The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
MARTINS HOTEL TO MOVE.
The Last Dinner at the Old Place VIII he
served This Evening.

The last dinner to be served in the restau-
rant that has been familiar to a generation
of New Workers as Martins" will be given
tonight. Tomorrow the hotel at 20, 81
and q University place will be closed to
the public, and as much Of its contents
as are needed for the new Martins" will
be moved up to the building at Twenty
sixth street and Broadway, formerly known
as the old Delmonico Building. There the
name will be carried much further into
the city's astronomical history. For
seventeen years there has been a Hotel
Martin in New York, but for the next two
weeks there will be no such establishm ent
in existence. The new hotel is not 10 be
opened until March l..
In 1884 "A French hotel or rather a large
boarding house, kept by Nine, Larue and
known as Hotel de pUnivers," was stu
ated in the house at 81 University place.
This is the house one door south of the
corner of Ninth street. John b. Martin.
who had been the proprietor Of a French
hotel in Panama came TO New York in that
year and bought the French establishment
that wa at the time the only one Of its kline
in the city. He ~prospered Immediately.
For Il while only his compatriots were the
patrons of his hotel. Then artists began
10 know Of it. and what was all that New
York had of n Bohemia sought out the
little French hotel and made the renown
of its cooking and its wines,
Soon the proprietor changed the name
Of the hotel to his own and the place has
been known as the Hotel Martin since
the end Of the first six months of the pres
ent proprietor's tenancy, II was found
necessary at the end of the first two years
to Increase the size of the building and
the house on the corner of University
Place was added. Over the back yard
of this house was built a platform and
New Workers found there one of their
first opportunities at open-air dining.
In the basement of the building at "a
University Place was a Chinese laundry
and the upper part was occupied for lodg-
ings. II was this house that the %restaur-
rant next absorbed. In the rear Of these
three houses were built kitchens and extra
dining rooms and the hotel finally ceased
10 absorb the available houses in the neigh
borhOOd when II took the apartment house
on Ninth street In as a part of the estab-
lishment. Now all Of these buildings
are to be torn down for a skyscraping
Office structure which will begin TO grow
80 soon as the ground has been cleared.
No restaurant has ever become so well
known in so short a time a. Martins, and
the proprietor has already amassed a for
tune. The clientele OF the place has also
during recent years included many persons
from out Of town, as the fame of the restau-
rant spread all over the country and visitors
To the city felt that they must see the place.
The guests were nearly always Frenohmen.
The three houses were old-fashioned
residences with mahogany doors and
marble mantels. but none Of the conven-
fences of modern hotels. Still tho place
was popular with the compatriots OF the
proprietor who came 10 New York. Here
\ saye always stopped, and S~'ainville.
Fougere. Anna Held, the officers of the
French steamers and many French COM
mercial travellers were to he found Tegu-
larry among the guests. The patrons of
the restaurant always included the opera
singers, and one Of the most enthusiastic
customers was Pol Plancon, who never
missed the day the oysters arrived from
France. Albert Saleza used 10 60 there to
got a certain kind Of soup that was made
only in his own part of the Midi, and Sarah
Bernhardt. Whenever she had the time to
cat during her visits 10 this city went to
Alartiu's