Mount Vernon Hotel Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden
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 Location in Manhattan
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 421 East 61st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA |
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| Built | 1799 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Architecture |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001223 |
| Added to NRHP | January 12, 1973 |
The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden is a special historic building in New York City. It used to be called the Abigail Adams Smith Museum. This old building, built before the American Civil War, is located at 421 East 61st Street, close to the East River. Today, it's a museum where you can learn about New York City's past.
Contents
A Glimpse into the Past
How the Building Began
This building is one of the oldest in Manhattan, built before 1800. It was first planned in 1795 for Colonel William Stephens Smith and his wife, Abigail Adams Smith. They never finished it. Instead, it became a carriage house and stable in 1799. This was for a nearby estate owned by William T. Robinson.
In 1826, Joseph C. Hart bought the building. He turned it into a hotel.
Life at the Mount Vernon Hotel
The Mount Vernon Hotel opened when New York City was growing very fast. This was after the Erie Canal opened in 1825. The hotel's location offered a quiet escape from the busy city. In the 1830s, New York City's main business areas were downtown. Private homes stretched north to areas like Chelsea, Manhattan.
Many people from the upper and middle classes would take day trips. They visited the then-rural areas that are now midtown Manhattan. The Mount Vernon Hotel was one of over 50 "day hotels" near the city. It offered fun activities for guests. These included boating, interesting exhibitions, reading, and meeting new friends.
New York City did not have public parks or libraries back then. So, these day hotels gave "gentlemen and their families" new ways to have fun. They could escape the city's fast growth. New York City's population grew from 123,706 in 1820 to 202,589 by 1830. Guests could spend a peaceful day by the river. Then, they could be home downtown by sunset.
A Scottish writer named James Stuart visited the hotel in 1829. He wrote about his stay in his book, Three Years in North America (1833):
We immediately set about obtaining a comfortable lodging-house in the neighbourhood of the city, and at length pitched our tent at Mount Vernon, about four miles from New York, on the East River or Long Island Sound, a good house in an airy situation, from the door of which a stage went to New York two or three times a-day. The house is placed upon the top of the bank, about fifty feet from the river; and the view of the river and of the gay sailing craft constantly passing, and tossed about by the eddies in every direction, is very interesting. The house in which we got rooms is kept by the stage-hirer, and is much resorted to in the afternoon by persons taking their evening ride or drive from New York; it being very much the custom to stop at such a house as this, and have a little spirits and water or lemonade. There was a course for trotting horses in an adjoining field, which tended to increase the number of people. We bargained from the beginning to have our meals in our own parlour, and had many pleasant walks for exercise in the neighbouring parts of the island of Manhattan, at times when they were free from the crowds of people who come out of the city in the evenings.
From Hotel to Museum
The Mount Vernon Hotel operated until 1833. Then, Jeremiah Towle bought it. He turned it into a private home. His daughters lived there until 1905. After that, the Standard Gas Light Company bought the house. They built gas tanks nearby.
In 1919, Jane Teller Robinson bought the house. The Colonial Dames of America bought the site in 1924. They used it as their main office. In 1939, the house opened to the public. It became the Abigail Adams Smith Museum. A landscape designer named Alice Recknagel Ireys planned the garden.
In the early 2000s, there was an attempt to rename the area around the museum "Mount Vernon." This effort was not successful. Much of the original Mount Vernon estate was torn down. This made way for the Queensboro Bridge, which opened in 1908. Today, this area is part of the Upper East Side or Lenox Hill.
What's Happening Today?
Public Programs and Events
The Colonial Dames of America now own and operate the museum. The museum shares the story of New York City's huge growth. This growth happened after the Erie Canal was finished in 1825. That was one year before the Mount Vernon Hotel opened.
The museum offers tours and educational programs. It is open to the public from 11 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. You can take guided tours of the historic rooms and garden. The museum also hosts school field trips. They have about 35 programs each year. These include monthly Lunchtime Lectures and Children's Storytime. They also have summer concerts and History Weeks for kids. Special yearly events include the George Washington's Birthday Ball and Candlelight Holiday Tours.
Exploring New York's Past
Every summer, Hearst Fellows do special research. They study different parts of New York history. This includes topics like trade, travel, and daily life in the 1820s-30s. They also look at leisure, education, and how the city developed. This research helps us learn more about the past.
