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Financial District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Birthplace of Herman Melville

 
 
Birthplace of Herman Melville Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Erik Lander, April 25, 2009
1. Birthplace of Herman Melville Marker
Inscription. On this site, number 6 Pearl Street, Herman Melville was born August 1, 1819. Author of Moby Dick, “Bartelby the Scrivener,” Pierre, Billy Budd and many other American classics.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1819.
 
Location. Marker has been reported permanently removed. It was located near 40° 42.171′ N, 74° 0.819′ W. Marker was in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It was in the Financial District. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 6 Pearl Street, Manhattan, New York NY 10004, United States of America.

We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Home of Elizabeth Ann Seton (within shouting distance of this marker); Watson House (within shouting distance of this marker); Watson House / Our Lady of the Rosary Church and the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton (within shouting distance of this marker); John Ambrose Statue (within shouting distance
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of this marker); John Wolfe Ambrose (within shouting distance of this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Nine (within shouting distance of this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Seven (within shouting distance of this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Eight (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
 
More about this marker. In the plexiglas-covered niche to the right of the marker was a casting of Melville’s head by William N. Beckwith.
 
Regarding Birthplace of Herman Melville. From his Wikipedia entry: “Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet. He was classified as a Dark Romantic. His first three books gained much attention, the first becoming a bestseller, but after a fast-blooming literary success in the late 1840s, his popularity declined precipitously in the mid-1850s and never recovered during his lifetime. When he died in 1891, he was almost completely forgotten (despite a vogue for his early sea novels in Great Britain in the 1880s), but his longest novel, Moby-Dick
Birthplace of Herman Melville Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 5, 2008
2. Birthplace of Herman Melville Marker
won recognition in the 20th century as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature. His posthumous novella Billy Budd, first published in 1924 and then in a revised and corrected text in 1962 based on a close study of the original manuscripts, rivals Moby-Dick in popularity, and in particular has become a key text of the field of law and literature.”
 
The building at 17 State Street image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, November 26, 2011
3. The building at 17 State Street
Grave of Herman Melville image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 19, 2008
4. Grave of Herman Melville
Herman Melville is also buried in New York City, in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
Birthplace of Herman Melville Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, November 26, 2011
5. Birthplace of Herman Melville Marker
The niche with the bust was visible in the wall of the "New York Unearthed" display across the plaza of 17 State Street.
Herman Melville (1819–1891) image. Click for full size.
Courtesy Wikipedia Commons, circa 1860
6. Herman Melville (1819–1891)
Reproduced from the frontispiece to Journal Up the Straits.
Birthplace of Herman Melville former location image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, August 15, 2017
7. Birthplace of Herman Melville former location
The façade of the long-defunct "New York Unearthed" exhibition was redone; the marker and bust were removed.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2009, by Erik Lander of Brooklyn, New York. This page has been viewed 2,083 times since then and 78 times this year. Last updated on December 29, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. Photos:   1. submitted on April 26, 2009, by Erik Lander of Brooklyn, New York.   2. submitted on May 23, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   3. submitted on December 13, 2011, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.   4. submitted on May 23, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   5. submitted on December 13, 2011, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.   6. submitted on April 26, 2009.   7. submitted on August 15, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024