Ezra Weeks

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, 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, 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 lived at the corner of Greenwich and Harrison streets. On the March 1, 1800, Levi was tried for the murder of the Gulielma Sands. Ezra was the principal witness for Hamilton's defense.

Ezra Weeks was also involved in the design and construction of Gracie Mansion.

References

Sources

Stern, Ellen Stock. 2005. Gracie Mansion: a celebration of New York City's mayoral residence. New York, NY: Rizzoli.