A New Yorker Describes The 1820 Destruction Of The Famous Park Street Theatre

ALS. 2pgs. May 29, 1820. New York. An autograph letter signed “Eliza Thompson” to her cousin Matilda Crawford. Along with family news and pleas for a return letter, Thompson describes the recent destruction of the famous Park Street Theatre, which had burned down the prior week. “…You will probably hear before you receive this, that our large and elegant Theatre was entirely destroyed by fire, last Wednesday night, it made a formidable appearance indeed, the night being cloudy the light was much more apparent, fortunately the wind changed during the fire or our Church would probably have been injured. The Theatre was said to be the largest in the Union. Some of our good folks would rejoice at this, if they were sure that another would not be erected, but it is more probable it will be rebuild in the course of a year or two; most part of the walls are standing. You will present my kindest love to your Father and Mother, brother and sisters, and I should mention a umber of others, but fear it would give you too much trouble. Mother desires to be kindly remembered to you all. Recollect that I shall be expecting a letter from you very soon, and I hope you will not disappoint me if you wish ever to hear from me again Yours with sincere affection Eliza Thompson”. The Park Street Theatre was erected in 1798 and quickly became New York City’s most popular theatre, attracting large audiences from a variety of social classes. It burned down in 1820 and was quickly rebuilt, as Thompson supposed it would be; the new structure burnt down in 1848. The letter is in very good condition with a small hole in the left margin.