell to his officers in Fraunces' Tavern.
would regard the tavern preserved and restored for
its historical associations. a monument TO the
army. and appropriate complement the Naval
Arch and Water Gate which the alumni of the
United States Naval Academy propose to erect on
the Battery. near by.
Major-GeneraI John r. Brooke. commanding the
Department of the East, writing from headquarters
Governors Island Mrs. Nj. F. Peirce pres-
dent of the Women's Auxiliary of the American
Scenic and Historic Preservation Society. says:
/ fully appreciate your motives in restoring
Fraunces' Tavern its original condition and SET
may go forward without being affected by any crv
against this sentiment. Life is full of sentiment
This country was originally freed from foreign SOW
ereignty by reason of the sentiment against thu
domination of even the parent country, which at
that time did not consider the rights and interests
Of this country II was preserved nearly forty
years ago in its entirety by sentiment against the
disruption which was attempted at that time 1t
now stands among the foremost nations of the
world by reason OF the sentiment existing against
the treatment of the people of the West india isl-
ands then belonging to Spain.