Louis Torres Federal Hall research notes
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Abstract
The collection includes National Park Service historian Louis Torres's (1921-2017) research notes from the late 1950s to early 1960s concerning the history of the building site now known as the Federal Hall National Memorial. The bulk of the collection includes about 700 index cards identifying sources of information and a small number of photographs and other documents.
Biographical/Historical Note
Louis Torres (1921-2017) was a senior historian at the National Park Service (NPS). In the late 1950s, he began his NPS career at the Federal Hall National Historic Site where he was appointed to research and write both a construction history of the Customs House/Sub-Treasury/Federal Hall National Memorial, and a Historic Structures Report. Torres's work contributed to the rehabilitation of Federal Hall, beginning in the early 1960s. He became site manager for Federal Hall, running its daily operations, events and public outreach activities. Although Torres left NPS for a time to become a historian with the U.S. Air Force, he returned in 1973, eventually retiring in 1981.
(Principal sources for the above note are the National Park Service's newsletter Courier, Vol. 4, No. 3 of March 1981 and the finding aid for the administrative records of the Federal Hall National Memorial.)
Arrangement Note
The index cards are in sequential order, designated with a number noted in the upper right corner of each; these appear to correspond with a chronological history of the building site. Other documents are in one folder.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes research notes compiled by National Parks Service historian Louis Torres in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The bulk includes a total of approximately 719 typed 5 x 8 index cards related to Torres's Federal Hall research. The original box label for the cards was titled, "Continental Congress, Federal Hall National Memorial, Custom House-Sub Treasury". The cards appear to be in chronological order of the building site's history starting pre-Revolutionary War (1774), Revolutionary War, 1790 L'Enfant building, through the 1800's, and ending about 1931. Includes notes on primary and secondary materials about Continental Congress, Federal Hall, Sub-Treasury, and Custom House. For example, the cards refer to sources such as city records regarding repairs to Federal Hall and Custom House; Common Council meetings; oral histories of Frazee descendants; Federal records from the National Building Service; letters and records from those associated with Continental Congress; several sources describing Federal Hall architecture; Municipal Archives; and more.
There is also one folder with a small number of other documents including miscellaneous correspondence with James Heslin, Director of the New-York Historical Society, Professor James Grote Van Derpool of Columbia University, and Joan (Reilly?) regarding sale of Old City Hall; photographic prints and negatives; and part of a manuscript on "History of Rahway" with a particular focus on John Frazee.
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Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers. Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Use Restrictions
This collection is owned by the New-York Historical Society. The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Unpublished materials created before January 1, 1978 cannot be quoted in publication without permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation Note
This collection should be cited as the Louis Torres Federal Hall Research Notes, MS 3028, The New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition Note
Gift of Louis Torres's daughter, Patricia Cronenberger.