There existed, in 1899, a number of lodging houses (in Manhattan and other cities across the U.S.) at which newsboys stayed,
but the one featured in Newsies is the Duane Street Lodging House,
aka The Newsboys' Lodging House, aka the Brace Memorial Lodging House. Like
the other lodging houses set up by the Children's Aid Society, it was a sort
of "hotel" set up for boys who would otherwise have had no place to sleep.
For a small fee, and if they agreed to a set of simple rules, they could
get food, schooling, and a place to spend the night.
Where was it located?
The Duane Street Lodging House stood on the east side of William Street,
between Duane and New Chambers Streets. It was the closest of the Lodging
Houses to Newspaper Row.
The official address was 9 Duane Street, Manhattan, New York.
Because it stood at the intersection of 3 streets, the address was also given (mostly in later years) as 14 New Chambers St. and (even later) 244 Williams St.
The intersection no longer exists today, as the streets themselves have
been changed. It is roughly where the present-day New York City Police Department
HQ stands.
When did it open its doors?
March 26, 1874. It replaced the earlier (smaller) LH at 49 and 51 Park Place.
Who ran it?
The lodging houses were run by the Children's Aid Society, a benevolent
organization founded by Rev. Charles L. Brace in 1853. Sometime between Feb.
13, 1891 and Jan. 7, 1892, the DSLH was renamed "Brace Memorial Lodging House"
in his honor, though it was still often referred to by its earlier names.
When the Coast Guard took over the building, they called it "Brace Barracks."
In addition to the lodging houses, the CAS also ran numerous other places
for children in need, including the Health Home, Italian School, and the
Farm School at Kensico.