I Didn't Throw Away My Shot: Seeing Hamilton in NYC

I thought I would take my shot in the hopes of seeing Hamilton while I was in New York. Thus, I entered the Hamilton lottery with dreams of snagging a couple $10 tickets to see the show on Broadway. Of course I knew the odds were not in my favor. Sadly, I struck out not once, not twice, but three times. Had the show featured most of the original cast, perhaps I may have been more inclined to spend $300-$400 per ticket for a seat in the nose bleed section. Oh well, the tour comes to Louisville next year and I plan to take my shot over and over again in the hope of snagging some cheap seats.


Though I failed to strike gold in the Hamilton lottery, all was not lost. There was no need to hang around the Rodgers Theater and let my problems surround me. I could still have my shot at seeing Hamilton and a few others in the cast while I was in Manhattan. After all, the actual historical stars of Hamilton were nearby. All I needed to do was (cue Petula Clark) go downtown. . . . where I could forget all my troubles, forget all my cares. So, I went downtown. Downtown Manhattan, no finer place for sure. Downtown at Trinity Church, everything was waiting for me: Alexander Hamilton, the Schuyler sisters, and Hercules Mulligan.




Alexander Hamilton

Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

Hercules Mulligan

Angelica Schuyler Church

Trinity Church, an active Episcopal parish which has been an institution in New York City for more than 300 years, stands at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street. In 1697, the first of three Trinity Church's was built at the head of Wall Street of facing the Hudson River marking it the first Anglican church on the island of Manhattan. The first Trinity Church burned in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. A second Trinity Church was completed in 1790. At this point in time, all Anglican churches in the former colonies had legally separated from the Church of England to become the Episcopal Church. The second church faced Wall Street and was both longer and wider than the first. The new steeple soared to a height of 200 feet. President George Washington and members of his government were regular worshipers in the new Trinity building during the brief period New York City was the capital of the United States (1789-1790). Notable parishioners from this time include John Jay, who briefly served as Acting Secretary of State before being appointed the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Alexander Hamilton, the nation's first Secretary of Treasury.

In 1838, the support beams of the second Trinity Church buckled. After consulting with a prominent architect, the congregation decided that the best course of action was to demolish the current structure and to construct a third church. Richard Upjohn was hired to design the new church. Upjohn, who appreciated Anglo-Catholic liturgical style and English Gothic architecture, designed a church that looked like a 14th-century English parish church. Trinity Church, consecrated on Ascension Day 1846, is considered one of the first and finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States. With a 281-foot high steeple, Trinity was the tallest building in New York City until 1890, when the city's skyline was transformed by modern skyscrapers.

First, Trinity Church stands at the head of Wall Street along Broadway.

Here are some exterior photos of Trinity Church.

And now, the actual historical stars of the Broadway smash hit. Alexander Hamilton's final resting place at Trinity's graveyard.

Alexander's better half, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, who lived a long, and eventful life (1757-1854).

Hercules Mulligan, 1740-1825. A tailor in British-occupied New York during the American Revolution, Mulligan used his position to discreetly extract intelligence from his clients, many of whom were British soldiers, which he then passed on to General George Washington. Mulligan was a member of Trinity Church and served on its vestry.

Angelica Schulyer Church, an American socialite and sister of Eliza Hamilton (1756-1814). She is buried on the opposite side of the graveyard from a number of historical figures, including the $10 dollar, founding father, Alexander Hamilton who was her brother-in-law.

Note: Trinity Church History courtesy of Trinity Church's website.