Ezra Weeks, was a successful builder who served as a witness in a sensationalized murder trial.
Ezra Weeks had allied himself with the
mercantile elite and had made powerful connections. His brother,
Levi Weeks
Levi Weeks (1776–1819) was the accused in the infamous Manhattan Well Murder trial of 1800, the first murder trial in the United States for which there is a recorded transcript.* . Refer to the first chapter, "The Trial of LEVI WEEKS for the M ...
, was a carpenter by trade who worked closely with Ezra. The Weeks brothers’ main building project at the time was
Hamilton Grange,
[Howard, Hugh and Straus III, Roger. ''Houses of the Founding Fathers'' (2007)] a country house in
Harlem Heights in Upper Manhattan.
Alexander Hamilton was having a country seat built to rival
Richmond Hill, the country home of his nemesis
Aaron Burr.
John McComb
John McComb Jr. (1763 – 1853) was an American architect who designed many landmarks in the 18th and 19th centuries. Between 1790 and 1825, McComb was New York city's leading architect.
John McComb Jr. was born on October 17, 1763 in New Yo ...
, the architect of
Hamilton Grange, and Ezra Weeks would both be key defense witnesses for Ezra Weeks' brother, Levi in one of the most sensational murder trials of the turn of the 18th century.
Ezra Weeks was an object of curiosity within New York City society circles. Only a few years prior to being commissioned by Hamilton, he and his brother Levi were living at the corner of Greenwich and Harrison streets. On March 1, 1800, Levi was tried for the murder of Gulielma Sands. Ezra was the principal witness for Hamilton's defense.
Weeks was a member of
St. John's Lodge (New York), having affiliated in 1796.
Ezra Weeks worked with
John McComb Jr. in the construction of
Gracie Mansion
Archibald Gracie Mansion (commonly called Gracie Mansion) is the official residence of the Mayor of New York City. Built in 1799, it is located in Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and 88th Street in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan. ...
(1799) and
Hamilton Grange (1802).
[ - Document can be downloaded from https://www.nps.gov/hagr/learn/news/upload/Hamilton-Grange_Timeline.doc]
References
Sources
* Stern, Ellen Stock. 2005. Gracie Mansion: a celebration of New York City's mayoral residence. New York, NY: Rizzoli.
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19th-century American businesspeople
American construction businesspeople
Businesspeople from New York City