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 42

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114

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 42

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At a very early date, also, probably not long after the above, another road was opened, running east and west, through the northern part of the town, from Flat- lands to New Utrecht, which has been known, for a cen- tury at least, as the "King's Highway," and, like all

171

HIGHWAYS, ROADS AND AVENUES.

roads of that period, is narrow and winds about in a most arbitrary manner.

Rider avenue, in the northern part of the town, running from Gravesend avenue to the Coney Island avenue, was opened about 1850 or '51 ; and Rider's lane, in the extreme castern part, extending from the "Neck " road to King's highway, was opened about 1831. They are both narrow streets.

Coney Island Causeway .- Previous to 1823, in order to reach Coney Island, it was necessary to ford the Coney Island creck, which could be done only when the tide was out. To meet the need of a good high- way to the shore, a company was formed by act of the legislature, passed March 22, 1823, whose corporate title was "The Coney Island Bridge and Road Com- pany." Their capital stock was $6,000, all paid ; 300 shares at $20 per share. Van Brunt Magaw, George Stillwell, Garret Stryker, Jacobus Lakes and Lawrence Ryder were appointed a commission "to lay out a causeway from Gravesend village to the sea-shore." This was a continuation, toward the south, of the street originally laid out through the village-center. The company, by 1824, had their causeway constructed over the meadow, their bridge built, their toll-gate erected, and everything in running order. Van Brunt Magaw was elected first president, and John Terhune secretary and treasurer, and held their respective offices for sixteen years ; when, September 4, 1839, James W. Cropsey was elected president, and B. I. Ryder secretary and treasurer. The road subsequently came into the hands of Mr. John Lefferts, of Flatbush, by the purchase of the stock ; he kept the road in re- pair and collected the toll, until about the year 1876, when it was purchased by Andrew R. Culver, president of the Prospect Park and Coney Island railroad. The road is still in good condition, although sometimes covered by the high tides. It has virtually ceased to be a toll-road.

Gravesend Avenue .- In 1838 an effort was made to open a free road, four rods wide, " from the Coney Island Bridge road, in the town of Gravesend, over the town of Flatbush to the Clove in Flatbush hill, at the Patent-line between the towns of Flatbush and Brook- lyn." This was an extension to the north of the village- center road, as the Coney Island causeway was an ex- tension towards the south, and met with considerable opposition.

It was four rods wide, for about two miles from the village, and then terminated in a narrow lane as it turned towards the north-east, and passed into the town of Flatbush.

This street, in 1875, by act of the legislature, was widened to 100 feet, and extends directly north to the city-line of Brooklyn, where its connects with 20th st. It cost the abutting property-owners in the town of Gravesend about $40,000 for these improvements, and it is now known as Gravesend avenue.

Coney Island Plank Road, extending from 15tl Strect, Brooklyn city-line, to Coney Island, with a toll- gate at each extremity of the road, was surveyed by Hon. Tunis G. Bergen, and mnap filed October 12, 1849. In 1850 it was laid out, 66 feet wide, completed, and long known as the Coney Island Road. After ten or twelve years' service, the planks were removed and the road turnpiked. It was the main thoroughfare to Coney Island for many years, or until the completion of the Boulevard. It was often thronged, of a fine afternoon in summer, with every description of carriages and horses ; and was noted as the drive where the sporting- men of twenty years ago were accustomed to exhibit the fine qualities of their thoroughbreds.

On May 11th, 1869, an amendatory act was passed widening this road to 100 fect, and an assessment laid upon the property along the street in 1871. The next year, 1872, the work was accomplished ; people were warned to set back their fences, and the large assess- ment was collected. But, of all the money levied and collected, not one dollar was ever expended to put the road in proper condition, and the few who refused to move their fences have never been compelled to do it to this day. This road is now known upon the county map as Coney Island avenue.

The Neck Road to Sheepshead Bay was, in 1865, extended and widened from a narrow lane to a width corresponding to the increasing growth and travel of the town. Wm. II. Stillwell, surveyor.

In the ycar 1876, 60th street was opened, beginning at Gravesend avenue and terminating on 3d avenue, South Brooklyn.

A year or so later 86th street was opened. This street begins on the old Coney Island causeway, south of the village, and runs in a direct course through New Utrecht to Fort Hamilton. These streets are all down in the recent county survey, and are 60 fect wide.

Ocean Avenue .- It extends from the Willink en- trance of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, to the Atlantic Ocean: 100 feet wide and a little over five miles long. It affords the eastern part of the town of Gravesend, especially Sheepshead Bay, a beautiful and convenient drive direct to Brooklyn. There is a strong probabil- ity that the inlet at the bay will be bridged, making Manhattan Beach its southern terminus.

It is, without doubt, the cheapest road of its kind ever .built in Kings county. The commissioners all being men of honorable standing in thic towns interested, and themselves owners of abutting property, were therefore careful that no extravagant outlays should be made. It was located by an act of the legislature, April 19, 1871; the map filed July 3d, 1875; and the road completed in 1876. The sidewalks arc laid out fifteen feet wide, and the roadway seventy feet. The contract for construction was $12,500; the cost of removing buildings, law and incidental expenses, mak- ing the sum total $15,000. No public work of such ex-

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

tent has ever been done in this part of the country at so little expense. The commissioners were Benjamin G. Hitchings, Robert Magaw, and Philip S. Crook. The superintendent of survey was Samuel McElroy.

Ocean Parkway .- We come finally to speak of Ocean Parkway, fully acknowledged to be the finest drive in America. It is simply the extension of Pros- pect Park, in one broad magnificent avenue to the At- lantic Ocean. The idea of a drive on such a grand scale, for the benefit of Brooklyn and New York, had its origin in the fertile brain of J. S. T. Stranahan, then president of the Park Commissioners of Brooklyn. Ap- plication was made to the legislature, and an act passed May 11, 1869, amended May 14, 1872, giving to the Brooklyn Park Commissioners the necessary authority to "lay out, open, and improve a public highway or avenue from Prospect Park, in the City of Brooklyn, towards Coney Island, to the lands of the Prospect Park Fair Grounds Association." The understanding was, that while it stopped at King's highway, in Gravesend, for the present, it should ultimately be con- tinued to Coney Island. It was therefore rightly called " Ocean Parkway."

The whole affair was placed in the hands, and under the full control, of the Park Commissioners, with power to fix the assessment district and levy all necessary as- sessments for the opening and construction of the road. The construction of this part of the avenue was begun in 1874, and completed at the beginning of the follow- ing year. The extension from King's highway to the ocean was begun in the early spring of 1876, and November 18th, of this year, the completed road, from Prospect Park to Coney Island, was thrown open to the public. The whole length of the road is five and one- half miles to the concourse, with a continuous width of 210 feet, and a reserve of thirty feet on the outside lines of the avenue; upon which, according to the legis- lative act, "no buildings or other erections, except porches, piazzas, fences, fountains and statuary, shall remain or be at any time placed ; which space on each side of the avenue, and in addition thereto, shall be used for court-yards only, and may be planted with trees, shrubbery, and otherwise ornamented, at the discretion of the respective owners or occupants thereof ; but such use and ornamentation shall be under the direction of the said Park Commissioners." The center-road, de- voted to pleasure-driving, is seventy feet wide. . Side- roads on each side the center-drive, twenty-five feet ; and sidewalks, each fifteen feet. Between the main road and the two side-roads is reserved a space of thirty feet for ornamentation. Six rows of trees adorn the avenue, one on each side of the three drives. The assessment-district was laid at 1050 feet on each side the avenue. The parkway contains about 125 acres. The road terminates at the beach in what is known as " The Concourse." This consists of an area 2720 feet in length, and running 1000 feet back from high-water

line. A beautiful drive has been constructed across it lengthwise, seventy-five feet wide, with a sidewalk twenty-five feet on the ocean side, and the whole cov- ered with asphalt pavement. Two shelters have been built in the centre of this concourse, one on each side of the spot where the road enters it. These are each seventy-five feet long and twenty-five feet wide, and open toward the sea, giving a most beautiful and unin- terrupted view of the ocean and the opening of the " Narrows." The cost of this boulevard is something startling, especially to those who were compelled to bear the larger part of it. The following is a copy of the figures taken from the books of the County Treasurer, by Mr. Martin Schoonmaker : Cost of opening, $265,- 705 ; Cost of construction, $295,525. This covers the expense of avenue only from Prospect Park to King's highway. The cost of opening the avenue, viz., $265,- 705, was paid entirely by the property-owners within the assessment-district, as follows : $108,068 in cash ; $157,637 in land, for which the owners did not receive one cent. To meet the expense of construction, viz : $295,525, the county of Kings was authorized by the legislature to issue bonds to the amount of $300,000, bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent., to be paid on or before the expiration of ten years, the inter- est payable semi-annually. Reckoning the interest on the cost of construction for ten years, at seven per cent, we shall find the whole cost of the avenue, from Pros- pect Park to the King's highway (the section first built), will reach the enormous total of $768,097.50.

The cost of the extension from King's highway to the ocean, though much less per lineal foot than that first constructed, was : Amount levied for opening (for lands taken, including awards), over $100,000; Cost of im- provement, grading, etc., $75,000.

This, with interest, added to the cost of the first section, would swell the total cost of the five-and-a-half miles of Ocean parkway and concourse to about one million dollars.

The property-owners within the assessment-district earnestly and persistently petitioned the legislature to relieve them from this heavy burden, which amounted virtually to "a confiscation of their property ; for the 1,000 acres, more or less, which were assessed to pay $375,000 for constructing the whole length, with inter- est, if sold by public auction, would not pay the amount levied upon them. No relief was obtained, however, until 1882, when the legislature passed a law, laying two-thirds of the amount to be raised upon the county of Kings, and the other third upon the property bene- fitted. This gave general satisfaction, and the people, glad to be freed from this overshadowing burden, gladly paid the one-third cost which was levied upon them. The amended act of 1872, section 11, reads as follows : "After the said avenue shall have been opened, the said avenue, together with the court-yards fronting thereon, shall be under the exclusive charge and man-

173

POST OFFICE-PUBLIC SCHOOLS

agement of the said Park Commissioners, and they shall make and enforce rules and regulations for the proper use thereof, * * its subsequent maintenance shall be a charge upon the city of Brooklyn," &c. In accord- ance with this provision, in March, 1883, the Park Com- missioners passed a law compelling heavy wagons to leave the center-drive for the side-roads, but a strong police-force. will be necessary to carry it into effect. Notwithstanding its great width and three drives, it is hardly too wide to accommodate the vast number of carriages that throng it every pleasant summer after- noon. The common verdict is, that no finer drive of its length can be found in this country.

The same session of the legislature which passed the Ocean Parkway act, passed another, appointing com- missioners for laying out streets and mapping the towns of Kings county. In 1870 this commission began ac- tive operations, and completed the work in about three years. Consequently we find our town covered with streets and avenues on the county map, in many instances sorely conflicting with the existing order of streets. To meet the present pressing demand for building-lots, many land-owners have opened these legalized streets upon their property ; and others are opening streets which suit the situation of their land, without regard to the county survey. So we expect it will continue until all our farming-land is turned into building-lots, and we become a constituent part of what is destined to be the largest city in the world.

Post-Offices .- Previous to the year 1842 all mail matter intended for Gravesend was sent to the Flat- bush post-office, and from there obtained by individuals, as best they could. It was considered, in those days, a neighborly duty for any one who happened to pass the office to call for the letters intended for his neigh- borhood, and see that they were delivered at his earli- est convenience. Sometimes, however, the stage-driver was pressed into the service and made to do extra duty as postman. In the same manner, also, letters were taken to Flatbush to be mailed.

The probability is that few letters were written or received in Gravesend for the first 200 years. The peo- ple lived mainly within themselves. They married mostly among their own relatives and towns-people, and quietly settled down where they were born, very few having relatives more than a day's journey from their homes; and, since their business was mostly done in Brooklyn or New York, they had very little occasion to communicate by letter with the outside world. But the time at length came when a larger correspondence became necessary, and when this slow and often uncer- tain means of communicating with the post-office be- came very irksome to the people.

Therefore, in the year 1843, upon petition of the people, and through the influence of the late Henry C. Murphy, who was then serving his first term in Con- gress, a post-office was established at Gravesend, and

Mr. Martin Schoonmaker was appointed the first post- master, keeping the office in his store, next to the Re- formed church, on Gravesend avenue. After serving as post-master ten or twelve years, he resigned, and Mr. Gilbert Hicks, then a young man, was appointed to succeed him, July 12, 1854.

Mr. Hicks retained the office for several years, when he removed to Flatbush, and was for many years, till 1882, the able and faithful post-master of that village. Mr. John Bergen, then the village merchant, succeeded Mr. Hicks. He continued in office until July 16, 1869, when Dr. R. L. Van Kleek was installed as his suc- cessor, and still holds the position.

It speaks well for the popularity of Dr. Van Kleck, that, being a pronounced democrat in politics, he was yet appointed by, and has so long retained his position under, a republican administration, having now entered upon his fourteenth official year. During his term of service the business and efficiency of the office have been largely increased. It is now doing a thriving business, especially in summer, owing to the large num- ber of summer-residents.

In 1800 another post-office was established in town at " Hotel Brighton," on Brighton Beach; but this was discontinued after a trial of one season. A system of lamp-post boxes was established at the same time, con- fined wholly to the Coney Island district, and this still continues in operation. The letters are regularly col- lected and distributed daily by a city carrier. For this purpose the post-office department appropriates $600 annually. The whole arrangement is under the immc- diate supervision of the Brooklyn Post-Office.

A third post-office has also been established in the eastern part of the town, in the flourishing village of Sheepshead Bay. There has been here such rapid growth in population, within the last three or four years, that the distance of a mile and a half to the Gravesend Post-Office seemed an unnecessary tax upon their time and patience, and so a post-office in this village became a public necessity. Consequently their petition for one was favorably considered, and, in July, 1882, Dr. James F. Morgan was appointed first post-master.

Public Schools .- Whatever interest may have at- tached to the subject of education, and however import- ant it may have appeared to the carly settlers, their advantages in this direction were necessarily limited for many years, owing to the difficulties presented by the unsettled condition of things around them. It is fair to presume, however, that when the increase in population made such a step necessary, they met the wants of the rising generation with such facilities for learning as the needs of the hour required, and their circumstances would permit.

However, it was not until about eighty years after the first settlement of the town that we find any defi- nite attempt to establish a permanent public-sehool system. Then, a joint stock company of nineteen per-

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

sons was formed, and an acre of ground purchased, with a house already upon it, to be devoted exelusively and forever to publie instruction. We have before us the original deed of this house and ground, found among the old town-papers.

Its date and heading are as follows :

" The eighth day of April, in the first year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Second, and in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and twenty- eight." It was given by Jacobus Emans, and was signed, sealed and delivered, in the presence of Aaron Emans and Samuel Hubbard, as witnesses.

This deed deseribes the property as "one house and two garden spotts," and is given to the "freeholders and inhabitants of Gravesend, whose names are signed upon the baek side hereof, to be used and employed to the use of a school by the owners thereof at all times forever hereafter, and for no other use or employment whatsoever."

It bounds the property " on the south by Nicholas Williamson, on the north by highway, west by high- way, and east by the common yard, eontaining one aere, be it more or less."

The "eommon yard " was an acre in the center of each square, to which referenee has already been made, where the cattle of the settlers were herded for the night for safe-keeping. A gate opened into this " com- mon yard" from the rear of each dwelling, for the greater convenience of the house-holders.

The boundary of this sehool-lot fixes its preeise loea- tion where the town-hall now stands. On the baek of this venerable doeument are the names of the nineteen purchasers, with the sum each was to pay as his pro- portion. Attached to it is the following memorandum : "Eighth day of April, anno 1728, memorandum that the persons whose names are hereinunder signed, are the owners of the within-named house and garden-spots, each one to have Right aeeording to the value of money he hath paid, as doth appear in proportion as is herein- under noted down." The consideration in this transfer was £19.

This sehool-house accommodated the town for sixty years; when, in 1788, a new and larger building was ereeted upon the same site. It was a low, one-story wooden structure about 25x35 feet, without the slightest attempt at arehiteetural display, and has been, until within a few years, a familiar landmark of the town. The date of its ereetion is aseertained from the follow- ing receipts in the town-elerk's office. The first is as follows : "Received, Gravesend, 27 Aug. 1788, of Roger Strong thirty-six shillings and three penee, in full, for the freight of boards, shingles, &e., bought for the sehool-house in said town, per me, John West," The second is dated in January of the following year, and is for work done on the new school-house : "Re- eeived, New Utrecht, 15 Jan. 1789, of Capt. Isaac Denyse, fourteen shillings and sixpense in full for

work done to Gravesend sehool-house, per me, Johanes Johnson."

This building is still in existenee ; it was used for a sehool-house for about fifty years, when a new site was purchased and a new house erected. It was then, by eommon eonsent, turned into a town-hall, where the publie business of the town was transaeted ; although this, as we have seen, was in direct violation of the pro- visions of the original deed. It continued to serve this purpose for about thirty-five years longer, when it was considered too small and mean in appearance to serve the needs of a rapidly-growing town. Thus it stood on one of the most publie sites in all the town, a familiar objeet to the eyes of nearly three generations. The whipping-post and public stocks, which formerly stood beside it, had long since disappeared, leaving the old building alone to tell the story of the past.

However, in the year 1873 the old house was sold to give place to the present large and commodious town- hall, and it was purehased at publie sale by Charles M. Ryder for $26,50 ; moved to his property near by, and fitted for a tenement-house. And thus keeping, for the most part, its old outward form and appearanee, after almost a hundred years, we find it still doing faithful serviee in furnishing shelter to this remote generation.

In 1838, as before mentioned, a new sehool-site was purchased of Cornelius Emans, on the north-west side of the town-square, and a new sehool-house ereeted bet- ter suited to the needs of the distriet. In 1874 it was enlarged by the addition of a wing, to be used for a primary-department. Thus stands District No. 1 to-day, with a good sehool-building, a primary and grammar- department, two teachers, and a large number of seholars.

Teachers .- The following list is taken from the old records, supplemented by the memory of several of the oldest inhabitants, and the names given as nearly as possible in the order of their service.

Messrs. Proetor ; Garahan ; Barnardus C. Lake; Pat- riek Noonan ; Benj. Mereer ; David Turnbull ; John- son ; Abram Emmans ; John Wyekoff ; Charles Good- rieh ; Richard Kyles ; Dr. C. H. Schnopps ; James M. Fulton ; Spafford ; Brown ; Pillings ; Geo. Berget ; Norton ; Edward Benjamin; Rowell ; Requay; Bates; Wm. H. Stillwell ; Andrew Hegeman ; Gilbert H. Wiekham ; Le Grand Payne.

Assistant Teachers were Miss Aletta Ditmars and Miss Nellie Storm.

Judge Wickham was for 21 years the faithful teaeher of this school, until the elose of 1876, when he resigned to take the position of Associate Justiee of the Court of Sessions. In 1877 Mr. Payne beeame principal, with Miss Storm as assistant, and they still retain their posi- tions.

District No. 2 .- In 1811 it beeame necessary, for the greater eonvenienee of the spreading population, to di- vide the distriet, or ereate a new one in the eastern part

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

of the town. Accordingly the residents in that neigh- borhood combined together for the erection of a new school-house. Land was purchased of Mr. Isaae De- nyse ; a building erected 18x30 feet, and paid for by subscription. In 1847, to meet the demand for more room, an addition of 10 feet was made to the length of the house, at a cost of some $200, makin, a long, low building, uninviting in external appearance, and very gloomy within. Therefore, one row of seats only was made next to and facing the wall ; thus cnabling the pupil to give his undivided attention to his studies; while at the same time it afforded the teaeller the oppor- tunity to keep, unobserved, a watchful cye over those who were more inclined to be misehievous than studious. This old building continued to serve the purpose of a school-house till 1879, when it was abandoned for the new one.

The deed of the lot was made out in the name of Mr. John S. Garretson, and it remains in possession of his heirs to-day.

In 1879 a new site was purchased on Ocean avenue, and a large and convenient school-house built, which does credit to the district. It is a two-story wooden building, 35x55 fect, well painted, and kept in good repair. Jacobus Voorhees was the architect and builder. Its cost was $2,700. Teachers of this school, from the beginning, have been Messrs. John D. Wat- kins; Martin; Mereer; Benson; John S. Fulton; Isaac S. Perry; R. H. Stanton; Joulon; Gorman; Edmund Williams; W. II. Stillwell; Kelley; P. D. Voorhees; B. F. Ladd; Rev. Charles Battersby; William Vraden- burgh; Brown; Rev. J. H. Battersby; John B. France; A. H. Battersby ; Johannes Kouwenhoven and Edward Bennett. The two latter are now in charge of the school.

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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 42

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1114

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114