Washington Hall (1809-1844) was a red brick building designed by John McComb Jr. located at the southeast corner of Broadway and Reade Street. It was built from 1809 to 1812 on the site of the African Burial Ground in what is now the Civic Center of Lower Manhattan in New York City. During its history, it served as a hotel, banquet hall, and restaurant at various times.
Washington Hall became less prominent during the mid-19th century, as the oyster bar in its basement became more important than the hotel itself. The hotel burned down in July 1844 and Coster, the owner died the following month, at which point his heirs sold the property to A.T. Stewart.[8] Stewart, in turn, would replace the ruins of Washington Hall with the original section of the A.T. Stewart Dry Goods Store, a building which still stands to this day.[9]