CopiglitW.

COPWIGHT

DEPOSIT.

THE

Eastern District
OF

Brooklyn
WITH
irilu6tration6

anO

/llbapg

BY

EUGENE

"Remove

L.

ARMBRUSTER

not the ancient landmark, which

have set." Prov. XXII..

28.

jS/

NEW YORK
191

th}'

fathers

Copyright, 1912
BY

EUGENE

L.

Published

ARMBRUSTER
May

7th, IQ12

CCI.A314404

Contents
Page

Introduction

Nassau River

11

The

18

Original Plantations

Town Records

21

Bushwick Village

27

Greenpoint
Cross-Roads Settlement
Williamsburgh

31

The Bushwick and Ridgewood

33

34

Sections

45

Bedford
Cripplebush
East New York

55

56
56

Beyond the Newtown Creek

Bushwick Church

63

Original Ecclesiastical Organizations

79

Burying Grounds

85

The Early Days

67

of the Eastern District Schools:

Bushwick Schools
Williamsburgh and Greenpoint Schools

88
92

Bedford School
Wallabout School

97
98

The Wyckoff Farm

Roads and Transportations

99
102

Police Force

107

Fire Department

109

Picnic Grounds

112

Hotels
The Press

114

Banks
Peck Slip

115

113

115

117

Statistics

Wards

.....

119

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
Page

Map Showing

the Original Plantations

121

Municipal Government

Ridgewood Section

in

123

Queens Borough

of

To-day

125

APPENDICES
I.

11.

III.

IV.

V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.

Indian Deed of Bushwick, 1638

129

Governor Nicolls' Patent, 1667

Governor Dongan's Patent, 1687
Muster Roll of Bushwick Militia, 1663
Rate List of Bushwick, 1675

130

*'

"

"

1676

"

"

"

1683

List of

Men

in

Bushwick

131

132

134
135

137

Who Took

the Oath of

Allegiance in 1687
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.

138

Census of Kings County in 1698

139
141
The Improved Lands in Bushwick, 1706
Bushwick Division of the Regiment of Militia in
Kings County, 17 15
143

A List of all the Inhabitants,

A List of Slaves, 1755

1738

Taxable Valuation, Bushwick, 1805-1854

Taxable Valuation, WilHamsburgh, 1840-1854
Relating to WilHamsburgh

Laws
The Solid Men

WilHamsburgh, 1847
Inscriptions on Tombstones in Original Graveyard,
of

1861

XIX,

XX.
XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.

144
146

147
148

149
153

155

on Tombstones in Schenck Family

156
Burial Ground, i860
Inscriptions on Tombstones in Bushwick Church
i57
Yard, 1880
158
Obsolete Street Names in Eastern District

Inscriptions

Origin of Some of the Street Names

Obsolete Street Names in East New York

XXIV. The
XXV. Notes on the Several
XXVI. BibHography
Ferries

172

174
1

Settlements

77

179
188

List of Illustrations and

Maps
Page

Map
Map

of Williamsburgh Village, 1827 (folding). .opposite page

34
opposite page 118
of Williamsburgh, 1845 (folding)
.

Original Settlement,

Map of Bushwick
Town Dock

14

660

16

Village, 1660

28

Masters' Mill

29

Duryea House

Map

Town

30

Bush wick
Old Grand Street Ferry and Fountain Inn, 1797
Junction of Broadway, Flushing Avenue and Graham Avenue
Burr & Waterman's Block Factory

32

Literary

Emporium
Phoenix Iron Works

38

Terry's Iron Foundry

40

of

Miller

of

Homestead

Block-House Erected in 1660

Bushwick Church and Town House

36
37

39
41

Remsen House
A. & H. Kemp's Brick Block
Boerum House
Williamsburgh Gas Works
Ferry Landing, Grand Street, 1835
Suydam House
South Bushwick Church
Map of Ridgewood
Van Nostrand Farm House
The Last of the Lefferts Houses
Schenck Homestead
Holder's Three-Mile House
Howard's Inn
View of Old Payntar House

35

42
42

43

44
44
47
51

53

54
55

57

59
....

60
66

69
71

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
Page

Bushwick Church in 1850

Dutch Reformed Church of Williamsburgh
St. Mark's Church
First Baptist Church of WiUiamsburgh
Presbyterian Church of WiUiamsburgh
The Devoe Houses and Part of Ancient Graveyard
Bushwick District School No. 3
District School No. 2 of Williamsburgh

"3
"

Primary School No.

"

"

"

"

"
"
"

"
"

74

80
82
83

84
86
90
91
91

93

94

94

95

96

Colored Public School

Grammar School

96

Wyckoff Homestead
Northern Liberties Engine House
Williamsburgh Bell Tower in Flames
Peck Slip Ferry, New York, 1850
Map Showing the Original Plantations

97

99

no
in
116

120

PREFACE
THEBrooklyn,"

book is "The Eastern District of

and the book contains a number

title of this

of articles dealing with the past of the various neigh-

borhoods within the present Eastern District. Some

of these articles have appeared in the Brooklyn Daily
Times.
If

a history of the City

of

New York

will ever

compiler will look around for historical

matter relating to the old towns, now forming parts of

be written,

its

and this book was written that the

Eastern District of Brooklyn may be represented then.
Its favorable situation was noticed bv Governor
Kieft, and he acquired the land from the Indians at a
time when New York City was confined to the southernmost end of Manhattan Island; and its great future
was foreseen by the founders of Williamsburgh a
century ago.
Not every town on Long Island can be a next-door
neighbor to Manhattan Island, but Nassau County is
to-day as close to New York City as Kings County was
then, and sooner or later Suffolk County will hold this
same position. But in bringing far-off Suffolk closer,
the Eastern District will gain, as it has gained so far,
the metropolis,

in this process.

The
23d,

13th,

25th,

14th,

26th,

15th,

i6th,

27th and 28th

17th,

i8th,

Wards had

19th,

21st,

a popula-

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

The Ridgewood section in

1910 of 857,778.
Queensborough is to-day an integral part of the East-

tion in

ern District, for the borough line can only be traced

on paper, and thus the population of the Eastern Dis-

to-day close to the one million mark.

It may be well to give here the history of the
The Eastern District was created
title of the book.
trict is

when

the consolidation of Brooklyn,

Williamsburgb

and Bushwick took place, in 1855. It included WillThe

iamsburgb, Bushwick and North Brooklyn.
Western District included the remainder of the
enlarged city. Between the Eastern District and the
built-up part of the Western District lay the extensive
region known as the 9th Ward, sparsely settled. The
denominations Eastern and Western Districts were
soon abolished, and gradually the 21st, 23d and 25th
Wards were set off the old 9th Ward; and these three
wards increased in population simultaneously with the
Eastern District, and had at all times more interests in
common with it than with the Western District.
The 26th Ward was never a part of the Western
District, but a town by itself until annexed in 1886 by
the late City of Brooklyn.
The annals of the City of Williamsburgb and of the
towns of Bushwick and New Lots were closed when
these communities became parts of the City of Brooklyn, and no attempt has been made to deal with them
after that period.

INTRODUCTION

THE

following pages contain a series of sketches

relating to the early days of the various localities
that now constitute the Eastern District of Brooklyn.
They also tell of the hardships and trials which the
settlers had to endure until they could gain a permanent foothold in the territory around the Newtown
Creek; and how, after several attempts had come to
disastrous and disappointing ends, the village of BosThis was the first step in developwijck was formed.
ing this section of the metropolis.
Adrian Block, a navigator in the service of the
Dutch, had erected in 1613 a trading-post, consisting
of four huts, on the island of the Manhattans across
the river, which

was

later

stantial structure, built

supplanted by a more sub-

upon an elevated

point, that

Its south side faced

served as a storehouse and fort.
the upper bay, where large black rocks were visible at
low tide. Toward the north a lane led to a point on

the East River, which had been found to be the most

convenient for a ferry-landing to connect with the

Long

Island

the red

men

This trading-post, and later

the fort, was the only point from which the settlers could expect any assistance in case of an attack
by their red-skinned neighbors, but as yet there had
been no occasion to look for help, the white men and
shore.

lived in peace together.

THE EASTERN

TO

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Director-General Willem Kieft purchased

in

1638

the territory of the later town of Bushwick from the

Canarsee Indians for the West India Company, and

" the new charter of Freedoms and Exemptions, " which
was granted two years later, brought new settlers to
the land on the Long Island shore of the East River.
Kieft was the owner of a tobacco plantation on the
west side of the island of the Manhattans, called by
the Indians Sapohanikan, which means " over against
the pipe-making place." On the opposite shore of the
North River was Hopoakanhaking, /. ^., "at the

tobacco-pipe-land " the present Hoboken. To this

point the Indians brought the peltries, which they collected in the interior, and hence conveyed

them

in

Manhattan Island, landing in a cove

north of the Director's plantation.
In an evil hour
Kieft ordered some of his men to the tobacco-pipeland and another band to the Indian village, Rechtauk,

their canoes to

situated

River,

two miles

the

north of

present

Corlear's

the fort

Hook,

on the East
both

while

places were occupied by some fugitive Wesquaesgeek

Indians, and had them cruelly slaughtered, men,

women and

under cover of night. When

the savages found out that the white men had committed the outrage, which they had first believed to be
the work of an hostile Indian tribe, about a dozen of
the neighboring tribes of River Indians rose up against
them and attacked the several plantations. This took
place in 1643.

children,

NASSAU RIVER
Nassau River
pat Kil and,

is

more

the

known as MisNewtown Creek. The

waterway

recently, as

first

usefulness of the river will be greatly enhanced in the

near future by the construction of a channel through its

entire length of a uniform width of one hundred and
But
twenty-five feet and a depth of eighteen feet.
even at the present day its tonnage is greater than that
Its length is
of the Erie Canal or the Hudson River.

about four miles, its natural depth is twelve feet at the

mouth, gradually falling to four feet at the head of
navigation.
In the early days its shores presented a
beautiful sight.
In the background were the hills
covered with trees.
In the swamps below, the stream
and its tributaries had their rise. Broadening on its
way, the stream flowed quietly between wooded elevations and further along through lowlands until it
mingled its waters with the Salt or East River. A mile
further up the East River, the tides from the east and
west met, and the backing up of these tides caused the
stream to overflow the marshes; and this fact led the
Indians to name the waterway " Mispat " that is, an
overflowing tidal stream.
In the neighboring forests the deer and the wolf
had their habitations. On the head of the stream was
the village and cornfield of a small band of red men,
known as the Mispat tribe. Near its mouth a few

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

12

adventurous Noormans had established themselves,

clearing the land and trading with the Indians.
In 1638 Governor Kieft purchased the land near

and the new Charter of Freedoms and

Exemptions, published two years thereafter, providing
that "all good inhabitants were allowed to select
lands and form colonies," attracted settlers to this
neighborhood. Thus a small band of former residents
of the Plymouth colony, under the leadership of
the Rev. Francis Doughty, settled in 1642 near the
the

creek,

Indian village.

lowing

year,

In

the Indian uprising

caused

by

laid

in

ashes and

the

most barbarous

the governor, the Mispat settlement, as

was

of

some

of

the

many

act

fol-

of

others,

were
the fort on

settlers

killed, while others

made

Manhattan Island.

After peace was restored several

their escape to

A new commander, Petrus Stuyvesant, took charge of the Dutch

Colonies in 1647, and he employed every means to
secure new colonists for the destroyed and deserted
of the planters returned to the place.

plantations.

became restless, and the

settlers near Mispat Kil found it necessary for their
mutual safety to abandon the exposed dwellings
standing upon the several plantations and to remove
their families and belongings to a central point, which
could be more effectually defended. Thus they formed
in the next spring a village upon an island situated in
Mispat Kil, for which the Fiscal of New Netherland,
Nicasius de Sille, had received a patent. They named
the settlement New Arnheim, in honor of the native
In 1655 the savages again

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

was then known as

Smith's Island, after an earlier resident, and its present name is Furman's Island or Maspeth Island. Here
they were in a more secure position and the new settlement prospered.
Still some of the farmers continued to live upon their plantations.
Eldert Engelplace of

De

Sille.

The

island

an isolated place near the creek,

with his wife, and two men employed by him, were
murdered in 1659 by three Raritan Indians, who had
become acquainted with the fact that there was some
" wampum " in the house.
bertse, residing at

While the site of New Arnheim, surrounded as it

was by water, was well chosen for a place of refuge
for a small band of settlers during trouble with the
Indians, it was not the proper place for a village.
So
when in 1660 fourteen Frenchmen with an interpreter
came before the governor to petition him for land on
which to settle, Stuyvesant took them across the river
and selected a plot of land between the Mispat Kil and
Noorman's Kil (the later Bushwick Creek). In doing
this he was no doubt guided by a personal interest.
His own farm on the Manhattan Island side of the
river extended from present Fourth Avenue to the
East River shore, and the newly established settlement
on the Long Island side was directly opposite his
farm, the river flowing between the salt meadows of
the two tracts of land.
Thus he must have felt more
secure from attacks by the Long Island Indians by
having this out-post between them and his own farm.
However, the land between the two creeks was an
ideal location for a village site.

Along

the line of an

SNW

..-,v.--.i-

km iiiiii

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

old Indian trail a road

was

BROOKLYN

laid out in the centre of

the village plot, which, in course of time,

could be
extended towards either creek. On both sides of the
road the house-lots were laid out, twenty-two in number, divided by lanes; in the rear of the house-lots
were larger parcels, known as garden-lots. These
house-lots and garden-lots were enclosed with palisades.
Outside the stockade and extending to the
creeks was the farm-land, cut up in long, narrow strips,
In the absence of
in equal number with the house-lots.
roads, the farmers were thus enabled to move their

To every house-lot in the village was

crops in boats.
attached the right to a certain part of the common
lands or salt meadows. These meadows were taken
wherever found, and

in the

following year the magis-

more meadow land for the use of

and Governor Stuyvesant ordered

trates petitioned for

additional settlers,
the

New Arnheim

settlement to be broken up, being

an obstacle to the growth of the new village of Boswijck, and the island was given to the latter. Boswijck
was the name bestowed upon the place by the governor.
This grant caused a legal fight, which was
carried on for over a century between the towns of
Newtown and Bushwick. In 1769 Smith's Island was
ceded to Newtown, and other disputed lands, now
forming the Ridgewood section of Queens County,,
were also decided to be a part of the town of Newtown.
Near the Duryea house on Meeker Avenue, Humphrey Clay operated a ferriage across Newtown Creek
as early as 1670.
During the Revolutionary War

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

up and down the creek, carrying dispatches from Headquarters at Newtown; and
even during the War of 181 2 American gunboats
patroled the creek.
There was a primitive bridge
further up the creek in the days when Clay's ferry was
in existence, and after the War of 181 2 a bridge on
piles was built on Meeker Avenue.
In 1836 a new
bridge was built on stone piers, in connection with a
turnpike road; the toll on this bridge was "a penny,"
and was collected at a place near the Duryea house,
hence the name, "Penny Bridge." In 1853 a ferry
was established, running from East 23d Street, Manhattan, to the Calvary Cemetery landing on Newtown
British warboats sailed

Creek.

At

and

that time the creek, with the several gristmills,

the farms bordering thereon, differed in no

way

from the rural scenes, which are often seen as typical

of Holland, except for the hills in the background.
But since then the mills have vanished, and factories
and coal yards have taken their places and commercialism in general, with no eye for landscape beauty,
has taken hold of the territory.
The water of the
creek has been polluted to such a degree that the

name

Newtown Creek

come into ill-repute, and

it is
well that the waterway, when cleansed and
improved, will be known by the euphonious name of
of

Nassau River.

has

THE ORIGINAL PLANTATIONS

The

first settlers

in the territory of the later

town

seem to have been mostly Scandinavians;

Hans Hansen, Cornells Jacobse Stille, Claes Carstensen, Jan de Zweed (the Swede), one Wilcox and
Herry Satley. They were on the ground before the
land was purchased from the Indians by the West
of Bushvvick

Company.
The earliest recorded Indian deed for land to an
individual in Kings County is the one to Jacob Van
India

Corlear for "

flats " in

Flatbush and Flatlands in 1636;

Indian deed for land in the
county to the government, that is, the West Indian
Company, was for the land between Brooklyn and
Mespath the territory of the later town of Bushwick dated August ist, 1638.
but the earliest recorded

The Company now issued patents

who were

to the settlers,

in possession of tracts of land, as well as to

newcomers, as may be seen from the following entry

upon the Dutch records: " Divers freemen request by
petition to the Council conveyance of the lands which

The request of the

they are cultivating at present.
petitioners is granted on the condition that they shall,
after the expiration of ten years from the commencement of their plantations, annually pay to the Company the tenth of all the produce, which God shall
bestow on their land. Also in future, for a house and
garden a couple of capons yearly."

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Hans Hansen's land extended from

the Kil of Joris

Rapalie through a part of the towns of Brooklyn and

Bushwick to the Newtown Creek. Along the river
Cornells Jacobse Stille's land was patented to the then
proprietor, Lambert Huybertse.
The next plantation
was Reyer Lambertse's; then came Claes Carstensen,
the Noorman, and David Andriese.
Between the two
last named and Hans Hansen lay the land of Jan de

Between Bushwick Creek and Newtown

Zweed,
Creek was the land of Dirck Volkertse, the Noorman,
formerly Wilcox's plantation, and along the Newtown
Creek toward Hans Hansen's land lay the land patented to Gysbert Rycken and Abraham Rycken.
These two plantations were probably never occupied
by the patentees. Abraham Rycken leased some land
in 1643 to one Hutchinson, but the land seems to have
reverted to the West India Company on the ground
that it was not continually under cultivation.
Abralived
in
ham
New Amsterdam, as is recorded in a
document of 1642. He married a daughter of Hendrik
Harmensen, a planter at the Armen Bouwerij, or Poor
Bowery, in the town of Newtown, and received a
patent for a plantation in that locality in 1654.
Thus
Rycken brothers were vacant, when
in 1660 a company of Frenchmen petitioned the gov-

these lands of the

ernor for land for the

site of a village,

and the

latter

gave them the greater part of the tract.

In a petition to the governor and council, made by

some

of the inhabitants of the village in 1663 regard-

ing a fence, stretching from Newtown Creek to Bushwick Creek, mention is made of the remnant of land

Still

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

company: "While there yet
of the company's land, which

in possession of the

remains a small tract

would be included within that fence, etc."
South of Hans Hansen's plantation the land was
granted in 1661 to the villagers for common woodland, and was known as the Boswijck Nieuw Loten, or
the New Lotts of Bushwick.
Across the Brooklyn line Joris Jansen de Rapalie's
plantation, called by the Indians, " Rinnegaconck,"
extended from Wallabout Bay (originally Walboght,
probably from wal, meaning rampart protection from
assault or danger; and boght bay or gulf) south
probably to Nostrand and DeKalb Avenues. He had
purchased the land from the Indians in 1637, and
The Cripplebush
received a patent for it in 1643.
patent, adjoining the Bushwick line, was granted in
The land south of the Cripplebush patent was
1654.
Part of the land
patented to Elias Boudinet in 1708.
west of Boudinet's patent, between the Flatbush line
and Rapalie's line was patented to ten settlers of the
Wallabout region in 1661, and the southern-most part
was used as common land by the inhabitants of the
town of Brooklyn.
By the division of all the common land of that

town

in 1690 this particular section

residents of the

Gowanis

was allotted

settlement.

to the

TOWN RECORDS
In

his

history

of

Long

Island,

Thompson

says

" The increase of population in this neighborhood was

so small as not to acquire a municipal character
before the year 1648, at which time application was
made to the governor for a patent or groundbrief.
One was accordingly issued, under which the inhabitants remained until the conquest of New Netherland
in 1664."

There is
was issued

time no evidence that such a patent

in the old Dutch documents at Albany.
The Bushwick town records, which were in existence
at the time when Thompson compiled his history, have
been destroyed since.
at this

When Bushwick became

part of the City of Brook-

lyn the records were, in accordance with an article of

the charter of the enlarged city, deposited in the City

They were sent there in a movable bookcase,

which was coveted by some municipal officer, who
turned its contents upon the floor, whence the janitor
transferred them to the papermill.
The older records had been kept in the Dutch
language and were difficult to decipher; some, howHall.

had been translated by the late General Jeremiah

Johnson, and these have come down to us.
February 14, 1660, Peter Stuyvesant, DirectorGeneral, and his High Council, of New Netherland,

ever,

ordain that the outside residents,

who

dwell

dis-

THE EASTERN

22

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

must remove and concentrate

themselves within the neighboring towns, and dwell
in the same, because we have war with the Indians,
who have slain several of our Netherland people.
February i6. As fourteen Frenchmen with a Dutchman, named Peter John De Wit, their interpreter,
have arrived here, and as they do not understand the
Dutch language, they have been with the DirectorGeneral and requested him to cause a town plot to be
laid out at a proper place, whereupon His Honor fixed
upon the 19th inst. to visit the place and fix upon a
tant from each other,

site.

February

On

day the Director-General

with the Fiscal Nicasius De Sille and His Honor, Secretary Van Ruyven, with the sworn Surveyor, Jacques
Corteleau, came to Mispat and have fixed upon a
place between the Mispat Kil and Noorman's Kil to
establish a village, and have laid out by survey twentytwo house lots, on which dwellings will be built.
March 7. The first house being erected near the
pond, William Traphagen with his family and Koert
Mourison came to dwell in the same. Other houses
were erected during the year.
March 14, 1661. The Director-General visited the
new village, when the inhabitants requested His Honor
to give the place a name, whereupon he named the
town "Boswijck." [From "bos," meaning a collection of small things packed close together, and from
" wijk " retreat, refuge, guard, defend from danger.]
At this time the order was renewed: " That all the
citizens, who dwell within the' limits and jurisdiction

19.

this

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

23

town of Boswijck, and already have village-lots,

shall remove to the same, according to the order of the
Director-General," and it is added, "That all persons

of the

whatsoever who dwell outside of the village, attend

danger they may be in, by remaining where

to the

they be."

By order

of the governor, six

the people, from

whom

men were chosen by

he selected three,

viz.

Peter

Jan DeWit, Jan Tilje and Jan Comlits, to whom he

committed the provisional administration of the justice
of the village.

In May, 1661, the magistrates petitioned the gov-

meadow land for the use of new

settlers, saying, "we have chosen ten men to make a
search for more meadow land which, as far as we
ernor for more

know,

is

not already disposed of by deed.

There are

only a few meadows for the use of the inhabitants of

our village near their lands, but them they need themselves, and we have no others; of which we have not
informed them. But the aforesaid ten men explored
the meadows, where every person mows, who arrives
first
common meadows viz. near Smith's Island six
morgen in the same neighborhood four morgen adjoining the land of Eldert Engelbertse, who was killed
by the savages, three morgen; near the two lots of
Severy Oesis, who also was murdered by the savages,
five morgen further toward the woods in Fresh Vleyen
four morgen; in all twenty-two morgen." As they
said that it would be impossible for the new arrivals
to reside in the village without obtaining the meadow
lands, the request was granted, provided that these

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

24

lands were not found to be included in any previous

patent.

In 1661 Stuyvesant ordered the

New Arnheim

set-

tlement to be broken up, and in the next year even the

deserted and decaying hovels there were ordered to be
removed, to prevent their being occupied by any
person, and the island was granted to Boswijck.
In 1662, also, Hendrik Barent Smith, who still
remained outside of the village, was ordered to remove
to the latter within twenty-four hours, or else the
magistrates were authorized to demolish his dwelling.
The twenty-three inhabitants of the village, whosigned the petition to the governor in 1661 for meadow
land, new roads, etc., must be considered the pioneers
of the place.
They were: Peter Jan de Wit, a Dutchman, who emigrated in 1652, and had acted as interpreter for the fourteen Frenchmen; Evert Hedeman,.
from the land of Schouwenburg; Jan Willemse Ysselstein,

Jan

Tilje,

or

Lydecker (leidekker

Le

Frenchman; Ryck
Hendrik Willemse Bak-

Teller,

slater),

ker (bakker baker), Barent Gerretse, from ZwoU in

Oberyssel; Jan Hendriksen, Jan Cornelissen de Zeeuw
(de Zeeuw
the Zeelander), Barent Joosten, from Witmont in Emberland, a "ridder" or knight, emigrated
in 1652, a man of means, who in later years sold to
Albert Coertsen the Anthony Janse de Sale plantation
in Gravesend, of two hundred acres, for $15,000;
Frangois Du Puy, from Calais in France; Johannes
Casparse, Francisco de Neger, Pieter La Mothe,
Charles Fonteyn,
Herry, a Frenchman; Jean
Catjouw, a Frenchman; Jean Maliert, a Frenchman;

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

25

Hendrik Janse Grever, Gysbert Thonissen, Jost Casparse, Willem Janse Traphagen, a Frenchman; Dirck
Volkertse, a Norwegian or Noorman, a carpenter by
trade, who had obtained a patent in 1645 ^^^ twenty*
five morgen on the East River and Mispat Kil, which
he sold in 1653 to Jacob Hay, but still resided in
Boswijck.

The Dutch

settlements, in general, began by indi-

viduals settling in a certain neighborhood, each one

by himself, and as they grew more numerous, the governor appointed magistrates with more or less power,
as he judged proper, without any uniformity as ta
their number or title of office.
Their duty was to see
that the fields were fenced and the fences kept in
repair; to open a common road through the settlement;^
to erect a blockhouse or other public building; to
attend to the division of the lands, that were held in

common; provide
and decide
over

fifty

all

for the security of the settlement;

differences.

guilders were in

which sums of
dispute could be appealed
Cases

in

As noted in the
town records above, Stuyvesant appointed three magistrates for the village in 1661, and thus Boswijck
to the Director-General

and Council.

attained the dignity of a town.

On

another

1663 Stuyvesant gave orders to appoint a

tia

to

visit in

Town

Mili-

keep a close watch on the new settlement.

company

was organized. Each division, consisting of ten men, was on duty, alternatel)^
every night, to guard the village.
Ryck Lydecker
was made the captain.
By the conquest of 1664 Long Island was incorof four divisions

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

26

porated with the colony of New York, and became

subject to the Duke of York.

Richard Nicolls, governor under the Duke of

York, convened a meeting on the first of March, 1665,
at Hempstead Plains, of two deputies from every town
on Long Island, and two from Westchester, for the
purpose of organizing the government, settling town
limits, etc.

Bushwick was included

in

the

West Riding

of

Yorkshire.

The

towns were recognized, and were

required to take out patents from the governor for the
lands which they had purchased within their limits.
several

From

then until 1690 Boswijck, Breuckelen, Midwout, Amersfoort and New Utrecht constituted a separate district under the appellation of the " Five Dutch

Towns." A register was purposely commissioned by

the governor for this district to take the proofs
of all documents that were required to be recorded
at the "Office of Records" in New York City,
where certificates were issued with the seal of this
By an act of 1692 this power was vested in the
office.
governor or a delegate appointed by him.
Thompson says: " Many defects had been discovered in the charter granted by Stuyvesant, the people
of Boswijck, at a town-meeting assembled for the purpose in 1666, appointed a committee to wait upon
Governor Nicolls to solicit him for a new patent
and to request that the boundaries of the town might
be more expressly defined and set forth therein.'"
'

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

27

This patent was obtained on the twenty-fifth of

Governor Thomas Dongan issued
October, 1667.
another town patent in 1687, and Governor Cornbury
one dated 1708.
The town of Bushwick was recognized by the Laws
of the State general act on the seventh day of

March, 1788.

BUSHWICK VILLAGE
" Het dorp," or the village plot, was the point from
which the Eastern District of Brooklyn has spread
further and further, and of all its territory this spot

Here the
retains most of its original simplicity.
graveyard of the early settlers was laid out, but has
long since disappeared; later the church was erected.
Across the Woodpoint road stood the Town House,
which is supposed to have been the first edifice reared
in the county for the exclusive use of town government, and in the rear of the church was the schoolhouse.
Froni here the road led to het hout punt, " or
the Woodpoint on Newtown Creek, where was the
town dock from which the farmers loaded their produce from wagons to sail or row boats, and conveyed
them to the city market. From the Woodpoint road
branched off another road leading to Noorman's Kil,
where Pieter Jansen Trinbol in 1662 "had made a
'

'

concentration of four families," so that the villagers

"
of Bosvvijck might bring their canoes and " schuiten
(boats, barges) to his landing.
A third branch of the road, "the mill road," led to
The first
the mill on the head of Newtown Creek.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

mill structure was erected by

merman (Timmerman

BROOKLYN

29

Abraham Jansen Tim-

carpenter)

in

1664,

and a mill

was still standing on that point, near Metropolitan

Avenue, close to the tollgate, a. half a century ago.
This was known then as Masters' Mill, and prior to
that as Luqueer's Bushwick Mill.
The Kijkuit Lane meandered from the village to
the Kijkuit on the strand.

MA5TEK5'Mil-L ON 5\TB of ORICIMAL

BU5MWICK MILL
1850

The Mansion house stood on the Woodpoint road.

Its site is now part of the roadway of Monitor Street,
near Egert Avenue, close to the junction of Meeker
Avenue. The house was erected by Theodorus Polhemus, who was born in 1719, and came from Flatbush
Bushwick. He died in 1781, and his children sold
the house with its beautiful grounds, barns, and outIt became the residence of
houses to Peter Wyckofl.
for
some years. The house was a
the Wyckoff family

to

30

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

large frame structure, and was half a century ago used

and was still known as the Mansion house

On the grounds ball players gathor Manor House.
ered from every-where, and also "target shooters"
had their games.
The Van Ranst house stood on present Withers
Street, near a branch of the Bushwick Creek.

as a tavern,

fOoT OF MEEfCER,

AVEfs/l/E

NEAR N EvVTO WW CRE K

The Conselyea house was west

of

Humboldt

Street

and north of Skillman Avenue.

The Baedel house stood on the north-east corner of
Bushwick Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue.
The Debevoise house was on the Woodpoint road,
on the opposite side of the Mansion house.
The Skillman house stood on Frost Street, west of
Lorimer Street.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

31

The Devoe houses were on either side of the Woodpoint road between Parker and Bennett Streets.
house near the village plot still standing
is,
undoubtedly, the Duryea house, at the foot of
Meeker Avenue, near Newtown Creek. Joost Durie,
born in 1650, was a Huguenot, who emigrated from
Mannheim, in the Palatinate on the Rhine, in 1675,
and settled at first in New Utrecht, and then on the
land on Newtown Creek, where he died in 1727.
Tiie oldest

GREENPOINT
Also called the Cherry Point, or the Orchard, wasthe land to a great extent cleared of woods by the
Indians for their cornfields between the Bushwick and
Newtown Creeks. Here lived for some years Dirck
Volkertse, the Noorman, in a stone house on the
north side of Bushwick Creek, which latter was named
after him, "the Noorman's Kil," on land granted to
him in 1645. Indian burial grounds, found when the
streets were graded, bore evidence that the Indians
had a settlement here. During and after the Revolution the whole section comprised five farmhouses and
the

powder house.

On

the shore of

Newtown Creek

stood the house of

Peter Bennett, near the East River shore. Close to the

meadows, near present Oakland and Freeman Streets,

was situated

the

home

of Captain Pieter Pra,

later

known as the Provoost house, built of stone; it burned

down about eighty years ago. On the river bank near
Java Street was standing the Abraham Meserole house,.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

:^^

The Jacobus Colyer house stood

about 1700.
near Calyer Street, near present West Street, and the
Jacob Meserole house on Lorimer Street, near Norman
Avenue and near Bushwick Creek.
The Woodpoint road was the only road that connected Greenpoint with the outer world, therefore the
farmers here had to depend mostly upon their rowbuilt

boats.

In 1837 the Greenpoint,

Ravenswood and

Hallett's

Cove Turnpike road was opened the Franklin Street

which was later extended to Williamsof to-day
In 1838 a foot bridge was built across Bushburgh.

wick Creek.

York

City,

In 1853 the ferry to Tenth Street,

New

was opened.

CROSS-ROADS SETTLEMENT
An old lane led from Bushwick Village into the
New Bushwick Lands. Just at the beginning of this
land a settlement had come into existence
during the eighteenth century at about the junction of
the present Bushwick and Flushing Avenues, which
tract

of

was known

as " het kruis pad," or

Bushwick Cross-

Roads. Later there stood here Alexander Whaley's

blacksmith shop. Whaley was a man of great respectability and a personal friend of Washington.
He was
of English descent and born in Montville, in the New
England States, in 1746, and died here aged 94. This
settlement extended in later years to the Cypress Hills
Plank Road.

THE EASTERN

34

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

WILLIAMSBURGH
Dense thickets covered hundreds of acres of bog
and low land extending from Wallabout Bay to Newtown Creek and extended through the central part of
This region was known as
the town of Bushwick.
thicket, copse), or
(kreupelbosch
"het kreupelbosch"
Cripplebush. The scrub-oak or cripplebush predomThe land formerly was probably the site
inated here.
of a forest, whose trees were later supplanted by these
bushes, which protected the ground from being dried
up by the sun. Over the morasses led narrow trails,
known to the redskins and the wild beasts, but treachBetween the Cripplebush and the
erous to strangers.
East River shore was the site of the later Williams-

burgh.

On

the Nicolls' map, 1664-1668, settlements along

drawn
East River shore are marked by huts,
"
At the mouth of " Mashpack Kil (Newroughly.
town Creek), three huts; at the mouth of Noorman's
Opposite Corlear's
Kil (Bushwick Creek), two huts.
Hook, six huts, of which three are double huts and at

the

"the ferry" (present Fulton Ferry), six huts. Judging from the number and size of these huts, the settlement opposite Corlear's Hook, the place where
Williamsburgh rose later, was the largest. Between
this settlement and the ferry is a creek marked Walbaut; no huts indicate that there was a settlement here
near the shore.
At the time Bushwick Village was laid out by
Stuyvesant an attempt was made to found another

M w

'

i c

,.l-

ll>rTm.'l^'

.I'll,,-

(r,,,..Sr,,)rJ/:>"''-'

PI

MAP

TILLAOE or

WILLIAMSUVRGH,
KI:Y0S CODilTV.

IV.

v.,

/liirtmlr,^Orawd.umt,nmfmnlhFWtlDiaHHt

UUII

ISA 4c riKTn,
t

the tupettiaio

of

llENRV PAVSO^f, Ctwk

fud V. sgp. Kovcmbcr.

^
^
O

i^_

of

IWi

wcni population of WJ,m.bu,,fc.

"W"

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

village at the strand along the river shore.

35

The con-

was not found favorable for a settlement; drinking water was scarce and, in consequence
of this fact, only a place of refuge was established
upon the high bluff along later Fourth Street now
Bedford Avenue near present South Fourth Street,
dition of this land

for the farmers scattered along the shore, in case of

OLD GRAND STREET TBRRY -WILLI AtASBVRGH

MD TOUWTA
IN
7f7
l/V

sudden attacks by the Indians. A small settlement

along the water front was in existence at the time of
the Revolution,

known

as " het strand."

During the seven years of British occupation the

woods and thickets, in fact, almost every tree in the
towns of Bushwick and Brooklyn were swept away by
the wasteful deprivations of the British soldiers.

THE EASTERN

36

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

After the war vegetable gardens and orchards took

The strand settlement was
the place of the forests.

connected since 1797 with Corlear's Hook, the site of

the former Indian village, Rechtauk, by a rowboat
ferry, operated by James Hazard, who lived at Corlear's Hook.
At the beginning of the nineteenth Cen-

JUNCnOAj

BROAdWAY.nUSHINC ANd
GRAHAM AVENUES.

OF

made to start a village at the

Woodhull and Thomas Morrell,
respectively.
The first mentioned named his enterprise Williamsburgh (Williamsburgh was named for

tury two attempts were

strand by Richard M.

Colonel Williams, U.
place),

and the

latter

who surveyed the

bestowed the name of Yorkton
S.

Engineer,

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

37

upon his settlement. Each place had a ferry landing.

The Yorkton Ferry gradually obtained the preference
of the public, but the people had become used to the
expression, "going to Williamsburgh," and thus this
name remained and Yorkton became obsolete. In
1827 the village of Williamsburgh was incorporated,
and its limits extended in 1835.
In 1836 a new ferry was started, running from the
original Long Island ferry landing, Peck Slip in New

York City to South Seventh Street, Williamsburgh.

The ferry to Brooklyn had been removed to a slip furThis ferry soon became the favorite route
ther south.
to

Williamsburgh.

On

reaching the

Long

Island shore

was sure to find a roadhouse where he could

good meal and a fresh horse to start on his jour-

a traveler

get a

ney into the interior of the island.

In 1840 Williamsburgh was cut off from Bushwick
and incorporated a distinct township.

THE EASTERN

38

On January
came
cities

ist,

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

1852, the City of

Williamsburgh

and on January ist, 1855, the

of Brooklyn and Williamsburgh and the town of
into existence,

Bushwick were consolidated and incorporated

as the

City of Brooklyn.
In the sixties

Broadway was

altered; the former

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

39

Division Avenue had then been known for a few years

as Broadway, but now South Seventh Street, and the
part

of

Avenue

South Sixth Street from present Bedford

Hewes Street were widened at a cost of

to

c/fe^ifr^

/^i^?-^^ >^^i^4<5

$400,000, and became parts of one continuous road,

while that section of Broadway which was cut off
received its old name, " Division Avenue."

THE EASTERN

40

The Roosevelt

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Street ferry

now

ran one of

to the landing place at the foot of the

its

boats

new main

road,

and Broadway became the most important

street of the

district.

When

the stage lines and, later, horse-car lines were

established their termini were at

Broadway

ferry.

TeRfks TRCN TOUfJORY

3Sx>

^>^i

/ / oT^

The

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

41

South Side Railroad also ran a dummy line fro m

Bushwick Depot to this point.
Jan, the Swede, one of the original squatters, built
his house at the head of the Swede's Kil, a branch
of
the

Noorman's

Kil, near present

Grand and Rodney

Streets.

The Fountain Inn was standing on Kent Avenue,

near Grand Street.
The Miller homestead was located upon the Kijkuit
bluff, and was demolished in i860, when
the highland
was leveled.

REM5EM House
ON CtYMER STREET HCAR
KEntaveni/e

^^

Mi^*^!^!iatii4im!smnn^M

C7

>^

J/

A:^.ti.,^.r^^

/^^^^/^/^rw^

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

43

The Remsen house was standing on Clymer Street,

near Kent avenue.
The Col. Francis Titus house stood on present
Kent Avenue, near North Sixth Street.
The Woertman homestead was situated on Bushwick Creek and Second

Street.

BOEKUn HOUSE
The Boerum house, on Division and Kent Avenues.
The Williamsburgh City Hall was situated on South
Second

Street, near

present

Gas Company

was converted

Bedford Avenue, next door

office.

to the

In the sixties the hall

dwelling houses.
During the
latter days of the existence of the City of Williamsinto

THE EASTERN

44

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

;^a^.

burgh a new City Hall was

also

still

in use.

standing in the rear of 365

This building

is

Wythe Avenue,

between South Fourth and South Fifth

Streets.

^lai.

t^

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

45

THE BUSHWICK AND RIDGEWOOD

SECTIONS
The Bushwick and Ridgewood

sections embrace

the 27th and 28th Wards, and have a population of over

150,000, not including the large territory beyond the
Queensborough line, which forms an undetachable
part of the Ridgewood Section.
The 27th and 28th Wards were, until 1892, parts of
the Eighteenth Ward, which had a population of 2,601
in 1855; 4,317 in i860, and 23,986 in 1880.
In i860
there were six hundred and thirty-two dwellings within
this ward, and the most densely populated part was what
is now known as the Eighteenth Ward.
Very little has

been written on the history of these particular parts of

the city.

When

the

several

histories

of

Brooklyn

were compiled the Bushwick and Ridgewood sections

were either farm lands or isolated "neighborhoods,"
with picnic grounds here and there, and thus never
The territory between the
received any attention.
Cross-Roads settlement and the Green Hills or
Cypress Hills, which latter formed the boundary line
of the town of Bushwick, was knov.^n in the early
times as the New Bushwick Lotts, and consisted of
meadows and woodlands.

When

Stuyvesant visited Bushwick village in 1661,

he granted to the settlers a large tract of land adjoining, as pasturage for their cattle, extending from the
east side of Smith's Island, southward to the hills,

along the

hills

westward

to the heights of

Merck's

THE EASTERN

46

Plantation, from said

BROOKLYN

DISTRICT OF

heights northerly by Merck's

plantation to Bushwick (village), being a four-cornered

plot of land.

The compiler has no doubt that this plot of land

embraced the New Bushwick lands. The line along
the

Newtown

side

Queens Borough

is,

in a

general way, identical with the

line of to-day, with the exception,

that Smith's Island has since been ceded to

the hills are

still

in their place, the

Evergreens covering the part

Newtown,

Cemetery

question;

in

of the

Merck's

plantation was at Cripplebush, and probably extended

Broadway.
The first house erected here, of which we have any
record, was the Suydam house, built about 1700, before
About this time
the Bushwick Road was in existence.
the common lands of the town, /. <?., "the New Bushwick Lotts," were finally divided among the several
freeholders; and one of these, at least, as far as can be
judged now, was enterprising enough to settle upon
to present

his property in the forest.

In the Brooklyn Corporation

Manual

of 1867

it

is

by Leffert Lefferts
about 1700, but this is evidently erroneous; more likely
Although there is no
it was built by one Van Nuyse.
recorded
as
living
in
Bushwick
at that time,
Van Nuyse
a William Janse Van Nuyse was residing in the town
in 1 7 15, who had been baptized in 1699, and his father
may have owned the land and built the house. Leffert
Pieterse married Abagail, daughter of Auke Janse
Van Nuyse. One of his fourteen children was Leffert
Lefferts, born in 1701.
stated that the house w^as erected

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Leffert Lefferts, the one

who became

47

identified with

Bushwick, was born in 1701. In 1724 he bought from

William Van Nuyse, of New Utrecht, for ^438, a house,
three lots and a part of a lot of the New Bushwick
Lotts containing about seventy acres, also ten acres of
woodland in Bushwick. On this farm he resided until
In 1728 he had
his death, which occurred in 1754.

SUYDAM H0U5E

added two more lots about forty acres for the sum
of ;^42o, purchased from his neighbor Auke Rynerse,
adjoining his own land.
In 1753 he bought for ^239
19 sh. from Johannes Durjee and Abraham Schenck
twenty-seven acres also adjoining his land.
This farm, then consisting of one hundred and

THE EASTERN

48

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

and overlapping the Brooklyn

somewhat, together with about twentyfive acres of woodland in the town of Newtown and
some meadows, was sold by his son Leffert Lefferts in
1768 for ^2160-10 sh. to Jacob Suydam, who settled on
the former Lefferts' farm and died thereon in 181 1, aged
His second son Jacob was born in 1773 and
71 years.

thirty-six acres of land

boundary

line

died in 1847.

The

last

named

Jacob's son, Adrian Martense Suy-

dam, was born at the homestead in 1826. His farm

extended from Knickerbocker Avenue to Broadway
and from Jefferson Avenue to Palmetto Street. In
1869 there was no house on the farm except the old
homestead.
Suydam wishing to transform the farm
into building lots gave to a man one lot on the condition that he would at once erect and occupy a dwelling
thereon, and his policy being liberal, in course of fifteen
years one hundred and twenty-five residences were
erected within the limits of his farm.

When

the ancient homestead was torn

years of the present century,

down

in the

looked as if it
could have weathered the storms of another century.
The first story was built of stones, gathered from the
surrounding fields, the walls were of an unusual thickness.
The house received its light through tiny panes
of glass, set in heavy sash.
When Jacob Suydam
bought the property in 1768 he reshingled the house.
During the Revolutionary War Col. Rahl took up his
quarters here.
His regiment of Hessians constructed
barracks on the lands of Abraham Luqueer and others
first

nearby.

it

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

One day

a captain

49

of the regiment cut with his

sword several large pieces from one of the sideposts of

the doorway.
As a memento of the troublous times
the defacement was never repaired and the marks of
the enemy's sword were visible as long as the old house
remained.
Its site is now occupied by the Second
German Baptist Church, and is known as the corner of
Evergreen Avenue and Woodbine Street.
When Bushwick became part of the City of Brooklyn in 1855 there were only a few roads in existence
within the present 27th and 28th Wards, viz.: The
Bushwick Road, Cooper's road leading to the Fresh
Ponds of Newtown, Wyckoff Avenue, Cypress Hills
Plank Road and some short streets between Broadway
and Bushwick Avenue and also some around the CrossRoads settlement; although the whole territory had
been laid out in streets and the map filed with the
proper authorities the year previous.
Between the Cypress Hills Plank Road and the

Brooklyn and Newtown Turnpike Road the present

Flushing Avenue w^ere the farms of Catherine
Wyckoff, Mrs. Susan Stone, Abm Vandervoort, George
White and part of the Cross-Roads settlement.
Between the Newtown line and Wyckoff Avenue,

Wm.

Nicholas Wyckoff, Catherine Wyckoff,

Peter Schoonmaker, one Clifford, John Van Nostrand,
Covert,

Susan A. Wyckoff and Peter Meserole.

Between Wyckoff Avenue and Bushwick Avenue,
Flushing and Greene Avenues, continuation of Mrs.
Susan Stone's farm, Dr. Troutman, James Harrison,

50

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Vandervoort (continuation), Abm Stockholm and

Andrew Stockholm.
Between Wyckoff Avenue and Bushwick Avenue,
Greene and Jefferson Avenues, Ralph Lane, the heirs
of Stephen Schenck, Wm. Henry Furman, Jacob Suydam, Watson Bowron, Mrs. Stone, the Methodist
Protestant or Union Cemetery, Margaret E. Duryea
and Peter F. Suydam.
Between Jefferson Avenue and Eldert Street and
from the Newtown line to Brooklyn line, Wm. Covert,
Margaret E. Duryea and a small triangle of Mrs. S.
Duryea's farm.
Between Eldert and Cooper Streets from the Newtown line to Broadway, Wm. Covert and Wm. Voor-

Abm

hees.

Between Cooper Street, the Newtown line, the New

Lotts line and Broadway, John and Richard Cooper,
the heirs of John Moffat, Francis Dubois, James Pilling, Wm. Henry Furman, and John Vanderveer.
Between Bushwick Avenue and Broadway from
Flushing Avenue to Jefferson Avenue the land was
cut up in smaller parcels; the more important ones
among them were those owned by Charles Debevoise,
William Wall and Thomas Moore; also quite some
streets

were

laid out here.

Shortly before the consolidation the section became

known as Bowronville the Bowron family owning

some land here and in 1852 a church was organized

by twenty of the neighboring farmers. A small building was erected at the intersection of the two Stockholm farms, the two farmers having donated the site.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

larger edifice was built in 1853.

BROOKLYN

It is still

51

standing,

wings having been added in 1883, and is known as the

South Bushwick Reformed Church, or more popularly,
as the White Church.
On the former site of the Union Cemetery the Bushwick High School is being erected.

THE EASTERN

52

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

The Ridgewood Section in Queens County had an

eventful past.
The town of Newtown claimed it as a
part of

its

purchase from the Indians, but could never

The town

Bushwick also laid

claim to it, and Bushwick's chances were better, as
parts of the territory were included in the town patents.
Still the legal fight over the land was carried on for

get a clear

title.

of

over a century.

One of the residents at Mespat Kills, by which

name the section was known, deposed later before a
Eng1664, the people of Mespat Kills had
the assembly at Hempstead Plains, as

court, that in the year after the arrival of the

lish

governor

in

sent delegates to

first

the other towns did, their section then not being a part
of Newtown.

Lord Cornbury, decided in 1708,

that the twelve hundred acres of land between the towns
of Bushwick and Newtow^n were part of neither town
and belonged therefore to the government, and he
^

later governor,

granted these lands to certain of his personal friends.

After a struggle of over a century's duration the
matter was settled in 1769, and the boundary line
established as

it is

to this day.

In 1853 an association was formed to found a

new

which was to be known as South Williamsburgh, and situated on the Cypress Hills Plank Road,
near the northern entrance to the Cemetery of the
Evergreens.
There were five hundred shares for as

village,

many

lots

valued

at

J150.00 each.

This neighborhood was the Ridgewood of forty

is now known as Evergreen.

years ago, and

54

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

There is still a remnant of the original Manhattan

Beach Railroad in existence, which used to run from
the foot of Quay Street in Greenpoint to the Ocean.
Later on when the trains were sent out from Hunter's
Point, this road was abandoned for passenger service,
and what is left of it is now used for the convenience
of single manufacturing enterprises along its line to the
The Pennsylvania Railroad
junction at Evergreen.
intends to reconstruct the line for passenger service
and run trains over it by way of the Pennsylvania tubes
to the depot on Manhattan Island.

VAN N05TRANDFAR^\H0USE
WYCKOFF^ COOPER AV?

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

55

BEDFORD
At the intersection

of the road leading

from "the
Jamaica with the road to Flatbush and the
Cripplebush road, which connected with Newtown, was
situated the little hamlet of Bedford Corners.
In 1668
a license was granted for an "inn." Two years later
the people of Breukelen purchased the region around
the hamlet from the Indians to enlarge their common
ferry " to

lands.

The old house standing on the Rem Lefferts' farm

was taken down about seventy years ago. The Leffert
Lefferts'

house was destroyed

in 1877

and the Nicholas

Jt^

THE EASTERN

56

DISTRICT OF

Bloom house, purchased by

was demolished

BROOKLYN

Leffert Lefferts in 1791,

in 1909.

CRIPPLEBUSH
The Cripplebush patent was granted in 1654 to
The hamlet known as
settlers on the Wallabout.
Cripplebush was situated at the intersection of the
Cripplebush Road and the Wallabout and Newtown
Road or about Nostrand and Flushing Avenues of
to-day.

In 1830 Wallabout Village

within

its

later, the

was

started, including

limits the Cripplebush settlement, and,

section

became known

as

still

East Brooklyn.

Until a school was established here in 1775 the children

of the settlement were placed in the Bedford and the

The old Rappalyea house on the

Wallabout,
was built by the greatCripplebush Road,
grandfather of Jeremiah J. Rappelyea, who was born
When the old house had to be torn down
here in 1813.
Jeremiah removed to the house he had built upon the
Bushwick

schools.

upper part of

his farm.

EAST
New

NEW YORK

Lots was originally a part of the town of

Flatbush and was called by the Dutch, Oostwout; or,
The New Lotts of Flatbush. The first settlement was
made in 1654 by about twenty families from Holland
and a few Palatinates. Six years later the portion of
and previously held in common was divided and

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

57

At the same time a horsemill was erected.

A patent was granted to forty of the principal inhabiFor many years
tants in 1677 by Governor Andros.
the deacons of the church of Flatbush were chosen
overseers of the poor, and from 1799-1812 the school
was under the direction of the church officers. After
that a frame house was erected for school purposes,
20x32 feet in size, two stories high, and used until
assigned.

5CHNCK HOMESTEAD
OH JAriAICA A VENUE, BC;iLT ABOUT 1760.

New

Lots was annexed to Brooklyn

The old
in 1886 a brick school building was erected.
framehouse was used for other purposes and was

about 1888.

After

removed to a new site.

During the War of 181 2 a detachment of twelve
hundred militia was stationed in the town, in anticipa-

recently

tion of an attack by the British.

The Reformed Dutch Church here was organized

THE EASTERN

58

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

W. Cruikshank

in 1824 with the Rev.

as pastor; the

New

Lots Road, where also

some of the old-time farmhouses are located. The
Eldert house on Eldert Lane and the Schenck homestead on Jamaica Avenue are among the landmarks.
New Lots was separated from Flatbush and made a

edifice standing

township
East

on the

in 1852.

New York was

laid out

during the speculative

days of 1835-6 as a rival to New York City. A shipcanal extending from Jamaica Bay to this place was to
make it a port of entry.
John R. Pitkin and his
brother-in-law, Geo. W. Thrall, were the promoters of
They purchased three farms near the old
the project.
Howard estate and laid these out in building lots. In
i860 East New York had one thousand inhabitants and
supported four churches: a Reformed, a Protestant
Episcopal, a German Evangelical Lutheran and a

Roman
1871.

Catholic.

village

The population

in 1880

charter was adopted in

was

18,000.

1859 the Brooklyn City Railroad extended the

Fulton Avenue horse car line from the Clove Road to

In

East New York.

At the Clove Road was the Bedford
Depot; here the passengers were transferred to smaller
cars converted stage-coaches
and hauled to East
New York. Prior to that, connection with the City of
New York was made by Holder's stages, running from
the "Three Mile House" to East New York, as well as
to Brooklyn Ferry in the opposite direction.
Before
Holder's stages were running the only communication
with New York or Brooklyn was by the Flushing stage,

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

59

passing daily through Jamaica, East New York and

This line was in existence since 1801.
Bedford.
Besides East New York there were within the limits

town the old village of New Lots, the Cypress

Hills settlement, formed around the Snedeker Hotel
about 1833, and Brownsville. The latter settlement was
founded by Charles S. Brown about 1859. He put up
two rows of houses on the fields near Manhattan Crossof the

HOLDER^ THREE MILE House.,

ing; and this settlement became known as Brown's village, or Brownsville, and the name was later applied to

a larger area.
Until consolidation in 1886 the town was divided
The schoolhouse in the
into three school districts.
first district was erected in 806 on the New Lots Road.
The second district was established in 1847, taking in
The third district was
the northern end of the town.
1

THE EASTERN

6o

DISTRICT OF

established in the Cypress

The

BROOKLYN

Hills section about 1850.

The Mechanic, was estab-

first
newspaper,
by Pitkin in 1838.
The Kings County Advertiser and Village Guardian in 1853, and later changed
into the Kings County Journal; The New Lots Journal in 1870/ Die Laterne in 1878/
The Mirror in
The East New York Sejttinel appeared in 1886.
1884.

lished

HOWARD

HH

The Police Department was formed in 1877 with a

The Fire Department was formed
force of nine men.
and received a charter in 1865.
The most interesting landmark in this section was
Howard's Inn. The people of Newtown claimed the
portion of the "New Lotts of Flatbush" along the
hills, near the Brooklyn, Bushwick and Jamaica lines

in 1850

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

as part of the Middelburgh purchase from the Indians.

To secure this valuable tract, they decided, in 1684, to

townsmen willing
upon the hills next to the Dutch. Twenty
acres a piece were allotted to the first eight settlers.
In this disputed tract, William Howard had made his
give portions of
to

it

to

any of

their

locate

home, on the south side of the hills, having purchased

two of these "draught-lots" of Francis Way in 1699.
He had, on several occasions, experienced rough treatment from his Dutch neighbors, and when he, about
1715, began to build a new house, they came over in a
body and burned the frame of the structure. Not discouraged, Howard again started to build and erected
the building that became famous as "Howard's Halfway House," or "the Rising Sun Tavern." In 1717
an agreement was reached that the south side of the
hills should forever be accounted to be in the bounds
of the

town

of Flatbush.

When Howard
Dutch

built his house,

type, the King's

which was of the

Highway from Brooklyn

ferry

Jamaica had been laid out for a decade, and he

erected his house on the road, about half a mile from
its intersection with the Bushwick Road.

to

In 1776, just prior to the Battle of Long Island, the

British Army, which had lain for days at Flatbush Village, in front of the

American outposts, was

silently

pushed out on the various lanes leading to the eastward, and at two o'clock, on the morning of August
27th, the sixteen thousand men halted on the plain at

New

Lots.

The

British were convinced that a large force of the

THE EASTERN

62

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Americans was secreted along the Jamaica Road,

which from this point led through hills and swamps
and was exceedingly narrow, and therefore known as
To outflank these and reach the plain
"the pass."
leading to Bedford Corners, without alarming the
But the guides, who had
pickets, was their object.
led them so far, were unable to guide them through
the wooded hills, and told the British the only man
that could do this was William Howard, the innkeeper,
When the inn
and a grandson of the original settler.
was reached a guard burst open the door of the barroom and soon brought the alarmed innkeeper before
Sir Willthe Commander-in-Chief and his generals.
iam Howe, Lord Percy, Marquis Cornwallis and Sir
Henry Clinton were the early morning guests. They
demanded that Howard should lead a detachment
through the Rockaway Path, over the hills to the right
through the woods, on pain of being shot through the
head. Thus compelled, William Howard led them over
the path his little son, the later Major William Howard,
was taken along. From the top of the hills they descended at the junction of the Fresh Pond Road and
Bushwick Lane present Moffatt Street and Central
Avenue through a valley to a point near the present
Halsey Street car barns. From here they marched
through the fields to a big tree, which stood at a turn
in the Brooklyn and Jamaica Road, two or three
hundred yards north of the later " Symons' Four Mile
House," near the present corner of Reid Avenue and
McDonnough Street. Here Howard and his son were
released.
The vanguard had completely flanked the
;

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

65

position in the hills supposed to be guarded by the

Americans, coming upon the road more than a mile

below "the pass," which, they had been certain, was
occupied by the enemy; yet the pass had been absoThe main body was notified and
lutely unguarded.
marched along the King's Highway.

when

boy of this narrative

was known as Major William Howard, his daughter
married Philip Reid. Reid built a row of houses on
Fulton Street and Broadway more than fifty years ago.
This place was at that time the garden spot of East
New York, facing the Green Hills, now fully covered
by the Cemetery of the Evergreens.
To the left was
the Spencer orchard. From the back of the houses could
be had a view of the Lawrence Mansion, and nearby
was the Augustus Ivins house.
The Howard estate, comprising then about four
acres of land and the historic tavern, was sold in 1867
In later years,

the

little

auction for $21,000 to Henry R. Pierson, the President of the Brooklyn City Railroad Company; and the
B. R. T. system has an extensive car depot and shops
here to-day.
The houses erected by Reid, for years
known as "Italian Row," having fallen into decay,
at

were torn down

in 1909.

BEYOND THE NEWTOWN CREEK

In the olden times the lands on both sides of

New-

town Creek were most intimately connected. County

lines were unknown, the creeks were dividing lines
between the several plantations, for the reason that

'

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

64

lands near a creek were taken up in preference to

others, and the creeks were used in place of roads
to transport the produce of the farms to the river, and

thus

it

was made possible

to reach the fort

on Man-

hattan Island.

The territory along the Newtown Creek, as far as

" Old Calvary Cemetery " and along the East River to
a point about where the river is now crossed by the
Queensboro bridge and following the line of the bridge
past the plaza, was known as Dutch Kills. On the other
side of Old Calvary was a settlement of men from New
The
England and, therefore, named English Kills.
Dutch Kills and the English Kills, as well as the rest
of the out-plantations along the East River, were settlements politically independent of each other and subject only to the Director-General and Council at
Manhattan Island, but became some time later parts
of the town of Newtown.
From Hans Hansen's plantation down along the
Newtown Creek to the Kanapaukah Creek, which was
later known as the Dutch Kills Creek, was the plantation of Richard Brutnell, a native of England; beyond
the Kanapaukah was the plantation of Tymen Jansen,
of Holland; to the north of it was the land of Burger
Jorissen, a native of Silesia, who came to the Manor of
Rensselaervvyck in 1637, being a smith by trade. After
a residence there of about five years he purchased a

and became a trader on the Hudson, and eventupon a plantation on the Dutch Kills,
which he had bought in 1642, and rented it out. After
settling on his farm he erected a tidemill, on a creek

vessel

ually settled

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

65

was named after him, Burger's

Kill, and is now

known as Jack's Creek. He died here in 1671. These
men were the pioneers of the Dutch Kills.
Thomas Wandell lived at Mespat Kills in 1648.

that

Brutnell's plantation had become the property of William Herrick. Wandell married Herrick's widow, and
purchased the plantation in 1659. He added to it fifty
acres, patented to Richard Colfax in 1652. He resided
on the farm until his death in 1691, and was buried on
the hill later occupied by the Alsop family burial place.
This land came into the possession of his nephew,
Richard Alsop, and was known as the Alsop farm
until Calvary Cemetery was opened, the older part of
which covers a great portion of the farm.
The plantation of Burger Jorissen came with other

lands

into

the possession of

Bourgon Broucard, or

Bragaw, who had come to the county in 1675 from

the Palatinate on the Rhine, settling in the Cripplebush of Bushwick, where he bought in 1684 the farm
later owned by Folkert Rapelye.
Four years later he
sold this property and removed to Staten Island and
Here he purchased, from 1690 to
then to Dutch Kills.
a large estate, which he sold again in 1702 to William Post. His son, Isaac, repurchased this plantation

'93,

in 1713

his

and added

son, died in

to

it.

Isaac died in

1757.

John,

1782 on that part of the farm later

owned by William Gosman.

Another

son,

Andrew,

retained the homestead farm at the Dutch Kills, and

In 1831 the farm came into the
died thereon in 1828.
possession of William and Abraham Payntar.
The
old farm-house built by Isaac Bragaw, probably shortly

THE EASTERN

66

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

before his death in 1757, still remains near the bridge

plaza on Jackson Avenue, opposite Skillman Avenue;
but its days are numbered, for a large sign announces
that the

ground upon which

old house has seen

many

it

stands

is

When

changes.

The

for sale.
it

was

built

the land around

grist-mill

was tilled by prosperous farmers, the

on the Bragaw farm was of great advantage

if-'

<-/C*'^^7-l-^,ei/7*

^<c5L^/^j ery^,

(^/^.-e^^ 04.^

j/cCTLCA^

t^^y%^>-^f^^ <s>yful^^i'L^t^x, t^/t

<^/<c^z- r/ c/j'^-<s>*z-^

to them.

To church they went

, .-^*.

'^^C^^

to

Newtown

village;

was near the river shore. Nearby was

the dock whence they sent their produce in boats to
By wagon they
the fly-market in New York City.
went to Brooklyn ferry, and later to Bushwick ferry
Now all that is
also, and thence across to the city.
the schoolhouse

On its
the old-time farms is the old mansion.
one side are passing the trolley cars, after leaving the

left of

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

67

bridge, and on the other side are the Long

Island Railroad yards. The nearby creeks have been filled
in and
the hills have been leveled.
The old house is now
standing below the grade of the street, and the
day is
quickly approaching when it will sink into
its grave
and be but a memory.

BUSHWICK CHURCH
At the beginning of Bushwick
a plain, frame church building.

Avenue

is

standing

Old Bushwick
Reformed Church. A few years ago a row of
tenement houses was erected on the rear part of
the triangular plot, formerly occupied by the
church and
graveyard exclusively; and now a board fence
surrounds the edifice and what is left of the grounds.
On
the one side of the structure is Old
Woodpoint Road,
a remnant of the old town road.
The church building
and the road with a few little old-fashioned
frame
houses on the opposite side is all that remains
of old
Bushwick village, laid out 252 years ago, under
It

is

the

personal supervision of the highest official

of the Colony.
When and where was the first Bushwick church
erected?

In most of the books referring to

the ecclesiastical history of the town are found
these stereotyped

remarks: "There seems to have been a church

edifice
town prior to 1720, but evidence is

in existence in this

lacking.
1708,

Part of the

and there

is

communion service bears date of

also a receipt for a church bell dated

1711."
It is

known

that the minister of

New Amsterdam

THE EASTERN

6S
at first,

and

later the

DISTRICT OF

one

at

BROOKLYN

Midwout, and

still

the colleagues settled there, supplied the several

later

Dutch

In the call extended to

churches of Kings County.
Freeman
in 1702 the Boswijck
Bernardus
Rev.
the
church was included for the first time with the others.
According to this there was then a church in existIn "A Manual of the Reformed
ence in this town.
Protestant Dutch Church in America," published in
1859, and giving the names and length of service of
the respective ministers, are the following remarks:

" Bushwyck, see Boght and Midwout."

of

Under Midwout it is noted:

" This name also included sometimes the churches
Brooklyn, Flatlands, Bushwick and Gravesend."

And under Boght:

" Church organized 16

John Bassett, D.D.

Boght (Bushwick) and Gravesend,
1805-1814.
Bushwick.
1814-1824.
Stephen H. Meeker.
Bushwick."
1824
The compiler has come to the conclusion that the
blockhouse erected in 1660 by the residents of the
Waaleboght, at the Lookout or Kijkuit on the site
later occupied by the Miller homestead, near the lower
part of South Fourth Street was used as a place of
refuge in case of attacks by the Indians, and also as a
place of public worship by the farmers near the river
shore, as well as by the inhabitants of Boswijck village,
until a church edifice was erected about 1720 within
the village; and for this reason the church is recorded

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

manual under the name

BROOKLYN

69

Boght from Waaleboght until 1814, when the Rev. John Bassett took
charge of the church at Bushwick village, as resident
minister.
The church records were started under the
heading, "Boght," and were kept in this way, even
after the church edifice had been erected in the village
proper, and only when the collegiate system had
terminated, and even the communion between Bushwick and Gravesend under Dr. Bassett's ministration
in the

of

BLOCKH0U.SE

erc<^UcL

iQQ>Ou,x^if^KlJKUIT-BLm

5KETCHED ATTER OLD DtSCRtPJIONS

an end, " Bushwick Church " was entered

upon the records, and the old name, "Boght," dropped.
Other matter to be considered in this connection is as
follows: Sometime during the eighteenth century
another "Boght" Church had come into existence in
the neighborhood of Albany, and this fact may have
had some bearing on the change of name. The blockhouse was the only public building in the town, and
the bell, for which there is a receipt dated 171 1, may

had come

to

yo

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

have been installed in that rude structure to call the

farmers together in case of alarm, as well as to divine
service, while prior to that a small cannon served the
purpose. The village was founded by Frenchmen, who,
to attend divine service, went over to the fort, within
whose walls, occasionally, services were held in their
native tongue.
There were also sermons preached in
French in the several settlements, in farmhouses, from
time to time by the Dutch ministers of New Amsterdam. Along the river front were a majority of Dutch
settlers located, and it is therefore likely that the
services of the Dutch Church were held in this neighborhood.
Invariably the graveyard surrounded the church
edifice in the early Dutch settlements, but in Bushwick
village the graveyard was laid out without having a
church building; this seems to strengthen the theory
that the blockhouse was used for public worship, and,
being located upon an elevated point and distant from
the village,

it

was natural enough

that the inhabitants

had their burial place within the village

limits.
The old roads of the town were the Woodpoint Road and the Kijkuit Lane.
The Woodpoint
Road led to the Town dock, and had two branches:
one toward the landing on Noorman's Kill, and the
other to the mill.
The Kijkuit Lane ran from the
village following the line of present Metropolitan
Avenue to Keap Street; near Union Avenue, meanderof the village

ing along, it struck Rodney Street; Keap Street again,

it struck Broadway, approaching this line toward the
shore until it reached the Kijkuit, and then ran along

THE EASTERN

72

Noorman's
point Road came

to the

Kil.

DISTRICT OF

The one branch

to the landing

nection with Kijkuit

BROOKLYN

on

of the

this Kil,

Wood-

and con-

Lane could be made by

boats,

and thus the blockhouse could also be reached from

the Greenpoint side.
The roads led to the most
important points; the one to the Town dock, whence
the crops of the farms were sent to the fort, and the
other to the place where church services were held.
The church erected in the village about 1720 was a
frame structure with a very steep roof terminating in
an open belfry; the whole resembling a haystack, similar to the Dutch church buildings at Jamaica and

New

Utrecht.
The worshippers furnished themselves
with chairs until 1795, when a gallery was erected and
the ground floor provided with benches.
The shore along the river had in course of many
years become dotted with comfortable farmhouses, and
the little church at " Bushwick Green" had accommo-

dated

all

those residing along the shore.

Around the Bushwick ferry a more compact settlement had formed, and in 1827 the village of Williamsburgh was incorporated. In the following year the
Bushwick Church laid here the cornerstone for a
chapel, which was dedicated in 1829.
As soon as the
chapel was under way the congregation at Bushwick

new house of worship in

their own village, and took down the old "Beehive,"
as the church was named from its peculiar shape, and
dedicated this new edifice two months after the Williamsburgh chapel had been opened. The bell, that
village resolved to erect a

had been taken from the old

edifice

and

is

said to bear

THE EASTERN
the date

of

1705

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

and

to

Holland, was installed in

75

have been imported from

the new church, and is there

at this day.

Furman
"

Many

says in his " Antiquities of

of the

Long

Island ":

Dutch churches on Long Island were

of

a curious style of architecture either circular, sixsquare or eight-square, with high roofs and a belfry or
cupola springing from the top of the roof with a small

The Bushwick Church was six-square, and

was taken down in 1827. A few months previous to
bell in

it.

who had a
fine taste for sketching, at our request made a drawing
of this antique church, which we now possess and
its

destruction a lady of our acquaintance,

prize highly as an accurate

representation of these

curious old churches, which have now all disappeared

from our island before the march of modern improvement." He also says: " The oldest tombstone at pres-

Bushwick burying ground is one erected in

memory of Cornelius Bogart, and bears the date of
There are inscriptions in Dutch on tombstones
1769.

ent in the

bearing date as late as 1780."

in this burial place

Tradition has
Island, a

it,

that

after

the

Battle

detachment of the American

through the town,

left their

of

Army

wounded and

Long

passing

sick at the

church, to be cared for by the Dutch farmers.

Lord
Howe, after finding that the Bushwick folks had given
sympathy to the revolutionists, ordered the rebel
church to be closed up, and it remained that way until
the close of the war.

The church erected

site, fronting same way

was

on the old
as the old church did and surin 1829

built

74

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

rounded by the churchyard which had begun to be

used fifteen years before. The ancient graveyard of
the settlement was a short distance from the church.
Since 1814 most interments had been made in the new
In 1879 such remains as were left in the
churchyard.
old burial ground were removed, estimated to be about

4 tSTo

THE EASTERN
two hundred and

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

75

and the bones were collected in

seven casket boxes, and these were deposited under
Bushwick Church. Tombstones with inscriptions of
the early days of the Dutch settlements are rarely
found, as there were no sculptors among these settlers.
A few stones bearing dates as far back as 1771
were decipherable, and were removed to the new burial
fifty,

place.

When

the territory of the village of Williamsburgh

was provided that "a piece of

land occupied by the Dutch Reformed Church for
public worship and a burying ground known by the
name of Bushwick Church shall be excepted and
excluded from the said village of Williamsburgh, and
the same shall continue to form a part of said town of
Bushwick."

was extended

in 1835,

The foregoing

it

lines contain

the story of the old

gathered here and there,

have been carefully put together, until we can follow
its career from the very beginning of civilization on
this island.
The best men in the community during
many generations have given their services to it, and
though the sturdy Dutch farmers have long been laid

church.

Little fragments,

to rest, the historic value of the structure still remains.

The following article appeared

September

iith, 1909:

in the Brooklyn Times^

THE EASTERN

76

WANTS

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

CITY TO SAVE OLD DUTCH

LANDMARK

EUGENE ARMBRUSTER PLEADS FOR

BUSHWICK

REFORMED CHURCH

"Only Connecting Link in the Eastern District Between the

Dim Past and ttte Present/' He Says Edifice Stands in the
Path of Bushwick Avenue Extension

An

eloquent plea for the preservation by the city of the Old

Bushwick Reformed Church,

which stands
avenue,

is

in the

at

Conselyea and Humboldt

Streets,,

path of the proposed extension of Bushwick

made by Eugene Armbruster,

of 263 Eldert street, in

letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Times, in connection with an

which appeared on this page on September 4, relative to old

Bushwick's Town Hall.
Mr. Armbruster, who is an authority on matters pertaining Xothe history of Brooklyn, calls attention to the fact that this old
church building is " the only connecting link in the Eastern District
between the dim past and the present." "Other cities carefully
guard old landmarks and try to preserve them for the benefit of
later generations," he says, and asks: "Why not spare this venerable structure and extend Bushwick Avenue through Woodpoint
Road in a trifling curve around the church?"
The preservation of the old church should be a matter of pride
with the people of the Bushwick section, for it is about the only
landmark of the old village of Bushwick that is still in existence.
Furthermore, it is, in a way, a public building, for under the Dutch
regime the church was as much a municipal institution as the Town
article

Hall or School.

Mr. Armbruster's letter, which throws some valuable light on

the formation and history of old Bushwick, follows:

To

the Editor of the B^'ooklyn Ti77ies

Sir:

Referring to your article in Saturday's Times about the Old

Bushwick Town Hall, in which you invite your readers to give

some information about the old building, I take the liberty to ask
you for some space in your valued pjiper for the purpose.
The Dutch Governor, William Kieft, secured for the West India

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

77

Company

in 1638 from the Canarsee Indians, who claimed the

whole of Kings County, Newtown and part of Jamaica, all the,
territory of the later town of Bushwick, lying between Wallabout
Bay, Newtown Creek, the swamps of Newtown and the later
dividing line from Brooklyn; that is Division Avenue and Broad-

way

of to-day.

In 1660 Gov. Stuyvesant advised the scattered farmers in the

"as we have war with the

our Netherland people," and that
they could not expect any assistance from New Amsterdam. So
they built a blockhouse on the " Lookout," near the foot of South
Fourth street, where later on the Meserole homestead stood, upon
a bluff on the river shore. There they were to take refuge in case
of an attack from hostile Indians.
At about the same time some Frenchmen and others requested
of Stuyvesant a grant of land; he went over to the territory mentioned, and selected a spot between Newtown and Bushwick
Creeks, where he directed them to lay out a village, intending this
to be a bulwark against the Englishmen, who had settled at the
territory

Indians,

to

concentrate themselves

who have

slain several of

English Kills of Newtown.

The following year he visited the
place again and requested to give it a name. He gave the place
the name of Boswijck, that translated means " heavy woods," because the region was covered with forest. This name has since been
corrupted into Bushwick.
The village was enclosed by a stockade of sharpened logs for
protection against attacks from Indians.
In the beginning of the
eighteenth centur}^ the Reformed Dutch Church was erected on
the identical spot where its successor stands to-day, and across the
Woodpoint road the Town Hall was built.
In 1829 the old
church edifice was taken down and the new one built. The Town
Hall, of which

we have

Common

Council Manual of
pay the town's expenses, but ultimately the electors of the town grew tired of keeping a hotel and sold the old Town House to a Yankee.
Williamsburgh came into existence at the beginning of the last
century, and was in 1827 incorporated as a village, embracing all
that part of the Town of Bushwick up to Union avenue and from
1868,

was

later

a picture in the

on rented out as a hotel

to help

78

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

In 1S35 the boundary line

Division avenue to Bushwick Creek.
was extended to Bushwick avenue, that is from Bushwick Creek to
Broadwav and Flushing avenue, but the church and cemetery were

excluded and to remain a part of the Town of Bushwick.

In 1S40, Williamsburgh was cut off" from the Town of Bushwick
and the Town of Williamsburgh came into existence. In 1S51, the
Bushwick then consisted of
Citv of Williamsburgh was created.
that part of Brooklyn known to-day as Bushwick and Ridgewood
(in Kings County), Greenpoint, and the old village laid out by
From this it will be seen that the upper BushPeter Stuvvesant.
wick section has a perfect right to be called by the old town name.
When the village around Bushwick Church was in its best days,

upper Bushwick was woodland, called the new Bushwick

lands, and each freeholder of (he town owned a parcel of the land
the

was the new

Bushwick lane, now Evergreen Avenue. When the White Church
was erected it was named the South Bushwick Reformed Dutch
to

cut fuel, etc.

The road leading

into this section

Church, so the section may have been known as South Bushwick.

The term Eastern District was given in 1S55, when Williamsburgh and Bushwick w^ere consolidated with Brooklyn to the territory of the original Town of Bushwick (including Williamsburgh),
and the Nineteenth Ward, then a part of the City of Brooklyn, was
Since that time the Bedford and Stuyvesant sections
included.
have been built up and by common use included in the Eastern
District as far as about Bedford Avenue and Atlantic towards New
Officially the denominations Eastern and Western District
Lots.
have been extinguished after an existence of scarcely one year, excepting in case of the Fire Department and Post OtSce arrangements.
Let me say in this connection a few words in regard to the Old
There have been of late
Bushwick Reformed Dutch Church.
many propositions made to extend Bushwick Avenue beyond this
old church, and the edifice has been a stumbling block in the way
of progress.
But we should remember that this church building is
the only connecting link in the Eastern District between the dim
past and the present.
Other cities carefully guard old landmarks,
and try to preserve them for the benefit of later generations. Why

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

not spare this venerable structure and extend

79

Bushwick Avenue

through Woodpoint Road in a trifling curve around the church?

This is the only landmark of the original town of Bushwick still
in existence, that is of public buildings, for under the Dutch
regime the church was as much a municipal institution as the Town

House
It

or school.

would be

of

some value

to be able to point out to other parts

of the greater city, a building standing in

the centre of

land, where two and a half centuries ago, sixteen

plot of

acres of forest

land were cleared for a settlement which has

in course of time developed into what is known to-day as the Eastern District of
Brooklyn, a section inhabited by over 600,000 people.
If such a
section would make a reasonable demand of the city's government,,
it would undoubtedly get full consideration.

Yours very

truly,

EUGENE ARMBRUSTER.
263 Eldert Street,

THE ORIGINAL ECCLESIASTICAL

ORGANIZATIONS
At Bushwick Green the Reformed Dutch Church
was organized in 1654. Edifice erected 1720; new
building erected 1829.
At Bushwick Cross-Roads the
Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1840.
At Bowronville the Second or South Bushwick
Reformed Dutch Church was organized in 1852. At
Greenpoint the Ascension Protestant Episcopal Church
was organized in 1846. Edifice erected on Kent Street^
between Franklin wStreet and Manhattan Avenue in
The First Baptist Church of Greenpoint was
1853.
organized in 1847.
A small edifice was erected in
The Greenpoint Dutch Reformed Church was
1849.
organized in 1848, Edifice built on Java and Franklin

So

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

At East Brooklyn the Wallaboiit

The
Presbyterian Church was organized in 1842.
East Brooklyn Baptist Church was organized in 1847.
The East Reformed Church was organized in 1853.
At North Brooklyn the Reformed Dutch Church of
North Brooklyn was organized in 1854. The Christ
Church of North Brooklyn was organized in Williamsburgh in 1846, and removed later to this section. At
Streets

in

1850.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

New Brooklyn the German Reformed Dutch Church

of New Brooklyn was organized in 1852.
St. BeneRoman

Catholic Church was established in 1854.

At Williamsburgh a little frame chapel was erected
by the Methodists in 1808. It was standing in a corn-

dict's

The Society had been

In 1838 the church was organized as
started in 1806,
South Second Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and
was then located on South Second Street. The little
field

on

Bushwick

chapel found

Street.

soon standing on the turnpike road

It was destroyed by fire in 1845, having
to Jamaica.
been used in its later years by different organizations.
The Second and Third Methodist Episcopal Churches
and the North Fifth Street Methodist Episcopal
Church were among the earliest organizations. In
1828 a chapel was built on present Bedford Avenue
and South Second Street by the Reformed Dutch
Church of Bushwick village. The site of the chapel
had been donated by men who turned the neighboring
farms into building lots. It w^as built on a rough
farmer's lane, uneven with boulders and stumps of
trees.
The built-up part of the village was then confined to the parts of Grand Street and Metropolitan
itself

For years members of all

denominations of the Protestant faith worshipped here

Avenue

close to the shore.

together, excepting the Methodist Episcopalians.

Methodist Protestant Church was

organized by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
A small edifice was erected on Grand
Street and present Bedford Avenue. The Zion African
Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1832,
In

1832

the

82

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

worshipping on North Fourth Street, between present

Berry Street and Bedford Avenue. Other African
Methodist Episcopal Churches were the Asbury and
Bethel Churches.
St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in 1837, and a little brick chapel was erected in
Christ Church was organized in
the following year.
1846; St. Paul's,

1848; Calvary,

St .Tl^rfc^ C

1849,

f]

Lt

and

r c/^

St.

James

In 1839 Williamsburgh Bethel Independent Baptist Church was organized. It became the
(colored), 1846.

Church of Williamsburgh in 1846. In

frame
building
was erected on present Driggs
1843 ^
Avenue, near South First Street, St. Mary's Roman
Catholic Church was erected on North Eighth Street
and present Kent Avenue in 1840. It was a little
First Baptist

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

frame structure, surrounded by a graveyard.

83

The

earlier Catholic settlers attended services at St.

in

New York

City, originally

on Sheriff

few-

Mary's

and
priest from
Street,

on Grand and Ridge Streets. A

New York City had attempted to hold services in the
village as early as 1837, but being unable to collect
later

^^^

84

THE EASTERN

sufficient

money

DISTRICT OF

to give

BROOKLYN

him support and meet current

expenses, he withdrew from the place.

Sts. Peter's
and Paul's Church was established in 1847. HolyTrinity Church for German Catholics was established
in 1841, and an edifice erected on Montrose Avenue
and present Manhattan Avenue. The First Presby-

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

85

Church was organized in 1842, and a building

erected on South Second and present Roebling Streets.
The First Congregational Church of Williamsburgh
was organized in 1843 by former members of the First
Presbyterian Church.
An edifice was erected in the
same year on South Third Street and present Hewes
Street.
St. Johannes' German Evangelical Church
was organized in 1843. ^ building was erected on
Graham Avenue and present Ten Eyck Street. The
Presbyterian Church of Williamsburgh (Old School)
was organized in 1844 by another number of former
members of the First Presbyterian Church. The brick
building on South Third Street, and present Driggs
Avenue, and still in use, was dedicated in 1846. The
terian

organization

is

now known

Presbyterian Church.

The

as

South Third Street

First Universalist

Church

and Society was organized in 1845. A brick edifice

was erected on present Bedford Avenue and South
Third Street in 1847, which, after having been occupied by various organizations, was razed in 1909. The
Reformed Scotch Presbyterian Church was organized
in 1850, and was located on North Fifth and present
Rodney Streets. The New England Church and
Society was organized in 1851.
The Jewish Congregation Temple Beth Elohim was organized in 185 1,
and purchased a building on the corner of South First
Street and present Marcy Avenue in i860.

BURYING GROUNDS
The
village

ground of the early settlers of Boswijck

was situated on the Woodpoint Road; being a
burial

S6

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

square plot of land at the intersection of Kingsland

Avenue, Withers and Parker Streets. In 1879 the

grounds were abandoned, and the remains were reinterred under Bushwick Church.
A new graveyard
had been established in 1814 around the old church
edifice on plot bounded by present Humboldt Street
and Old Woodpoint Road, Conselyea St. and Skillman
Avenue. The new church building was erected fifteen
years later on the old site in the churchyard.
Private
family burial places were on some of the farms.
On

THE DEVOE HOUSES & PART OF AN CiENT

CRAVE-Vard on the woodpoint roap

Queens County shore of the

Creek, was the grave of Thomas Wandell,
the former owner of the farm, who died in 169 1.
A

the Alsop farm, on the

Newtown

became the site of Calvary CemAlsop family burial ground, by a reservation to the family, still remains Protestant ground.
The burial place on the Provoost farm was on India
The Schenck family burial
and Oakland Streets.
place is on the Wyckoff farm, near the former site of
large part of the farm

etery, but the

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

the Schenck mill.

The

burial

87

place on the Leffert

Bedford Corners was near the presA Roman

ent Bedford Avenue and Halsey Street.
Catholic cemetery surrounded St. Mary's Church,
which was erected in 1840 on North Eighth Street and
Sixty years ago there were
present Kent Avenue.
several cemeteries in the Eastern District, which were
later abandoned and their contents removed and
re-interred in Cypress Hills Cemetery, some time after
the latter had been incorporated in 1848 and opened
for burial purposes in the following year.
There was
a cemetery near Newtown Creek in the vicinity of
Orient Avenue.
In August, 1910, while grading
streets, workmen dug up several skulls and a number
The Methof bones at Morgan and Orient Avenues.
odist Cemetery was located on the block between
Powers and Devoe Streets, taking in part of the next
block, and between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street.
Its contents were removed to Cypress Hills about
The Cemetery of the Cannon Street Baptist
1856.
Church of New York City was located between Old
Woodpoint Road, Humboldt, Withers and Frost
Streets.
The congregation was permitted by several
acts of the Legislature of 1864 to remove the remains
The Union Cemetery of more
to other cemeteries.
than sixty years ago was bounded by Maujer, Stagg,
Leonard and Lorimer Streets. A new Union Cemetery was opened in 185 1 on ground bounded by Knickerbocker and Irving Avenues, Palmetto Street and
It was some ten acres in
present Putnam Avenue.
extent.
The cemetery was the property of the Grand
Lefferts farm at

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

88

Street First Protestant Methodist Church.

In

1897
the grounds were sold, and the remains removed to

Cedar Grove. The Cemetery of the Evergreens was

incorporated in 1849, and opened in 185 1, located
upon the Green Hills or Cypress Hills. It contained
originally 112 acres, of which a small part was in
Queens County. It has since been increased to 270
The Most Holy Trinity Cemetery was later
acres.
by the Roman Catholic Church of the same
name on Montrose Avenue, on land between the Cemetery of the Evergreens, along Cemetery Lane and the
tracks of the New York and Manhattan Beach Railroad, the Old Bushwick Road and the Queens County
line, taking in besides a tract of land beyond the
county line, and covering in all twenty-five acres.
laid out

THE EARLY DAYS OF THE EASTERN

DISTRICT SCHOOLS
BUSHWICK SCHOOLS
The Bushwick School was established

two
There were

in 1662,

vears after the villa2:e had been laid out.

not many children within the limits of the entire township.

Two

years later the English rule succeeded the

Colony, and the Free-School system was

abolished, and the schools depended on the support of
The school
their patrons for a century and a half.
was started in the centre of the village and continues
The first schoolto this day as Public School No. 23.
master was the town clerk, who received for the clerk-

Dutch

in the

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

ship the value of four hundred guilders

wampum, and

in

Indian

for his services as teacher he received

house rent and

attend to

89

firevyood.

As town

the castigating of public

clerk he had to
offenders.

The

whipping-post
Across the lane leading to the Woodpoint Road was
the Town House, and near the school was later erected
The schoolhouse was in a deplorable
the church.
condition when Martin Kalbfleisch settled in Greenpoint in 1842, but there was no schoolhouse at all in
that section of the town, so he applied for permission
to make use of the old structure near the church,
repaired it, and obtained the services of a teacher.
In all the other schools included in this sketch the
Dutch language was used until about 1758. From then
on to the termination of the collegiate system of the
Dutch churches in 1800, Dutch and English were
After that the English language was used
taught.
stood in front of the little schoolhouse.

school at Bushwick

Green
the Dutch tongue was continued, and the sermons in
the church were preached in the same language until
the old church edifice was razed in 1829.
When the
town became part of Brooklyn in 1855, the school^
which had then been known for many years as Bushwick District School No. i, became Public School
exclusively,

yet

in

the

No. 23 of the City of Brooklyn.

The school at Bushwick Cross-Roads had its origin
in a time before the Revolution, when the Dutch
tongue was spoken by everybody in the settlement.
A building, 20x24 feet and very low, was erected
about 1815, and was used until 1847. Up to the time of

THE EASTERN

90

DISTRICT OF

consolidation the school was

BROOKLYN

known

as

Bushwick Dis-

School No. 2; standing upon a hill, on a point

was put on the map as the corner of Washington
and Prospect Streets, or what is now Bremen and
Noll Streets. It became Public School No. 24, and
was generally known as Hill School. The edifice
having become inadequate, after a long and wearywrangle, a new school was built in 1874 upon another
trict

that

3J)i^c>i\-n)Ltfe

iUotiilok

<cfuc^ U*o

elevated point, on the corner of present Arion Place

and Beaver

This building has recently been

somewhat enlarged, and is still widely known as Hill
School. In 1820 David Dunham gave a plot of ground,
30x100 feet, near North First Street, between what is
now Berry Street and Bedford Avenue, a locality then

known

as

Street.

"where

the old log cabin stood."

On

this

THE EASTERN

92

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

site a one-story schoolhouse was erected, 19x25 feet.

This was Bushwick District School No. 3. The district embraced the territory west of Union Avenue there
were then about forty children living within its limits.
In 1838 thirty children were in attendance, the school
being conducted on such a low level that most parents
would not allow their children to attend. Then a new
teacher was engaged and within a year the number of
scholars increased to one hundred and fifty the number
of children in the district being three hundred and six.
In 1839 the sum of $125 was appropriated for the addition of a second story.
Within a few months the
number of scholars increased to two hundred and
thirty-six; one hundred and fifty-six boys and eighty
;

girls.

WILLIAMSBURGH AND GREENPOINT SCHOOLS

town

was incorporated, and in 1843 divided into three districts, and a

brick school building erected in each district.
Bushwick District School No. 3 became Williamsburgh
In 1840 the

District School No.

of VVilliamsburgh

Shortly after, these districts

were rearranged into four districts. In 1850 a larger
building was added in the First District, and the origi.

wooden

building, that had been erected in 1820,

was occupied by the colored school. In the Second
inal

District the building

was exchanged

for a larger and

No. 3 had been
opened in a leased building on the corner of present
Maujer Street and Graham Avenue in 1844. A new
structure was erected on Maujer Street, near present

more

suitable one.

District School

THE EASTERN
Manhattan Avenue,
scholars

in

the

DISTRICT OF

in 1848.

City of

BROOKLYN

93

number

In 1852 the

Williamsburgh was

After consolidation, District School No.

i,

of

6,700.

located at

South Third Street, corner of Driggs Avenue, became

Public School No. 16.
No. 2, on North Fifth Street,
corner of Driggs Avenue, became Public School No
No. 3, on Maujer Street, between Manhattan
17.

.* <.. ^

^^tCZ^tP^

:ir/.>

JZX.~^y-

t-^

dT^-^

*-^<^

^^^^^-<^>^-;t>^,&^-^<^'4

//\'I^C<^ <ii.,-%.,^i^*^ y^--*.C^t^j(^

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

,.>>t^

Avenue and Leonard

No. 18.
No.

BROOKLYN

<f^^^^>'^ '^ -^

Street,

95

became Public School

on South Second Street, corner of present

Keap Street, became Public School No. 19.
Public School No. 20 was situated on South Fourth
Street, between present Roebling Street and Marcy
Avenue.
Public School No. 21, on McKibben Street, near
Manhattan Avenue.
Public School No. 22, on Java Street between
Franklin Street and present Manhattan Avenue,
Greenpoint.
Primary No. i was located on North Sixth Street,
near present Kent Avenue.
Primary No. 2, on North Third Street, between
present Wythe Avenue and Berry Street.
4,

^JC^C-^Z^^t^*

.r:,^^,^^

SL.-U -^- ^

.^.^^ c^2A^

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

97

Primary No. 3, on North First Street, between

present Berry Street and Bedford Avenue.
Primary No. 4, on present Rodney Street, between
Ainslie and North First Streets.
Colored No. 3, on Keap Street, near North Second
Street or present Metropolitan Avenue.

BEDFORD SCHOOL
At Bedford Corners, at the Junction of the Clove,
Cripplebush and Jamaica Lanes, the schoolhouse was
erected in 1721 on the village green.
The building
was divided by a large chimney; on the one side was
the schoolroom, the other half being the teacher's residence.
Another room was added in 1775, fourteen
feet square,

which the teacher was permitted

to use as

THE EASTERN

98

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

This building was replaced by a new

one in 1810. In 1830 a schoolhouse was built on a
new site at what is now Bedford Avenue and Fulton
Street, also a one-story structure, containing two
rooms; one for the younger and one for the older
in 1846.
The building
children.
It was enlarged
erected on Bedford and Jefferson Avenues in 1852
became Public School No. 3. It was enlarged in 1854,
and again in 1859.
a grocery store.

WALLABOUT SCHOOL
The

children of the Wallabout settlement atten'ded

the Bedford and the

Bushwick Schools

until a school-

house was established prior to 1775 on the north side

of the Wallabout Creek on land of the Johnson famil}',
given for this purpose for a term of twenty-one years.
Then the building was removed to land of Garrett
Nostrand, to what is now known as Bedford and
Flushing Avenues. It was a little one-story structure,
painted red, containing one room, twenty feet square,
and was heated by a Franklin wood stove, standing in
the middle of the room, with its pipe thrust through
When the schoolhouse had to be removed
the roof.
from its site, Garrett Nostrand converted it into a
In 1838 a new building was erected on
chicken coop.
Classon Avenue, near Flushing Avenue, which was
enlarged in 1842, and again in 1848. This school
became Public School No. 4.

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

99

THE WYCKOFF FARM

John Scudder was born in 1619. He emigrated
from Grafton, England, in 1635, in company with
his father and three brothers, to Salem, in the Colony
In 1652 he and two of his
of Massachusetts Bay.
brothers came to Southold, on Long Island, and after
residing there for several years removed to HuntingAfter a short stay at this place John came to
ton.
Mispat Kills, where he resided until his death. As early

WYCKOFF HOMESTEAD
NEAR

"FLUSH

(NG AVE

CYPRESS AVE

Owned the mill-pond in Bushwick, on which

Schenck's mill was later erected. This pond was supposed to be the cause of the fever and ague prevailing
in this vicinity about that time.
The Newtown Town
court issued the following order: " Whereas there hath
been complaint made to this court against John Scudas 1668 he

by several of the inhabitants for making a

dam, which hath and still doth stop the passage of the
water, at or near Fowler's Bridge or run, which is a
der, Sr.,

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

lOO

great annoyance, and

conceived a great cause of

them,
the court doth thereso much sickness
fore order that the said John Scudder shall forthwith
cut the said dam, whereby the water may have free
passage through it, under the penalty of five pounds
The pond was long known as Scudder's
sterling."
it

is

among

Pond, and was always referred to in the boundary disJohn Scudder's only
pute between the two towns.
the only daughter
in
Johanna,
son, John, married
1669
John had two sons, John
of Captain Richard Betts.
and Richard B., who, in 1700, sold the property and
removed to New Jersey. Francis and Tunis Titus,
sons of Titus Sirach de Vries, possessed land in this
neighborhood. Francis was the owner of a farm in

had been patented to Paul Richards

Tunis appears to have resided herein 1703;
in 1664.
in Mansfield, N. J. Johannes Schenck,
resided
he
later
born in Holland in 1656, came to this country about
He lived at first in New Amsterdam, later in
1683.
Midwout. In 171 1 he bought a mill and plantation of
eighty-three acres in Bushwick from Tunis Titus, to
which he removed. He died in 1748 and was buried
on this farm. Johannes Schenck, Jr., born in 1691,
bought, in 1713, of Timothy Wood a plantation of one
hundred and eight acres in Bushwick, and also bought

Bushwick

that

Newtown. He died in 1729.

Peter,
him
his
of
Newtown
farm
of
one
his brother, bought
hundred and thirteen acres near the Bushwick line,
and removed to it. He died in 1736. The grist-mill
on the Schenck farm was located on the east branch of
a plantation in

the

Newtown

Creek, and the ruins of the mill were

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

lOI

Nicholas Wyckoff,
Standing sixty years ago.
born in 1743, purchased the Schenck farm in 1765, and
After the Battle of
resided upon it during the war.
Long Island, while he was performing service in the
American Army, British soldiers, passing the farm,
A Hessian officer
seized and carried off the cattle.
was billetted upon the family, and the farmer's wife
Still

acquainted with the German language

to make him understand that the seizure of the cattle
left the children without anything to eat, and the
officer was so moved by this statement that he went to
headquarters at Maspeth and got all the animals back
save one, which had already been killed. In 1781 Peter
Wyckoff bought the Mansion House property on the

was

sufficiently

Theoborn
at
the
Nicholas Wyckoff was
dorus Polhemus.
Mansion House in 1799. His father moved back to
the family homestead on Flushing and Cypress AvePeter Wyckoff was born here in 1828,
nues in 1814.
and died in the old house in 1910, which, though
remodeled, is still the same structure that was occupied by the first member of the Wyckoff family, which
owned the farm. In 191 1 the farm was sold and laid

Woodpoint Road from

out in building

the children of the late

lots.

Near the homestead stood '* Ye Pole's house," the

" most ancient Dutch house," mentioned in the Hempstead decision about the Bushwick Patent, on the east
side of the

head of Mispat

Kil.

I02

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

ROADS AND TRANSPORTATIONS

During the first century and a half of the existence
of the town of Bushwick most of the farmers started
on their journey to Manhattan Island from the Woodpoint, where the town dock was located.
To it led
the road that cut through the entire town from one
end to the other. It was the main road in town, from
which several lanes branched off, wending their way
to the strand, the mill and the landing on Noorman's
Kil.
Although being one continuous road, it was
known by two different names, to which a third one
was added in 1704. It followed the line of the Old
Rockaway foot-path, which led from the south over
the hills toward Mispat Kil, at which latter place
the Mispat tribe, a sub-tribe of the Rockaways, was
located.
It appears on documents soon after the territory was purchased by Kieft as the path leading to
the Kils.
From Bushwick village the one road dating
from the earliest days of the settlement led toward the
Woodpoint, while the other, coming into existence a
little later, ran in the opposite direction.
The beginning of the first road is still on the map and known as
Old Woodpoint Road; it then turned in the centre of
the block now bounded by Humboldt Street, Kingsland Avenue, Frost and Withers Streets to Debevoise
Avenue; thence slanting toward Diamond Street, along
that thoroughfare to Oakland Avenue and India Street
running along India Street to a point below Manhattan Avenue, and finally slanted toward the inlet near
Green and Franklin Streets.
The other part was

THE EASTERN

known

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

103

New Bushwick

Lane, leading into the

After
1704 this road was
New Lotts of Bushwick.
known as Old Bushwick Road for over a century and
It followed the course of present Bushwick
a half.
Avenue, Bushwick Place, Bushwick Avenue again to
as the

Ralph Street; following this street for one block to

Evergreen Avenue; along this avenue to Madison
Street, thence slanting to Central Avenue; crossing
that avenue at Moffatt Street, it turned between present Chauncey and Pilling Streets and struck Central
Avenue once more in the next block, and came to an
end at the Green Hills. The Old Bushwick Road was
connected with the Kings Highway to Jamaica, in
accordance with an act of the General Assembly of
1704, by the New Bushwick Road, along the Green
Hills, now covered by the Cemetery of the Evergreens,
until it cut diagonally through the block between
Furman Avenue and Aberdeen Street, reaching the
About a
Jamaica Road near present Broadway.
century ago the Williamsburgh ferry, at the foot of
present Metropolitan Avenue was established, and
soon after transferred to the foot of Grand Street, and
in later years the ferry at foot of Broadway was the
main outlet. Thus the traffic was diverted toward the
Williamsburgh shore, and the oldest part of the town
road was abandoned.
The Newtown and Bushwick Bridge Company was
incorporated in 1803.

The Wallaboght and Brooklyn Turnpike Company

was incorporated in 1805.

THE EASTERN

I04

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

The Brooklyn and Jamaica Turnpike Company was

incorporated in 1809.

The Williamsburgh Turnpike Road and Bridge

Company was incorporated in 1814.
The Wallabout and Bedford Turnpike Company
was incorporated in 1827.
The Wallabout Canal Company was incorporated
in

1828.

The Wallabout Toll Bridge Company was

incor-

porated in 1835. This road led through Sands' Estate

and" the Navy Yard to the bridge across Wallabout
Creek, near the junction of Kent Avenue and River

now known

Wallabout Street. It was for a

long time the only route from Brooklyn City Hall to
Small parts of the road are
the Eastern District.
Street,

as

incorporated in the present plan of the

city.

The Flushing and Newtown Turnpike and Bridge

Company was

bridge over Flushing Creek was constructed and a turnpike laid to

Newtown

chartered in 1801.

village.

Newtown and Bushwick Bridge and

Turnpike-Road Company was incorporated, which
In 1836 the

continued the road to Williamsburgh by the second

Penny Bridge, built on stone piers and the "Shell

Road."
The Maspeth Avenue Toll Bridge Company was
incorporated in 1836.
The Myrtle Avenue and Jamaica Plank Road Company was incorporated in 1853. The road was five
and a half miles in length, extending from Broadway
to the

Jamaica and Brooklyn Plank Road.

It

was

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

105

seventy feet wide, with two planked tracks, each nine

feet wide, and in the centre an earth grade track of
the same width.
The road was opened in 1854. The
distance from Brooklyn City Hall to Jamaica via this

road was nine and a quarter miles, or one and onethird miles less than over the old Jamaica Road.
A first attempt had been made as early as 1840 by one
Williams, a painter by trade, to run a stage from Peck
Slip ferry through the different streets, picking up
After giving it a six months*
passengers on the way.
trial he had to abandon the enterprise.
At the time of
consolidation Holder's stages ran from the terminus
Holder's Three-Mile
of the Fulton Avenue line, viz.
House to East New York, every hour from 6 a. m. to
:

p.

M.

The

fare

was 6}(

cents.

Husted & Ken-

ran then from Peck Slip ferry via presThe fare was
ent Broadway to East New York.
From Lawrence's Franklin Hotel, at
12^ cents.
dall's stages

Broadway and Myrtle Avenue, to East New York

From Grand Street, Housthe fare was 6^ cents.
and Peck Slip ferries stages ran halfhourly via the Williamsburgh and Cypress Hills Plank
Road to Cypress Hills Cemetery; the fare was 12}^
Anson Powell's stages ran from East Brookcents.
lyn or Wallabout to Fulton Ferry.
The Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, Bushwick and New Lotts Railroad
was organized June 29, 1853, to run from Williamsburgh to New Lotts. The company received the permission to operate a horse railroad for the term of
twenty-one years. Then the Broadway Railroad Company of Brooklyn was organized on August nth, 1858,

ton

Street

Io6

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

with a capital of $200,000. This road operated the

first horse-car line in the Eastern District via Broadway from Peck Slip ferry to East New York in 1859.
Within the next few years cars were run by other

companies from the ferry via Johnson Avenue and

Montrose Avenue to Bushwick Avenue; also via Grand
In 1867 the Bushwick
Street to Bushwick Avenue.
Railroad Company started the Bushwick Avenue line
from Grand Street ferry to Ridgewood Depot, and the
Greenpoint line from Greenpoint ferry to the CrossRoads. The Fulton Avenue line was running from
Fulton Ferry to Brooklyn Avenue as early as 1855.
The Myrtle Avenue line ran to Broadway in the same
year, and the Flushing Avenue line to Throop Avenue
in 1854, and was extended to Broadway in the followThe Greenpoint line of the same company
ing year.
ran as far as Bushwick Creek in 1854, and was extended
The other
to Freeman Street in the following year.
horse-car lines in the district began operation during
the '70's. The Lexington Avenue Elevated line started
to run in 1885; the

The

Broadway Elevated

line in 1888.

trolley cars took the place of the horse-cars in

On

power came
into use in 1900. The South Side Railroad was opened
in 1867, extending from Patchogue to Bushwick.
From the Bushwick Depot cars were hauled through
Boerum Street, Broadway and South Eighth Street to
1894.

the elevated roads the electric

the South Side Railroad

terminal at foot of South

Eighth Street by dummy engines. In 1876 the part of

the line running through Williamsburgh was discontinued, when the South Side Railroad was consoli-

THE EASTERN
dated with the

Long

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Island Railroad.

and Manhattan Beach Railroad had

Quay

its

T07

The New York

depot

at foot of

Greenpoint, formerly, and stations were

located on Humboldt Street, at the junction of Grand
Street and Metropolitan Avenue and on Montrose
Street,

Avenue,

THE POLICE FORCE

The City

of

Williamsburgh had a force of twenty-

seven policemen, nine

in

1852,

men

for each of the three wards,

There was also one constable on duty

in

each ward. After consolidation the Fifth Precinct of

the enlarged city comprised the Thirteenth Ward,
known as South Side, and the Fourteenth Ward,
known as North Side; both together were popularly
The station house was at the
called Williamsburgh.
corner of present Driggs Avenue and Metropolitan
Avenue. The force consisted of thirty-six men. The
Eastern District Police Court was held at " the Cells,"

A new

was built
in 1859-1860 on North First Street and Bedford
Avenue. In an extension to the main building on the
The Sixth
ground floor were ten iron-grated cells.
Precinct comprised the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Wards,
known as Dutchtown, and included the neighborhoods
called " Picklesville" and " The Swamp." The station
house was on Ten Eyck Street, between Manhattan and
Graham Avenues. The force consisted of thirty-six
men. A station house was, after awhile, erected on the
south east corner of present Stagg Street and Bushwick Avenue.
The Sixth Sub-precinct was later

on North Fifth

Street.

station house

Io8

formed

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

and Seventh Precincts,

with a station house on Graham Avenue, between
In its territory was
Frost and Richardson Streets.
included "The Green." The Seventh Precinct comprised the Seventeenth Ward, or Greenpoint. The
station house was located on Franklin Street, corner
of Greenpoint Avenue.
The force consisted of twelve
men. A station house was later erected on Greenpoint
and Manhattan Avenues. The Nineteenth Ward, or
North Brooklyn, was then a part of the old Seventh
Ward which was included in the Fourth Precinct, with
a station house on Vanderbilt and Myrtle Avenues,
Western District. All the rest of the territory included
in the Eastern District was guarded by the ward police.
The Ninth Ward included all the land bounded by
Broadway, Flushing Avenue, Bedford Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Flatbush Avenue and the towns of Flatbush and New Lotts, taking in part of Prospect Park.
of parts of the Sixth

The portion

of this large territory included

in

the

embraces the present Twenty-first,

Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth Wards. The Twentyfirst Ward was known as Cripplebush, the Twentythird as Bedford, and the Twenty-fifth Ward as New
Brooklyn.
Malboneville, Carsville, and Weeksville
were neighborhoods in Bedford. The station house
was on Fulton Street and Bedford Avenue. The force
consisted of sixteen men.
The Eighteenth Ward included the territory of the present Eighteenth, Twentyseventh and Twenty-eighth Wards. The present Eighteenth Ward embraced Bushwick Green and Bushwick
Cross-Roads; the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth

present

sketch

THE EASTERN
Wards, Bowronville.

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

The

109

force consisted of ten men.

The Ninth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Sixteenth Precincts were formed in later years.
The
Ninth Precinct station house was built in 1864, near
the corner of Gates and Marcy Avenues. The Twelfth
Precinct station house was an old building. No. 1698
Fulton Street, near Schenectady Avenue. The Thirteenth Precinct station house was at the junction of
Whipple Street and Flushing Avenue.
The Fourteenth Precinct, formerly the Ninth Sub-precinct, had
for its station house an old-fashioned two-story frame

on the corner of Broadway and Greene

Avenue, surrounded by a large garden. The Sixteenth Precinct, formerly the Fifth Sub-precinct, had
its station house on Clymer Street, near Kent Avenue.
Later a new structure was reared on Clymer Street
and Lee Avenue. The Second District Police Court
was erected on Gates Avenue, near Reid Avenue,
building

when

the section

consisted to a very large extent of

The Third District Police Court

farms and fields.

was held on the second floor of a frame building on
Humboldt Street and Montrose Avenue.

FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Williamsburgh Fire Department began in 1834,
when two engines were purchased by the village and
two engine houses erected. No. i, on North Second
Street, giving shelter to Washington Company; No. 2,
on South Second Street, was occupied by the Protection Company.
The Northsiders became known as

*'

lO

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

The Roosters," from

the

emblem they

the Southsiders as " Rocks."

selected,

and

In 1836 a public cistern

was constructed in front of the Reformed Dutch

Church on present Bedford Avenue and South Second

and Mutual Truck Company No. i was organized and located next door to Engine Company No. i,
on North Second Street. In 1838 the sheriff levied
upon the engines, under a judgment against the
Street,

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

village,

while they were on the

Abraham Meserole bought them

and hired the engines out

way

to a

fire,

ir

and

at the sheriff's sale,

to the village for the

next

annum. In 1844 the

department was incorporated, and Engine Company
No, 4 was organized, soon followed by Nos. 5, 6 and
Public cisterns were
7, and Hose Company No. i.
built at various points, and a large fire bell procured.
six years at a rental of $150 per

112

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Department was incorporated

in 1857, and consolidated with the Western District Fire
The Firemen's Hall was on
Department in 1869.
present Bedford Avenue, near South Second Street.
The Thirteenth Ward bell-tower was on South Second
Street, near Bedford Avenue; the Sixteenth Ward
bell-tower, on Ten Eyck Street and Manhattan AveAbout 1864 the Williamsburgh City Hall propnue.
including
the Thirteenth Ward bell-tower, was
erty,
disposed of, and a new edifice, known as the Fourteenth Ward bell-tower was erected on Bedford Avenue and North Second Street. This tower was partly
The Seventeenth Ward
destroyed by fire in 1873.
bell-tower was standing in the rear of the present
police station on Greenpoint and Manhattan Avenues.

The Eastern

District Fire

PICNIC GROUNDS
The Williamsburgh Garden was located between
present Kent Avenue and the river shore and South

A fine sandy
Seventh and South Eighth Streets.
beach extended from the Wallabout to Bushwick
Creek, and the section was a favorite place for fishing
and bathing. The road along the shore was lined with
willow trees. Beyond the Cross-Roads was the Boulevard Brewery Hotel, on Bushwick Avenue and present
Noll Street; Strey's Hotel, on the junction of Myrtle,
Central and DeKalb Avenues. The Boulevard Grove
was on block bounded by Greene Avenue, Bleecker
Street, Central and Evergreen Avenues, with hotel
entrance on Bleecker Street, near Evergreen Avenue.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

13

The Schuetzen Park was on the block bounded by Irving

and Wyckoff Avenues, Grove and Ralph Streets, and
then there were the several picnic parks on the other
side of the county line, some of which have only
recently been cut up into building lots.

HOTELS
(AT

THE TIME OF CONSOLIDATION)

American Hotel, Grand Street, near ferry.

Branch Hotel, Bushvvick and Metropolitan Avenues.
City Hotel, Broadway,
Franklin Hotel, Myrtle Avenue and Broadway.
Four Mile House, Fulton Street, corner of Reid
Avenue.
Fulton House, Bedford Avenue, near South Third
Street.

Gothic Hotel, Berry Street, near Broadway.

Greenpoint Hotel, Franklin Street, corner of Huron
Street.

Kings County Hotel, Kent Avenue, corner of

Broadway.
Knickerbocker Hotel, Flushing Avenue, corner of

Walworth Street.
Peck Slip Hotel, Kent Avenue and Broadway.
Philadelphia House, Bedford Avenue, near South
First Street.

Three Mile House, Fulton Street, near New York

Avenue.
Troutman's Hotel, Cypress Hills Plank Road.

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

TI4

Union Hotel, Grand Street, corner Union Avenue.

Washington Hotel, Kent Avenue, near Division
Avenue.

THE PRESS
Willtamsbu?^gh Gazette, 1835-185 4.
lished in Williamsburgh.

First paper pub-

Started as a weekly; changed

in 1850 to a daily.

Witliamsburgh Democrat was the second.

Started in

1840; discontinued in 1847.

Democratic Advocate, 1841.

Daily Long Islander,

1845.

Appeared for six

Appeared for

years.

few

weeks.
Williamsburgh Morning Post, 1847.
Greenpoint Advertiser, 1847.

The Williamsburgh Times, 1848. Changed later to

Eastern District Daily Ti?nes, and is issued at the present
time as Brookly7i Daily Times.
The Independent Press, daily, 1850.
The Long Island Zeitung, weekly, 1851.
The Kings County Chronicle, weekly, 1851.
The Long Island Fa7nily Circle, weekly, 1852.
The Williamsburgh Telegraph, weekly, 1852.
In 1854 The Long Lsland Anzeiger appeared, with
After a year it was
offices at 98 Montrose Avenue,
discontinued.
Ten years later it was again issued,
still a weekly, and, after several changes, appears now
as a daily, known as Brooklyner Freie Presse, with main
office on lower Myrtle Avenue.

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

TI5

BANKS
The Bank of Williamsburgh was organized in 1839.
Its charter was to continue for one hundred years.
The bank was situated on Grand Street and Kent
Avenue. It went out of existence before a real beginning had been made. The Williamsburgh Savings
Bank was organized in 185 1. The bank started business in the basement of a church on South Third Street
and Bedford Avenue.
The Farmers and Citizens
Bank, on northwest corner of Broadway and Kent
Avenue, was chartered in 1852. Before its building
was completed the bank was housed on the second
floor of the Peck Slip Hotel.
Its affairs were wound
up in 1868. The Williamsburgh City Bank was charIt was located on the
tered as a State bank in 1852.
corner of South Third and Fourth Streets; later, for
more than half a century, at southwest corner of Kent
Avenue and Broadway, and is now known as the First
National Bank of Brooklyn, on Bridge Piazza, BroadMechanics Bank of
way and Havemeyer Street.
Williamsburgh was incorporated in 1853. It started
business at 16 Grand Street, and is now known as
Manufacturers National Bank, at Broadway and Berry
Street.

PECK SLIP
Fort Amsterdam, on Manhattan Island, was situated
upon a hill that descended to Pearl Street and Bowling
Green. From the fort a path led to the ferry landing
on the East River, from which point Cornelius Dirckse

"

ii6

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

rowboat over to the Long

Island shore.
Cornelius had settled here on a farm
prior to 1642, and kept an inn for the convenience of
carried travelers

his

in

|TrL.j_

PECK SLIP NEWYORKI

8 5 o

The landing on the Long Island side was

also on ground owned by him.
In 1654 the municipal
government began to regulate the ferry service, which
was, however, still carried on by this farmer.
Along
his patrons.

the path to the fort a blacksmith had established him-

serve visitors from Long Island.

His name
was Cornelius Clopper, and his dwelling stood at the
intersection of T'Maagde Paatje the present Maiden
Lane. The path received its name " de smit's vley,
or valley; corrupted later into Smith's Fly, from this
fact.
That part of it close to the shore is to-day
part of Pearl Street, and the portion near the fort
was Brouwer Street and Hoogh Street, now together
self to

THE EASTERN
forming Stone

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

117

Ferry Street is to this day the

name of the thoroughfare leading from Gold Street
to Peck Slip.
Afterwards the Brooklyn ferry was
Street.

removed farther south, and in 1836 a new

started from the original landing on Peck
ning

to

ferry

was

Slip, run-

Williamsburgh.

STATISTICS
The area

of the original

Town

of

Bushwick was

3,900 acres.
1706.

Improved lands assessed, 2,443

acres.

1738.

Population of Bushwick (including 78 slaves) 327

I8I0.

798

1820.
'

1825.

1830.

including W'b'gh. 1,620

18351840.

3,314

excluding
(

1845.

1835.

"

1,295

((

1,857

1850.
1830.

930
958

3,739
1,007

Williamsburgh
estimated.

1840.

3,000

5,094

1845-

^^33^

1847.

12,000

1850.

1852.
1854.

30,780
estimated.

.38,000

48,367

THE EASTERN

Il8
1834.

Number

1847.

1849.
1850.

of deaths in

"

"

"

"

Number

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Williamsburgh

of dwellings in

"

59
187

"

36S

Williamsburgh.

3,816

Brooklyn Directory for 1840-41 contained

between present
172 names
Broadway and Bedford Avenue, South of Flushing
Avenue. The first Williamsburgh Directory was published by Henry Payson in 1847, and continued in
It was followed by Samuel and T. F.
1848 and 1849.
Leslie's

of residents in the territory

Reynolds' Directory in 1850 to 1854. After that Smith's

Brooklyn Directory was issued for 1854-55, 1855-56,
etc., for

some years

in

two separate

parts, for, as the

publisher says, in view of the small amount of busi-

two sections, it was

thought expedient to compile the names of the Western
and Eastern Districts in distinct departments. Reynolds' Williamsburgh Directory contained number of
names: 1850, 5,300; 1851, 5,603; 1852, 7,345; 1853,
ness intercourse between

8,518;

the

1854, 10,925.

Reynolds' Greenpoint and

Bushwick Directory,

1854, 1,318.

Reynolds' North Brooklyn Directory, 1852, 52.

Each name represented a family of from four to
six

members.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

19

WARDS
Thirteenth Ward. Organized in 1854, from First
Ward of Williamsburgh.
Fourteenth Ward. Organized in 1854, from Second Ward of Williamsburgh.
Fifteenth Ward.
Organized in 1854, from Third

Ward

of Williamsburgh.

Sixteenth Ward.

Organized in 1854, from Third

of Williamsburgh.
Seventeenth Ward. Organized in 1854, from Town
of Bushwick.
Eighteenth Ward. Organized in 1854, from Town
of Bushwick.
Nineteenth Ward.
Organized in 1856, from old
Seventh Ward of Brooklyn.
Twenty-first Ward.
Organized in 1868, from old
Ninth Ward of Brooklyn.
Twenty-third Ward. Organized in 1873, from old
Ninth Ward of Brooklyn.
Twenty-fifth Ward.
Organized in 1873, from old
Ninth Ward of Brooklyn.
Twenty-sixth Ward. Organized in 1886, from Town

Ward

of

New

Lots.

Twenty-seventh Ward.
Organized in 1892, from
old Eighteenth Ward.
Twenty-eighth Ward. Organized in 1892, from old
Eighteenth Ward.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

121

MAP SHOWING THE ORIGINAL

PLANTATIONS
This map has been made with the only object of
giving some idea of the location of the original
plantations, and no attempt has been made to trace the
bounds of lands described in the patents that are on
The case of Jan the Swede may be taken as
record.

an illustration.

He had

settled here

among

the red-

India
skins before they sold the land to the West
Company. Most likely the land that he had under

was later included in Hans Hansen's patent.

The Gysbert Rycken patent is a similar case. This
granted to
patent seems to be identical with the one
Adam Mott in 1646. After several sales the property
It
came into the hands of Jacob Steendam in 1653.
Clay,
was again granted in 1667 to Humphrey
of
"because Steendam had been absent and gone out
no
and
years, etc.,
the country for the space of eight
etc."
plantation should lie waste and unmanured,
original GysClay may have cultivated a part of the
part had been given
bert Rycken patent, while another
of Boswijck village.
for the use of the pioneer settlers

cultivation

However, Clay is, in

owners as possessing
were granted freely

1706, recorded

among

the land-

Patents
but the
occupied the lands
patentees in many cases never
being plentiful,
granted to them; furthermore, land
After the
quite often.
the plantations changed hands
underbrush it took at
land was cleared of trees and
was produced. If disapleast a year before a crop
fifty-two acres of land.
in the earliest times,


THE EASTERN

122

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

pointed, the planter tried his luck at

some other point

which seemed to be more promising. If he could get a

buyer for his old plantation, he disposed of it; if not,
the West India Company gave it to some newcomer.
Exchanges of land were also made, whenever found
convenient.

To give

an impossibility

work

the outlines of the old patents

at this late

The early

at the best.

record these things

for

it

settlers

posterity.

would not have been able

way

day;

to

do

it.

is

would be guesshad no time to

Many of them
The only certain

to distinguish the lines of the several plantations

was by " the old marks of the West India Company "
meaning the surveyor's blaze on
as the patents say
trees in the wilderness.
They are no more. Hills
have been leveled, brooks and streams have been filled
in, and the hooks and necks of land have disappeared,
and none of the descriptions of the lands in the patents
will fit the present-day conditions of the same pieces of

land.

Besides the

"marks

of the

company"

there

were a few local distinctions, which were used to

describe the location of lands within the territory of
the towns of Brooklyn and Bushwick.

These were:

Marechavvieck, the Indian village, on the site later

occupied by the village of Breukelen, Rinnegaconck,
the plantation of Rapalie, the Cripplebush, being the
swamp lying between the Wallabout Bay and New-

town Creek
Kil,

the

Gowanus
the "

in the central part of

Bushwick, Mispat

Newtown Creek, Gowanis Kil, now

Creek, the Wallabout, and the hills, part of

later

backbone of Long Island." In this manner any

plantation in the later Williamsburgh was in the

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

23

early days described as situated between Mispat Kil

and Rinnegaconck, or the Waliabout, or the east hook
Bedford was at the Waliabout, in
of Marechawieck.
the

rear

of

Rapalie's

plantation.

In

the

earliest

patents even the plantations along Newtown Creek

were described as being opposite Rinnegaconck, for
the reason that there was nothing between the two

Later on it w^as
serve as a landmark.
possible to give neighboring plantations as boundaries.

localities to

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
Bushwick existed as a town as early as 1661; at
which time magistrates were appointed by DirectorGeneral Stuyvesant; but the territory of the town was
The settlers that had located
not defined by law then.
on the land purchased by Director-General Kieft from
the Canarsees in 1638 came together, from time to time,
to regulate their local affairs, and these men, thus
associated for the purposes of government, constituted
Under the first English governor, Nicolls,
the town.

delegates from the several towns were assembled at

Hempstead to settle the boundaries of the towns, and
the latter were required to take out patents for the

land occupied by them, and thus in 1667 the boundaries of the

territory of

Bushwick were laid down. The

the first village of Williamsburgh was,

town

of

however, not included within the limits of the town.

In Governor Dongan's patent of 1687 the same omisDr. Stiles, mentioning this in his
sion is noticed.
history of the City of Brooklyn, says:

"This was not

THE EASTERN

124

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

was surveyed and owned by the

West India Company." Under the English rule the
landowners elected a constable and eight overseers.
In 1788 the town of Bushwick was incorporated by the
legislature, at the same time when all the existing
towns in the State were incorporated. Of the various
villages and hamlets within the limits of the Eastern
District the villages of Williamsburgh and East New
York were the only ones that were incorporated by
Williamsburgh was incorporated in
the legislature.
remained
a part of the town of Bushwick,
still
it
1827
but it now had a village government as well as a town
government. In 1835 the village limits were extended,
and in 1840 the village was separated from Bushwick
and incorporated as a town; the village and town
boundaries being identical. The growth of Williamsburgh was so great that it felt the need of a city government, and in 1851 a city charter was secured,
The
which became effective January ist, 1852.
town of Bushwick and the City of Williamsburgh
went out of existence when both of these municipal
corporations became parts of the enlarged City of
Brooklyn on January ist, 1855.
an oversight;

this part

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

25

THE RIDGEWOOD SECTION IN QUEENSBOROUGH OF TO-DAY

Queensborough of
to-day embraces the territory bounded by the Brooklyn
Borough line, Flushing Avenue, Mount Olivet Avenue
to Lutheran Cemetery, going around the cemetery the
line takes in Glendale village and runs along the

The

Ridgewood

section

in

range of hills covered by Cypress Hills and Evergreen

The section emCemeteries to the Brooklyn line.
braces the old farms known as Wyckoff, Covert,
Onderdonck, Way, Hulst, Ring, Van Alst, Edsall,
Debevoise, Backus, Lahr, Tompkins, Bergen, Van
Nostrand, McCormick, Denton, Snediker, Cooper,

more
modern neighborhoods: Wyckoff Heights, Germania
Heights, Metropolitan, Fresh Pond, St. James Park,
Melvina, East Williamsburgh, Ridgewood Heights,
Ridgewood Park, Evergreen and Glendale. Part of
the Debevoise land, the Ring, Wyckoff and Meyerose

etc.,

farms.

It

includes within

its

limits the

farms are now being improved. Fourteen and a half

acres of the Debevoise estate in Evergreen, fronting
on Cooper Avenue, Harmon Avenue, and the Manhattan Beach Division of the Long Island Railroad
were sold in 1909 for close on $100,000. The Ring
farm consisted of sixteen acres of land on Fresh Pond
Road, between about Elm Avenue and a line just
beyond the Lutheran Cemetery Railroad tracks. Fred
Ring sold to the Brooklyn City Railroad Company
the right of way through the farm to run the dummy

THE EASTERN

126

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

from Ridgewood Depot to the cemetery, which is

now used by the surface extension of the Myrtle
The white frame-house on
Avenue Elevated Road.
Fresh Pond Road, south of the railroad tracks, the
home of the Ring family for half a century, was torn
down about 1910. The Wyckoff farm was sold by the
The purchasers of the
heirs of Peter Wyckoff in 1910.
along
erected
houses
Linden
property
Street and Gates
Avenue, on the block adjoining Cypress Avenue; and
gradually the entire farm, which runs as far north as
Flushing Avenue, will be built up.
The Meyerose
farm includes the four blocks between Onderdonck,
Woodward and Elm Avenues on the south and Woodbine Street on the North, and four blocks west of
Onderdonck Avenue, adjoining the old Ring farm.
A half century ago the South Williamsburgh School
District embraced the land between the Brooklyn line
and Trotting Course Lane and the New Lots line and
Metropolitan Avenue.
The little schoolhouse on
Cooper's Road the present Cooper Avenue accommodated forty pupils in its only room. In 1870 an
extension was built in the rear, adding another room
In 1883 the building was raised, and
to the school.
two additional rooms provided in the lower part.
line

The

edifice is still standing.

District,

also

divided,

when

known

as

In the '70's the School

9, was
was erected in

School District No.

a small schoolhouse

Glendale village. In 1892 a Union Free School No. 9

was built on Bergen Avenue, between Rathjen Avenue,
Henry and John Streets. At the time of consolidation
this school became P. S. No. 68 of Queens Borough.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

127

The small frame building is still standing in the

school yard of the new school.
In 1903 the school
had twenty-four classes on part time; the old Ridgewood Hotel, an antiquated frame structure, was leased
in 1907 for the term of three years.
Ground was
acquired by the city near by, and the new schoolhouse erected on Bergen Avenue and Walter Street
with twenty-four class-rooms, accommodating twelve
hundred pupils. Public School No. 67 is located on
Central Avenue and Olmstead Place, Glendale; No. 68,
on Bergen and Rathjen Avenue, Evergreen; No. 71,
on Forest Avenue, East Williamsburgh; No. 77, on
Centre and George Streets, Ridgewood Park; No. 81,
on Cypress Avenue, from Ralph Street to Bleecker
Street; No. 86, on Old Flushing Avenue, near Grand
Street, Maspeth; No. S8, on Elm Avenue and Fresh
Pond Road, Ridgewood Heights; No. 91, contemplated, on Myrtle and Washington Avenues, Glendale,
and No. 93, contemplated, on Putnam Avenue and
Woodbine Street, Ridgewood Heights. Ivanhoe Park
Hose Company was formed in 1896 with thirty members.
In the same year the name was changed to
Ivanhoe Fire Hook and Ladder Company No. 10, and
became a part of the Newtown Fire Department. The
company now has sixty members.

Churches
St.

Brigid's

Roman

Catholic Church and Parochial

School.

Aloysius
School.
St.

Roman

Catholic Church and Parochial

THE EASTERN

128

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church.

Apostolic Lutheran Church, Cornelia Street.
St. John's German Evangelical Lutheran Church,

Linden Street and Covert Avenue.

German Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church, Himrod Street and Cypress Avenue.
Covenant Lutheran Church, 218 Elm Avenue.
St. Andrews Evangelical Lutheran Church, Harman vStreet and St. Nicholas Avenue.
Ridsrevvood Reformed Church, Smith Street and
Rathjen Avenue.
German Evangelical Reformed Church, Onderdonck Avenue and Grove Street.
Holy Cross Protestant Episcopal Church, St.
Nicholas Avenue and Himrod Street.
Annunciation Protestant Episcopal Church, Myrtle
and Cooper Avenues.

German Methodist Episcopal Church, Woodward

Avenue and Grove

Street.

Middle Village Methodist Episcopal Church, on

Metropolitan Avenue.
Glendale Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington
Avenue.

Ridgewood Heights Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Gates and Grandview Avenues.

Wyckoff Heights Presbyterian German Church,
Wyckoff Avenue and Harman Street.
Wyckoff Avenue Baptist Church, South Evergreen.

APPENDICES
APPENDIX

I.

Indian Deed of Bushwick.

We, the Director-General and Council

of

New

Netherland, residing on the Island of Manhates, in

Fort Amsterdam, under the jurisdiction of their High
Mightinesses, the Lords States General of the United
Netherlands, and the Incorporated West Indies Company, Chamber at Amsterdam, acknowledge and
declare that on this day, the day underwritten, before

us in their proper persons appeared and

came forward

Kakapoteyno, Menqueuw and Suwiran, chiefs of

Keskaechquerem, in the presence of the subscribing
witnesses and voluntarily and most deliberately declare with consent of the tribe (gemeente), for and in
consideration of eight fathoms of duffels, eight fathoms

wampum, twelve kettles, eight adzes [adzes scraping implements used in dressing deer skins, etc.] and
eight axes, with some knives, beads, awl
[awl
sharpened piece of metal used as a perforator and

of

gauge in canoe-making] blades (which they acknowledge to have received into their hands and power to
their full satisfaction and contentment before the execution hereof), to have ceded, transported, conveyed

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

130

and transferred as they do hereby transport, cede, convey and transfer in true, right and free property, to
and for the behoof of the Honorable Directors of the
General Incorporated West India Company, Chamber
at Amsterdam, a certain parcel of land situate on
Long Island, south of the Island Manhates, extending
in the length from George Rapaelje's plantation, called
Rinnegaconck, eastward one mile and a half to Mespaechtes, and in breadth from the East River about one
mile into the Cripplebush of said Mespaechtes, and
that with all the action and right to them belonging, etc.

confirmed with our

usual signature and seal, depending herefrom.
Done at the Island Manhates, Fort Amsterdam, this
first August, Ao. 1638.
In witness these present

are

MaURITS ^TaNSEN,
rj^.,
\ WitTiesses.
Claes van Elslant,
To my knowledge.
)

CoRNELis

Van Tienhoven,
Secretary.

APPENDIX

II.

Governor Nicolls' Patent of Bushwick of

October 25TH, 1667.
Bounded with
called

Maspeth

the

mouth

Kill, right

of a certain creek or kill^

over against Dominie Hook,

Hook, then

soe their bounds goe to David Jocham's

stretching

they

come

upon
to

a southeast line along the said kill^

Smith's Island,

including

the

same,.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

131

together with all the meadow ground or valley thereunto belonging; and continuing the same course, they
pass along by the fence of the woodside, soe to Thomas

Wandall's meadow; from whence, stretching upon a

southeast by south line, along the woodland of the
kills, taking in the meadow or valley there, then pass
along near upon a southeast by south line six hundred
rod into the woods; then running behind the lots as
the woodland lyes, southwest by south and out of the
said woods, they goe again northwest to a certain
small swamp; from thence they run behind the New
Lotts to John the Swede's meadow; then over the
Norman's Kill to the west end of his old house; from
whence they goe alongst the river, till you come to the
mouth of Maspeth Kill and David Jocham's Hook,
whence they first begun.

APPENDIX

III.

Boundary Lines of Bush wick Township Taken

From the Governor Thomas Dongan's Patent
of February, 1687.

The Towne

bounded with the mouth of a certain

called Maspeth Kills, right
over against the Dominie's Hook so ye bounds go to
David Jochem's Hook, then stretching upon a southeast line alongst the said kill they come to Smith's

creek or

Island,

kill,

is

commonly

including

meadow ground

the

same,

together with

all

the

or valley thereunto belonging, and

continuing the same course, they pass along by the

THE EASTERN

132

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

of the wood side, soe to Thomas Wandall's

meadow; from whence, stretching upon a southeast
by south line alongst the wood and to the kill, taking

fence

meadow or valley lying there, they pass unto

land
heretofore belonging to Ryck Loedecker,
the
deceased, and soe stretching again neare upon a southeast by south line, six hundred rodd into the woods,
then running behind the Lotts as the woodland lies,
in the

south west and by south, and out of the said woods;

they goe again north west to a certain small swamp;

from thence they run behind the New Lotts to Jan the
Swede's meadow, so along by a small kil or creek to a
corner or hook of Jan Cornelissen's meadow, then
over the Norman's Kill to the west end of his old
house; from whence they go alongst the river till
you come to the mouth of Maspeth Kills, and David
Jochem's Hook, aforementioned, where they first begun.

APPENDIX
Muster Roll

IV.

of Bushwick Militia in 1663.

Captain: Ryck Lydecker (Schout)

Ensign: Jan Tilje Casperse
Secretary:

Boudwyn Manout
Evert Hedeman

Sergeant:
Corporals: Peter Jans Wit

Jan Hendricks
Alexander Conquerare
Privates: Gysbert Tunissen (Schepen)
Barent Joost (Schepen)

David Jochemsen

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Privates: Hendrick Grever

Jan Mailjaert
Andries Barentse
Jan Parys
Evert Mauritz
Charles Fontain
Jan Cornel Zeieuw
Corns. Jans Zeieuw
Joost Caspersen
Johannes Caspersen
Melle Caspersen
Frangois de Puy
Jan Williams Esselstein
William Traphagen
Barent Gerretse (Drummer)
Dirck Volkertse
Volkert Dirckse
Jan Botzer
Wessel Gerrits
Nicolaes Jones
Tunis Martin
Carel Carelsen
Claes Wolf

Wouter Gysbertsen
Jacob Gysbertsen
Caesar Barentse
Carel Reyckweyl

Frangois d'Meyer
Antoin d'Meyer

33

THE EASTERN

134

DISTRICT OF

APPENDIX
Rate List

BROOKLYN

V.

of Bushwick, 1675.

Real estate at ^2 per morgen; personal estate,

;^i8 each man; horses, ^3 to ;2^i2; oxen, ^(i\ cows,
hogs, jQ\\ sheep,
^2^1. 10 to ;2^5, according to age;
^0.8.6.
Personal.

Pieter Parmentir

;^i48.io

Jan Cornelise Dame

Joost Koeckwytt
Pieter Janse Witt
Woutter Gisberse
Jan Paris

124.
99.

175.10

Real

Total.

^64

;^2I2.IO

J^^^^A-

56

180.

30

129.

100.

275.10

96.

Z(^

132.

86.

46

132.

Charles Fonttein
Euert Hedeman

122.

80.

202.

53.

27

80.

Jacques Cossardt

31.

10

41.

Pieter

Schamp

28. 10

Adriaen de la Forge
Gisbert Theunisse
Charles

6.

34.10
25.10

129.

Housman

45.

44
22.

Stas de Groott

17367.

35-

Cornells Jansen
Jan Cornelise Zeuw

37. 10

54.

34

%Z.

Caspert Jansen

73.

19-

126.

24.

150.

Pietter Jansen

Zeuw

Oufre Kley
Jan Jansen
Jan Jorese
Alexander Coqueuertt
Volkert Dierckse

45-IO

40.

39.10
....

80. 10

10.

32.

4
50

129.

90. 10
Z^-

179.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
Personal.

Real.

;^44-

^6.

Jan Ariaensen
Arie Cornelise Vogel
Amador Foupier

Total.

;^50-

37.10
47.

44.

Seimen Haeckx

91.
18.

Jabecq Jansen
Nelttie Jans
Jan Jansen Kuiper
Dierck Volckerse
Jabecq Dierckse
Hendrick Barense Smitt.
Joseph Hall
Willem Jacobse
Theunis Gisberse Bogaertt
.

18.

II.
18.

88.

72.

43. 10

10.

154.

40.

160.

53-IO
194.
23-

18.
16.

Total valuation

Tax

135

16.

^3174. 10

one stiver per ^ amounted to ;^i3.4.6, or in

current pay, Guilders 154. 14. 8.
at

The number

men who,

of

in 1673,

took the oath of

allegiance to the newly established Dutch

under Anthony Colve was

35.

APPENDIX
Rate

Government

VI.

List of Bushwick, 1676

Personal.

Real

Total.

Gisbert Theunisse

;"i38.o8

;^44

^182.08

Wouter Gisberttse

109.14

36

145-14

i43-i8

50

193.18

75.iS

22

97.18

32.08

40.08

3 Volkert Dierckse
4 Charles Housman

Cornells Jansen
6 Pieter Jansen
5

47-

THE EASTERN

136

BROOKLYN

DISTRICT OF

Claes Cornelise

De La Forge

(Manuscript destroyed)

Total.

Real.

Personal.

;28.
40-

10

(Name

11

Albert Hendrickse

illegible). .....

Jan Caerlse
13 Amador Foupier
14 Jan Cornelise Zeuw

^80.

.^136.

216.
18.
18.

12

18.

54.02

34.

88.02

15 Evertt

46.

27.

73.

16

64.08

6.

70.08

19.18
17 Alexander Coquer
103.
18 Jan Lesquier
19 Capt.Pietter Jansen Witt 206.03
20 Jabecq Dierckse
45- 18

4.

23.18

21

Hedeman
Jan Korom

Pietter

Schamp

22 Joost Coeckvvytt

23

159.

56.

i-

306.03

20.

65.18

34- 10

18.

52.10

90.10

30.

120.10

Seimen Haeckx

18.

(Manuscript destroyed)

24 Mettle Jansen

Jan Jansen

26

Hendrick Baerentse.

27 Jans Cornells

"

"

25

Damen

Jans Ariaense
29 Cornells HarmenseVogel
28-

30 Pietter Parmentie
31 Jacob Laroille
32 Philip Berckelo

141.

40.

181.

113.03

56.

169.03

37-04

6.

43-04
37.o5

130.10

40.

Mattheis Jansen
34 Theunis Gisberttse Bogaert
102.
35 Oufie Cley

18.

18.

;^;^

Total valuation

170.10

(Manuscript destroyed)

16.

16.

24.

126.

^2g6o. 14

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Rated at
\2. 6s. 9d.

id.

on the pound

sterling,

APPENDIX

VII.

Rate

amounted

37
to

List of Bushwick, 1683.

Personal,

Constable Wouter Ghysberts Verscheur

^i44Jacob Jansen
118.
Pieter Jansen Meet
Albert Hendrickzen

Real.

Total.

^44-

^iS8.

2>^.

154.
18.

30.

Joost Kockuyt

112. 06.

Charel Fonteyn
Pieter Jansen Wit
Jacques Cossart

175.

122.

297.

243 07.6

100.

343.07.6

Pieter Jans

78.

44.

2i^.

Loy

156.06.6

114.

46. 10

Onvre Klay

60.

n^d.

96.

Claes Cornelis Kat

Jan Cornelis Zeeu

51.

26.

77.

Cornelis Jansen Loy....

Adriaen Laforse

88.05.6

21.

109.05.6

68.05.6

17.

85.05.6

28.

Jacob Dirckx

44.

Simon Haecx

18.

Joost Dury.
Pieter Parmentier

cluding a mill est. at

Pieter Jacobsen
Volckert Dircksen

50.

Jan Miserol.
Jan Miserol the younger
.

84.

32.

116.

24.

58.

82.

23.

26.

49.

(in-

100.14

loo-

200.14

86.10

64.

150.10

36.

8.

44.

THE EASTERN

138

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
Personal.

^m.

Jan Loquier

Real.

Total.

56.

^"167.

Neeltje Jans

11. 10

Theunis Ghysberts
Hendrick Barents Smit.
Joost Adriaen's
Jannitje

Widow.

16.

16.

32.

32.

49.10

50.

99.10

85.

60.

Schamp

13.

Michel Parmentier
Total valuation

The

rate

amounted

;^293i.
to ,^2. 4s. 3d.

APPENDIX
List of

Men

in

145.

VIII.

Bushwick Who Took the Oath of

Allegiance in 1687.

Volkert Dirckse

native

Pieter Janse de Witt

35 years in the country

Pieter Daniel

10

Adriaen La Forge

15

Jost Kockuyt
Isaac La Febre

Schamp
Wouter Gysbert Verschier.

27

Pieter

Pieter Loyse

Jacques Fontaine
Pelgrom Klock
Volkert Witt
Daniel Waldron

Simon Haeckx
Cornelis Loyse

15
...

38
native

"
31 years in the country

native
35 years in the
"
"
16

36

"

*'

country
"
**

THE EASTERN

BROOKLYN

DISTRICT OF

Jean Lequie
Alexander Hendrickse
Jean Miseroll, Junior
Claes Cornelissen Kat
Michiel Palmentier
Vincent Bale
Pieter Para
Johanis Fontaine
Jean de Consilie
Josst Durie
Jan Janse
Jacob Janse
Pieter Simonse
Jacob Dirckse Rosekrans
Jochem Ver Schuer
Hendrick Ver Schuer
Laurens Koeck

30 years in the country

25

"

20

"

25

"
"
"
"

23

4
28

'*

"
"
*'

"
"

native

country
"

25 years in the

"

"
"

12

36

"

'*

native

"
"
"
"
26 years in the country

APPENDIX

IX.

From the Census of Kings County about

list

39

1698.

of all the freeholders, their wives, children,

apprentices and slaves within the Kings County, on

Nassauw

Island.

[Note. " E."

affixed to

the

name means

English;

"F.,"

French.]

IN

THE TOWN OF BOSWIJCK.

Men.

Pieter Jans Wit

Dorothea Verschuur

JoosDure(F. )

Women.

Chil-

Appren-

dren.

tices.

Slaves,

..

..

).

140

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF
Men.

Albert Hendrickse

Hendrick Willemse
Abraham Detooy (F.).
Jannetse

i
.

Schamp

Jan Sevenhooven
David Sprong

Phillip Volkertsz

Pieter Willemse
Jacobus Looyse
Auke Reynierse
Jochem Verschuur

i
i
i
i

Willem West (E.)

Nicholaes Brouwer
Gabriel Sprong.
Pieter Looyse
Lourens Hook

i
i

Joos Dure, Senior (F.)

Michiel Parmentier (F.)
.

Pieter Usilia

Fredrick Symonse

Hendk Jansz Van Amesfoort

Jan Muserol

(F.

Thomas Baude

(F.

Cornells Looyse

Jacob Bibon (F.).

Jan Miserol, Junior (F.
Anna Fontain
Hendricus De Foreest.
Theunis Woertman

i
i

BROOKLYN

Women.
3

Chil-

Appren-

dren.

tices.

Slaves,

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF
Men.

BROOKLYN

Women.

Chil-

dren.

Barent Gerritz Vlasbeek

Appren-

141
Slaves.

tices.

Anna Volkertse
Dirck Volkertze
Pieter Pra
Humphry Clay (E.)
Abraham Brouvver

Alexandre Coquer

i
i

i
i

(F.).

Jurian Coljer
Jean Lescuier (F.)

Juriaen Nagel
Charles Fontaine (F.).
Catelyntie Cats

i
.

Hendrick Janse
Arent Andriesse
Dirck Andriesse

2
i
i

51

APPENDIX
The Improved Lands
IN

in

49

141

52

X.

Bushwick

in 1706, as

then

Fence, were as Follows:

Owners.

Hackert Hendricks'
Peter Praa
Humphrey Clay

Acres.

Widow

Peter De Wit's Widow

Charles Fountain

Teunis Wortman

186

68
q2

96
cq
py

THE EASTERN

142

Owners.

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN
Acres.

Francis Titus

126

James Bobyne
John MeseroU

50
170

Jurian Hagell
Cornelis Van Katts

loS

John Luquier
John Luquier's Mill
Philip Volkerts

Peter Loysten
Joost

Camp

Jochem Verscheur

Auck Hegeman
Peter Williams

Dyeye
Garret Cooke
Cobus Collier
William West
Joost

Derick Andriese
Cornelius Laynson
Hendrick Jansen
Gysbert Bogert

95

loS
25

54
50

40
60
40
60
107

50
20
14

14
52

54
10

Dorothy Verscheur

70

Gabon

36
30

Ann

Laquill

Andriessen
Gabriel Sprong
Teunis Titus
Hendrick De Forest
Jacobus Jansen
Charles Folkerts

16

47
14
20

no

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Owners.

45

Acres.

John Hendrick

26

Frederic Symonds
Philip Nagel

61

Total acres

13

...

2 443.
,

Chas. L. Fountaine,
'

Assessors.

Peter Praa,
Peter Cortilleau, Surveyor.
)

APPENDIX

XI.

BusHwicK Division of the Regiment of Militia in

Kings County, 1715.
France Titus, Captain
Frederick Simson, Lieut.
Tunis Wortman, Ensign
Cornelius Van Katt
John Missarole

Abraham Laquer
David Van Katt

Aren Anderson

Charles Coenertt
Peter Conselje
Jacobus Cosine
Simon Derje

Joras Isolin
Johannis Albertsen

Andresse Andresin
Johannis Coljor

Johannis
Isaac

Van

Laquer

Peter Coljor
Peter Laquer
Isaac Loise

Katt

Garrett Sprong

John Sprong
Jacobus Coljor
Dirick Adrajanse
Johannis Bookhoutt
Total, 26.


144

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

APPENDIX
A

BROOKLYN

XII.

List of all the Inhabitants of the Township

OF BusHWYCK Both White and Black

Males and Females,

CO

THE NAMES OF THE

in 1738.

S2

en

u
a

0)

"^

masters OF HOUSE
OR mistress, etc.

|
o

l-H

0)

>^

4)
tL,

l-l

<u

0)

Xi

-a

en

;^

-^^

(/I

Johannes Schenck .... i

David Sprongh
3
Marijtie Schenck
4
Jannitie Van Ende. ... 6
Simon Dorijie
3
Charel Dorijie
Folkert Folkertse
Necklaas Folkertse
Jacobus Cozyn
Pieter

Fonck

Gertruy Wortman
Abraham Coeck

.,

....

Joost Dorijie.
Jacob Pieterse

Arent Stockholum.
Daniel Bodet

...

Jurijen Nagel

...

0.

Hendrick Vande Wte.

Femmetie Anders

Abraham Liquir

I
I

2
O'

2
I
I

I
I

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

THE NAMES OF THE

MASTERS OF HOUSE
OR MISTRESS, ETC.

t^

1^

>!

B^

^23

-3

2^2

i5

-2

B>

"^sj

5^

Derek Wortman
Frans Tijtus

Thomas Fardon

Johannis Pieter
David Cats
Alexander Berd
Pieter Praa

James Bobijn
Andries Stockholum..

Leffert Leffertse

Jan Mesrol

Pieter Consellie

92

27

91

39

31

Dorijie

Johannis Aberse

Compt.

2
I

30410
20300
2

Abraham

Johannis Calijer
Jacobus Calijer
Johannis Boechut
Tuenis Rapellie

10200
10230
20102

Wit

H
<u

20200

Tryntie Calijer
Pieter

cS

>

u >

(X,

I^ o

Hi

Jacobus Calijer

45

en

325 Ziele (Souls).

II

27

THE EASTERN

146

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

APPENDIX
A

XIII.

List Taken by Captain Francis Titus, of Bushwick, IN 1755, OF the Slaves Belonging to the
Inhabitants of His District is as Follows:
Owner's name.

Male.

Female.

John MisroU
John Liequare
George Durje

Folkert Folkertsen

William Bramebosch
John Roseveldt
Jacob MisroU
Nicholas Lefferts

Catherine Lefferts
Abraham Liequere

Woertman
David Van Cots

i
i
i

Marritje

Theodorus Polhemus
Daniel Burdet
Jacob Durje
Peter Lot

i
i
i

i
i

Abraham Schenck
Evert Van Gelder

Nector Folkertsen
Andris Stucholm
Peter Consel je

Capt. Francis Titus

Abraham

Miller

i
i
i

2
i

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

APPENDIX

147

XIV.

Taxable Valuation,
bushwick.

1805

Real

Personal

Estate.

Estate.

275,007

1806

275,000

1812

265,859

1813

267,804

1814

270,112

1815

262,889

1816

265,969

1817

250,955

$ 11,954

1818

250,707

11,221

1819
1820

280,104
273,712

37,095
32,181

1821

255,125

31,994

1822

254,289

31,657

1823

226,564

30,814

1824

208,800

1825

232,512

36,459
89,136

1826

238,687

93,097

1827

251,082

96,674

1828

359,675

47,803

405,945

63,544
56,908

1829

1830

441,355

1831

1832

475,570
479,610

1833

588,345

66,590
66,280

1834

923,210

74,991

67,925

148

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN
Personal

Real

Estate.

Estate,

^^35

2,665,753

1836

3,270,326

294,056
256,200

1837

2,496,693

610,676

1838

2,493,771

302,122

1839
1840

2,682,546

326,897

408,819

83.950

1841

427,820

71,700

1842

451,670

1843

419,720

72,950
56,400

1844

444,433
472,161

88,700

568,970
661,560

119,750

1845

1846
1847

1848
1849
1S50

93,600
83,600

737,635
801,845

89,000
113,130

913,375
2,069,618

1851

1852

74,850

No

Record

128,200

No Record

1853

1854

APPENDIX XV.
Taxable Valuation,
williamsburgh.
Personal

Real

Estate.

Estate.

1840

2,409,171

297,121

1841

2,452,490

224,101

1842

2,421,996

225,410

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Real

49

Personal

Estate.

Estate,

1843

2,130,970

170,850

1844

2,281,443

248,150

1845

2,406,606

1846
1847

2,773,994
2,922,802

313,300
260,440

1848

3,271,720

199,700

1849

3,507,355

1850

4,139,219

167,200
287,416

1851

8,562,788

1852

9,431,420

3^^,333
514,400

1853

10,784,714

1,331,594

1854

11,242,655

1,614,559

APPENDIX

202,360

XVI.

Laws Relating to Williamsburgh.

Village of Williamsburgh Incorporated.

By Chapter 260 of Laws of 1827 (p. 270), passed

April 14th, 1827, the section of the town of Bushwick,
known by the name of Williamsburgh, and contained
within the following bounds, viz: Beginning at the
bay, or river, opposite the

town

of

Brooklyn and run-

ning thence easterly along the division line between

the towns of Bushwick and Brooklyn to the land of
Abraham A. Remsen, thence northerly by the same to
a road or highway at a place called Sweed's Fly, thence
by the same highway to the dwelling house late of
John Vandervoort, deceased, thence in a straight line
northerly to a small ditch or creek against the

meadow

150

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

John Skillman, thence by said creek to Norman's

Kill, thence by the middle or centre of Norman's Kill
to the East River, thence by the same to the place of
beginning, was incorporated a village by the name of
the Village of Williamsburgh the said village was constituted a road district exempt from the superintendence and power of the commissioners of highways of
the town of Bushwick, and the trustees of said village
were invested with all the powers over said road district, and subject to all the duties in relation thereto,
by law conferred or enjoined upon said commissioners;
and said trustees were further required to cause to be
made a survey and map of said village, exhibiting the
streets, roads and alleys to be permanently laid out,
etc., which map should be kept by the clerk of the corof

poration, subject to the inspection of the inhabitants,

order that no person might plead ignorance of

the plan to be adopted for opening, laying out, leveling and regulating the streets of said village; and said
trustees were authorized on application in writing to
order and direct the pitching, regulating and paving
etc., in

the streets according to such map, to widen and alter

public roads, streets and highways, already laid out

in said village, to a width not exceeding sixty feet, and
to lay out and make such other roads and streets conall

formable to the

map

of said village as they should

think necessary or convenient for the inhabitants.

Part

of

Bushwick Annexed to Williamsburgh.

By Chapter 102 of Laws of 1835 (p. 88), passed

April i8th, 1835, a portion of the town of Bushwick,

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

I.5 I

beginning at the southeast corner of the present village of Williamsburgh, running thence southeasterly
along the line that divides the town of Bushwick and
the city of Brooklyn, to a turnpike road leading from
Brooklyn to Newtown and Flushing, at a point near,
and southwesterly of the house of Charles De Bevoise,
thence running along said road northeasterly to the
Cross-Roads, then northerly along the road leading to
Bushwick church to the Williamsburgh and Jamaica
turnpike, thence northerly along the road, passing the
church, and leading to Newtown bridge, about twelve
hundred feet, to an abrupt angle in said road, turning
to the east, then westerly about eighteen hundred feet,
until it intersects the head of navigation of a branch of
Bushwick creek, then westerly along said branch creek,
according to its meanderings, to the Main creek, which
is the present boundary of the said village of Williamsburgh, then southerly along the eastern boundary line
of the said village of Williamsburgh to the place of
beginning," was annexed to the village of Williamsburgh, and Nicholas Wyckoff, David Johnson, Peter
Stagg, Robert Ainslie and John Leonard were appointed commissioners "to designate and permanently locate all the streets and roads to be thereafter laid out by the trustees of said village within the
limits of the territory by said act added to said village
bounds," and were required within four months to file
with the clerk of the county of Kings, and with the
clerk of said village, maps of such additional territory,
exhibiting ail the streets and roads decided upon by
^'

them.

the eastern

152

Town
By

district of

brooklyn

of Williamsburgh.

Chapter 51 of Laws of 1840

March

i6th,

1840, that part of the

(p.

town

35),

of

passed

Bushwick

included within the chartered limits of the village of

Williamsburgh was created the town of Williamsburgh,
and divided into three assessment districts.

Annexation of Part of Brooklyn to

Williamsburgh.

By Chapter

144 of Laws of 1850 (p. 242), passed

April 4th, 1850, so much of the territory of the city of

Brooklyn as lies east of the centre of Division Avenue,

between the intersection of South Sixth Street, in the
village of Williamsburgh, and Flushing avenue, in the
city of Brooklyn, was annexed to the village of
Williamsburgh.
City of Williamsburgh Incorporated.

By Chapter

91

of

Laws

of

1851

(p.

no), passed

April 7th, 185 1, the city of Williamsburgh was incorporated, comprising the village of Williamsburgh, and
was divided into three wards, and the common council
thereof was authorized, under certain restrictions and

and avenues to be opened

and public squares and parks to be

limitations, to cause streets

and widened,
opened,

etc.,

etc.

Consolidation of Brooklyn, Williamsburgh

AND Bushwick.

By Chapter
1853, provision

Laws of 1853, passed July i8th,

was made for consolidating the cities

577 of

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

53

Brooklyn and Williamsburgh and the town of

Bushwick.
By Chapter 384 of Laws of 1854 (p. 829), passed

of

April 17th, 1854,

known

all that

part of the county of Kings,

Brooklyn and Williamsburgh

and the town of Bushwick, and bounded easterly by
the town of Newtown, Queens County, south by the
towns of New Lots, Flatbush and New Utrecht, west
by the town of New Utrecht and the Bay of New York,
and north by the East River, was consolidated into one
municipal corporation called the city of Brooklyn, and
divided into eighteen wards, and into the Eastern and
Western Districts.
as the cities of

Distinction

of

Eastern and Western Districts

Abolished.

By Chapter

Laws

of 1855 (p. 905), passed

April 14th, 1855, all local distinctions recognized by

496 of

law, in relation to the Eastern

and Western

Districts,

of the city of Brooklyn, were abolished, except so far

as relates to the fire department thereof.

APPENDIX

XVII.

The Solid Men of Williamsburgh.

pamphlet form was published, containing the names of citizens of Brooklyn and Williamsburgh, whose possessions in real and personal
estate amounted to ten thousand dollars and upwards.
In 1847 a

list

in

THE EASTERN

154

We

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

here give the names of the "Solid

iamsburgh," taken from the

Ainslie, James
Baker, Mills

20,000
20,000
15,000

15,000

20,000

Timothy

Coffin,

f 15,000
20,000

Wm.

Burdon, Jos.
Cook, John

of Will-

list:

H. E
Berry, Richard B
Burdett, Joshua A

Brown,

Men

10,000

Thomas
Cummings, Abijah P
Duncan, Fleming
Farley, Edward
Darlington,

Graves, Downing
Lake, Richard

10,000

35,000
25,000
20,000
25,000

30,000

Thomas

30,000

Lake, William

40,000

JLake,

Laytin, William

30,000

Leaycraft, Richard

200,000

Leaycraft, William

10,000

Minturn, E. & H
Moore, Thomas C
Morrell, Francis

M'Briar, John
Meserole, David
Miles,

150,000
15,000

25,000

V"

15,000

W. B

John
Odell, Jonathan
Miller,

Grahams
Richardson, Lemuel
Polley,

20,000
25,000
20,000

25,000

40,000
30,000

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

THE EASTERN
Ricard, George

Sargeant,

25,000

Thomas

25,000

Skillman, John

Sparkman, James D
Ten Eyck, Richard
Thursby, John
Ulford, Levi

Van

155"

35,000
300,000

25,000
25,000

40,000

Sant, T. J

25,000

Wall, William

25,000

Waterbury, J
Waterbury, N
Waterbury, L
Van Dorn, Rev. W.
Warner, T
Withington, Elijah

175,000
200,000
40,

40,000
30, 000
.

APPENDIX

30,000

XVIII.

Inscriptions on tombstones in the ancient

graveyard,

still

visible

000

in 1861,

Bushwick

were copied by Dr.

Stiles:

Andries Stockholm
Isaac Lott
Capt. Lawrence

Coe

Abraham Bogert
Maria Bourem
Sarah

Ann

Skillman

Andrew Van Horn

Baffir Van Horn (his
Francis Titus

Died.

Age.

i773

7^ years

1771

66

1780

50

1792

69

1807

69
26

1845
1828
wife)

1837
1802

78
91

74

156

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN
Died.

Francis Williams

1797

Age.
i

year

Francis Titus
David Miller

1799
1817

24 years
"
61

Isaac Debevoise

1831

74

1749 D.
1758 H.

B.

M. D.

"

B.

B. B.

APPENDIX

XIX.

Inscriptions on tombstones in the Schenck family

burying ground, on the Wyckoff farm, were copied by

Dr. Stiles in i860:

Johannes Schenck
Cornells Schenck
Nellie Schenck
Maria Magdalena Schenck.
Elsie Schenck
Abraham Schenck
Maria Schenck
Maria Magdalena Schenck
Maria Schenck
Maria Magdelena McPhern
Teunis Schenck
Catherine Schenck
Peter T. Schenck
Elizabeth O'Neale
John O'Neale
Catherine Dandy
Catherine Schenck
Peter P. Schenck

Died,

Age.

1748

92 years

1740

1763

17

1779
1782

25

17

"
"
"

16 days

1729

50 years
"
70

1776

19

1782
1800

year
S^ years

i793

65

1808

^6

"

1816

64

"

1828

32

1858

18

1832

39

"
"
"

1740

"

*'

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

157

APPENDIX XX.
Tombstones in the Bushwick churchyard, copied in
1880 by Geo. Sparrow, A. M. This list is taken from
the Kings County Genealogical Club Collections,
which contain the inscriptions in full. Some of the
tombstones were removed from the ancient graveyard
to this place:
Died.

Age.

Anderies Stockholm
Elizabeth Cornel

i773

7^ years

1780

55

Capt. Lawrence Coe

William Morrell

1780

50

1831

30

De Bevoise
Maria Jane De Bevoise
Magdalena De Bevoise
Adrianna De Bevoise

1831

74

1831

Isaac

Patrick Weir

83

1833
i799

Ann Anderson

*'

"

mth.
year

27 years

26

"

22

1802

56

"

John A. Meserole
Gertrude Meserole
John V. Robbins
Jeremiah Meserole
Mercy Baseley
Ellen Maria Baseley

1833
1801

82
35

"
"

1831

23

"

1827

34

1833
1836

31

David Miller
David Miller

1823

38

*'

1815

61

"

Frederick Hueth

M. Elmd
B. B., D. B.

M. 1756.

Catherine Miller
John Meserole.

i794
1817

year

THE EASTERN

158

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
Age.

Died.

Harmpie Van Cotts

1814

Sarah Van Cott

1828

David Van Cott

Sarah Schenck

1824

Sarah Elizabeth Schenck

John Schenck
Abraham Vandervoort
Stephen Schenck

Anna Swezey
H. Ann
Four
s

stones, inscription side

1838

61

"

1839
1842

mths.

mths.

32
.

^849

64 years

1850

45

184.

1842

*'

down,

Bogert

Hannah

70

"
"
"

52

1819

Cantrell

Jeremiah Boerum
Jacob Boerum
Adrienna Boerum
Large plot, enclosed, with
Jacob Van Cotts
David Van Cotts
John Schenck
Gertrude Schenck
William Degraw

railing,

43
27

1852

82

1835

81

no stones.
1845

81

1845

46

1844

77

849
1826

53
^;^

1829

Samuel Holcomb Meeker

APPENDIX
Obsolete Street Names

1843
181

in

XXI.

the Eastern District.

Since the question of altering the names of

streets in this borough is to be taken up shortly,

many
may

it

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

59

review the change of street names

that has taken place in the past in the Eastern District.
When Williamsburgh, Bushwick and Greenpoint

be of interest

to

were distinct settlements, each section had a series of

numerical streets by itself, not considering those
streets in Williamsburgh that are known as South
The Williamsburgh
First, etc., and North First, etc.
series is well remembered by many of the present day
"named
residents of the district, as the change to
streets " was made at a comparatively recent date; but
the numbered streets of Bushwick and Greenpoint
were altered at the time of the consolidation with
Brooklyn in 1855.

From

the attached

list

of street

the greater part since that time,

it

names altered for

will be noticed that

these changes have been greater than

is

generally

may

not be complete, nor free from

error, but the compiler believes that it will give a fair
idea how far-reaching these changes have been.
believed.

The

is

Street

list

now Ash

Street.

Adams Street, Bowronville, is now Melrose Street.

Adams Street, Greenpoint, from Front Street to
Newtown Creek, between Jefferson and Jackson Sts.
Agate Street, Bushwick, is now Florence Place^
formerly Jefferson Street.
Ann Street, Bowronville, is now Belvidere Street.
Ann Street, Greenpoint, from Commercial Street
to

Newtown Creek.
Ann Street, North Brooklyn, is now Cross
B Street is now Box Street.
Banzett Street is now Debevoise Avenue.

Street.

THE EASTERN

l6o

now

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

West Street.
Bedford Green was bounded by Franklin Avenue,
Atlantic Avenue, Bedford Avenue and Fulton Avenue.

Bay

Street

is

part of

Bridge Street, later Bridge Avenue, is now Paidge

Avenue.
Broadway was the name given to Division Avenue
in its entire length before consolidation and in general
use for some years.

now North First Street.

Brooklyn and Newtown Turnpike Road was

Browne

Street

is

placed by Flushing Avenue.

Burr Place, from i8 Noll Street,

is

now

re-

closed.

Bushwick Avenue included Old Woodpoint Road

from North Second Street to Withers Street in the '50's.
Bushwick Avenue, part of it became Old Bushwick Avenue, now Bushwick Place.
Bushwick Bridge, Franklin Street, Greenpoint.
Bushwick Boulevard was the name proposed for
the road taking in Bushwick Avenue and other Streets.
Bushwick Road, also known as Old Bushwick
Road. (See Old Bushwick Road.)
Bushwick Street lower part of present Metropolitan Avenue, near the shore; was later called Woodhull
Street, then North Second Street.
C Street is now Clay Street.

Calvary Road, or
Calyer Road is now part of Calyer Street.
Center Street is now part of Melrose Street.
Charles Place, Bowronville, was near Myrtle Street.
Charles Place, later Yates Place, now Sumner Place.
Charles Street, later First Street, now Kent Avenue.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

l6l

Chestnut Street is now part of DeKalb Avenue.

Clay Street, from Front Street to Newtown Creek.
Clifford Street

is

now

Clifford Place.

Clinton Avenue or Street.

Clove Road, from Fulton Avenue, between Bedford
Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, to Flatbush.
Colonade Row was on east side of Smith Street,
between Richardson and Herbert Streets.
Conselyea Street, Bowronville, is now Stanhope
Street.

Cripplebush and Mespat Road replaced by Flushing Avenue.

Cross-Roads Cripplebush and Mespat Road and
^ushwick Road.
Cypress Hills Macadamized Road, formerly Cypress
Hills Plank Road.
Cypress Hills Plank Road is now part of Johnson
Avenue and Cypress Avenue.

Street

DeKalb

is

now Dupont

Street.

Place, Bowronville,

is

now

part of

DeKalb

Avenue.
Dick Street, from Commercial Street to Newtown
Creek, between Ann and Eve Streets.
Division Avenue is now, for the most part, covered
by Broadway.
Division Street

is

now

Division Place.

Driggs Street, formerly Fifth Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of Driggs Avenue.
Dunham Street was lower part of Grand Street.
Duryea's Lane ran from Division Avenue to Bushwick Road, between Eldert and Covert Streets.

THE EASTERN

62

Duryea

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

is now Weirfield
now Eagle Street.

Street

Street

is

Street.

Eighth Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of Marcy

Avenue.
Eighth Street, Greenpoint, is now Jewel Street.
Eleventh Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of

Hooper

Street.

Elizabeth Street, later Fairfax Street,

Chauncey

Elm

now

part of

Street.

Street

is

now

part of Hart Street.

Evergreen Avenue was originally the part of Bushwick Avenue above Madison Street.
Eve Street, from (old) Union Avenue to Newtown
Creek, between Box and Commercial Streets.

Street

is

now Freeman

Street.

Fairfax Street, formerly Elizabeth Street,

of

is

Chauncey

now

part

Street.

Ferry Street was near Washington Street.

Fifth Street, Williamsburgh, later Driggs Street,
now part of Driggs Avenue.
Fifth Street, Greenpoint, is now part of Oakland

Street.

Fifth Street, Bushwick, later

of

Van

Cott,

is

now

part

Driggs Avenue.
Fillmore Street was near Smith Street.
First Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of Kent

Avenue.
First Street, Greenpoint,

is

now

part of

Lorimer

Street.

First Street, Bushwick,

is

now

part of Calyer Street.

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

63

Fourth Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of Bedford Avenue.

Fourth Street, Greenpoint, is now part of Eckford
Street.

Fourth Street, Bushwick, later Nassau Street, now

Nassau Avenue.
Franklin Block, Bushwick, was on Herbert Street.
Franklin Block, Greenpoint, was on Franklin
Street, between Milton Street and Greenpoint Avenue.
Franklin Place was on south side of Powers Street,
between Graham Avenue and Ewen Street.
Fresh Pond Lane was a narrow lane leading from
the southerly end of New Bushwick Lane to the Fresh
Ponds of Newtown, about present Moffatt Street.
Front Street, laid out on map under water.
Fulton Avenue is now part of Fulton Street.
Furman Street is now Furman Avenue.

now Green Street.

Greene Street is now part of Greene Avenue.
Guilford Street is now part of Olive Street.
Street

is

Greenpoint Avenue, formerly L Street, then Greenpoint Avenue, then National Avenue, is now Greenpoint

Avenue

again.

now
now Huron

Gwinnett Street

Street

is

is

Hamburg Street,
Hamburg Avenue.

part of

Lorimer

Street.

Street.

formerly Johnson Avenue,

now Harrison Place.

Henry Street is now North Henry Street.
Hickory Street is now Lexington Avenue.
Homer Street, later Third Street, now Berry

Harrison Street

is

now

is

Street.

THE EASTERN

164

Hudson Avenue
Hull
I

is

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

now Kingston Avenue.

is now De Sales

Street, Bovvronville,

Street

is

now India

Place.

Street.

Irving Place was on the east side of Third Street,

between South Eighth and South Ninth Streets.

Ivy Street is now part of Madison Street.
Street.
J Street is now Java
Jackson Street, from Front

Creek,

is

now

Charlick

Jacob Street

is

now

Street

to

Newtown

vStreet.

part of

Putnam Avenue.

Jay Street, near Cross-Roads.

Jamaica Turnpike is now Metropolitan Avenue.
Jane Street is now covered by Greenpoint Park.
Jefferson Place was on east side of Seventh Street,
between South Fifth and South Sixth Streets.
Jefferson Street, Brooklyn, is now part of Jefferson
Avenue.
Jefferson Street, Bushwick, later Spruce Street,
then Agate Street, is now Florence Place.
Jefferson Street, Greenpoint, is now Vail Street.
John Street, later Vigelius Street, is now part of
Jefferson Avenue.

Johnson Avenue, later Hamburg Street, is now

Hamburg Avenue.
Johnson Square was bounded by Lee Avenue,
Lynch vStreet, Bedford Avenue, Flushing Avenue and

Gwinnett Street.
Johnson Street

Street

Kijkuit
the Kijkuit.

is

is

now Johnson Avenue.

now Kent

Street.

Lane connected Bushwick Church with

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

Kosciusko Place, or Avenue,

BROOKLYN

is

now

65

part of Kos-

ciusko Street.

L Street is now Greenpoint Avenue, and

was known as National Avenue.

for a time

Lafayette Place was on west side of South Fourth

Street, between Sixth and Seventh Streets.

branched off the Woodpoint

Road, covered by part of Driggs Avenue.
Lawton Street is now Lawton and Cedar Streets.
Lefferts Park, bounded (on the map) by Tompkins,
Throop and Gates Avenues and Quincy Street.
Leopold Place, formerly Covert Avenue, now Purdy

Lane

to

Norman's

Kill

Place.

Lewis Place was on north side of Second Street,

between South Tenth and South Eleventh Streets.
Liberty Street, near D and F Streets.
Linden Place was on south side of Sandford Street,
between Smith and Ewen Streets.
Linden Avenue is now Sharon Avenue.
Linden Street, Bushwick, is now part of Morgan
Avenue.
Long Row was on Smith Street.
M Street is now Milton Street.
Madison Place was on east side of Oak Street, between Franklin and Washington Streets.
Madison Street is now Troutman Street.
Magnolia Street is now part of Gates Avenue.
Margareta Street is now part of Halsey Street.
Marshall Street is now Siegel Street.
Marshfield Row was on Division Avenue.
Masters' Bridge now Metropolitan Avenue Bridge.

THE EASTERN

1 66

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Second Street, Williamsburgh, now Wythe Avenue.

McWay Place was on south side of Fifth Street, between North Eighth and North Ninth Streets.

Maxwell

Street,

later

Meserole Street, Greenpoint, is now Meserole

Avenue.
Metropolitan Avenue was originally from Bushwick Avenue to Newtown Creek.
Mill Lane ran from Woodpoint Road to Luqueer's
Mill.

Monroe Place was on South

Fifth Street, between

Sixth and Seventh Streets.

Street, Cross Roads, is now Montieth Street.
Morrell Street ran from Debevoise Street to Rem-

Monroe
sen Street.

Myrtle Avenue and Jamaica Plank Road is now

part of Myrtle Avenue.
Myrtle Street is now part of Willoughby Avenue.

Street

Nassau
is

is

now Noble

Street.

Street, formerly

Fourth

Street,

Bushwick,

now Nassau Avenue.

National Avenue, formerly L Street, then Greenpoint Avenue, is now Greenpoint Avenue again.
New Bushwick Lane ran from Bushwick village
into the New Lotts of Bushwick.
New Bushwick Road was laid out in 1704 to connect the old Bushwick Road with the Kings Highway
to Jamaica.
Newtown Bridge on (old) Union Avenue, same as
present Vernon Avenue steel bridge.

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

THE EASTERN

Newtown Road

67

or Turnpike, replaced by Flushing

Avenue.

Newtown Road or Turnpike,

now Meeker Avenue.

or North Road,

is

Ninth

Street,

Williamsburgh,

is

now

part of

Rodney

Street.

Ninth

Greenpoint, is now Moultrie Street.

Street, formerly Third Street, Bushwick,

Street,

Norman

now Norman Avenue.

North Road is now Meeker Avenue.
North Street is now Hope Street.

then Union Street,

North Second Street, originally Bushwick Street,

later Woodhull Street, ran from East River to Bushwick Avenue, is now part of Metropolitan Avenue.

Street

is

now Oak

Street.

Old Bushwick Avenue is now Bushwick Place.

Old Bushwick Road led from Bushwick Green
along present Bushwick Avenue, Bushwick Place,
Bushwick Avenue, Madison Streeet, Evergreen Avenue, Central Avenue to the Green Hills.
Old Mill Road ran from Bushwick Church to the
Woodpoint Road in present Debevoise Avenue, between Bennett and Parker Streets.
Old Road, remnant of Woodpoint Road, is now
Old Woodpoint Road.
Orchard Street is now part of Manhattan Avenue.
P Street is now part of Calyer Street.
Paca Avenue is now Rockaway Avenue.
Park Place is now Park Street.
Peck Slip was a name given to foot of Broadway
around ferry to Peck Slip, New York City.

THE EASTERN

68

Pell Street
Filling's

now

is

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Bell Street.

Lane ran from Division Avenue

to

Bush-

wick Road.

now Noll Street.

now Quay Street.

Prospect Street

Street

is

is

Railroad Avenue

is

replaced by Atlantic Avenue-

Reed Avenue is now Reid Avenue.

Reed Road connected Hunterfly and Cripplebusb
Roads.
Reid Square bounded (on the map) by Stuyvesant
Avenue, McDonough Street, Reed Avenue, Halsey
Street.

Remsen

Street

River Street

Rockaway

is

is now Maujer Street.

now Wallabout Street.

Path,

or Pass, led from the southerly

end of New Bushwick Lane across the Green Hills to

Kings Highway to Jamaica.
Sandford Street is now Bayard Street.
Schols Street is now Scholes Street.
Schuyler Street replaced by Atlantic Avenue.

Second Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of

Wythe Avenue.
Second Street, Bushwick, is now part of Meserole
Avenue.
Second Street, Greenpoint, later Orchard Street,,
is now part of Manhattan Avenue.
Seventh Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of

Havemeyer

Street.

Seventh Street, Greenpoint, is now Diamond Street.

Sixth Street, Williamsburgh, is now Roebling
Street.

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Sixth Street, Greenpoint,

is

now Newell

Street.

Skillman Street is now Skillman Avenue.

Smith Avenue, formerly Wyckoff Street,
part of

Humboldt

69

is

now

Street.

Smith Street is now part of Humboldt Street.

South Seventh Street is now part of Broadway.
South Sixth Street, above Bedford Avenue, is now
part of Broadway.
Spring Terrace was on Meeker Avenue.
Spruce Street see Agate Street.
Swaaten Fly was the marshy ground on the junction of North Second and Eighth Streets.
Tenth Street, Williamsburgh, is now part of Keap

Street.

Thames Street from Varick Avenue to Newtown

Creek is now Thomas Street.
Third Street, Williamsburgh, is now Berry Street.
Third Street, Greenpoint,

is

now

part of

Leonard

Street.

Third Street, Bushwick, later Union Street, then

Street, is now Norman Avenue.
Townsend Row was near Ann Street (present Cross

Norman
Street).

Twelfth

Hewes

Street,

Williamsburgh,

is

now

part

of

Street.

Union Avenue, Greenpoint, later Union Place, is

now part of Manhattan Avenue.
Union Place, formerly Union Avenue, Greenpoint,
is now part of Manhattan Avenue.
Union Street, formerly Third Street, Bushwick, then

Norman

Street,

is

now Norman Avenue.

THE EASTERN

lyo

Van Cott

Street,

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Leonard
now part of Driggs

or Avenue,

ran from

Street to Meeker Avenue, is

Avenue.
Vanderveer Street, or Avenue, is now part of Eastern Parkway extension.
Van Pelt Avenue is now Engert Avenue.
Van Ranst Street, from river shore to Walter Street,
between Grand and North First Streets.
Van Voorhies Street is now part of Decatur Street.
Vigelius Street, formerly John Street, is now part
of Jefferson Avenue.
Wall Street is now Arion Place.
Walloon Street is now Wallock Street.
Walter Street, later Water Street, now River
Street.

Washington Place was on east side of South Sixth

Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets.
Washington Street, Bowronville, is now Bremen
Street.

Washington

Greenpoint,

Street,

is

now West

Street.

Washington

man

Street,

Bushwick Green,

is

now Haus-

Street.

Washington

Bushwick Cross Roads, from

Grand Street, between Jefferson and
Waterbury Streets, later Lafayette Street, is now La
Grange Street.

Remsen

Washington
Street,

Street,

Street to

Street,

now lower

Williamsburgh, later

part of

Grand

Dunham

Street.

Water Street ran from Wallabout Bridge to Williamsburg ferry, replaced by Kent Avenue, part ran

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

171

from South First Street to North Third Street;

remnant left is present River Street.
Wesley Place was on east side of South Second
Street, between Fifth and Sixth Streets.
Williamsburgh and Cypress Hills Plank Road is
now part of Johnson Avenue and Cypress Avenue.
Williamsburgh Road. A part of this road was incorporated in Kent Avenue and another part became
later

Hospital Lane.

William
William

Street,

now Monitor Street.

Bowronville, is now Aberdeen

Bushwick,

Street,

is

Street.

Williams

Row

was on

(old)

Madison

Street,

on

present Troutman Street.

Witherspoon Street

Woodhull

Street,

North Second
Avenue.

Street,

is

now Vernon Avenue.

former Bushwick Street, later

is now part of Metropolitan

Woodpoint Road, or Old Road, ran from Bushwick village to Newtown Creek, near Franklin and
Green Streets. A branch led to Norman's Kill.
Wyckoff Street, Bushwick Green, later Smith Avenue, is now part of Humboldt Street.
Wyckoff Street, Bushwick Cross-Roads, is now
Ten Eyck Street.
Yates Avenue is now Sumner Avenue.
Yates Place, formerly Charles Place, is now Sumner Place.
Franklin

Avenue.

Street,

Bushwick Green, near Graham

THE EASTERN

172

Peck Slip Road,

in

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Wallabout

section,

leading to

ferry.

Jamaica Road, or Turnpike, Brooklyn, later Fulton Avenue, now part of Fulton Street.
Carsville, Malboneville and Weeksville, neighborhoods in Bedford.

APPENDIX

XXII.

Origin of Some of the Street Names.

The origin

of

some

of the street

names

is

given by

Dr. Stiles as follows:

Bushvvick Street, later Woodhull Street, then North

Second Street, and at the present day Metropolitan

Avenue.

The lower, and then narrow part of Grand Street,

before widening, was Dunham Street.
In the first village of Williamsburgh, Grand Street
was the centre, and on one side were South First
to South Eleventh Streets, and on the other side North
North Thirteenth Streets, and parallel with the
river First to Twelfth Streets, and a short street close
to the river called River Street.
Lorimer Street and Graham Avenue were named
after John and James Lorimer Graham, two land jobFirst to

bers of 1836.

Ewen Street, now part of Manhattan Avenue, was

named after Daniel Ewen, a city surveyor, residing in
New York City, who surveyed both the new and the
old village.

Bushwick Avenue was

the

boundary

line

between

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

73

the enlarged village of Williamsburgh and Bushvvick.

Powers Street was named from William P. Powers,

a clerk of John Lorimer Graham,

who was made nomi-

hundred and thirty-nine lots for

the convenience of the sale, and also of other parcels
nal proprietor of nine

of land.
Ainslie Street, after Judge Ainslie.

Devoes in Bushwick village.

Conselyea Street ran through the farms of Andrew
Conselyea and his brother.
Skillman Avenue, after John Skillman Sr.
Jackson Street, probably after Daniel Jackson, who
had some landed interests in Williamsburgh.
Withers Street, after Reuben Withers, once proprietor of the Houston Street ferry.
Frost Street, after Edmund Frost, who was interested
in a tract of land in the Fourteenth Ward.
Richardson Street, after Lemuel Richardson, one
of the pioneers in building up Williamsburgh.
Maujer Street, after Daniel Maujer. It was formerly
Remsen Street, named from Abraham A. Remsen, who
owned land at its junction with Union Avenue.
Scholes Street, after James Scholes.
Meserole Avenue, from Abraham M. Meserole,
through whose farm it ran.
Boerum Street, after Jacob Boerum, who had a farm
of fifty-eight acres in the Sixteenth Ward.
McKibben Street, after John S. McKibben, who
caused a map of a part of the Jacob Boreum farm, as

Devoe

Street, after the

the land of

McKibben & Nichols,

to be

made.

THE EASTERN

174

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Siegel Street, formerly Marshall Street, in honor of

General Siegel, of the civil war.

Moore Street was named for Thomas C. Moore, a
manufacturer of wire netting-, who owned lands in that
neighborhood.
Varet Street, after Lewis F. Varette, a land speculator in this neighborhood.
Cook Street, probably from an old resident near
the Cross-Roads.
Debevoise Avenue, covering a part of the old
Brooklyn and Newtown Turnpike, from Chas. Debevoise, who lived on Flushing Avenue.
Himrod Street was named for the Rev. J. S. Himrod, the first pastor of the South Bushwick Reformed
Dutch Church.
Weirfield Street was named for Thomas Weir Field,
a surveyor, and a man prominent in public affairs, who
resided here.

APPENDIX
Obsolete

XXIII.

Street Names and Origin

Names

in

the Town of

New

of

Street

Lots.

Adams Street is now Ashford Street.

Adams Avenue is now McKinley Avenue.
Anstice Street is now Amboy Street.
Baltic Road (or Avenue) is now Glenmore Avenue.
Baltic Street is now Bristol Street.
^
Bay Avenue is now Belmont Avenue.
Bennett Avenue is now Berriman Street.

THE EASTERN
Broadway,
Avenue.

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

later Eastern

Parkway,

now

is

Pitkin

now Bradford Street.

Center Street is now Chester Street.
Cypress Avenue is now Crescent Street.
Division Avenue is now Arlington Avenue,

Butler Avenue

75

is

after

the Arlington Military Cemetery.

Duryea Avenue is now Dumont Avenue.

Eastern Parkway, formerly Broadway, is now

Pit-

kin Avenue.
Eldert

Avenue

is

now Essex

Street.

Eldert's Lane, later Enfield Street,

is

Eldert's

Lane

again.

Enfield Street, corrupted from Endfield Street,

being the end of the

Lane

fields of the

town,

is

now

it

Eldert's

again.

Flatlands Avenue is now Fairfield Avenue.

Furman Place is now Fanchon Place.
Grove Street is now Glen Street.
Henry Avenue is now Hinsdale Avenue.
Howard Place is now Gillen Place.
Ivy Street is now Hill Street.
Jefferson Street is now Cleveland Street, named

Grover Cleveland.
Jamaica Plank Road,

later

Jamaica Turnpike,

for
is

now Jamaica Avenue.

John Street is now Jerome Street.
Johnson Avenue is now Junius Street.
Liberty Avenue, named for the fact that it was a
free road for the farmers while Jamaica Plank Road

was a

toll road.

176

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Linnineton Avenue is now Livonia Avenue.

Locust Street is now Logan Avenue, named for
General Logan.
Madison Street is now Elton Street.

now Linwood Street.

is now Milford Street.
Myrtle Street is now Magenta Street.
Nassau Street is now Norwood Avenue.
New Lots Road is now New Lots Avenue.
Orient Avenue is now Powell Street, named
Monroe Street
Morse Avenue

is

Dr. Powell.

Rapelye Avenue is now Riverdale Avenue.

Rapelye Street is now Richmond Street.
Smith Street is now Hendrix Street.
Stotthoff Avenue is now Stanley Avenue.
Union Avenue is now Sutter Avenue.

Union Place is now Havens Place.

Van Brunt Avenue is now Vienna Avenue.
Vanderveer Avenue is now Newport Street.
Vanderveer Street is now Grafton Street.
Van Wicklen Avenue is now Vandalia Avenue.
Vesta Avenue is now Van- Sinderen Avenue.

now Jardine Place.

Washington Street is now Warwick Street.
Wyckoff Avenue is now Wyona Street.
Wasliington Place

is

for

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

77

APPENDIX XXIV.
The

Ferries.

As

early as 1797 a rowboat service was in existence

between the Bushwick shore and New York City, with

landings at the Fountain Inn on the Long Island side

and James Hazard's place at Corlear's Hook. A few
years later Richard M. Woodhull, of New York City,
purchased fifteen acres of the farm of Charles Titus

and established
politan Avenue

running from present Metroto Rivington Street, New York.

In
1804 Thomas Morrell, of Newtown, bought from
Folkert Titus the homestead farm of the Titus estate,
comprising twenty-eight acres, and opened Grand
Street through the centre of the farm to Roebling
Street.
In 1812 he started a ferry from Morrell's
Point, at the foot of the new street, running to Grand
Street, New York.
At the landing he kept a horn for
the convenience of passengers, to call him from his
farmwork. Morrell and Hazard worked in harmony,
but the competition between Morrell and Woodhull
was keen. Morrell improved boats and service, and
after considerable loss on both sides, Woodhull's ferry
was united with Morrell's, and with it went the name
Williamsburgh Ferry, and the Fountain Inn became
the headquarters of the political influence of the town
of Bushwick.
In 181 7 row and sailboats were exchanged for horseboats, stables were erected and
exchanges of horses were kept in readiness. In 1827
one of the boats was altered into a steam power-boat
a ferry,

and named "Eclipse."

THE EASTERN

78

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

was incorporated.
In 1836 the Peck Slip Ferry was established, running
from South Seventh Street to Peck Slip, New YorkThe Houston Street Ferry followed in 1840, and the
Division Avenue Ferry in 1851, plying between South
Seventh Street and Grand Street, New York. In 1853
the ferry from Greenpoint Avenue to Tenth Street,
New York, was opened; and in 1857 the landing of the
Calvary Cemetery Ferry, controlled by St. Patrick's
Cathedral, and running to Twenty-third Street, New
In 1857
York, was transferred to Greenpoint Avenue.
the South Tenth Street Ferry was opened, running
between South Tenth Street and James Slip, New York.
In i860 the Brooklyn Ferry Company began to run a
boat from South Ninth Street to Roosevelt Street,
New York. In 1885 a new line from Broadway to
Twenty-third Street, New York, was opened; and in
In 1824 the Williamsburgh Ferry

later

years another line to Forty-second Street.

In

December, 1908, all the ferries running from Broadway and the Grand Street line to Grand Street, New
York, were discontinued. On March i6th, 1911, the
Brooklyn & Manhattan Ferry Company reopened a
line from Broadway to Roosevelt Street, New York,
and two months later another line from Broadway to
Twenty-third Street.

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

79

APPENDIX XXV.
Notes On the Several Settlements.
In 1654 the inhabitants of Middelburgh and Mespat
asked for an allotment of their hay land. Commis-

sioners were appointed to inspect the land and were

directed to allot

if

possible eight

morgen

of

meadow

On
land to every twenty-five morgen of arable land.
February 29th, 1656, the settlers at Mespat requested
that Claes Van Elslant, who was expected at the place
to survey

some

land, be directed to survey at the

same
ArnThey

time the island, upon which the village of New

heim was to be built, and to determine its size.
also asked that the Governor and Council fix the width
of the main road and the size of each building lot, as
they themselves did not understand the laying out of

and would locate the houses arbitrarily, which

De Sille, the
would give a slovenly appearance.
patentee of the island, was advised to lay out the
street and lots in a manner which he considered most
advantageous for the settlement. On April 4th, 1656,
inhabitants of Middelburgh complained that the people of New Arnheim were mowing upon and using the
meadows granted to the village of Middelburgh, as if
they belonged to them, and asked again that the
meadows be divided between the villages of Middelburgh and Arnheim. In 1662 the meadows lying on
Seller's Neck, on Jamaica Bay, between the third and
fourth Kils, were divided as follows: One hundred
morgen to the village of Breukelen; one hundrd morlots

THE EASTERN

l8o

gen

to the village of

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Middelburgh; eighty morgen

to

the bouvveries of Mespat.

Thus

seems that the disputes which arose between

boundary lines, were on account
of meadow land.
When the colony came under English control, town patents were issued, and the fees
from these patents were a considerable source of
income to the governor. Richard Nicolls granted the
first town patents and also many patents to individual
settlers, and specially in the beginning gave
unimproved land to anyone who was willing to settle thereon, without any previous survey or without any certain
boundaries, stating that the patent contained one hundred, two hundred or more acres, adjoining such other
man's land, or to a certain hill or river. After the
it

the early settlers, as to

Lord Cornbury in 1702 it became evident

that this new governor was inclined to regard the common lands of the several towns as property of the gov-

arrival of

To prevent

ernment.

the granting of these lands to

friends of the governor, the towns divided the com-

mon

lands

ponding

among

the freeholders in parcels corres-

holdings of land.
Cornbury
manner in regard to the land in dispute
between Bushwick and Newtown; and not until 1769
this dispute was settled, when it was arranged that the
line was to run from the mouth of Mispat Kil, along
in size to their

acted in this

the creek to the west side of Smith's Island, to, and

along a branch leading out of the creek to the pond, or

hole of water, near the head of Schenck's mill pond,
easterly to Arbitration Rock (which stood in a meadow
lying opposite the house of Frederick Van Nanda,

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

later Of

Moses Begel, and

donck)

I8l

still later of Ann

Onderwest of Joseph Woodward's
house
(later of James Schoonmaker),
from said rock running
south to Arbitration Heap (a
heap of stones with a
stake in the centre) and in
the

little

same

hills,

or mountains, until

it

direct line to the

meets the line of Flatbush

(iNevv Lots).

In the

August

Walboght region

Joris Rapelie requested

on

36th, r66o, that

he might be allowed to
leave
house standing upon his land
and not be compelled to move it, as ordered
by " placard against separate farms," published
February i.th
"On February loth, 1661, the settlers
were ^varned
for the last time" that they
must remove from their separate bouweries before the
,5th of March next on
the
penalty as prescribed by law.
On February 24th 1661
the majority asked that
they might be excused
from
the order sent to them
on the 10th instant, and
be
allowed to erect for their
defense a block house on
the
hook
his

of

Jons Rapalie's

land.

On

March- zst, 1661, a petition

was made bv eight
persons to form a village
between the land of Tonis
Gysbertsen Bogaert and the land
of Jacob Kip on the
bank of the East River, "
where we can see the Man!
hattans or Fort New
Amsterdam." Consent having
been given a few began to
build houses at the
place
but the majority did not.
^
'

On March

3d, 1661, the majority

declared that the
order was given upon request
of Kip and his followers
o form a village and
block-house at the end of
Kip^;
land on the hill, but it
had been found that the
land

82

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

was too Stony and drinking water was scarce thereabouts; and asked to be allowed to erect a block-house
on the hook of Joris Rapalie, where they might retreat
The order of February loth was
in time of need.
reaffirmed.

At Bedford the farmers requested on May

"

Having obtained

26th,

lately a grant of

1663, as follows:
a piece of land in the rear of the Walboght, near Marcus' (Merck's) plantation, and cleared the land, and
some having already planted and sown, and others

are beginning to plant, and the farmers living far

from their property, ask to be allowed to form a

hamlet there to protect their property." October ist,

1666, the inhabitants of Bedford asked that they might
have a cart path over Captain Betts' ground, it being
so troublesome for them to cart their hay *and carry it
through the deep ground. January 4th, 1668, Thomas
Lamberts, of Bedford, received a license for keeping
an ordinary for the accommodation of strangers, travelers and other persons, passing that way, with diet,
lodging and horsemeat, to sell beer, wine and other
liquors for their relief; and no one else in the
village of Bedford to have the privilege, for one year

and no longer.
Wallabout Village came into existence in 1830. It
included the old Wallabout and Cripplebush settlements, and was bounded by the Wallabout and Newtown Roads, or Flushing Avenue, on the north; Jamaica
Turnpike Road, or Fulton Street, on the south;
Clinton Avenue on the west, and Division Avenue, or
Broadway, on the east. The Cripplebush Road cut

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

83

through the farm lands along the line of present Nostrand and Bedford Avenues to the Jamaica Turnpike,
In 1832
passing the old J. J. Rappalyea stone house.
A century ago Myrtle
streets began to be laid out.
Street extended a short distance from the main road
In 1835 ^^is street was
of the Brooklyn settlement.
graded
and paved to the
Avenue,
Myrtle
as
continued
Cripplebush Road, affording a new route between
Wallabout Village and Brooklyn. About 1852 Myrtle
Avenue was extended to Broadway, and two years
later the Brooklyn City Railroad, having bought out
the Myrtle Avenue stage line, ran horse cars to the
end of the road. In 1842 there were between Broadway and Fort Greene and Myrtle Avenue and the
Jamaica Turnpike only thirty houses. A single house
was standing on the south side of Myrtle Avenue, on
There were 1,679 P^^"
the corner of Classon Avenue.
sons in the village, all living north of Myrtle Avenue.
In Bedford Village a house was erected about
1750 on the Kings Highway to Jamaica, at the begining of the Kloft Road (later Clove Road). It was surrounded by locust trees. In this house Major Andre
After his exeof
by his fellowwere
disposed
belongings
cution his
lived just prior to his visit to Arnold.

officers for the benefit of his estate.

In a little

up

stairs

room, over-looking the Clove Road were kept at one

time the county records, which, after the Revolutionary War, were taken to England by Rapalje, deputy
town clerk. The house was for a long time the headquarters of General Grey, commander of the English
forces, encamped near by, and was the favorite resort

THE EASTERN

184

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

After the Battle of Long Island, when

General Howe's headquarters were removed to Newtown, and garrisons were stationed at Bushwick, Hellgate and Flushing, a brigade remained at Bedford.
of the officers.

The house was known as the Nicholas Bloom House.

At one time it was in the possession of Leffert Lefferts,
and later of the Brevoort family.
It was torn down
in 1909.

New

Lots, the Town Hall, a two-story frame

stood near Jamaica Bay, on what is now
Stanley and Atkins Avenues.
During its last days it
was used as a dance hall, and was destroyed by fire in
East New York was the largest of the four vil1912.

At

structure,

lages in the town;

its size

was two by one and one-half

population was 1,000 in i860; 8,000 in 1874;

Pitkin purchased
18,000 in 1880; and 25,000 in 1886.
the Wyckoff, Stotthoff and Van Siclen farms for the
In the "Old Stone Building,"
site of the village.
a three-story structure on the corner of Atlantic and
Pennsylvania Avenues, he published in 1838 the first
newspaper. The Mechanic. Phil Reid constructed the
Canarsie Railroad, with a depot on present Van Sinderen Avenue, between Fulton Street and Atlantic
Avenue. The starting point of the railroad was later
in front of the Howard House, a tavern on Atlantic
and Alabama Avenues, also owned by Reid. On the
miles;

its

Alabama Avenue, Reid erected a row of

years after he built his row on Broadten
some
houses,
way. Eight were on Atlantic Avenue and three on Alabama Avenue. They were taken down in 1912. The old
village of New Lots was situated along the New Lots
corner, across

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

85

Road.

Cypress Hills had a population of about 3,000

in 1874.
Brownsville was located upon the Van Sinderen and Lott farms, and had an area of two-third
by one-fourth miles.
New Brooklyn w^as a settlement on the Brooklyn,
and Jamaic aTurnpike and Hunterfly Roads.
East Williamsburgh had its beginning along the
Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike Road. This road

was

built in 1813,

and

was placed
1814 Daniel Taylor kept
a toll-gate

at this

As early as
a hotel
The Long Island farmers, driving to New York
City with hay, made this a weighing station. Taylor's
successors were Albert Vandewater, William Roe and
Stephen B. and Samuel Masters. The last named,
point.
here.

brothers, operated the turnpike under a lease for about

twenty years. Near the toll-gate was their mill. Further

along the road, and extending on one side on Collins
Avenue on the Thompson farm and on the other side
on Forest Avenue on the George Richard farm, is
found on the map of 1852 a settlement named Oceanville.

Calvary Ferry was established a little further down,

on Newtown Creek, in 1848, by the authorities of the
Roman Catholic Church. Three floats were operated
between the Bushwick shore and the cemetery, which
then contained twenty-nine acres, to transport funeral
corteges across the creek.

In 1853 a regular ferry

was

between East Twentythird Street, New York City, and the cemetery landing on Newtown Creek.
The distance was two and
three-fourth miles and the fare 4 cents for foot passeninaugurated

by the diocese

THE EASTERN

86

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

The average time consumed by a trip was fifteen

The boats ran from 8 a. m. till sundown.
minutes.
At Williamsburgh, the territory of the later City of
Williamsburgh, was occupied in 1827 by twenty-three

gers.

which ten extended to the river shore.

Besides the farm houses, a few buildings were standOn the North
ing on the roads leading to the ferry.
Side were the rope walks of Luther and Pitman. The
Cripplebush Lane was the only road to Brooklyn.
The number of dwellings had increased to three hundred in 1835. The Williamsburgh Road, or Shore
Road, connected now the village with Brooklyn. It
led from the Wallabout Bridge Road to the village
line, and was continued to the ferry through Water
Houses were standing on both sides of Grand
Street.
and Water Streets, near the ferry. Metropolitan Avenue
was built up to Wythe Avenue, and some houses were
on this road as far as Driggs Avenue. A few houses
were along Kent Avenue and around the Dutch Church
on Bedford Avenue. Others were scattered few and
Three rope walks were added on the
far between.
South Side. In 1837 there were two churches in the
village, one hundred and forty-eight dwellings, including ten stores and taverns; there were also fifty-nine
A building was erected, on land
stables and barns.
given by the Morrell family for a term of years, the
upper part of which was designed for the use of the
trustees of the school district and the lower part
Whittlesey's omnibus house stood
for a market.
on the corner of Broadway and Summer Avenue.
His stages ran from Grand Street and Peck Slip
farms,

of

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

Ferries through Broadway, Bedford

wick Avenue to the Cross-Roads.

87

Avenue and BushIn 1850 Grand

Bedford Avenue and South Fourth Street were

paved and flagged. Lower Broadway had a few
houses on its north side; part of an orchard still
Bedford Avenue, between Grand
fronted upon it.
Street and Broadway, was occupied by private houses.
In 1853 the Mechanics Bank was organized, to give
It opened for busithe North Side banking facilities.
ness in the following year on Grand Street; there were
then two banks on the South Side. The mayors of
Williamsburgh were Dr. Abraham J. Berry in 1852
and William Wall in 1854. In i860 a commission was
appointed, whose duty it was to lay out a main thoroughfare for the Eastern District. Bushwick Avenue,
Street,

from Evergreen Cemetery, part of Morrell Street,

Bushwick Avenue again; Smith Street, Orchard Street
and Union Street (of Greenpoint) to the County Line
were to be widened and the road was to be known as
Bushwick Boulevard. Another road was to branch off
at Wall Street, taking in Beaver Street, Flushing
Avenue to Broadway, Broadway to Eleventh Street,
South Sixth Street to Fourth Street and South Seventh
Street to the Ferry, all were to be widened and the road
was to be known as Broadway. Parts of this improvement were carried out.

88

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

APPENDIX XXVI.
Bibliography.

Sketch of the First Settlement of the Several

Silas Wood
Towns on Long Island.

Long Island. Benjamin F.Thompson

A History of Long Island. Nathaniel S. Prime
History of

1828

1839
1845

Historical Sketch of the City of Brooklyn, Will-

iamsburgh, Bushwick, Flatbush,

etc.

J.

Antiquities of

Long

Island.

Documentary History

1840

Furman

1874

Gabriel

of the State of
E. B.

T. Bailey

New

York.
1849-51

O'Callaghan

Documents Relating

to the History of the Early

Colonial Settlements, principally on Long

Fernon

1883

Early Settlers of Kings County. Teunis G.Bergen

t88i

Island.

Genealogy

F.

of the Leiferts' Family.

Teunis G. Bergen

Kings County Genealogical Club Collections.

1878
1882

History of the City of Brooklyn.

History of

Henry R. Stiles i867-'7o

Kings County. Henry R. Stiles, M. D. 1884

Historical Collections of the State of

New

York.

John W. Barbour and Henry Howe

Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York
State.
J. H. French

i860

Annals of Newtown.

1852

James Riker,

Jr.

1841

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF

BROOKLYN

89

Munsell & Co.

1882

Revolutionary Incidents of Suffolk and Kings

Hy. Onderdonck
Counties.

1849

History of Queens County.

Corporation Manuals of the City of Brooklyn.

1857-71

Brooklyn City and Kings County Record.

W. H. Smith
History of
and
Williamsburgh City Directory
Williamsburgh.
S. and T. F. Reynolds

1855

Miscellanies.
Rusticus Gent (Furman)
Indian Place-Names in the Borough of Brook-

1847

Wm.

lyn.

Wallace Tooker

The Indian Place-Names on Long

1852

1901

Island.

Wm.

Wallace Tooker
Reformed Dutch Church of Williamsburgh.

1911

Porter
Mark's

1866

Elbert

Semi-Centennial
Church.

Memorial

Memorial

of

Anniversary

of

S.

St.

1889

General Jeremiah Johnson.

of

the

Golden

Sylvester Malone.

Our Firemen, Brooklyn

Jubilee

1854

of

S. L.

Rev.

Malone

Fire Department.

1892

New

Netherland.
J. Franklin Jameson
Manual of the Reformed Protestant Church in
Edward Tanjore Corwin
North America.

Narratives of

1895

Brooklyn's Guardians.

1859

New York.
Wm. M. Beauchamp

1900

Rev. Samuel Whaley

1901

Aboriginal Occupations of

The Whaley Record.

1909

Wm.

E. S. Fales

1887

INDEX
Abraham Jansen Timmerman
Albany

29

21, 69

Albert Coertsen

Alsop

19

Bibliography

57

Block, Adrian

65, 86

Alsop Farm
Richard

65,

Alsop,

86
65

American Hotel
Amersf oort
Andriese, David
Andros, Governor

113

Annunciation P. E. Church 128

Apostolic Lutheran Church 128
Armen Bouwerij
19
Asbury African M. E.

Church

82

Ascension P. E. Church..
Auke Rynerse

31

26

Burial

Ground

72

Bennett, Peter

125
Bergen Farm
E.
African
M.
Bethel
82
Church
Bethel Independent Baptist
82
Church
lOQ
Betts, Captain Richard
100
Betts, Johanna
Beyond the Newtown Creek 63

24

Family

Beehive

79
47

Backbone of Long Island. 122

Backus Farm
125
Baedel House
29
Bakker, Hendrik Willemse 24
Bank of Williamsburgh.
115

188
9

Blockhouse on the Kijkuit,

68,

69,

77

Bloom, Nicholas

55

Boerum House

43

Boght
Boght Church
Boswijck

68,

69

69
15, 22, 23, 24,

68,

Boswijck Church
Boswijck Nieuw Loten.

26

77, 121

68
...

20

Boudinet, Elias

Barent, Gerretse

24

Barent, Joosten

24

20
Boulevard Brewery Hotel 112
Boulevard Grove
112
Bourgon Broucard
65
50
Bowron Family

69

Bowron, Watson

Banks

Bassett,

115

Rev. John

Battle of

Bedford
Bedford
Bedford
Bedford
Bedford

Long

68,

Island.. 61, 101

55, 59, 108,

Corners.

Depot
School
Section

55, 62,

87,

123
97
58

56, 97, 98

78

Bowronville

Bragaw, Andrew
Bragaw, Bourgon
Bragaw, Isaac
Bragaw, John
Branch Hotel

50
50,

79 109

65
65
65
65

113

THE EASTERN

192
Breukelen
British

26,

DISTRICT OF

55,

Army

Broadway

61

Elevated

Rail-

road

106

Broadway Ferry
Broadway Railroad
Brooklyn

18,

and

40, 103

Co.... 105

20, 35, 38,

68, 78,

58,

Brooklyn

122

Jamaica
62

Brooklyn and J a m a ic a
Turnpike Co
104
Brooklyn City Hall ...104, 105
Brooklyn City Railroad,
58,

63,

125

Brooklyn Daily Times.. 75, 114

Brooklyn Ferry ..37, 61,66, 117
Brooklyner Freie Presse.. 114
Broucard, Bourgon
Brown, Chas. S

65

Brown's Village

59

Brownsville

59

Brutnell,

59

Richard

64,65

Burger Jorissen

64,

Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick

Census of 1698. 139

Churchyard .74, 86
Cornbury Patent 27
Creek
33
13,
Cripplebush ....

65

65

Cross Roads,

57

122, 124

Road

BROOKLYN

33, 79, 89,

106, 108

Bushwick Depot
41, 106
Bushwick Directory
118
Bushwick District School
No.

89

Bushwick

District School

No. 2

Bushwick
No.

90
District School

92

Bushwick Division of the

Regiment of Militia of
Kings Co., 1715
Bushwick Dongan Patent..
Bushwick Ferry
66,
Bushwick Graveyard, 70, 74,
Bushwick Green, 72,79,89,
Bushwick High School....
Bushwick, Improved Lands

143
131

72
85

108
51

Burger's Kill

65

Burying Grounds
Bushwick ..15, 18,

85

Bushwick, Indian Deed of. 129

35

Bushwick Lane

26,

27,

106
122, 123, 124

38, 52, 68, 69, 77, 78, 79,

Bushwick and Ridgewood

Sections, The
45
Bushwick, Area
117
Bushwick Burying Ground,
73, 75

Bushwick Church,
72,

73,

67,

69,

75, 76, 77, 78,

79,

81, 86,

89

in 1706

117, 141

62,

78

Bushwick, List of All the

Inhabitants in 1738

144

Bushwick, List of Men Who

Took the Oath, etc. ... 138

Bushwick, Slaves, 1755... 146

Bushwick Mill
70
Bushwick Mill Pond
99
Bushwick Muster Roll of
Mihtia

in 1663

132

THE EASTERN
New

Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick
Bushwick

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Lotts

NicoU's

20

Patent. 130

193

Census of Kings County,

139

1698

Patent

101

Charter of Freedoms and

Population
Railroad

117

Exemptions
Cherry Point
Christ Church
City Hotel

10,

Claes Carstensen

18, 19

106

Rate List of 1675 134

Rate List of 1676 135
Rate List of 1683 137

Road

46,

61

76, 88, 89,

Bushwick Section
Bushwick Street
Bushwick Taxable

Humphrey.

31
80, 82

113

.15,

17, 121

49

Clifford

School,
56,

Clay,

76,

12

Sir William

62

98

Clinton,

78

Clopper,

Cornelius

16

81

58, 97

Bushwick Town Dock.. 70,

Bushwick Town House,

72

Clove Road
Coertsen, Albert
Colfax, Richard
Colored School No.
Colyer House

33

76, 77,

89

Comlits, Jan

23

Conselyea House

29

Valua147

tion

Town Road

Bushwick
Bushwick

103

65

97

Cooper Farm

Village,

27, 34, 45, 46, 69, 72,

Bushwyck
Calvary Cemetery 17, 64,
Calvary P. E. Church

Canarsee

24

10,

65,

76

Cooper, John

68

Cooper, Richard

86

Cooper's

Road

Corlear's

Hook

Cornells

Jacobsen

82
77, 123

125
50
50

126
10, 34, 36

Stille

Cannon Street Baptist

Church Cemetery ....

87

Cornelius Dirckse

Carstensen, Claes

19

Cornbury, Governor ....27, 52

18,

108

Carsville

the Silent)

Cornwallis,

18,

19

115

Marquis

62

Casparse, Johannes

24

Corteleau, Jacques

Casparse,

Jost

25

Catjouw,

Jean

24

Covenant Lutheran Church 128

Covert Farm
125
Covert, William
50
49,

Cedar Grove
Cells,

The

Cemetery Lane
Cemetery near Orient Avenue

88

22

88

Cripplebush, 34, 46, 56, 108, 122

Cripplebush Patent
56
20,
Cripplebush Road ..55, 56, 97

87

Cross-Roads Settlement,

107

33,

45

THE EASTERN

194

Cruikshank, Rev.
Cypress Hills
45, 59,
Cypress Hills Cemetery,

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
58

60, 88

87, 105, 125

Cypress Hills Plank Road,

49,

Daily

Long

Islander

David Andriese
Debevoise,

19

Charles

50

Debevoise Farm
Debevoise House
Democratic Advocate

De Neger

52

114

The

125
30

114

Negro)

Francisco

24

Denton Farm
125
De Smith's Vley
116
De Sale, Anthony Janse.. 24

De Sille, Nicasius.
De Swede, Jan.. 18,

.12,

13,

19, 41,

Devoe Houses

De

22
121
31

Durjee, Johannes

47

Duryea House
15, 17, 31
Duryea, Margaret E
50
Duryea, Mrs. S
50
Dutch Churches of Kings
County
68, 73
Dutch Colonies
12
Dutch Kills
65
64,
Dutch Kills Creek
64
Dutch Kills School House 66
Dutchtown
107
Early Days of Eastern District Schools, The
88
East Brooklyn

Eastern

The

Miller)

White,

lyn,

27,

76, 78, 79, 87,

Pieter Jan.. 22, 23

24

De Zeeuw, Jan Cornelissen 24

Dirck Volkertse
19, 25, 31
Dirckse Cornelius
115, 116
Division

Avenue

104, 108, 118

Eastern

i.e.

39

Daily

Times
114
Eastern District Fire Department
112
Eastern District of Brook-

Vries, Titus Sirach.... 100

Dewit

105

56, 80,

District

Street

Eastern

Obsolete

District

Names

158
Police

District

Court
East New York,

107
56,

58,

59,

63

105, 106, 124

East

New York

Sentinel..

60

Dongan, Thomas
26
Dongan's Patent ..26, 123, 131
Dorp, Het
27
Doughty, Rev. Francis.... 12

East Reformed Church... 80

East River
64
11,
East Williamsburgh ...125, 127

Dubois, Francis

50

Eldert Engelbertse

Duke of York
Dunham, David

26

Eldert

90

Engelbertse, Eldert

Du

24

Engine

Puy, Frangois

Durie, Joost

31

Edsall

Farm

125
13,

House
Companies.

23
58

13,
.

.109,

23
110,

111

THE EASTERN
English Kills

64,

Erie Canal

Evergreen

52,

54,

Cemetery

Evergreens,

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN
77

Fourteenth

11

Tower

125, 127

of

the.. 46, 52, 63, 88, 103, 125

Farmers'

and

Citizens'

Ferries,

Bank
The

177

Fire Department

109

115

Firemen's Hall
Baptist

First

112

Church

Greenpoint
Baptist Church
Williamsburgh

82

85

Bank

of
115

Universalist

.84,

85

Church

and Society
Five Dutch Towns, The..

85

26

Flatbush, 18, 55, 56, 57,

58,

61

Flatlands

18,

68

Newtown
and
Turnpike and Bridge

Co

113

of

Antiquities

73

Island

13
Furman's Island
Furman, Wm. Henry .... 50
General Assembly of 1704 103

Ev.

Luth.

Zion

Church

German Ev.

128

Reformed

Church

128

German M. E. Church
German Ref. D. Ch.

New

128
of

Brooklyn

81

Gerretse, Barent

Flushing

Glendale
114

106

105, 106

Fulton House

German

Presbyterian Church

of Williamsburgh.:
First

Railroad,
58,

Long

National

24
105, 113

Fulton Ferry

of

Brooklyn
First

Avenue

WiUiams-

First

99

Freeman, Rev. Bernardus 68

88
Free School System
125
Fresh Pond
Fresh Pond Road
62, 126
23
Fresh Vleyen

Congregation al
of

112

Fowler's Bridge

Furman's

Church
burgh

Bell

79

First

First

Ward

Francisco de Neger
Franklin Hotel

Fulton

of

195

24
125, 126, 127

Glendale M. E. Church

128

Flushing Avenue Railroad. 106

Flushing Creek
104
Flushing Stages
58

Gosman, William

Flymarket

66

Fonteyn, Charles

24

Gowanus Creek
Grand Street Ferry
Grand Street First

Prot.

Meth. Church
Gravesend

24, 68, 69

Fort Amsterdam
Fountain Inn
Four Mile House

115
41

113

65

Gothic Hotel

Gowanis

113
20,

122
122
105
88

THE EASTERN

196

108

Holder's Three Mile House,

Hills. 45, 63, 88, 103, 122

58,

105

78

Holy Cross Prot. Church

Hopoakanhaking
Hose Company No. 1...

128

Hotels

113

The

Green,

Green

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Greenpoint

54,

31,

72,

79, 89, 108

Greenpoint Advertiser .... 114

118
Greenpoint Directory
Greenpoint D. Ref. Church 79
106
Greenpoint, Ferry
Greenpoint Hotel
Greenpoint School

113
93

Greenpoint,

Ravenwood and

Hallett

Cove Turnpike.
digger) Hen-

Grever

33

25

drik Janse

Gysbert, Thonissen

Hans Hansen... 18,

25
19, 64,

121

Houston Street Ferry... 105

27
Hout Punt, Het
Howard Estate
58, 63
Howard, Major William, 62,
Howard, WilHam
61,
Howard's Halfway House
Howard's Inn
Howe, Sir William

Hudson River
Hulst Farm

Harmensen, Hendrik

19

Hunter's Point

Harrison, James

49

Hay, Jacob
Hazard, James
Hedeman, Evert

25

Huntington
and
Husted

Hempstead

Plains, 26, 52, 123

Hendrik, Barent Smith

(by trade)
Hendrik, Harmensen
Hendrik, Willemse Bakker
Hendrik, Janse

25

Hendriksen, Jan

24

Herry

24

Hessians
Hill School

48

Holder's Stages

99

19

in

19

Bush141

1706

Independent Press, The. 114

15

Indian Trail

stones

on

10

105

in

Tomb-

Bushwick

Churchyard

157

Insciptions on Tombstones in Original

Graveyard

90

122

58,

64

105

Inscriptions

(-digger)

The
Hoboken

62

Indian Deed of Bushwick 129

Grever

Hills,

60

Kendall's

Improved Lands
19

61

54

Huybertse, Lambert
wick,

63

62

125

Hutchinson

24

24

(by trade)

11,

Stages

36
24

10

Ill

ily

155

TombSchenck Fam-

ions on

p
stones in

s c r

Burial Place

156

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Row

Italian

63

Ivanhoe Fire Hook and

Ladder Co
127
Ivanhoe Park Hose Co... 127
Ivins

House

63

Jack's Creek

65

Jamaica, 55, 59, 61, 72, 77, 104

Jamaica and Brooklyn
Plank Road
104
58
Jamaica Bay
97
Jamaica Lane
Jamaica Road
62, 103, 105
Jan Cornelissen de Zeeuw 24
24
Jan Hendriksen
Jan, the Swede... 18, 19, 41, 121

Jan, Willemse

Kings County Journal .... 60

King's Highway... 61, 63, 103
Knickerbocker Hotel.... 113
34
Kreupelbosch, Het
33
Kruispad, Het

Lahr Farm
Lambert Huybertse
Lambertse, Reyer
La Mothe, Pieter
Lane, Ralph

24

50

Lawrence Mansion

63

Lawrence's Franklin
Hotel

Laws Relating

to

105

Wil-

liamsburgh

24

29

Leffert

24

Lefferts

Tymen

19

19

60

Abraham

Jansen,

125

Laterne, Die

Jansen, from Sale

Jansen,

197

149
46

Pieterse

Family

Burial

Ground
Farm

64

87

Johannes Casparse
Johnson Family

24

Lefferts

98

Lefferts, Leffert .46, 47, 55,

Johnson, Gen. Jeremiah...

21

Lefferts,

Joosten^ Barent

24

Leslie's

Jorissen, Burger

Casparse
Kalbfleisch, Martin

25

Kanapaukah
Kieft, Willem,

64

10,

Kijkuit

89

Le

76,

70

Kijkuit Lane
29, 70, 72
Kings County
77
Kings County Advertiser.. 60
.Kings County Chronicle,

Kings County Hotel

114
113

R
All

List of

Men

Inhabi-

in

144

Who Took

Bushwick
the

Oath,
138

etc

List of Slaves,

Log

Cabin,

Long
Long

Island
Island

118
24
106

the

tants, 1738

102, 123

29, 41, 68,

The

of

56

Brooklyn Direc-

Jan
Lexington Ave. Elevated
R.

87

55

Teller,

List
11,

Rem

tory

64, 65

Jost

48,

146

1755

The Old

90
25,

Anzeiger

26
114

THE EASTERN

198

Long
Long

BROOKLYN

Island Family Circle. 114

Masters'

Island Ferry,

McCormick Farm
Mechanic, The
Mechanics' Bank of Wil-

115, 116

37,

Long
Long
Long

DISTRICT OF

Island Indians

13

Island Railroad ..66, 107

Island Zeitung
68,

Abraham
Luqueer's Bushwick

Luqueer,

Lutheran Cemetery.
Lydecker, Ryck

Maiden

48

Mill
.

24, 25

Lane

116
108

Jean

Manhattan

24

Beach

Rail-

road
Manhattan Crossing
Manhattan Island,
9,

.52,

10, 13, 54, 64,

29, 30,

Ch. in America

Manufacturers'

Plantations

Marechawieck

Mashpack

68

Kil

115
121

122
34

Maspeth
101, 127
Maspeth Ave. Toll Bridge

Co

104

Maspeth Island
Massachusetts Bay, Col-

ony

of

60

45,
.

68

125

46

.31, 111

77
33

Meserole, Peter

49

Mespath

18

Mespath Kills
52,
Methodist Cemetery

65,

9&

Methodist Chapel
Methodist Epis. Church

81

87

Cross-Roads

79

Methodist Protestant Cemetery

50

Methodist

National

Bank
Map Showing the Orig-

Merck's Plantation
Meserole, Abraham.
Meserole Homestead
Meserole, Jacob

101

of the Ref. Prot.

125

115

Meeker, Rev. Stephen H.

Melvina

102

30

Mansion House

inal

125
59

Manor House
Manual

29

125, 126

Malboneville
Maliert,

77

29

liamburgh

114

Lookout

Mill

Protestant

Church
Metropolitan

81

125

Meyerose Farm
125, 126
Middelburgh Purchase.. 61
Middle Village M. E.
Church
128
Midwout
68
26,
Mill
Miller

Road

27

Homestead

Mirror,

41,

68

11, 13, 102,

122

The

60

13

Mispat Kil

99

Mispat Settlement
Mispat Tribe

12,

22

11,

102

THE EASTERN
Moffatt,

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

John

50

Montville

33

Moore, Thomas

51

Morrell,

Thomas

Most Holy

New

88

New
New
New

Adam

121

22
Mourison, Koert
Municipal Government.. 123

Muster Roll
Militia,

of

Bushwick

1663

132

Mutual Truck Co. No. 1. 110

Myrtle Ave. and Jamaica
Plank Road Co
104
Myrtle Ave. Elevated Road 126
Myrtle Ave. Railroad
Nassau River

106

Navy Yard

104

10

Netherland

77

New Amsterdam,
New Arnheim

New
New
New
New
New
New
New

..12,

67,
13,

70,

77

15,

24

Brooklyn
81, 108
Bushwick Lands... 46
Bushwick Lane
103
Bushwick Letts,
20,

33, 45, 46, 47,

85

Lots

ment

57

Lots Road

58

Lotts

The
Newtown,

...

56,

55, 60,

Newtown

15,

17,

46,

52,

64,

66,

77,

99,

Fire

108

Depart-

104

Co

103

Newtown

and Bushwick
Bridge and Turnpike

Road Co

Newtown
11,

No.

104

Creek,
63,

64, 122,

District

School

15,

16,

123

126

Union Free

Newtown

School No.

Newtown

126

Fire Department 127

New Utrecht
New York
New York and

26, 72
26,

34,

58,

83

Manhattan

Beach Railroad Co. 88, 107

Richard.. 26, 34, 123

Nicolls,
Nicolls

Map

34

Nicolls Patent

Noorman's
13,

60

60

Bushwick

and

Bridge

59

Flatbush,

of

130

Noormans

Lots,
56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 105,

New

103

Bushwick Road
103
England
64
England Church and

Society

New

60

Lots Ref. Dutch Ch.

Newtown

19,

Depart-

Police

Lots Schoolhouse

New

60

57

Lots

ment

tery

Mott,

Lots Journal, The...

Lots Patent by Gov.

Andros

36

Ceme-

Trinity

New
New

99

11
Kil,

27,

31, 34, 70,

North Brooklyn

72,

102

80,

108

THE EASTERN

200

DISTRICT OF

North Brooklyn Directory 118

North Fifth Street M. E.

Church

The
Northsiders, The
Northside,

Nostrand, Garrett

Number

107

Peck Slip Ferry... 37, 105, 106

Peck Slip Hotel
113, 115
Pennsylvania Railroad... 54
Percy, Lord
62

109

Philadelphia

81

98

Deaths
Williamsburgh
Number of DwelHngs
of

in

in

158

Obsolete Street

East

Names

in

New York

Severy
33
Office of Records
26
Old Bushwick Road.. 88, 103
Old Calvary Cemetery. ... 64
Old Flushing Avenue
127
Old Woodpoint Road.. 67, 102

Farm

Oostv^out
Orchard, The
Origin of Some

125
56

of

Original Ecclesiastical Organizations

Original

Plantations,

50
58,

12

Polhemus, Theodorus.29, 101

107

Poor Bowery

19

Population

79,

Post, William

65

Powell's Stages

105

Church
Williamsburgh

Presbyterian
Press,

of
85

The

114

Primary Schools
Family

Provoost

95,

86

Protection
79

Public

31

Company

109

110

Cistern

Public Schools,
121

56

106
102

88,

89, 93, 95,

Queensborough Bridge
Queensborough Public
Schools

...

Rahl, Col

65

Rapalie, Jaris Jansen de..

Payntar,

William

65

20,

118
115, 117

Rapalye,

64

48

Abraham

37,

98

126, 127

Payntar,

Slip

97

Burial

Provoost Farm
Provoost House

Palatinates

Peck

117

172

64

Payson, Henry

60

86

Out Plantations
Patchogue
Path to the Kils

63

Ground

The,
18,

Henry R
James
Pitkin, John R
Plymouth Colony
Pierson,

Pilling,

31

the

Names

Street

113

112
107

Police Force

174

Oesis,

Onderdonck

House

Grounds

Picnic

Picklesville

118

Williamsburgh
118
Obsolete Street Names in
E.

BROOKLYN

Folkert

Rappalyea

House

19
122
65

56

THE EASTERN
Rappelyea, Jeremiah,
Raritan Indians

Rate

56

J...

13

Bushwick,

of

List

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

1675

Rate

134

List

of

Bushwick,

of

Bushwick,

1676

135

Rate

List
1683

137

Rechtauk
10, 36
Ref. Dutch Ch. of North
Brooklyn
80
Ref.

Scotch

Presbyterian

Phil

Remsen House
Rensselaerwyck
Revolutionary War
Reyer Lambertse

Ridgewood
Ridgewood
Ridgewood
Ridgewood

Rising Sun Tavern

River Indians

52,

11024, 25

Rycken, Abraham

Rycken Gysbert
Rynerse,

19-

19,

Auke

99"

11

Abraham

Schenck

Family

78

Ch.

104
10

Herry

18
47'

Burial

Place

86

Schenck Farm
100, 101
Schenck Homestead
58
Schenck, Johannes
100
Schenck, Johannes, Jr... 100
Schenck, Peter

100

Schenck, Stephen
128

Schenck's Mill

127

50
86, 99, 100^

126

Schoonmaker, Peter
Schuetzen Park
Scudder, John
Scudder, John 2nd
Scudder, John 3rd
Scudder, Richard B

125

Scudder's

125

61

Second
Baptist
Church
Second M. E. Church

10

Seventeenth

125

122

Roads and Transportations 102

121

47

Salem

Schenck,

..125, 127

20,

The
Ryck Lydecker
Roosters,

64

Section in

Rinnegaconck

40

Satley,

106, 126

Ring, Frederick

86

Roosevelt Street Ferry....

Sapohanikan

lOO

15, 52,

102-

Catholic Cemetery

43

Park
125, 127
Reformed Ch.. 128

Queensborough,
Ring Family
Ring Farm

lip

Roman

63

118

Hotel

Rocks

Sand's Estate

19

of Christ

102

85

15, 48

Reynolds' Directory
Richards, Paul

Ridgewood
Ridgewood Depot
Ridgewood Heights
Ridgewood Heights

Rockaway Footpath
Rockaway Indians

Salt River

Church
Reid,

20I

49

113
99,

100

100
100

Pond
German

Tower

Ward

100

100
49
81

Bell

112

THE EASTERN

202

Severy, Oesis
Shell

Road

Sixteenth

Ward

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

St.

125
James' Park
James' P. E. Church.. 82
Johannes German Ev.
Church
85
Ev.
John's German
Luth. Church
128
Mark's P. E. Church.. 82
Mary's R. C. Church,

46

St.

Matthias' R. C. Church 128

59

St.

Paul's P. E. Church..

82

and Paul's R.
Church

84

23

St.

104

St.

Bell

Tower
Skillman House

St.

112
30

Hendrik Barent. ..
Smith's Brooklyn DirecSmith,

St.

tory

118

Smith's Fly

116

Smith's Island,

13, 15, 23, 45,

Snedeker Hotel

Farm
Men of Williams-

Snediker
Solid

burgh,

1847

South Bushwick
South Bushwick Reformed
Dutch Church.. 51, 78,

South Evergreen

Church
South Side, The
South Side Railroad
South Side Railroad
minal
Southsiders,

District

153

Staten Island
Statistics

79

Steendam, Jacob
Stille, Cornelis Jacobsen

...41, 106

Ter-

Church
St.

Brigid's R.

121
18,

Dr.

110

19

123
....

Andrew

50

50

Stockholm Farms
Stone, Susan
Strand, Het

50
49,

50

35

Strey's Hotel

106

112

Stuyvesant, Petrus...l2,

13, 15

21, 24, 26, 36, 45, 77, 78, 123

Stuyvesant Section

78

85

Suydam, Adrian Martense

48

52

Suydam House

46

126

128

C.

117

Henry
Stockholm, Abraham

Stiles,

Stockholm,

Spencer Orchard
63
Aloysius
St.
R. C. Church 127
St.
Andrews' Ev. Luth.
St. Benedict's R. C.

65

78

99

87

Peter's
C.

81

South Third Street Presbj^terian Church

South Williamsburg-h ....
South Williamsburgh
School

Sts.

107

The

82, 83,

125

128

Southold
South Second Street M. E.

St.

24

Church 81
Church 127

Suydam, Jacob
Suydam, Peter F

48,

50
50

Swamp, The

107

Swede's Kil

41

Symons' Four Mile House,

62,

113

Taxable Valuation, Bushwick

147

THE EASTERN

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

Taxable Valuation, Williamsburgh

148
Temple Beth Elohim
85
Third M. E. Church
81
Thirteenth

Ward

Bell

Tower
Thompson

112
20

Thonissen, Gysbert

25

George
Three Mile House
Tilje, Jan
Thrall,

Timmerman,

58
58,

113

..23,

24

Abraham

Jansen
Titus, Col. Francis'

29

House

43

Titus, Francis
Titus,

lOO

Tunis

T'Maagde Paatje
Tompkins Farm
Town Dock

100
lie
125
72,

102

Records
Traphagen, William Janse,

21

22,

25

70,

Town

Trinbol, Pieter Jansen

27

Trotting Course Lane

126

Troutman, Dr
Troutman's Hotel
Tymen Jansen
Union Cemetery, New,

49

113
64

50, 51,

Union Cemetery, Old

Union Hotel

Van
Van

Alst

Farm

Corlear, Jacob
Vanderveer, John
Vandervoort, Abraham,

Van Nostrand Farm

Van Nuyse

Van
Van
Van
Van
Van
Van

Nuyse, Abagail
Nuyse, Auke Janse..

46

Nuyse, William
Nuyse, William Janse
Ranst House

47

46

Ruyven

22

Volkertse, Dirck

Road

Wampum

113

War

125

Wards

125
46

31

50

56

Wallabout Bay
20
Wallabout Canal Co
104
Wallabout Creek
98,104
Wallabout Presbyterian
Church
80
Wallabout School
98
Wallabout Toll-Bridge Co. 104
Wallabout Village
56
Wall, William
50
Wandell,

49, 50

29

Waaleboght
68, 69
Walbaut
34
Walboght
20
Wallaboght and Brooklyn
Turnpike Co
103
Wallabout
56, 98, 105, 122
Wallabout
and
Bedford
Turnpike Co
104
Wallabout and Newtown

87

50

46

19, 25,

Voorhees, William

87

18

203

Thomas

of 1812

13,

89

65,

86

17,

57

108, 119

Washington
Washington Company
Washington Hotel

109

Way Farm

125

Way, Francis

33

113

61

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

204
Weeksville

108

Wesquaesgeek

10

Westchester

26

Western

District Fire

De-

partment

Western

112

District of

lyn

West

Brook78, 108, 118

India
18,

Company,

10,

124

19, 76, 121, 122,

West Riding

of Yorkshire

26

Whaley, Alexander
White Church
White, George

51,

Wilcox

18, 19

33
78

49

WilHam Janse Van Nuyse

46

Williams, Col
Williams, Painter

36

105

Williamsburgh,

33, 34, 36.

37, 38, 43, 77, 78, 80, 81,
92, 104, 107, 122, 123,

124

Williamsburgh and Cypress

Hills Plank Road
105
Williamsburgh and Jamaica
Turnpike
81
Williamsburgh, Bank of.. 115
Williamsburgh, Bethel Independent Baptist Ch. 82
Williamsburgh,

Brooklyn,

Bushwick and

New

Lotts Railroad

105

Williamsburgh Chapel
72
Williamsburgh City Bank. 115
Williamsburgh City Hall,
43,

44,

112

Williamsburgh Democrat.. 114

Williamsburgh Directory.
118
.

Williamsburgh District
Schools

92, 93,

95

Williamsburgh Ferry
Williamsburgh Fire Department
Williamsburgh Garden
Williamsburgh Gazette
Williamsburgh, Laws Re-

103

lating

109

112

114

149

to

Williamburgh Morning
Post

114

Wilhamsburgh, Number of
Deaths in
118
Williamsburgh,
Dwellings

Number

of

118

in

Williamsburgh, Population
Williamsburgh Reformed

Dutch Church
Williamsburgh Savings

117
81

Bank

115

Williamsburgh School Dis92

tricts

Williamsburgh Schools, 92,

Williambsurgh, Solid Men
of

93

153

Williamsburgh, Taxable
Valuation
148
Williamsburgh Telegraph.. 114
Williamsburgh Times .... 114
Williamsburgh Turnpike

Road and Bridge Co.. 104

Williamsburgh Village,
37,

Woertman Homestead
Wood, Timothy
Woodhull, Richard

72,

....

75

43

100

36

THE EASTERN
Woodpoint
Woodpoint Road,
27,

DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN

27, 102

33, 70, 72, 76,

85

Wyckoff Avenue Baptist

Church

128

Wyckoff, Catherine
Wyckoff Farm,

49

86, 99, 101, 125,

Wyckoff Heights
Wyckoff Heights
terian

Church

Wyckoff House

Wyckoff,
Wyckoff,
Wyckoff,
Wyckoff,
Wyckoff,

Ye

Nicholas

205
49, 101

Nicholas 2nd

...

101

Peter

29,

101

Peter

2nd... 101, 126

Susan

49

House
York, Duke of

101

Pole's

26

126

Yorkshire

125

Yorkton

128

Jan Willemse.. 24
Zion African M. E. Church 81
Zweed, Jan De
18, 19, 121
Ysselstein,

Presby101

26
36,

37

MAY

25

1912