USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 125
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In addition to the Academy of Music, two tempo- rary structures were erected for the fair, one on a lot (the use of which was loaned by Mr. A. A. Low), ad- joining the Academy on the west, to be 68 by 100 feet
and two stories high; the other on a lot opposite the Academy (loaned for the purpose by Mrs. Packer), to be 100 fcet square and one story high. The first of these buildings was to be occupied by the restaurant, and was called Knickerbocker Hall, and the latter (which communicated with the Academy by a covered bridge thrown across Montague street, at a sufficient height not to interfere with public travel), was called the Hall of Manufactures and the New England Kitchen. The large building on the north-east eorner of Montague and Clinton streets, known as the Taylor mansion, was also engaged for the Fair; and in it was located the Museum of Arts, Relics and Curiosities, and the editorial rooms of the Drum-Beat, the news- paper issued during the Fair. The Academy was opened for the reception of goods from February 15th to 18th inclusive, and the vast influx of donations as- tonished even those who were best informed of the progress of the work.
At three P. M. of Feb. 22d (Washington's birthday), the Fair was inaugurated by a grand parade of the en- tire military force of the city, including veterans and soldiers of volunteer regiments at home on furlough, together with the United States marines from the Navy Yard. At seven o'clock P. M., the Fair was first opened to the public. The Great Central Bazaar, for the sale of articles for the Fair, was held in the Academy building, the grand floor of which was boarded over, level with the stage, making a magnificent hall, with an area of 10,570 square feet, and with the second floor and lobbies, a total area of 20,300 square feet. The decorations of the Academy were very beautiful, and their patriotie nature was in fine keeping with the character of the great enterprise. From the centre of the auditorium ceiling was suspended, by invisible wires, an American eagle, which seemed to hover in mid-air over the majestie scene below. From the apex of the column of drapery sprang radiating bands of red, white and blue bunting, which, stretching in graceful curves until they touched the pillars of the amphi- theatre, were thence twined, and drooped, and festooned around the whole circle of the building. Above the arch of the stage, in letters formed of tiny jets of gas, blazed the inscription "IN UNION IS STRENGTH." The back wall of the stage was completely screened by a mammoth painting of a field hospital tent of the United States Sanitary Commission, with nurses, wounded soldiers, etc. The rough wood work above the side scenes was skillfully concealed by draperies of white and colored muslin, and flags were everywhere dis- played in profusion. The huge crimson drop-curtain was caught up and stretched along the ceiling of the stage, thus hiding its rude surface, and giving at the same time a brilliant effect. Many elegant paintings were also displayed in the auditorium, while the superb afghans, and many colored quilts, with which the vast building was fairly tapestried, added their vivid splendor
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CONSOLIDATED HISTORY OF BROOKLYN, 1864.
to the effect of the tout ensemble. When the magnifi- cent building was flooded at night with the splendor of a thousand gas jets, it presented a spectacle which was nothing less than enchanting. The stalls of the ground floor were arranged in concentric arcs of circles, leav- ing a large space in the centre of the building for the accommodation of the crowd. The goods, as far as practicable, were admirably separated into classes, and an effective system of ushers was adopted, which pre- vented confusion at the entrances. In the family circle, Dodworth's band or the Navy yard band furnished ex- quisite music every night, so long as the Fair lasted.
In the Assembly room of the Academy was located the art gallery, where were contained, in the opinion of connoisseurs, more works of real merit than any which had been offered to the public for many years. One hundred and seventy-four paintings and sketches and several statues were exhibited under the management of the artists of Brooklyn and Long Island.
In Knickerbocker hall, one of the temporary struc- tures before mentioned, was a huge salle a manger, a triumph of decorative art, supplied with all the ap- pliances of a first class restaurant, where the thousands of visitors werc constantly fed, by a systematic arrange- ment of donations of eatables, etc., from the churches of Brooklyn, and from the towns of Long Island, which provided seven-eighths of the daily demands of the establishment. Five hundred persons could be com- fortably accommodated at one time in this great res- taurant, which netted the Fair the splendid sum of nearly $24,000.
In the other temporary structure, before mentioned, as on the opposite side of Montague street (present site of the Mercantile Library) was the funny feature of the Fair, The New England Kitchen-reproducing, in all its detail, the Yankee farm-house life of the last cen- tury. In this large room (40x75) all the furniture and appointments were, as nearly as it was possible to have them, veritable antiques. In one corner were several ancient spinning wheels, kept constantly in vigorous motion by venerable matrons, with their starched caps and snowy kerchiefs crossed over the bosoms of their stuff gowns ; then there was the dresser with its rows of shining pewter; the ever ready churn; the tall clock sedately ticking in the corner; the ridge poles strung with dried apples; pumpkins, glittering red peppers, seed bags, and yarbs of healing virtues-and, above all, the huge open fire-place with its mighty logs, and the traditional trammel, from which swung a gigantic pot, in which, from time to time, were cooked great messes of unctuous chowder, or mush; while, from the ovens at the side, emerged spicy Indian puddings, smoking loaves of Boston brown bread, and huge delicious dishes of pork and beans. On the long tables were bountiful supplies of old fashioned victuals, with cider, pumpkin, mince and apple pies, doughnuts, etc .; while the guests were waited upon by pretty damsels with curious names
and quaint attire. During the continuance of the Fair, the New England Kitchen was the scene of a series of novel entertainments, reproducing some of the peculiar social customs of our ancestors, such as the old folks' concert, the donation visit, the quilting party, the apple bee, and the wedding, all of which were admirably planned and carried out. The kitchen was constantly filled by an amused and delighted crowd.
Under the same roof with the kitchen was the Hall of Manufactures, in the centre of which hung a mam- moth broom, forwarded from Cincinnati to the Fair, with the following challenge to Brooklyn: "Sent by the managers of the Cincinnati Fair, Greeting: We have swept up $240,000; Brooklyn, beat this if you can." To this, as soon as the magnificent result of our Fair bc- gan to loom up so that an approximate estimate could be made, somc sporting member of the committee on manufactures appended the following addenda : " Brooklyn sees the $240,000, and goes $150,000 better."
In the Taylor Mansion was improvised a collection of relics, curiosities, ctc., such as would have delighted the heart of Scott's Antiquary, or excited the envy of a Barnum. In the same building was a gallery of en- gravings, the largest and finest collection ever brought together in this country; a splendid collection of Japa- nese, Chinese and Eastern curiosities; a room devoted to the sale of photographs, and another to that of au- tographs. In the upper story of the building was the editorial room of the Drum-Beat, issued daily (com- mencing Feb. 22d), under the editorship of Rev. Dr. Storrs, and his associate, Mr. Francis Williams, of the New York Evening Post. Each number contained twenty-four wide columns, of clegant typographical appearance, and the first page bore an approprite title- vignette. The last regular number appeared March 5th, and a supplementary number was issued on the 11th. A small but choice Cattle Show completed the department of the Fair, at which the Chittenden steers were sold at auction for $295; and a splendid Durham bull, presented by Elias Howe, Jr., was sold by shares for $500.
The Fair was closed by a grand Calico Ball, the 11th of March, the proceeds of which ($2,000), were appropriated to the Brooklyn Female Employment Society.
It was justly said that "there probably never was an enterprise of the vast proportions of this Fair, which was so admirably systematized, considering the brief time that was permitted to perfect and carry the sys- tem of organization into execution. From the opening of the Fair to its close, not the slightest indication of confusion in the working of the machinery was visible to the observer, although no one but those who had the complicated arrangements in charge can estimate or appreciate the amount of thought, energy and labor which were required to keep everything moving on with such delightful harmony and precision, But this
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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
was all below the surface. To the public, everything proceeded from day to day, with as much order and regularity as if the Fair had been a vast business es- tablishment wherein years of experience had been de- voted to systematizing its operations."
Very much of this remarkable freedom from all fric- tion and distracting influences, and of that earnestness of patriotic feeling, was undoubtedly due to the extra- ordinary tact and executive ability of Mrs. Marianne Fitch Stranahan, the head of the Woman's Relief Association. As the wife of Hon. J. S. T. Stranahan, she occupied a high social position ; and, ever active in every good work in the city of her adoption, she was admirably fitted by her natural abilities, as well as by the experience gained in eight years' service as first directress of the Graham Institute for the Relief of Aged and Indigent Females, for the duties devolved upon her in connection with the Sanitary Fair. "She was the right woman in the right place. She gave her time to the work with a zeal and per- severance that never faltered, and with a hopefulness for her country, which yielded to no discouragement or despondency. As a presiding officer, she discharged her duties with a self-possession, courtesy, skill and method, that commanded universal admiration. No woman ever labored in a sphere more honorable, and but few women could have filled her place." She died on the 30th of August, 1866, her health having, no doubt, been seriously impaired by the severe physi- cal and mental strain placed upon her, by her duties in that connection with the Woman's Relief Associa- tion, and the Sanitary Fair, which originated there- from.
The fair closed on the 8th of March; its actual net result being $402,943.74; of which the sum of $300,000 was paid directly into the treasury of the United States Sanitary Commission; and the balance, at the suggestion of the Rev. Dr. Bellows, President of that Commission, was expended in the shape of supplies, to be furnished according to the exigencies of the service, through the agency of the Woman's Relief Associa- tion of Brooklyn. This magnificent gift also called forth the following encomium from Dr. Bellows, who wrote to the president of the Brooklyn and Long Island fair: "As this is by far the largest amount ever put into our treasury at one time by any community, I feel that it deserves the most marked expression of our gratitude and wonder * *
* Brooklyn, by the only thoroughly approvable kind of secession, has henceforthi declared her independence of New York. She has indicated her right and power to lead, and we shall no longer hear her spoken of as an appen- dix to the metropolis. She is, at least, entitled to be the second volume of that great work, the Commercial Capital, of which New York is the first."
It was, indeed, true that the Brooklyn and Long Island Fair, was " the first great act of self-assertion
ever made by the City of Brooklyn." Previous to that we had contented ourselves as a community with be- lieving, that for beauty of local position, Brooklyn was unsurpassed; a claim generally admitted. She had, also, with remarkable unanimity, been allowed the so- briquet of the "city of churches," although never ex- cccding the proportion of one church to two thousand persons. The census was an indisputable witness to the fact of the wondrous ratio in which her population had increased, till she was equally, beyond denial, the third city in that respect, in the Union. Among the merchants in New York, most prominent for intelli- gence, wealth, and consequent influence, were found many who resided within the walls of Brooklyn; while the crowds crossing her ferries to and from the great metropolis, at morning and evening, showed how largely the entire business and labor of the latter were performed by our citizens.
" Nevertheless, Brooklyn was but a suburb, over- shadowed by her mighty neighbor. Travelers, foreign and native, in vast numbers, visited the chief com- mercial city of our country, on errands of business or pleasure; but, if not called to Brooklyn through per- sonal claims of kindred or friendship, rarely sought it except to visit the great Navy Yard of the nation, or the most beautiful cemetery in the world; severally so placed on what was once her northern, and what is still her southern boundary, that either could be reached while the city itself was practically ignored. The visi- tor came and went, having seen little or nothing of it, except its unattractive outskirts, and with no longing awakened to see more. Meanwhile, she had gathered to herself public schools, which had grown to rank among the best of the kind in the land; private or cor- porate institutions of education for either sex, which in their entire equipment, management and efficiency, would do honor to any community; a body of clergy, as a whole, and for their numbers not surpassed in character and gifts by those of any of our citizens; great institutions of charity, too largely dependent, however, on annual contributions rather than permanent endow- ments; courses of lectures delivered by the ablest men of the country, or by savants from abroad, traveling or resident in America; a well appointed Philharmonic Society, amply patronized and appreciated; an Acade- my of Music, the beauty and value of which the Fair served to make more widely and palpably known; a Mercantile Library, which, for many years, has met an inevitable want of every progressive community; and a Historical Society, recently formed from the city and island, which had started in its course with remarkable vigor. And yet, withal, Brooklyn, till the Fair, had no status before the country beyond that of a remarkably quiet suburban town, where, after a hard day's labor, weary men found lodging places till the next day's work began."
But, in and by the Fair, Brooklyn "stood forth for
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CONSOLIDATED HISTORY OF BROOKLYN, 1864.
once, apart from New York;" and, summoning Long Island to her side, put forth her powers to help, to the utmost of her means, the noblest charity of the world, and proved herself alive to her proud position, her abundant wealth, her great privileges and opportuni- ties. And, since that time, whatever Brooklyn has wanted, she has sought for with her own powers, and has obtained it; for liberality and self-power increase by the using.
1864. February. For the purpose of stimulating en- listments to the credit of Kings county, members of the Substitute Bounty Fund committee of the Board of Supervisors, visited the Army of the Potomac, as well as Port Royal, where Kings county regiments were stationed, for the purpose of inducing them to reenlist to the credit of Kings county, which efforts were emi- nently successful.
March 6th. Two hundred and fifty reenlisted men of the 48th New York Volunteers left Brooklyn to re- join their regiment, then in Florida.
March 11th. The great Calico Ball was held at the Academy of Music, in aid of the Sanitary Commission. March 14th. Appeared the President's call for 200,- 000 men, additional to the 500,000 already called for.
March 10th and 15th. Mectings were held at the Reformed Dutch Church, on the Heights, for the pur- pose of organizing in Brooklyn, a branch of the
United States Christian Commission. A com- mittee of prominent citizens of all denominations, pre- viously appointed, reported an informal plan of organ- ization, and the following gentlemen, with such others connected with the churches of Long Island, as they should hereafter associate with them, were constituted a Christian Commission for Brooklyn and Long Is- land, to act in concert with the United States Christian Commission, in supplying Christian teachers and reli- gious and moral literature to the army and navy, etc., etc : Revs. James Eells, D.D .; R. S. Storrs, Jr., D.D .; John H. Raymond, D.D .; W. I. Budington, D.D .; J. B. Waterbury, D. D .; J. E. Rockwell, D.D .; Elbert S. Porter, D.D .; E. H. Canfield, D.D .; Samnel T. Spear, D.D .; Chas. S. Robertson ; L. H. Mills ; C. D. Foss ; R. M. Hatfield ; Theodore L. Chyler ; Wilbur F. Watkins ; Wm. S. Karr ; E. Mills ; Robert Lowery ; Samuel B. Caldwell ; Thos. H. Messenger ; Livingston K. Miller ; S. B. Chittenden ; Renben W. Rogers ; Henry Shel- don ; Edward Cary ; Wm. J. Coffin ; Edward A. Lam- bert ; Wm. W. Armfield ; James C. Southworth ; John D. Mckenzie ; David Wesson ; Lewis Morris ; A. D. Matthews ; R. L. Wyckoff ; John G. Fay ; Richard H. Cornwell ; Benson Van Vlect ; Dwight Johnson ; Wal- ter S. Griffith.
The above named committee organized March 23d, under the title of the Brooklyn and Long Island Christian Commission, and eleeted the following of- ficers : President, Walter S. Griffith ; Vice-President, Rev. James Eclls, D.D .; Corresponding Secretary, Rev.
J. B. Waterbury, D.D .; Recording Secretay, Wm. J. Coffin ; Treasurer, Samuel B. Caldwell. Previously, the patriotic and Christian people of Brooklyn and Long Island had given their donations through the New York branch of the United States Christian Com- mission, which had a special portion of the field assigned to it. Great interest was manifested by the public ; office rooms were secured in the Hamilton building, corner of Court and Joralemon streets ; and funds were liberally, and almost spontancously, provided by the churches and by individual contributions. The public meetings held for the purpose of interesting the com- munity and obtaining funds were most enthusiastic in character and fruitful in results, abounding in scenes of the intensest interest and the most touching incidents. The funds placed by this Brooklyn and Long Island Commission, at the disposal of the central commission of Philadelphia, at different times, amounted in the ag- gregate to nearly $9,000.
The number of books, periodicals, newspapers, etc., distributed by this commission to the army and navy cannot be accurately stated ; yet we learn from their report, that from March, 1864, to April, 1865, they sent out bibles and portions of the scriptures, 1,210 ; psalm and hymn books, 4,033 ; small books for knapsack, 52,- 079 : books for libraries, 5,641 ; magazines and pamph- lets, 50,544 ; newspapers, religious and others, 177,520 ; pages of tracts, 787,226, being a total of 1,078,304. These were all carefully selected from our best families, or from the lists of the best publishing houses, and were of the highest character as to interest and morality. With these were sent also in the course of a single year, between three and four thousand comfort-bags and housewives, the productions of sewing circles, young ladies' schools, Sunday schools, etc., etc., and which were comforts indeed to the brave soldiers and seamen, not less from their intrinsic adaptability to camp needs, than from the evidence they bore with them of the thoughtful remembrance of the patriotic women and girls who made them. Out of two hundred chapel tents furnished by the Central United States Christian Com- mission to the soldiers of the army of the Potomac, for their accommodation in the matter of religions meetings in camp, ten were furnished by the Brooklyn and Long Island Christian Commission, at an expense of $5,000. Each of these large tents bore, on its canvass roof, the name of the Brooklyn and Long Island Christian Con- mission, and to cach was furnished a library, comprising in all about 1,350 volumes. One thousand and thirty volumes were contributed by James II. Prentice, of Brooklyn, and several other excellent libraries were also sent from here to the hospitals at Hampton, Va., Fred- ericksburg, Md., and others. Five hundred dollars was also contributed by the Brooklyn and Long Island Christian Commission to the permanent chapel crected at the Hampton Hospital. In addition to this, and in prompt response to an appeal to the churches of Brook-
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lyn, one hundred and sixty-seven delegates, represent- ing nearly all the evangelical denominations, were sent to the front for humane and religious labor in the field, camp and hospital, and on board vessels of the navy. They were sent in companies of from two to ten or twelve, and usually spent six weeks in the work.
March 17th. The Union of this date says :
" Though Brooklyn has had to bear its full share of the responsibilities and burdens of the war, its natural advan- tages, and the enterprise of its people, have proved equal to any exigency ; and the course of our city has been as pros- perous and as progressive as in more auspicious times. A satisfactory attestation of this fact may be had by a walk through the outskirts of the city, where costly structures rear their lofty heads, and the busy hum of industry may con. stantly be heard. The large manufacturing interests of our city-which exist to an extent that but few of our citizens have any conception of -are all highly prosperous, and are employed to their fullest capacity.
" But, it is in that portion of our city known as Greenpoint, where the greatest evidences of progress and prosperity are to be seen. Within the past year, a dozen or more streets in the Seventeenth ward, which promise to become the most frequented and important thoroughfares, have been opened, graded and paved, thus enormously enhancing the value of the property in that district. In the same ward there has been erected within the past eight months, not less than one hundred first class dwelling houses and stores, and yet the demand is greatly in advance of the supply. Besides these buildings, there have been erected in the same locality, docks, ferry houses, and factories, which have largely increased the traffic and importance of the neighborhood.
" But, perhaps, the most encouraging feature of Brooklyn enterprise is to be found in the unabated prosperity of the ship building interest. The estimated value of the vessels now building at Greenpoint, including those for the govern- ment, is upwards of ten millions of dollars, and the number of persons employed thereon, is between two and three thousand.
The first iron vessel built on the plan of Capt. Ericsson, was constructed at the works of A. J. Rowland, Greenpoint, which establishment must ever be famous, while we con- tinue to remember the battle of the Monitor and the Merri- mac. Since that memorable event, Mr. Rowland has con- structed seven vessels of a similar character, and of the aver- age value of $500,000 each.
" The same firm have two iron monitors under way. One, the Puritan, a sea-going vessel (length, 340 feet ; breadth of beam, 50 feet ; depth, 23 feet), is the largest of the monitors yet built, and is justly regarded as a perfect marvel of naval architecture and strength. She is so nearly finished that she will be ready for launching early in May. The other iron vessel under way at this yard, is the Cohoes, a light draft monitor for coast service. She is 300 feet long, 42 feet wide, 28 feet depth of hold, and 2,800 tons burden. The number of hands employed at this yard, will average about five hundred.
" The Dry Dock Iron Works is a young rival of Mr. Row- land's establishment, and was opened last fall by Mr. J. S. Underhill. At this establishment is being constructed a light draft monitor, to be called the Modoc, and in all respects similar to the Cohoes, building in Mr. Rowland's yard.
" Mr. Henry Steers, at his yard, is building for the govern- ment, the sloop Idaho, a vessel of 3,000 tons, 300 feet long, 44 feet wide, and 27 feet depth of hold. The Idaho will be
launched within a month from this time. She is built with an express view to speed, will be furnished with two propellers, and contain engines of 3,000 horse power, and will prove a splendid addition to the United States navy."
A large number of ocean and sound steamers (both side wheel and propellers), ferry boats, and wooden vessels, were also being constructed in the various yards.
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