CHAPTEB xn
 

(1784-178fi.)
 

Tryitmg Place of New Tork*i Belles and Beaux—Hornet of Old Hew

Torkers—Fashionable Hoteb in the old Bayi—Tormatioii

of Political Partiei—Tiyon Bow.

That the trystlng place of New York's belles and beaux a century
ago was the Battery—an oasis In the congested lower part of the city, and
shamefaced because of Its defacement by the elevated road—la known to
few. It was, however. And even when the center of fashion of the youthful
city was at Bleecker and Bond atreets, the termination of an afternoon
walk of Knickerbocker lovers and their staid eldera was under the trees by
the waterside at the Battery. The park was then half Its present slie. and
with no formidable aea wall to stop the tide, which rippled decorously on
a beach of rocks and aand, and Castle Garden was a frowning fortress,
reached by a wooden bridge.

Before Dame Fashion turned her magnet to this part of the city where
the Dutch laid the flrst foundations of a metropella for the New World,
there clustered the homea of merchanla of aterling qualities. In tbe neigh¬
borhood of Bowling Oreen was the home of Stephen Whitney. later one of
old New York's mlllionalrea Robert Qoelot lived in State street, and the
Rhinelonders, Leroys and Schermerhorna on lower Broadway.

When Dame Fashion laid her magnet temporarily aside, Washington
Square, Great Jones street and Lafayette Place held her devotees, and the
current of business hurled their former abodes under Its wsves, the Isat
Knickerbocker bouse to be engulfed being tbat of Stephen Whitney, which
faced Bowling Green and looked up Broadway.

At this period of the city's hiatory fssbionable hotels and boarding-
houses a-plenty were te he found on Broadway. Tbe Adelphi Hotel was
on the corner of Beaver street; the Mansion House at No. 39 Broadway; the
City Hotel occupied the entire block between Thamea and Cedar streets,
"and was the loftiest edifice of that kind in the city;" tbe National Hotel
waa at No. 112 Broadway; the Franklin Houae, corner of Dey street; the
American Hotel, Broadway and Barclay street; Washington Hall. Broadway
and Reade street; Park Place House, corner of Broadway and Park Place;
Niblo's Bank Coffee House, Pine and William streets; Tontine Coffee Houae,
Wall street, comer of Water. The principal book stores and libraries were
also in lower Broadway. What was more natural, then, than to have "one
of the nobleat places of public recreation In the world" convenient to the
business centre of the city—the Castle Garden* which was built as a place
of defence in 1807. and retained for public purposes until 1823. when It was

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