The New York herald., 1922-05-14
The House of Merchant Prince
A Visit to the Site of William Waltons Home on
Cherry Hill, Once Famous for It's Hospitality.

houses on the other side. This condi-
ton lasted up to about 1862. when the
section was filled with sailors boarding
houses and tenements. Business In a
small way crept in and the Walton
house had two small stores on it's fine
old lower floor and was a tenement
when 1t was razed in 1881. Thus ended
this mansion of lavish entertainment of
the early days.
The Walton house was without any
American historical interest. but there
Is still now and then little sentimen-
tai feeling left for what was once the
palace of Queen street and traditions
still linger in the minds Of some OF us
which have been handed down iby former
generations. Perhaps had William Wal
ton been patriot instead of Royalist
another Walton house would now be
standing at the head of Pearl street as
does the Fraunces Tavern at the lower
end of it.
The Tavern is now the only land
mark Of past age outside Of st. Paul's
that we have downtown. or course the
early fires. which were calamities. have
had much to do with this. but in these
days there seems to be ruthless march
of Improvement always going on. and
one must admit that 1t takes much to
arouse a sentimental interest in this
busy New York. Let us be thankful We
have the Jumel Mansion, the Dyckman
house, the Van Cortlandt manor house
and the New York Historical Society,
which while not producing the old build
ings does lay out before us in all the
splendor of its rare old prints, maps and
paintings and other historical matter
this good little city Of Old New York.
1t has been my privilege to have been
In most of the old houses before their
museum days. About 1872 was in the
Walton house and remember the two
little stores that took up a part OF the
old parlor floor. and in 1880 visited
Fraunces Tavern. A small saloon was
at the northeast corner where the dining
room is now. and as I remember 1t the
entrance was at the extreme nortn emu
on the Pearl street side.
And now we come to the Roosevelt
memorial. 1t has already been started
It has to be and must be worthy of the
name it bears.
The Roosevelt family was we'll known
In the old days Of the Walton house
and no doubt some of them were enter
tained there, as at one time branch OF
the family lived In lower Beekman
street as well as on Maiden lane, and
later generation after generation has
been represented on the directorate OF
the older banks, the Manhattan Com
pany and the Chemical. and the name
Is at least New York city American.
The house in Twentieth street Is in no
sense a mansion but simply the birth
place of our own Teddy, and the home
influence there produced a man OF deeds
affecting the city. the country and the
whole world.
"A Great American" is the heading
that appeared over an editorial article
in THE SUN few days after his death,
and one may add "a man without fear,
without malice and without guile,
which can be said of but few. New
York city will make the house great
memorial and as years roll on the ven
Grafton that is due will be given while
the memories of the Walton house in al
It's splendor will have sunk into COM
plete oblivion. j. GARDNER BLEY.