author
W. Harrison (William Harrison) Bayles
1841–1929
Best known for Old Taverns of New York, this writer turned the city’s drinking houses, coffee rooms, and meeting places into a lively story of colonial and early American life. His work blends local history with an eye for the everyday spaces where politics, gossip, and community all met.
1 Audiobook
Old Taverns of New York
by W. Harrison (William Harrison) Bayles
About the author
William Harrison Bayles was an American writer born in 1841 and died in 1929. The clearest widely available records for him today point to those dates, and public-domain library listings connect him with the name W. Harrison Bayles.
He is remembered chiefly for Old Taverns of New York, published in 1915. In that book, he traces the story of New York’s taverns from the Dutch colonial period into the early 19th century, treating them not just as inns or bars but as important centers of social life, public debate, and political activity.
Bayles wrote in an accessible, story-minded way that makes local history feel lived-in rather than distant. For listeners who enjoy books about old New York, forgotten city landmarks, or the everyday settings behind major historical events, his work still has plenty of charm.