Presidents and First Ladies Trivia

[L Verge]

Astor House was what I was looking for, but I am going to accept the Metropolitan Hotel also. My source for this info is my book on The Civil War Lover's Guide to New York City.

First, here's what the author says about the Astor House: ...the most luxurious hotel in the city during the Civil War. It had more than 300 rooms and occupied the entire block. ...the five-story Astor House sported Greek Revival columns that opened onto an opulent lobby off of which were gardens and dining rooms, all exquisitely decorated. It was the preferred hotel for Abraham Lincoln and his wife...whenever they visited the city. Mention is then made of their visit in July of 1857, as tourists; February of 1860, when he put the final touches on his Cooper Union speech; the stop there en route to Washington in 1861, and his ride down Broadway in a open carriage with throngs cheering him (even though the city had voted overwhelmingly against him). ...Mary enjoyed staying there on her shopping trips to the city -- more than a dozen trips over the four years as First Lady. The hotel was also one of the targets of the Confederate conspiracy to burn much of the city on the night of November 25, 1864, but staff quickly brought the fire under control.

About the Metropolitan: It was one of the first-class hotels that clustered along Broadway during the mid-1800s. Its advertisements touted 13,000 square yards of carpet and 12 miles of water and gas lines that supplied the two-acre building with light and running water. It was another Confederate target in November of 1864 - in fact the two saboteurs actually resided in the Metropolitan while they made their plans. "Although Mrs. Lincoln stayed at the Astor House during her visits to the city, she is said to have preferred the meals served at the Metropolitan."