Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-10
OLD FRAUNCEs TAVERN IN NEW YORK
ny FREDERIC J. HAskIN

EEW YORK, August "a housc
mat has stood in the midst OF a great
c''F Tor 200 years, a house where six
generations of men have eaten argued.
fought. made love. bought sold and
stolen is Il rarity anywhere. They are
MOI making many here now that Will
last mat long. In the days when most
~ ihc brick had to be brought from,
holland and England, they built more
carefully. That's the rcason--or at
least one OF the reasons-,vhy Fraunces
Tavern down by the Battery. IS still
standing and doing business Sky
Scr"n"rs stontt>nll around /. and try
- bully 1t or the earth but under
IN" benevolent care and protection OF
IN" sons OF the Revolution II braveiy
stands It's ground. becoming like some
old ladies'. ever more quaint by con-
iFast but not Il h; older.
This F?aunccs Tavern is just the
kind OF - place that historical societies
Ike TO coddlc. and all sorts OF people
10 visit. FOR IL has not only been oC-
cnr!"i very long time. but the very
best pcopl" have come here Il an
peals no, only 10 the Imagination. but
/" IN" snobbcry OF men. In t'raunces
Tavern YOU are in tho company OF
some OF the most respectable OF Amer
:'an ghosts. George Washington and
nearly all OF his officers came here
When he h;tdc Them his famous fare
well. Will" at The time that "Rlack
sam fFannccS dispensed good dinners
here nearly every one Of any couse-
iucnce IN New York came to dine. Up
stairs in the museum YOU can nrid
numbcrlcss relics or tho departed great
bits Of their hair. their buttons their
dinner plates and coffee cups and hats
ana shoe buckles ana swords and
t"othplchs. tho letters they wrote and
the newspapers they read. and All the
other irinluE personal junk which has
value and fascination because IL be-
longcd 80 some one who was SuppOSed
I" be great and Is certainly dead Al
most any famous man might put his
great great Crandchildrcn through col
lego hy making them "A Request of his
old clothes bag, his manicure set and
his kitchen utensils
i|Gl In fraun"cs Tavern you are not
merely in the presence OF the great
dead. YOU also may sit in n chair which
p"rr!anc" has been warmed by the
great living. Since George Washing
ton saw ut to come here. although IL
Is not exactly the same place that Il
was In 1873 and is certainly not In
the sam" relative location. the sea hav-
ing been moved away on the one hand
ana IN" city on the other, ncvcrthc-
less. tho great mon OF to-day make oc-
caSion To visit the tavern At least
ON" President. still living though now
cx has luurhcd here: namely. William
Howard Taft Ami issador .Juss-rand
- Wv fTfitn IcpUhhc, gave tea
mere" j. r. Morgan ate hero a few
years ago when the Harvard and Yale
classes Of 1889 hold their first Joint
reunion NJ Frances Tavern. Any
number Of lesser lights have been here
At ono time or another. Cabinet Of
hccrs. district attorneys, Senators and
other such relatively small fry are as
common burgomastcrs. Colonial
Governors ana things like that were
In tho days OF the culinary wizard.
Black sam.
History Ia Preserved.
The long and remarkable story Of
this ancient roof is set forth with
chronological and unimpeachable ac-
curacy III little pamphlet which you
can buy from the city History Club
for n nickel. so we will not stick closely
thereto but rather emhroider It. and
recommend the pamphlet as check
for the conscientious
The place was built about 1919. and
nj that time IL was almost on the shore
OF the bay, which has subsequently
hecn moved by the filling process. and
il also In the heart of tho best
retail district OF New York. which has
moved up toward the middle of Man
haitian, leaving the tavern. which is on
lower Broad Street with very few
pleasant or respectable associations eX-
ccpt its own memories.
II was first used az residence and
subsequently as u store SelllnC All
kinds OF European and East Indian
goods" which is more than any store
in New York attempts to-day.
The place got It's name and its real
start in life in 1857, when IL was pur-
chasad by 81 thrifty West Indian negro
|. Samuel Fraunces, who was commonly
known as BLACK Sam" and who seems
TO have been cook and caterer Of
talent II not genius. \ consideration
of the story of Fraunces Tavern shows
that the place OF cooks in history has
been overlooked and underestimate
! II is they who bring great men to-
! gether and cause great events to he
| planned and set on foot. Thus the
| Sons Of Liberty and the Vigilance Com
| mittee got together al Black Sam's and
| planned TO throw EnEiand's tea over
board before they would pay II tax on
it: and here met the famous COMMITTEES
| of Correspondence, of which we never
heard before, but which. according to
| the History Club, which quotes Wood
| and origin OF the Continental Con-
| grcss. and so the seed from which our
! great and glorious republic sprang.
| New Republic Discussed.
At any rate. here under BLACK Sans
| roof. and over Black SANS excellent
| cnnvas-back duck and venisOn haunch
and Canary and Madeira and muSty ale,
! were discussed aud fomcntcd the plans
| which ultimately resulted in the United
| States Of America. 1t was the excel
| lent eating and drinking at this
J Queens Head Tavern. as the proprietor