BIOGRAPHY: Joseph Hopkins; New York co., NY
surname: Hopkins

submitted by Elizabeth Burns (burns at asu.edu) 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm

Submitted Date: June 3,2005
This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nyfiles/
File size: 2.8 Kb
************************************************
Author: Walter Barrett

Joseph Hopkins
Page 107
Old Merchants, 
Walter Barrett, 
Thomas R. Knox, 1885

Joseph Hopkins was an Englishman and was a crony of John J. Glover; John 
Ellis, Thomas Buchanon and William Wilson.

Mr. Joseph Hopkins is a name well known to our readers.  The old "Pewter Mug" 
now being torn down, was for many years identified with the name of Joseph 
Hopkins --"Major Joe," "Old Joe", and "Major."  He went to the land of gold 
many years ago and I hope is rich. I am not aware that Joseph Hopkins of the 
Pewter in 1848 is any connection of Joseph Hopkins, the old merchant, of whom 
I now write.  

He was an Englishman and commenced business in this city after the 
Constitution was adopted in 1787.  He opened his store at 213 Queen Street 
(that is, the 221 Pearl Street of today, near Platt Street).  At 221 Pearl 
Street he lived and did business until 1803 when he died there.  His widow 
continued it until 1807 when she went to No. 36 Beekman Street, where they had 
formerly resided in 1798 until in 1801 he built a fine brick store.  His 
dwelling had previous been at 36 Beekman Street and I think he owned it, as in 
1808--four years after he died--his widow moved back into it.

John J. Glover was next door at No. 223 Pearl. He also bought the lot and 
erected a brick house, but long previous to the erection of the three below 
him.  William Ellis lived on the opposite side of Pearl Street at No. 218.  
His brother John Ellis lived next door to Mr. Hopkins at 219.  He built a 
house also.

It was a custom of those days to have the stores of the merchants on the first 
floor and in front of the dining room. Upstairs was the drawing room. It 
occupied the whole front of the house. Back of that was the bedroom of the 
merchant and his wife. The sleeping room of the children and other members of 
the family were on the third or attic floor.

Along in that vicinity were several Quaker houses: Richard R. Lawrence at 251; 
Richard T. at 269; John and Isaac at 207; John B., the druggist at 199 and 
235; James Parson and Sons were at 267; The Bownes, Robert, Robert L. and 
Robert H. were at 252 and 256 Pearl; William Hicks was at 276; Clendening, 
Adams and Company at 209 and the Franklins were scattered all along Pearl from 
227 to Franklin Square.  Sixty years ago there were sixteen firms of the name 
of Franklin.