Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 50

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y. > Part 50

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The family are all members of the Central Congregational Church of Brooklyn, and their handsome house on Greene avenue is a refined, cultured, Christian home. Amid a press- ing mass of business, Mr. Snedeker finds time for social and literary recreation, keeping abreast of the times in scientific reading, study, thonght; is quick to adopt improvements in

his occupation; and, in fine, is an energetic worker, an hon- orable business man, a sympathetic friend, and a true gen- tleman.

BERNARD GALLAGHER, one of the best kuown contractors and builders in this city, was born in county Tyrone, in the north of Ireland, June 29th, 1838, and is a son of Owen and Rosannah Gallagher. His mother's family name was Mana- han. He came to America with his parents, in June, 1845, and located in Williamsburgh, where he attended such public schools as were then in existence until he was thirteen years old.

At that early age, he was apprenticed to learn the trade of rope-maker, and was so employed during the following three years. He next turned liis attention to acquiring the carpen- ters' trade, serving two years' apprenticeship with Owen McCarran, father of Assemblyman Patrick J. McCarran, and four years with William H. Noe, on Schermerhorn street. He worked as a journeyman carpenter a year. and, in the fall of 1861, at the age of twenty-three, engaged in the business as a carpenter and builder, iu which he has continued to the present time.

Since then it is probable that he has erected inore public buildings than auy other contractor or firm of contractors, within the same period, in the state. Prominent among them may be mentioned the Thirty-second Regiment armory, on Bushwick avenue and Stagg street; the Twenty-third Regi- ment armory, on Clermont avenue; and the Fourteenth Regi- ment armory, ou Portland avenue; the Kings County Savings Bank, on Broadway, at the corner of Fourth street; the Dime Savings Bank, on Broadway, at the corner of Second street; the Kings County Fire Insurance Company's build- ing, on Broadway, near Third street; the Inebriate Home, at Fort Hamiltou; the Queens County Court House, in Long Is- land City; the Madock building, Nos. 234 and 235 Broadway, New York; the new Fulton Market, New York; Haverly's Brooklyn Theater, and mauy other large and well-known structures; and at present is engaged in the erection of the new Washington Market, New York.

Mr. Gallagher is a Democrat politically, but has never bcen an office-seeker nor an active politican. The confidence of the public in him is such that he might have been the re- cipient of more than one political honor had he consented to become such. He held the office of Commissioner of Fires and Buildings, 1877-79, a position for which his intimate acquaintance with building in all its departments eminently fitted him.

July 25th, 1866, Mr. Gallagher married Miss Mary E., second daughter of George B. McGrath. of Brooklyn. They have five daughters and two sons. Mr. Gallagher's career has been one that may well be emulated by young men starting out on the journey of life-one of integrity, per- severance, systematic and earnest labor and the success which follows all honest, well-directed endeavor.

JOHN D. ANDERSON was born at Brooklyn, N. Y., April. 1833; the place of his birth was what is now the corner of Furman and Joralemon streets. At that time this part of the city was open to the East River, being the original bluffa along the Brooklyn shores, standing out boll and abrupt, in strange contrast with the fine terraces and beautiful grounds into which they have since been transformed.

Mr. Anderson, in his youth, witnessed this gradual, but sure transformation, and a transformation quite as striking, by which Brooklyn emerged from a comparatively small settlement to a large, elegant and still rapidly increasing

Elbert Snedeker

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ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS.

commercial city. In much of this he has been an important actor, in following his avocation as an enterprising, success- ful master builder.

His father was James Anderson, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a man of much energy, intelligence and purity of character; a gunsmith by occupation, highly skilled in his art. His mother, a native of Dublin, Ireland, was a woman of strong mental qualities, well endowed in every respect to discharge the duties of wife and mother, which she did in a most exemplary manner.

The parents of Mr. Anderson emigrated to this country about eighteen months before his birth, and settled in the city of New York. His father conducted a manufactory of muskets for the government, in Pearl street, New York, but his life was suddenly terminated by being thrown from a carriage, while his son, of whom we are writing was yet very young.

When old enough young Anderson was sent to a public and then to a private school in Brooklyn. When he was about eight years of age, a distinguished landscape painter by the name of Newbury, living in Fulton street, was so pleased with the bright intelligence of the boy that he per- suaded his mother to let him live with him, promising to teach him the art of landscape painting. Some time after this, Mr. Newbury was called to Niagara, for the purpose of painting a view of the great cataract. He was very anx- ions to have young Anderson accompany him; but the mother feeling she could not part with her son, and be separated from him by what was then considered to be an immense distance-much greater than the distance now is from San Francisco to Brooklyn-she decided to keep her son at home.

After his father's death, his mother married Mr. Daniel F. McCarty who, it seems, treated young Anderson with all the affection of a father. From him the young man derived his first knowledge of his future avocation. After working with his step-father for some time, he entered the service of Warren W. Sneden, a master builder of Brooklyn, from whom he learned all the art and mystery of his calling.

In those days, builders did the whole work in constructing edifices, and young Anderson learned the whole art of con- structing buildings from the foundation upwards, including the art of modeling plaster ornaments, mantles, and the adornments of fire-places, and putting them up.

At the present time, this ornamental work has developed into a separate business; it will therefore be seen that Mr. Anderson is practically skilled in every department of his calling.

He continued with Mr. Sneden about four years, then served one year with Mitchell and Campbell, master builders of Brooklyn. He was now regarded as a competent and thorough workman, and as such followed his trade in differ- ent parts of the State for some time, and then commenced business, to a limited extent, as a master builder.

The first building of any importance that he superintended in the erection, is still standing in Fulton street, opposite Pierrepont street, Brooklyn. It is a large, commodious and substantial building. After the erection of this structure, Mr. Anderson's abilities were fully recognized, and his business rapidly increased. The building of churches, other pub- lic buildings, stores and private residences, were soon placed under his superintendence. Among these were the Old Ladies' Home of the Church Charity Foundation; Dr. Scud- der's church, in Hancock street, near Bedford avenue; First Baptist church, corner of Pierrepont and Clinton streets (a splendid edifice), and the Methodist chapel in Seventh avenue, New York city. Finally he has superintended the building of fourteen elegant churches in Brooklyn and

elsewhere. He built the Eastern District Hospital, one of the most imposing buildings in that District; also the railroad depot, at the junction of DeKalb and Central avenues, one of the most complete depots in the United States, having all modern improvements, among which is an immense ele- vator for hoisting open cars to the third story for storage during the Winter.

Valentine & Co.'s immense varnish factories-known all over the world-were constructed by Mr. Anderson.

As he has been a master builder in Brooklyn for over twenty-five years, there are few parts of the city that do not exhibit specimens of the taste, skill and energy with which he has prosecuted his business. One of the pleasant results to himself in all this is the accumulation of a very handsome fortune, which he enjoys with liberality, and witlı unassuming comfort. He is now engaged in building several elegant edifices, among which is the Dime Savings Bank building, on the corner of Court and Remsen streets.

It is a singular circumstance, that Mr. Anderson built the chapel of the Church of the Redeemer, formerly a portion of the main church, and that subsequently his second mar- riage took place in it, and his only daughter living by that marriage was the first child baptized in it.

Mr. Anderson was reared in the faith of the Protestant Episcopal church; in early life, and until he attained his majority, he attended Calvary church in Pearl street. He is now, and has been for some years, a constant attendant at the Church of the Redeemer.

In April, 1859, he was united by marriage to Miss Ellen Wayland, of Flatbush, New York. In March, 1872, he suf- fered a great domestic calamity in the loss of his wife.

He was married the second time to Miss Elizabeth Wright, of Brooklyn, August 5, 1873. He was again deeply afflicted by the loss of his second wife, who died March 29, 1883.

By his first marriage he had three children (sons), all liv- ing. His oldest, William D. Anderson, is a master builder, engaged in business with his father; his second son, George W. Anderson, is a promising young architect of Brook- lyn, and his youngest son, John F., is at school. By his second marriage he had six children, of which but two are living, Mary Louisa, and Charles Leonard.

Mr. Anderson is an active and enthusiastic member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, having passed to high degrees. He believes " Masonry super-adds to our other ob- ligations the strongest ties of connection between it and the cultivation of virtue, furnishing the most powerful incentive to goodness; that wherever a Mason goes he will find a friend in every brother, if he conducts himself well, and will be shielded against want and protected against oppression."

In politics, Mr. Anderson has always been a Democrat, but never a very ardent partisan; never an office-seeker; never troubling others with his political views. If he has ever failed to vote the whole ticket of his party it was be- cause he believed in so doing he was sustaining the best men, and thereby securing the best interests of society. On the whole, he is a highly respected citizen; noted for his sound sense, general intelligence, well balanced judgment, his skill and success in his avocation, and for that geniality which renders him a pleasing companion.

GEORGE W. BROWN .- Brooklyn's extraordinary growth may be attributed, in great measure, to the enterprise of her builders, tliat class of shrewd, far-seeing men, who, with faith in the city's future, invested their means in real estate, erecting houses and business places for the people, even in advance of the actual demand. Their buying and building has determined the lines of the city's expansion, and the

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

elass of their buildings has largely influenced the character of the ineoming population.

In the foremost rank of builders stands Mr. George W. Brown. Like the majority of those who have been success- ful business men in the eity, he was born and bred in the country. Ile is a native of Columbia, Lancaster county, Pa., born September 18th, 1825. On the maternal side, he is de- scended from the Minnich family, who were noted in that region for their superior qualities. Ilis mother was a woman of remarkable spirit, energy, perseverance and thrift, with more than ordinary intellect and common sense. IIer child- ren inherited her characteristics largely, but none to a greater (legree than the subject of this sketch. When a boy, he at- tended school until he was twelve, when he took a clerkship in Hallerman's, a well-known store in those parts. Though he performed his duties faithfully, they were irksome to him. Ile desired a more stirring, out-of-door life, with larger oppor- tunities for gain. Accordingly, he left the store at the end of two years, and set up in business for himself as a news- dealer, being the first to introduee into his native place the Philadelphia Public Ledger and other papers of the day. He was a natural money-getter, and never without money in his poeket.

Ambitious for a wider field, in 1842, he came to Broeklyn, where an elder brother had established himself as a builder, and was apprenticed to him. After serving his time, he first secured a contraet for putting up the fronts of buildings; then ereeted houses for sale on lots bought of John Treadwell, who had great confidence in him, and assisted him in various ways.

He built the first houses on Fulton avenue in 1849, at the corner of Ilanover Place. By assiduous labor and shrewd enterprise he steadily pushed his fortunes, sueeeeding where others failed. Ile has ereeted 100 houses on Fulton avenue alone, and one-fourth of a mile of dwellings on Lafayette avenue, besides numbers in other good parts of the city. He, like many others, in earlier days invested largely in vacant lots, owning, up to the year 1857, about 600, in different parts of the city. The crisis of that year swept away his aceumu- lations, and left him almost penniless. Nothing daunted, he commeneed again with renewed energy and zeal, opening a real estate office for a few years, and carrying on the busi- ness of buikling in a small way as he was able. His added years and experience contributed to his sueeess, and he steadily acquired a fortune the second time.

Mr. Brown was the first to introduce into Brooklyn the present system of building in flats, of which he has erected a large number, and on some of the best streets, Clinton and Washington avenues, Joralemon and other streets. In later years he has extended his operations, until he ean now count over 800 houses in the city of Brooklyn of his own building; while, it is said, his name is attached to more con- veyanees of real estate than that of any other man in Kings county. In the way of exchange for Brooklyn property, he has acquired large landed interests in New Jersey, Virginia and the West. He owns the Braddock House in Alexandria, Va., built in 1733 of material brought from Europe, famous as the head-quarters of General Braddock, when George Wash- ington was hisaid; also where the thirteen colonial governors met to concert measures for the support of the Braddock campaign. The Riverside Hotel, in Chicago, has also come into his possession.

Mr. Brown is a very active business man, keeping a watch- ful eye and firm hand over all his diversified interests; his success is largely due to his directness of purpose and his self-reliance, pressing on in the course which his own judg- ment dictated, without seeking the advice of others; and, in

most eases, he met with better results than divided eounsels or faltering steps could have seeured.

Mr. Brown is a great lover of horses, of which he has owned and driven many during the last 35 years, among them some notable trotters. He now knows of but two men who drive on our pleasure roads who eommeneed when he did.

In person Mr. Brown is rather below the medium height, and spare; but his keen eye and quick movements indieate more than ordinary ability and mental foree.

He has been twiee married: in 1849, to Miss Dickinson, who lived but a few years; again, in 1860, to a Miss Webb, of Brooklyn. His family consists of a son and two daughters. Ilis home is one of the most elegant in the eity, a triumph of the buiklers' art. The family are attendants of St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church.

To politics Mr. Brown devotes little time; in former days he was a Henry Clay Whig, and now votes with the Demo- cratic party. As a man, Mr. Brown is genial, progressive and charitable ; as a eitizen, he is public-spirited, and has contributed much te the development and improvement of the city; while in business eireles he is well liked and re- spected.

O. DAVIS THOMPSON, 339 Madison street, architect and builder; established at Strafford Co., N. H., 1858; came to Brooklyn in 1868, and soon located at 375 Gates avenue, building 9 substantial dwelling-houses on the block, and many others on the neighboring streets and avenues ; located at 339 Madison street, in 1880. E. N. DAY, 151 State street, established about 30 years ago, on Douglass, near Smith street. GEORGE DAMAN, 88 Luqueer street, established, 1864, on Atlantic avenue; among other works, he built the large wooden building and tower, put up by J. L. Haigh, William, corner Imlay streets, wherein all the wire for the Brooklyn Bridge cables was made. JOHN GUILFOYLE & SON, 180 High street, mason and builder ; established, 1854, in Brooklyn ; among the many buildings erected by this firm are the Kings County Alms-house and the Inebriates' Home.

JOHN LEE, JAMES CAMPBELL, GEORGE W. BRANDT, JOSEPH W. CAMPBELL, JAMES RODWELL, JOHN M. FAR- RELL, WILLIAM H. TUNISON, P. F. O'BRIEN, H. BE- DELL, WILLIAM TAYLOR, THOMAS B. RUTAN, JAMES ASHFIELD & SON, MICHAEL J. MCLAUGHLIN, GEORGE F. CHAPMAN, and many others, have won a high rep- utation for skill and integrity in the erection of pub- lic buildings, warehouses, and private dwellings.

JOHN LEE .- Among the many builders of Brooklyn, John Lee is eonspienous both for the quality and quantity of work he has exeeuted. He was born in Ireland, October 18th, 1834, and is an American citizen by adoption, having come to the United States, when a mere lad, with his father's family. His father was Daniel Lee, and the maiden name of his mother, who is still living at the advanced age of eighty-seven, was Lucy Murray. She is passing her declin- ing years as an inmate of the house of her daughter.

In 1850, Mr. Lee began to serve an apprenticeship to the carpenters' trade with the once well-known builders, T. V. I and J. V. Porter, who were located at No. 9 Hoyt street.

Surgew Brandt

A.LITTLE

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ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS.

Mr. Elbert Snedeker was also an apprentice with this firm during the greater portion of Mr. Lee's term of service, and the two youths formed a friendship which has remained un- broken to the present time. Mr. Lee completed his appren- ticeship at the age of twenty-one, and until 1860 was employed by the Messrs. Porter and others, from time to time undertaking contracts in connection with Mr. Snedeker, with which they were so successful, and about which they were in such good accord, that they mutually determined to enter into a formal partnership and begin business as builders on their own account. In 1861, the firm of Snedeker & Lee was formed, and existed until 1875, during which period they were very successful, and gained a reputation among the business men of Brooklyn which has been of great value to each of them since. Since the date last mentioned, Mr. Lee has continued building with such success that his standing among the builders of Brooklyn is first-class, erecting numerous important buildings for business purposes, and many elegant residences in the city and elsewhere. At present he is engaged in extensive building operations at Utica, N. Y., for the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railroad Company.

In 1857, Mr. Lee married Miss Jane M., daughter of William Griswold Watrous. Three sons have been born to them, named William Griswold Lee, Charles Henry Lee and John Lee, Jr. The latter died March 30th, 1882, aged ten years.

William Griswold Lee, the elder of the two sons living, assists his father in his business, and his younger brother, Charles Henry Lee, is a young architect who promises to make his mark in his profession at no distant day.

GEORGE W. BRANDT, a well-known contractor and builder, residing and having his office at 164 Fifty-fifth street, is a son of Henry D. and Elizabeth (Kellam) Brandt. His father, still living at an advanced age, is a book-binder, and for many years prior to his removal to Brooklyn plied his trade in New York.

Mr. Brandt was born in New York, April 22, 1849, received the foundation of his practical education in the public schools of that city; and, at the age of fourteen, became a clerk in a gentlemen's furnishing goods store, where he was employed until the age of seventeen, when he apprenticed himself to learn the builders' trade with Manee & Gifford, once prominent builders of Brooklyn. Three years later he became a journeyman carpenter, and was employed as such till 1875, when he began business for himself as a contractor and builder, at his present location.

In the winter of 1876 and 1877, Mr. Brandt built the east- ern entrance to Greenwood Cemetery, and the Sunday-school building of Christ Episcopal Church, at Third avenue and Sixty-eighth street. He later built the moveable platform in the receiving vault at Greenwood, and repaired and re- modeled nearly all of the old buildings at the cemetery. He lias also erected many fine residences, some of the most at- tractive of which he designed.

A skillful workman, and a practical, pushing man of busi- ness, Mr. Brandt has combined the elements necessary to success in any field of enterprise, and built up a business and obtained a reputation second to those of no other contrac- tor and builder in his section of the city. A resident of Brooklyn since the age of sixteen, he has become widely known and respected. His marked success he attributes in no small degree to his proficiency as a designer and his apti- tude in grasping the ideas of those wishing special or fine designs,

Octoher 26, 1871, Mr. Brandt married Miss Maria Gill, a native of Woodlawn, Ireland, then a resident of New York, who has borne him three sons and two daughters, one of whom is dead. A Republican politically, Mr. Brandt has not been an active politician, devoting his time to the hard study which has enabled him to achieve that degree of suc- cess which has been vouchsafed him.

JAMES RODWELL, mason and builder and real estate oper- ator, whose office is at No. 45 Broadway, and his residence at No. 89 Division avenue, is one of the oldest and best, as well as most favorably known, residents of the Eastern District, where he has lived since boyhood, and with the interest of which he has long been prominently identified. He is a son of John and Frances (Hall) Rodwell, and was born near London, England, January 5th, 1823, and accom- panied his parents to America in 1831, locating in New York, where his father, who was a builder, pursued his avocation until 1834, in which year the family removed to the then village of Williamsburgh.

Mr. Rodwell attended a public school in New York for a short time, his educational advantages having been limited to a lamentable degree. From the time he was ten years of age until he was twenty he worked with his father, assisting him more and more as he advanced in strength, judgment and a knowledge of the trade. For two years more he was employed on "journey work " by different parties. and, while thus engaged, was married to Elizabeth D. Woodward, a native of New Jersey, in October, 1844. Not long after this event, he engaged in business as a builder on his own account, and has continued without interruption to the pres- ent time, operating more and more extensively from year to year as he grew in favor with the public. He has built three extensive sugar refineries; St. Mary's Catholic Church, at the corner of Remsen and Leonard streets; the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, on North Sixth street, near Fourth street; All Souls Universalist Church, on South Ninth street, near Fourth street; the office of the Williamsburgh Gas Company, on South Second street, near Fourth street; the Catholic Female Asylum for Orphans, at the corner of Gates and Willoughby avenues; St. John's College, at the corner of Willoughby and Lewis avenues; a large oil storehouse at Hunter's Point for W. H. Schieffelin & Co., of New York; and many other large buildings, besides hundreds of stores, offices and dwellings in Brooklyn and elsewhere, and is now erecting the Forty-seventh Regiment Armory, at the corner of Marcy avenue and Lynch street. In connection with his building operations he deals largely in real estate.

The confidence with which Mr. Rodwell is regarded mnay be best expressed by the statement that he is a director of the Manufacturers' National Bank, of the Kings County Savings Bank, and of the Williamsburgh Fire Insurance Company, all commercial institutions of high standing. He is also Vice-President of the Cypress Hills Cemetery ABso- ciation, and is prominently identified with other well-known institutions. From 1874 to 1877 he held the office of Fire Commissioner of the city of Brooklyn. Politically, Mr. Rodwell is a Democrat, and he has always been a deeply interested but not conspicuous participant in political events as they have passed. He is noted for his unostentatious friendliness to true men of all classes, irrespective of wealth or social position, and lives in the calm and sensible enjoy- ment of the proceeds of a busy life. His first wife died in November, 1877, leaving two daughters. He was married to Miss Caroline E. White, formerly of Connecticut, April 30th, 1883. He and his family are members of Christ Church (Episcopal) of Williamsburgh.

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Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 50

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : Munsell Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360