Where the Streets All Have Names: Jay Street

Painting of John Jay by Gilbert Stuart (The National Gallery of Art)

Originally known as Polk Street, or just J Street, Jay Street was renamed after Founding Father and Chief Justice John Jay in 1903 to reflect the new U.S. Senators and Supreme Court Justices naming system.

Born in New York City in 1745, Jay studied at King’s College (now Columbia University) and went on to practice law in New York. During the Revolutionary War, he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and negotiated the Treaty of Paris, ending the war with Great Britain.

In 1789, President George Washington nominated Jay to be the first Chief Justice of the United States. During his tenure on the Court, Jay wrote several landmark opinions, including Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), which affirmed the federal government’s authority to hear cases between states and their citizens.

Jay is perhaps most notable for his work as a co-author of The Federalist Papers. Along with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, Jay authored a series of essays that were published in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788. The essays argued in favor of ratifying the U.S. Constitution and provided a detailed explanation of the document’s provisions. Today, The Federalist Papers are considered one of the most important works of political theory in American history.

Jay would go on to serve as governor of New York from 1795 to 1801 and was instrumental in founding the New York Historical Society. In addition to his legal and political achievements, Jay was a dedicated abolitionist and played a key role in the establishment of the New York Manumission Society, which advocated for the abolition of slavery. He passed away in 1829.