In the latter decades of the 19th century, Henry “Harry” Hill (Abt. 1828 – 1896) was a New York “institution,” a celebrated fixture of the city’s social life. In fact, he was a national figure, thanks not only to the widespread notoriety of his dance hall/variety show saloon (located near Crosby and Houston Streets, SoHo, Manhattan), but also because of his involvement in prizefight boxing and other sporting competitions. Though the low-brow fare that Hill offered at his “little theatre” differed only slightly from several other contemporary dives, his establishment attracted a steady stream of tourists, businessmen, sportsmen, actors, writers, politicians, and the simply curious—thanks mainly to Harry’s reputation.
Harry was an honest, garrulous, jovial host, who nonetheless posted and enforced strict rules of behavior for his clientele: no loud talking; no profanity; no indecent expressions; the plainly drunk will be removed; women are to be seated first; those seated must immediately order refreshments; orders must be taken after every dance; and unaccompanied women cannot enter through the main door. There were private rooms, but Harry did not employ sex workers and the dance hall was not a bordello. Harry’s rules were often administered by Harry himself—a stout man, and a champion of both wrestling and club swinging—martial skills that Harry could apply practically, if the need arose; though simply muscling troublemakers down the front stairs and out the door was his preferred solution.
According to the only existing sources (1860 Census and Philadelphia Inquirer article, 8/29/1896), Harry Hill was born in Fetcham, England (near Epsom) around 1827. The names of his parents are not known, though one Epsom historian believes that they were James Hill and Mary Belchambers of Epsom. [See: Jackson, Linda. “Epsom and Ewell History Explorer,” https://eehe.org.uk/25574/hillharry/ ]
Harry never mentioned his parents; either through mishaps to them or economic hardship, he was taken under the wing of his uncle Harry Hill, Sr. The senior Harry Hill had started out as an odd job worker in a hotel but soon broke into the world of horseracing and track gambling. He eventually became a horse owner and trainer, capturing the Epsom Oaks twice, with Cymba in 1848 and with Mincepie in 1856. Hill Senior also served as a betting commissioner to racing reformer Lord George Bentinck (though both Bentinck and Hill Senior had reputations for manipulating gambling odds). Hill Senior at one point was wealthy from his endeavors but lost a fortune in the late 1860s.
Through his uncle, young Harry Hill Jr. obtained positions working in stables, helping to train racehorses, driving trucks, and doubtlessly learning all about gambling and equestrianism. In the late 1840s, when Harry was in his twenties, he was recruited by a rich American, George Woolsey, to leave Epsom and emigrate to Astoria, Queens, New York, to handle Woolsey’s stable. Before leaving England, Harry married Jane Morgan in London. It appears Harry went alone to America, sending for Jane later. In 1852, Harry left Woolsey’s employ and opened his own stables. In 1854, Hill purchased a grocery store at the corner of Houston and Crosby Streets in Lower Manhattan and applied for a liquor license. Hill soon converted the grocery into a saloon with a stage and an open floor for dancing, which Hill ambitiously called a “variety theater,” but which was generally known as a dance-hall. Dance halls had an unsavory reputation as assignation spots for men to meet prostitutes.
[To be continued]
