New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-01
TWO BROADWAY HOTELS
TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS
Hoffman House and GiIsey House
Go Out of Business.
GILSEY SHUT NOON TO-DAY
Monday at Midnight Will See
Wind Up of Hoffman, Famous
for Years as Political
Headquarters.
GILSEY SHUT NOON TO-DAY

Two Of Broadways famous hotels will
close their doors. according TO announce
ment made last night The Gilsey
House. at Broadway and 29th street.
built by Peter Gilsey in 1879 will go
out OF business at noon to-day The
Hoffman. at 25th street and Broadway.
will close it's doors on Monday at mid
night For years il has been the meet
ing place Of famous men in various
walks Of life. II was one Of the first of
New York's famous hostleres 10 intro
duce the European cafe idea. having
IA hles as we'll as a bar. The pictures in
the cafe and the furnishings made the
place famous in this country and ABROAD.
1t was for long time the centre Of ac-
tivitv in Democratic state and city poll
tics
The Cilsev House which was the home
of al" Smith for thirty-five years. will
give way to stores on the ground floor
and small shops on the upper floors. Rube
r Fogel a jeweller. of No. la Broad
way. bought the property in l!fW from
the Anderson estate for Sl.50OWl A
modern skyscraper will probably he
erected on the site in less than two
years.
James n. Breslin and Henry Gardner.
associated with Peter Gardner. were
the first managers of the Gilsey. It's
clientele was notable. including many
actors and musicians in the public eye.
The house itself expressed the last word
in building luxury in those DAYS. In
1904 the Seaboard Hotel Company. then
the lessees Of the property. failed. and
the doors Of the Gisey House closed. The
old guard" IF the house refused 10 leave
their rooms. threatening 10 run the hotel
themselves before they would GO. EX-
tersive alterations followed a fire in 1g)s.
cinco that time the broadway and
Tpentv-ninth Street Company" com
nosed Il oiisAy heirs. has run the hotel.
In the fall Of 1909. after the sale OF
the property. the end Of the house was
expected at any time. Early in october
~ that year. Ar Smith died i'm his
rooms thus removing the most conspicu
Gus tgure or tHt 'll SH'i' '''"' ''''''
followed the fortunes of the house fot
nearly forty years.
Until his death a few years ago, the
Hoffman House was conducted 10y John
p Caddagan. when he died his sisters
succeeded 10 the management In Mo-
yember. 1910. the corporation controlling
II was adjudicated bankrupt and
referee was appointed 10 take charge OF
II At that time Miss Caddagan said:
The trouble started when the hotel
was rebuilt. We had TO close down a
large part Of the house just at rhe time
when the hotel business was booming
and We reopened il during the depression
following the panic Of 1907. when the
other hotels We're feeling the strain Sc
yerelv and one of the largest hostleries
in Fifth avenue had six floors closed on
tirelv. our rent has been $4,000 a
month. which. under these conditions.
has been impossibly high for a hotel as
far downtown as the Hoffman House"
Last night the creditors held a meet
ing and Misses Caddaean relinquished
, control. the creditors at once deciding
to close the house.
on october u. 1910. an involuntary
petition in bankruptcy was filed against
the house by three creditors and IL was
stated at the time that the liza bilities
were between S3.O.Oo and SioO.OOo and
the visible assets did not exceed S2o.ND.