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The Missing Mayor: Matthias Nicolls and City Hall in the

The Missing Mayor: Matthias Nicolls and City Hall in the 17th Century
Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Format: In Person
Where: New York City Bar
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

Program Fee: 
Free for Members | $20 Non-Members

Description:
The integrity and continuity of New York City’s historical record, including its mayoral roster, is a vital lens through which we understand the foundations of urban governance. This panel investigates a centuries-old error in that roster and the archival history behind it. Evidence suggests Matthias Nicolls served two nonconsecutive terms in the 1660s, but his second term disappeared from official records after municipal archives were disrupted during the Third Anglo-Dutch War and the brief Dutch reoccupation of New York.

Join this panel to learn how archival gaps and disruptions led to a centuries-old error in New York City’s mayoral history. Discover the evidence behind revising the official count, why these corrections matter, and what they reveal about the challenges of preserving civic memory.

Speakers:
Michael Lorenzini, Operations Manager, NYC Department of Records & Information Services
Paul Hortenstine, Writer and Researcher
Abigail Nitka, Legal History Committee, Chair
Jacob Petterchak, Legal History Committee, Secretary

Moderator:
Robert W. Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian, Professor Emeritus, American Studies and Journalism, Rutgers University-Newark.

Sponsoring Committee:
Legal History, Abigail Nitka, Chair










Where
New York City Bar Association 42 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036

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