19. Lovelace Tavern Foundation on View at 85 Broad Street

Tavern Foundation Remnants Goldman Sachs Untapped Cities AFineLyne

Before becoming the city’s Financial District, downtown Manhattan was home to some of New York City’s oldest establishments. One of them, the Lovelace Tavern at 85 Broad Street, dates back to the Dutch settlement of Manhattan as one of the first taverns in the city. Built by former New York Governor Franklin Lovelace in 1670 (on top of land that first housed Stadt Huys, the city’s first city hall), it served as a place to meet over wine, beer and tobacco. The tavern was lost in a fire in 1835, but underground remnants remained.  The remnants were discovered in 1979 during the construction of 85 Broad Street by Goldman Sachs, and preserved for curious New Yorkers to find, if they look down on their way to work. As the Observer reported, “it was one of the most expensive urban archeological digs ever in America “at the time.

See both the cistern and the tavern foundations on our tour of the Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam:
Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam