Fraunces Tavern

Fraunces Tavern is a historic building today housing a restaurant and a museum Lower Manhattan. Fraunces Tavern was built on the site of a former building which played a significant role in pre-Revolutionary activities. It was here that General George Washington bade farewell to his officers at the end of the Revolution, on 4 December 1783, before he returned to his home at Mount Vernon.

Due to its historic significance, the Fraunces Tavern Block an area bounded by Pearl, Water, Broad Streets and Coenties Slip, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The Fraunces Tavern building was separately listed on the National Register in 2008.

Fraunces Tavern, New York City
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fraunces_Tavern_001.jpg
Author: Leonard J. DeFrancisci


The building that houses Fraunces Tavern, located at 54 Pearl Street, is believed to be the oldest surviving building in Manhattan. It was built by Etienne "Stephen" DeLancey - after whom Delancey Street was named - in 1719. The bricks used for its construction came from the Dutch Republic.

During the Revolution, the people instrumental in the independence of America met here regularly. It was also here that they forced the British naval captain to issue a public apology for trying to bring in tea into New York, and later on, dumped the tea cargo into the New York Harbor, in an incident subsequently repeated in the Boston Tea Party.

Dining room at Fraunces Tavern
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dining_room_at_Fraunces_Tavern.jpg
Author: Billy Hathorn


In more recent times, Fraunces Tavern was the site of a bombing on 24 January, 1975. The attack, of which the Puerto Rico nationalist group FALN claimed responsibility, killed four people and injured over fifty.

Fraunces Tavern, south side
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fraunces_Tavern,_south_side.jpg
Author: Twp


Fraunces Tavern plaque
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fraunces_Tavern_plaque_02.jpg
Author: Leonard J. DeFrancisci

Getting there

Whitehall St Station (N, R) is the nearest subway station. From there, walk heading east on Pearl Street to reach Fraunces Tavern, on the right side, at the intersection with Broad St.

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