Government House (New York City)

The Government House was a Georgian-style mansion at the foot of Broadway, south of Bowling Green, on the site previously occupied by Fort George in Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1790 by the state of New York, it was intended to be the executive mansion for President George Washington, but he never occupied it. Before it was completed, the federal government moved temporarily to Philadelphia; then permanently to Washington, D.C. It then became the state governor’s residence and was used by George Clinton and John Jay. Later it was leased to John Avery and was known as the Elysian Boarding House. After the passage of the Customs Administration Act in 1799, it was converted into the Custom House in New York. Parts of the building were later leased to the American Academy of Arts, who then offered space to the New-York Historical Society in 1809. In 1813, the property was sold to the city. In 1815, the land was sold to the public and the building demolished.

1. Background

After Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783, the site of Fort George was viewed as the "social center of New York", prime real estate for grand residences. From March 4, 1789, to December 5, 1790, the federal capital of the United States was in New York, at Federal Hall. President Washington first occupied the Samuel Osgood House – April 23, 1789, to February 23, 1790 – then the Alexander Macomb House – February 23 to August 30, 1790 – both private houses. On July 13, 1789, the New York State legislature passed a resolution that the site of Fort George should be used to build a "proper House ... for the residence and accommodation of the President of the United States."

1. History

On March 16, 1790, the New York state legislature authorized the demolition of Fort George and the building of a government house for the "temporary use and accommodation of the President of the United States of America, during such time as the Congress of the United States shall hold their sessions in the city of New York." On March 24, proposals for the building were requested. The architect, John McComb, Jr., submitted plans, but apparently they were not used, since they do not match the house as built. James Robinson became the architect and designed a Georgian-style mansion. During the coming months, the fort defensive walls and enclosed buildings were taken down. Some stones were even reused to build the new government house. The cornerstone of this new building was laid on May 21, 1790. However, before the building was completed, Congress passed the Residence Act of July 16, 1790, which named Philadelphia as the temporary national capital for a 10-year period while the permanent national capital was under construction at what is now Washington, D.C. Thus, President Washington never resided in this public building, intended to be his executive mansion. The Government House was described in 1791 by Rev. Garret Abeel as an "elegant two-story brick building of an oblong square form ... In front is an elegant pediment, supported by four large pillars ... all the rooms in the house command a most extensive and delightful prospect, some into the East River, some quite to the Narrows; others up the North River."

While the building was never used by the President, it did serve as the state governors' house. In 1791, Governor George Clinton moved into the building. Governor John Jay lived in the residence from 1795 to 1797. He was the last governor to live here, since Albany became the state capital in 1797. In May 1798, the state leased the building to John Avery. He then opened it as the Elysian Boarding and Lodging House. The Elysian has also been called a tavern. John Avery left two weeks after the building became the Custom House.

Alexander Hamilton inspired the Customs Administration Act, passed by Congress on March 2, 1799, “An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage.” On May 1, 1799, the building was converted for use as the Custom House in New York. The Custom House had previously been at S. William Street, opposite Mill Lane, known as 5 Mill Street. Government House was the Custom House until 1815. The following year, the Custom House occupied a store at the site of the second City Hall on Wall Street. On April 11, 1808, the upper room of the building was reserved for the American Academy of Arts. The academy was previously known as the New York Academy of Fine Arts. In 1809, the academy invited the New-York Historical Society to use one room on the second floor for its collection. On May 26, 1812, the state legislature authorized the sale of the building and grounds to the city "for the erection of private buildings or other individual purposes." The purchase was completed on August 2, 1813. On May 1, 1815, the city started the process to sell the property to the public. Seven lots facing Bowling Green were sold at auction on May 25. By June 1, the demolition of the building and clearing of the adjacent lots was underway. Between 1815 and the construction of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, the site of Government House contained rowhouse residences and a dead-end alley named Whitney Street, named for a property owner on it.

1. Legacy

On September 29, 1890, the Holland Society of New York installed a commemorative tablet at 4 Bowling Green. It described that the Government House was built on the site of Fort Amsterdam, built in 1626. The site is now occupied by the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, built between 1902 and 1907. The historic Holland Society tablet was moved inside this new building.

1. See also

Government House The White House – Once known as the "Executive Mansion" President's House – House intended for the president of the United States in Philadelphia

1. References


1. Bibliography

Abeel, Garret (1916). "Historical Notes about the City of New York, from 1609 to 1792". Year Book of the Holland Society of New York. pp. 44–83. Stokes, Isaac Newton Phelps (1915–1928). The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909. Robert H. Dodd.

1. Further reading

Media related to Government House (New York City) at Wikimedia Commons Stillman, Damie (October 2005). "Six Houses for the President". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography: 411–31.

Nearby Places View Menu

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York is the United States bankruptcy court within the Southern District of New York. The Southern District of New York is a major venue for bankruptcy, as it has jurisdiction over the corporate headquarters and major financial institutions located in Manhattan. Originally, the District Court itself handled bankruptcies; these and admiralty court cases dominated nearly to the exclusion of all other cases, which were primarily handled by a Circuit Court for the District of New York and its successor Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York, until that court was abolished and its cases handled by the District Court as well. The district became widely recognized for its expertise in handling large bankruptcies, leading companies to seek a way to file in this court. Modern examples include the General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization and the Enron and WorldCom bankruptcies. From 1980 through 2014, the Southern District Bankruptcy Court for New York handled over 18% of all large, public-company bankruptcy filings in the United States while the Delaware District Bankruptcy Court handled nearly 36%.

Bank Government

George Gustav Heye Center

The National Museum of the American Indian–New York, the George Gustav Heye Center, is a branch of the National Museum of the American Indian at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in Manhattan, New York City. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The center features contemporary and historical exhibits of art and artifacts by and about Native Americans. The center has its origin in the Museum of the American Indian founded by George Heye in 1916. It became part of the national museum and Smithsonian in 1987.

Art Landmark

Fort Amsterdam

Fort Amsterdam (later Fort George, among other names) was a fortification on the southern tip of Manhattan Island at the confluence of the Hudson and East rivers in what is now New York City. The fort and the island were the center of trade and the administrative headquarters for the Dutch rule of the colony of New Netherland and thereafter British rule of the Province of New York. The fort was the nucleus of the settlement on the island which was at first named New Amsterdam and is central to New York's early history. Before the fort was constructed, it was the scene where the purchase of Manhattan Island occurred. In its subsequent history, the fort was known under various names such as Fort James, Fort Willem Hendrick and its anglicized Fort William Henry, Fort Anne, and Fort George. The fort changed hands eight times in various battles, the first episode involving Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant, who surrendered the fort to Richard Nicolls of England in 1664. In the 18th century, the fort was at the center of the Stamp Act riots in New York when it was used to store shipments of stamped paper brought over from England, while serving as a safe haven for a number of stamp tax collectors. During the American Revolution, it was involved in the Battle of Brooklyn, when volleys were exchanged between the fort and British emplacements on Governor's Island. After 165 years of service, involving a number of conflicts, the fort was finally torn down in 1790 after the American Revolution. After the fort's demolition, the Government House was constructed on the site as a possible house for the United States President. The site is now occupied by the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, which houses a branch of the National Museum of the American Indian; Bowling Green is nearby. The construction of the fort marked the official founding date of New York City as recognized by its seal. In October 1683, what would become the first session of the New York legislature convened at the fort. Artillery guns outside the fort overlooking the harbor formed a battery that would later be the namesake of nearby Battery Park.

Historic Site Landmark

Four Continents (French)

Four Continents is the collective name of four sculptures by Daniel Chester French, installed outside the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green in Manhattan, New York City. French performed the commissions with associate Adolph A. Weinman.

Art Landmark