Orphaned by the death of his parent(s) in the
Revolutionary War, Allen grew to become a wealthy
sailmaker. He was the 56th
Mayor of New York City from December 1821 to 1824, first appointed by the
Council of Appointment in 1821 and then elected by the
Board of Aldermen in 1823 and 1824. He was a member of the
New York State Assembly (New York Co.) in
1826. He was a member of the
New York State Senate (1st D.) from 1829 to 1832, sitting in the
52nd,
53rd,
54th and
55th New York State Legislatures. In 1835, the same year as the
Great Fire of New York, Allen moved to 1
Washington Square North, and led the commission that very quickly rebuilt New York's commercial center. He died in the
Henry Clay steamboat disaster on July 28, 1852, on the Hudson River near
Riverdale in what was later called
the Bronx and was buried at the
New York City Marble Cemetery. ==See also==