OP: (photograph) The Old Grapevine (1914)
7.75” x 9.75” photo of The Old Grapevine tavern at 6th Ave and 11th St. Built as a private home in the 1700s and later converted to a tavern, The Old Grapevine was named after the vine that grew along its 11th St side until the late 1800s. During the Civil War, the ale house was a popular gathering place for soldiers and spies, and after the Jefferson Market Courthouse was built one block south, it attracted lawyers and politicians. It was such a renowned hub of gossip that some have speculated that the phrase “heard through the grapevine” originated here; however compelling, the story is apocryphal.
The three 11th St buildings featured here were torn down the next year and replaced with the 6-story building that stands on the corner today. On the other hand, 450 6th Ave. next door, with its distinctive black and white columns, still stands. Several blurred figures can be seen on 6th Ave.
The photo is in great shape and bears the blind stamp of H. N. Tiemann Co. Hermann Newell Tiemann (1863-1957) was a commercial photographer who spent much of the late 1800s and early 1900s documenting the buildings of New York City.
