Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18
AARON bURR'S DEBTS
KEPT HIM MOVING
Why So Many Ancient Office
Buildings Are Known as
His Headquarters.
rom the New York Times.

rom the New 10TH
Aaron Burrs law offices in Nassau
street and the vicinity are becoming al
most as numerous as George Washing
tons headquarters. 1t has been a habit
in recent years to attach the name of
Aaron Burr to every old rookery on Mas
sau street which is likely to be torn
down or undergo any visible alteration.
AS the ancient structures grow scarcer
they become invested with a peculiar
traditional interest every time that mod
ern improvements threaten the destruc-
ton of one Of them. Historical accuracy
is a mere incident and. moreover, does
not history say that Aaron Burr hung
out his single on Nassau street? Any
old house, therefore, Is joyfully seized
upon as Burr's one-time law Office and
the burden of proof, as is usually the
case with tradition, rests upon the per-
son who dares to deny it.
Last week Burr's law offices were dis
covered to have been in the old build
ings at % and II Nassau street and
some Of the old tenants went SO far as TO
ants say they remembered the time when
Aaron Burr climbed laboriously up the
winding stairs in his old age to his
dingy Office on the third floor. The old
place is about to be torn down. go the
time has come for investing it with
"reminiscences unheard Of hitherto.
Barely half dozen years ago, when
the adjoining rookery at % Nassau
street, on the northwest corner Of John
street, was torn down for the tall Office
building now on the site. it was as good
as proved that Aaron Burr had his
shingle right on the John street corner.
There still remain about a dozen old
timers along Nassau street which look
,Sz-A~A
ing during Burr's melancholy days in
New York, and so his law Offices stand
a good chance Of being moved about with
considerable abandon In the near future.
Trailed Through Directories.
Curiosity as to where Burr's offices
really were led to a perusal Of the old
New York directories in the Public Lii
brary; and as the old numbers in that
part Of the city remain the same today,
it is possible, by this simple expedient, to
determine very accurately just where
Burr received his few clients.
The result Of this directory investiga-
ton reveals the somewhat surprising fact
to 1886 Burr had no less than fourteen
different Offices as counselor at law in
the lower part Of the city. When one
remembers that Burr was burdened with
q mass OF old DEBTS ana was virtually
financial wreck during his closing years,
the reason for these constant removals
may be explained. Six Of these Offices
were on Nassau street, from Pine to Full
ton street, and as Burr went periodically
up and down the street, 1t doubtless has
been considered safe at the present day
to assume that he picked out q few more
transitory legal stopping places.
Aaron Burr returned to America in
1872 from Europe after q checkered and
unfortunate career following the fatal
duel with Hamilton. His name first ap-
pears in the 1913 directory. where he is
listed as COUNSELLOR at 8 Nassau street,
and there ne remained through 1914. In
1915 his office was at 45 Cortlandt street.
In 1916 at A Nassau street. In the fol-
lowing year he had ofdces at 81 Vesey
street and there he remained for FIVE
years-longer than in any other Office.
In 1922 his legal presentations began
again. when he returned to Nassau street.
opening an ONCE at Al. The next year
his Office was at his residence. % Reade
street. In 1924 he was at 81 Nassau.
The next year at 18 Chambers. In 1926
he was at 81 Nassau street, near the
Fulton street corner. but in 1923 he went
down to q Nassau street, where he
stayed three years. In 1881 he moved up
to 81 Reade street, now q part OF the
Stewart building, staying there two
years.
Last Once Was Out Broadway.
In 1884 he was at 10 Broadway. and
in 1885. the last year that the name of