History tour of Lower Manhattan including Wall Street, Federal Hall, New York Stock Exchange, Trinity Church, New York Harbor, US Custom House, Dutch New Amsterdam and the American Revolution. This tour also includes coverage of the damage that Superstorm Sandy caused in Lower Manhattan in 2012 and the steps that New York City is taking to protect its shoreline and citizens.
Tour Highlights:
- New York Harbor: The tour starts at the southern tip of Manhattan looking out over the famous New York Harbor with views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governors Island and the large container terminals.
- Dutch New Amsterdam and British New York: The contributions of both the Dutch and the British to a rising economic powerhouse that eventually became known as the Empire State.
- The American Revolution in New York City: Sites and stories connected with the Revolution in New York including George Washington’s escape from Brooklyn and the tearing down of the equestrian statue of King George III in Bowling Green.
- Castle Clinton: Located in Battery Park, this former fort has served as an entertainment venue, an immigration processing center and an aquarium.
- Battery Park: Situated at the southern tip of Manhattan, this park features historic and military monuments, an urban farm and the almost-completed SeaGlass carousel in honor of the nearby former aquarium that was relocated to Coney Island in the 1940s.
- Custom House: Cass Gilbert, the architect of the Woolworth building, designed the neo-classical Alexander Hamilton US Custom House at the southern foot of Broadway.
- Fraunces Tavern: After his triumphal arrival in New York at the end of the American Revolution, General George Washington gave his farewell speech to his generals in the Long Room of the now rebuilt Fraunces Tavern.
- Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange: Named after a fortification at the northern edge of Dutch New Amsterdam, Wall Street is the birthplace and home of the financial markets including the New York Stock Exchange.
- Federal Hall National Memorial: George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United State at the original Federal Hall. This was also the location of the trial of newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger and the Stamp Act Congress.
- Trinity Church: The Neo-Gothic Trinity Church of Wall Street is the third church to stand on this site at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street. The historic Trinity churchyard is the resting place for Alexander Hamilton and Robert Fulton.
Contact
If you have questions about this or other tours, please contact Doug:
Doug Fox
Email: dougfoxnyc@gmail.com
Cell: 917-226-6914
