Ezra Weeks, was a successful builder who served as a witness in a sensationalized murder trial. Ezra Weeks had allied himself with the

mercantile Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exch ...

elite and had made powerful connections. His brother, Levi Weeks, was a carpenter by trade who worked closely with Ezra. The Weeks brothers’ main building project at the time was

Hamilton Grange Hamilton Grange National Memorial, also known as The Grange or the Hamilton Grange Mansion, is a National Park Service site in St. Nicholas Park, Manhattan, New York City, that preserves the relocated home of U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilt ...

,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, the architect of

, 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. 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 ...

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

(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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Weeks, Ezra 19th-century American businesspeople American construction businesspeople Businesspeople from New York City