Archaeological Stories: Lovelace Tavern
The Lovelace Tavern was located in Lower Manhattan in what is today known as 85 Broad Street. Sir Francis Lovelace, New York's second English governor, built the tavern in 1670 next to the City Hall, a structure that dated to the Dutch colonial period. After the City Hall fell out of use, the Lovelace Tavern was used as an interim City Hall from 1697-1705. The tavern was torn down in 1705 or 1706.
An archaeological excavation of the site found over 70,000 artifacts. This collection is curated by the New York City Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Research Center, which is managed by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. A selection of items found at Lovelace Tavern appears below.
Group of objects found at Lovelace Tavern
Wine bottle found at Lovelace Tavern
This glass onion-shaped wine bottle was made between 1690 and 1710. Originally green in color, it features a V-tooled applied string rim with a hand-tooled finish. It is heavily patinated.
Wine glass found at Lovelace Tavern
This wine glass has a conical shaped bowl and conical folded foot, as well as an inverted baluster without a tear. Its high density and form are reminiscent of Irish glass.
Smoking pipe found at Lovelace Tavern
This nearly complete smoking pipe is made of white ball clay. It consists of a stem, smooth oval heel, and bowl decorated with a single band of rouletting around the bowl rim. There is an IE makers mark on the body of the bowl, which indicates that it was manufactured in Bristol, England by Isaac Evans ca. 1698-1713. The interior surface of the bowl is blackened. The hole at the end of the stem is 7/64 inches in diameter.