James Watson House

The James Watson House stands at number seven State Street, serving as a rare survivor of the elegant row of merchant mansions that once lined the southern tip of Manhattan. Built in seventeen ninety-three for James Watson, the first Speaker of the New York State Assembly, the house was positioned to give its inhabitants an unobstructed view of the harbor and easy access to the shipping docks. Its distinct, curved two-story portico, added by a later owner in eighteen hundred and six, features columns that local lore claims were crafted from salvaged ship masts. This architectural feature allows the building to gracefully follow the natural bend of the street along the edge of the Battery.