by Christine Chagaris
Interested in traveling back in time to the Manhattan of the 1820’s? Well, you can if you visit the Mt. Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, an Upper East Side landmark located on 421 East 61st Street, just off of York Avenue. The hotel, which functioned as a 19th century carriage house, offers three in-depth, guided tours that capture the essence of the Manhattan of yore ... a time when instead of asphalt, cool places to shop and eat and upscale apartment buildings; think hills, greenery, sprawling estates and even cliffs jutting out from the banks of the East River. A time when the Upper East Side along the river was dubbed “The Gold Coast” for its exclusivity.
The museum, owned and operated by the Colonial Dames of America (a patriotic organization) has a rich and varied history. A thumbnail sketch: it was formerly known as the Abigail Adams Smith Museum, the nod to Abigail (daughter of President John Adams) a homage to the fact that she and her husband, Col. William Steven Smith (an aide-de-camp to George Washington) purchased the land that is now the site of the building for an estate.
(A side note: the museum’s current moniker pays tribute to Washington’s Virginia home, as he was a national hero in the hotel’s heyday. Indeed, his portrait hangs on the wall of the hotel’s Tavern Room.) However, the couple left in 1796. The property then found itself in the bank’s hands. The actual hotel was built in 1799 to function as a carriage house serving a large country estate across the street. Fire destroyed the mansion across the street, and in 1826, the new owner, Joseph Hart, decided to convert the carriage house into a country hotel. It was one of many dotting the East and Hudson Rivers back in the 19th century.
The interesting aspect of these places was that they were not “hotels” in the conventional sense, as they did not serve overnight guests. Rather, they functioned as refuges of sorts for the day that the city’s middle class could take advantage of. Most of these city folk lived below 14th Street. True to form, the hotel only boasts one bedroom, complete with the furnishings of the day: wood plank floors, a rope bed and a bed warmer. (No California king-sizes with back support in those days, unfortunately.) Fresh sheets were at a premium as well, as washing them took much time and effort. (So forget the 500-thread count Egyptian cotton set if you were an overnight guest back then.)
The hotel is currently displayed in its 1826 incarnation, as the furnishings and setup are from that time period. The center hall boasts Greek columns that probably date from that era, to wall moldings from the same period. The spacious rooms feature mostly original but some reproduction furnishings. There is a tavern room that the men of the era would enjoy, complete with recreation of a bar. It is in this room that they would enjoy hearty conversation or a good game of cards. (Visitors can also enjoy tea and scones in this room as part of one of the museum’s tours.) There is a kitchen area, complete with period stove and food cabinet. It was in this room where freed slaves and Irish immigrants toiled in order to prepare meals for the hotel guests. A highlight of one of the tours is the visit to the Ladies’ Parlour upstairs. A lady dressed in the costume of the era, who gives an overview of what the women of the time would do for leisure in this room, greets visitors. The parlour is adorned with various musical instruments, such as a harp and an organ. Ladies would play these instruments, as well as use the table in the middle of the room to catch up on their correspondence. To cap off the visit, the lady in costume gives a delightful lesson in the “language of the fans.” Each visitor is given a fan, and is shown the different gestures a lady of the era would make with her fan to catch a gentleman’s eye. For example, a lady tapping the top of a closed fan meant that she was interested to beckon a gentleman to speak to her.
Kids can also enjoy the museum, as it has a Children’s’ Corner where they are able to steep themselves in the traditions of the day. This area is included in the tours, and kids can experience the gamut, from making believe that they are filling up a bed warmer with coals, washing guests’ linens, making turtle soup (a delicacy of the day) to actually dressing up in period clothing.
The museum also is home to various seasonal events, such as a spring tea afternoon, a Summer Garden Concert Series and summer day camps for kids. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. Regular admission is $8 for adults, $7 for students/seniors, free for kids under 12. Tours should be booked in advance. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.mvhm.org or call 212-838-6878.