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 59

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 59

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.J. Davis Del.

ERASMUS HALL ACADEMY, 1850.

building, at a cost of $1,500. Mr. Kellogg, also, made great improvements upon the exterior of the Academy, and in the appearance of the grounds. Nearly all of the beautiful trees which now adorn the grounds were planted by him. Matters did not, however, proceed satisfactorily after a few years ; and, because of intem- perance, he was called upon, in 1834, to resign the posi- tion. In May, 1834, the trustees appointed Rev. Wm. H. Campbell, who had for some time taught a select school in the village, as principal. "Through his superior qualifications as teacher he not only gave the highest satisfaction, but also infused in the hearts of the inhabitants an earnest desire for a liberal education to a degree which had never before existed." Dr. Campbell remained until 1839, when ill-health forced him to resign ; and he has since occupied the position of Principal of the Albany Academy, Professor in the

signed the position, and the trustees appointed Rev. Richard D. Van Kleeck as Principal. Mr. Van Kleeck was a most thorough and efficient teacher, and under his care the institution was greatly prospered. A large number of scholars came from other States ; and, for many years, a number of Mexican and Cuban students boarded at the Academy. Mr. Van Kleeck's health hav- ing failed, he resigned on February 22, 1860, and was succeeded by Rev. William W. Howard. On April 19, 1863, Mr. Howard, having received a call to the Pres- byterian Church, at Aurora, Cayuga County, N. Y., resigned as Principal. The trustees then chose the Rev. E. F. Mack as Principal. Mr. Mack held the position for cleven ycars ; and, in September, 1874, was succeeded by Mr. Jared Hasbrouck. Upon the resigna- tion of Mr. Hasbrouck, the trustees appointed, as princi- pal, in February, 1879, Rev. Robert G. Strong, a foriner

252

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

graduate of the Academy, who for several years had conducted a large and prosperous select school in the village. Mr. Strong accepted the position, and in Sep- tember, 1879, moved his school into the Academy. There is attached to the Academy a large library, which at one time contained 2750 volumes. Also a philosopical and chemical apparatus and mineralogical cabinet.

Select Schools .- Since the founding of Erasmus Hall, several private sclect schools have existed in the village. Among these, we mention the classical school of Mr. John Copp. This was the first select school, and was of a very high order. It was established in 1773-'74, and was held in an old house on the corner of Linden Boulevard and Flatbush Road. It was

school was taught by Miss Gerrard for several years. In 1840 Mrs. Mitchell opened a private school at her house in Clarkson street. This school was dis- continued about 1876. After his resignation as Prin- cipal of the Academy, Rev. L. T. Mack, in 1874, opened a select school on Waverly avenue, for one year. In 1871 a select school was begun by Rev. R. G. Strong, the consistory of the church granting him the use of the old lecture-room adjoining the church. This school was merged into the Academy when Mr. Strong was appointed Principal of that institution, in 1879.

Public School No. I .- For a number of years the village school was held at the Academy; and mat- ters worked harmoniously until the year 1841, when dissatisfaction arose among certain residents of the

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MOSSENG CO,N.Y.

ERASMUS HALL ACADEMY, 1883.

broken up by the Revolutionary war, and Mr. Copp joined the army. The next select school was taught by Rev. William H. Campbell, D.D., in 1833, and was discontinued after the appointment of Dr. Campbell as Principal of the Academy.

A very flourishing and widely-known school was con- ducted by Miss E. N. Duryea. This school was begun in October 12, 1837, and was largely patronized by parties from a distance, as well as by parents residing in the vicinity of the village. A number of prominent persons were educated here, among whom we mention the name of Miss Emma Thursby, the world-renowned prima-donna. Miss Duryea closed her school because of her failing health. A well-conducted select

village in regard to the distribution of the school funds between the public school and the Academy. In order to avoid further trouble in the matter, the trustees of the Academy, in 1844, on motion of Hon. Gerrit Martense and John J. Vanderbilt, resolved, "That the children of the village school be removed from the Academy, and that the town be requested to build a special school-house for their accommodation."

Accordingly the children were taken from Erasmus Hall and taught for a time in a building on the corner of East Broadway and Flatbush avenue, owned by estate of Mr. Stryker. The next year a commodious two-story frame building, about forty-five by thirty feet, was erected for a school-house, near the site of the

253

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

present building. The main floor was fitted up for a school-room, and the upper story was reserved as a court-room. The primary town meetings and regular elections were held here for many years, until the erection of Schoonmaker Hall, in 1861. The members of the first Board of Trustees were General Philip S. Crooke, Captain W. Story, and Teunis J. Bergen. The first principal of the public school, after it was with- drawn from the academy, was Mr. John Oakley, who remained until 1852. He was succeeded by Mr. Dewitt C. Wickham, who held the position until 1857, when, because of failing health, he was compelled to resign. The next principal was Mr. David Van Etten. At the end of the school year he resigned, and, in 1858, the place was filled by the appointment of Mr. Horace Wickham. After two years his health failed, and he resigned. Mr. E. W. Bartlett held the position until 1861. He was followed by Mr. John T. Rhodes, who taught until 1865, when he entered the New York Theological Seminary. On the retirement of Mr. Rhodes, the trustees appointed Mr. John L. William- son. In 1869 Mr. Williamson resigned, and Mr. Charles A. Libby became principal. He was succeeded in September, 1877, by Mr. A. Whigam, the present efficient incumbent, under whose influence the school has grown rapidly. The interests of the public school are under the care of three trustees, elected by the town. The members of the present Board are Dr. John L. Zabriskie, J. D. Randolph, and J. Lott Van- derbilt. In 1878 the accommodations became entirely too limited. For several years both stories of the old building had been used for school-rooms, and three teachers employed. At a town-meeting, in the early part of 1878, it was resolved to sell the old building, and appropriate $19,000 of town funds, to be raised by taxation, for the building of a new school-house. John L. Zabriskie, M.D., J. D. Randolph and George Ham- blin were appointed a committee to undertake the work. The plans were by Mr. John Y. Colyer, the engineer of Prospect Park ; and the building (53 feet by 85 feet in size) of brick, two stories high. The building was begun May 1, 1878, and completed De- cember 1, 1878. It was used for school purposes before it was finished, on October 14th, 1878. There is a large, well-selected library of some 1,500 volumes; and, at present, four teachers, besides the principal, are employed in the main school. In 1872 a branch school was established at the mission church for the colored children. Miss Mary E. Paton had charge of this, as principal, for four years; followed, in 1876, by Miss E. Morris ; by Mrs. Ida Roberts, in 1878-'80 ; Miss Emma W. Clark, in 1880-'81; and Miss Bridget Walker, in 1881.

Parkville Public School .- At first, the inhabi- tants on the west side of the town sent their children to the Flatbush public school. In 1855, however, the settlers at Parkville, or Greenfield, as it was then

called, petitioned to be set off as a separate district. This was granted June 6, 1855, and Greenfield District School No. 1 was organized. It is now called Flatbush No. 2. Lawrence Powers, Joseph B. King and John Hall were the first trustees. The school was held for one year in a private house owned by Mr. Rutherford, and situated on section 64, on Webster avenue, near Second street. In 1856, a suitable building was erected for a school house.

Upon the opening of the Boulevard through the school property in 1872, this building was moved to its present site, on Lawrence avenue, near Second street ; and in 1876 was greatly enlarged and remodelled. Owing to an omission in the records, we have been un- able to obtain the full names of the different principals. The list, as far as can be ascertained, is as follows: The first principal was Miss Harriet Clark, 1856; fol- lowed by Miss Harriet Brewster; Risley or Ryler and Rodman in 1858. The position was afterward filled by male teachers. During a part of 1858 Mr. Kirkwood was principal. Mr. Mead, a portion of 1859, when the District was organized as a Union Free School. Mr. Mead was followed by Mr. Cady; Mr. Thompkins, two years; Mr. Berry, one year; Mr. North, two years, 1865-67. Mr. A. Whigam was appointed in 1868, at a salary of $900, which was raised after one year to $1,100. In 1873, the position was held by Mr. Devore; succeeded by Mr. Belden, in 1874; Mr. A. Whigam again, from 1875, until called, in September, 1877, to take charge of District No. 1, at Flatbush village. Mr. Christie next served one year, resigned ; and Mr. Wal- lace was principal for three years. Upon his resigna- tion, in 1881, the present principal, Mr. L. H. White, was appointed. The amount paid annually for the support of the school has increased in the twenty-seven years from $75 to $2,400. The board of trustees at present consists of Mr. J. H. Wilder, H. T. Montgom- ery, M. Ryan, P. H. Walsh and Wm. Staite. There are at present 153 scholars, taught by four teachers.

Windsor Terrace School .- At a meeting in the winter of 1873, called by Mr. Michael E. Finnegan, to consider public-school matters, it was resolved to peti- tion the commissioner of public schools, and the trus- tees, to be set off as a separate school district, to be known as District No. 3, of the town school. The petition was granted, and a committee, consisting of Mr. E. Finnegan, C. C. Martin, Theodore Magnus and James Hardie, was appointed to carry out the wish of the meeting. C. C. Martin, Wm. E. Murphy, and M. E. Finnegan and -, as trustees, secured the pas- sage of an act authorizing them to bond the district for $10,000, payable at the rate of $1,000 annually, the first bond to be payable in 1880. A suitable school- house, in the Swiss style, costing $6,700, from plans by John Y. Culyer, architect, was erected on the west side of Prospect avenue, between Greenwood avc- nue and Vanderbilt street, and was ready for use

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

January 1, 1876. In 1874, Mr. Wm. N. Walker was employed as the first principal; remained until April, 1876, and was followed by Mrs. Carrie Blamey. She was succeeded in September, 1876, by the present principal, Mr. John J. Wells, who by his efficient man- agement has done much to build up the school. The school now numbers 100 scholars, and two teachers, beside the principal.

Literary Societies .- A number of literary and de- bating societies, of both a public and private character, have flourished in the village from time to time. The most prominent of these, the Flatbush Literary Asso- tion, was organized in 1840. During the winter of 1841 -'42, a series of lectures on various subjects was given by some of its members. Rev. Dr. T. M. STRONG's His- tory of Flatbush was first prepared by him, as a mem- ber of this society, to be delivered as a lecture. After its delivery, there was an earnest demand for its publi- cation. Only a few copies are now in existence, and for these extravagant prices have been offered. We are largely indebted to Dr. Strong's history for facts relating to the early history of the town.

Musical Associations .- The village has been long noted for its musical talents. Several well conducted and creditable musical associations for vocal and in- strumental music have existed in the village. Promi-

nent among these are the Flatbush Glee Clubs, of 1853-1857, and the present Flatbush Choral Society, organized in 1877. The musical talent displayed has been quite remarkable for so small a town.

Conclusion .- We have thus traced, as minutely as the limited space allowed would admit, the civil, eccle- siastical and literary history of the town of Flatbush, from its earliest settlement to the present time, a pe- riod of nearly two hundred and fifty years. During all this time, unbounded prosperity from an over-ruling, all-wise providence of God has been granted to the vil- lage. Financial disaster or failure has seldom, if ever, visited it. The health of the town, with only two ex- ceptions, during visitation of cholera, has been unpre- cedentedly excellent. Probably no other village con- taining so large a number of inhabitants, for so long a period a county-seat, and lately, for many years, under the shadow of one of the largest cities of the Union, can show such an unblemished record for good charac- ter, as a law-abiding, prosperous, religious and health- ful community. May they ever treasure this record with grateful hearts ; and may He, whose merciful providence has granted such prosperity to the village, still watch over those whom He has thus honored with such a lineage of good and upright men.

Gamelit BBavant 20 wijck

Facsimile of autograph of Cornelis Barend Van Wyck.

Emigrated from Wyck, a village of Braband, Holland, in 1660; married Anna, daughter of Rev. Theodorus Polhemus, the first minister of the Dutch towns; and settled in Flatbush.

HISTORY

OF THE

TOWN OF NEW UTRECHT.

Funis & Bergen EsQ.

L OCATION .- Where the Western end of Long Island touches, with high bluffs, the waters of The Narrows and the Bay of New York; be- tween the southerly boundary of the City of Brooklyn, and the southerly and westerly boundaries of the towns of Flatbush and Gravesend; in the County of Kings, is situated that region of country, covering an area of more than eight square miles, which is called the TOWN OF NEW UTRECHT. Bounded, for the greater part, by the harbor of the greatest port of America, and commanding a view of its commerce and of the great cities on the Bay, the situation of the town is a highly favored one.

Within its confines now stand the villages of NEW UTRECHT, BATH, FORT HAMILTON, BAY RIDGE, and part of UNIONVILLE, where live an intelligent, conservative and law-abiding people, engaged chiefly in agriculture, fisheries, and manufactures ; and where, also, reside many of the professional men and merchants of the cities of New York and Brooklyn.

Its Indian Inhabitants .- The earliest human beings, so far as history knows, who dwelt in this region, were two of the thirteen tribes of savages that were found by the first European settlers on Long Is- land ; viz., the Canarsie and the Nyack tribes of In- dians. How long they had roamed about, or pitched their tents in this portion of Long Island, is quite un- known. The bcds of wampum, or shells, that werc discovered near the site of Fort Hamilton, attest that the place had been often visited, and had been very familiar to the savages for a long time. It is, how- ever, a familiar fact (although still to the reflective mind a startling one), that it is scarcely more than two hundred years ago that the dusky and mysterious savages surrendered possession of the soil of New Utrecht ; and, but a generation or two since, they quite disappeared from the neighborhood.

Discovery .- The first Europeans, recorded to have looked upon the wooded bluffs of the western end of Long Island, where now are seen the cultivated fields

and gardens, and the walls and towers of many modern structures, were the Italian adventurer, Giovanni de Verazzano, and his followers. There are other hints and allusions, in accounts of old voyages, that seem to show that Dutch and Norwegian vessels had occasion- ally entered the present Bay of New York, for the pur- pose of procuring furs ; but, the first definite record is that of Verazzano.

In the year 1524, this corsair, under a commission from the King of France, while coasting northward along the shores of the New World, entered the mouth of the great river, now called the Hudson ; and, for a brief period only, explored what he called with his native enthusiasm, " The Most Beautiful Bay." In his account of this discovery, he states that with his boat he entered this beautiful bay between headlands, "through which a very large river, deep at its mouth, forced its way to the sea; and found the country on its banks well peopled, the inhabitants being dressed out with feathers of birds of various colors."

Although some writers have thrown doubt on the authenticity of this discovery, later investigations, and the examination of an ancient map still extant in Italy, give new credibility to the tale, that this Italian pirate, whose vessel carried the colors of the King of France, was the first civilized being to look upon the wooded banks of the Narrows, on which is situated the town of New Utrecht.

But the Italian was unmindful of the value of his discovery ; and, apparently without even a dream of the future of the shores he had seen, he sailed away again and left "The Beautiful Bay " and the wooded banks to the savages and their ancient solitude.

Eighty-five years passed by after Verazzano's depart- ure ; and generations of savages came and went with- out another ship's prow having cut the waters of "the beautiful bay." At length, in the year 1609, a vessel called " The Half Moon," under the colors of Holland, dropped anchor in " The Great River of the Mountain." But the Dutch mariners looked with wiser eyes than

256

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

the Italians, upon the headlands and the bluffs. Not as fugitives or mere adventurers, but as men of enterprise and as promoters of commerce, they deemed the land worthy of a settlement and determined upon the de- velopment of its resources. Their report of the possi- bilities of this region, made with that care and due regard for truth so characteristic of their people, convinced the merchants of Holland of the great value of the discovery, and caused them to take advantage of the situation. Soon after The Half Moon had re- turned to the Netherlands, the Dutch prepared to found a port on the Island of Manhattan. In 1614, the great Dutch West India Company, in accordance with its charter, undertook the enterprise of establish- ing trading-posts and colonies in this new region of The Great River; and the New Netherlands became recog- nized as a part of Dutch Territory.

On the easterly side of the deep and rapid waters of an arm of the sea which flowed past the island of Manhattan, was situated another island of larger area. Its head formed part of the bounds of the great bay ; and it lay at the north of The Great River, like a huge fish with its tail extending far into the ocean. This island, now known as Long Island, had, at the time of the Dutch discovery, various Indian names, prominent among which was Seawanaka, or Isle of Shells (or of Wampum); and, by virtue of its possessions, was often visited by the ancient savages. To the Dutch this island soon became so well known and ap- preciated, by reason of its bays and havens and fertile lands at its westerly end, that they termed it "The Crown of the New Netherlands," and named it the Isle of Nassau. Settlements were early made on Nas- sau Island. Villages soon sprang up, with fine trading and farming opportunities. But the Wallabout, Amersfort (Flatlands) ; Midwout (Flatbush) ; Breuck- elin, Boswyck and Gravesend, were settled and estab- lished for many years before the lands on the most westerly extremity of Nassau Island (extending up to the headlands of The Great River, called then " Hamel's Hooftden," or headlands),* were rescued from the do- minion of the savages. Among the woods of this region, and overlooking the broad expanse of " The Beautiful Bay," the wigwams of the Nyack tribe stood, undisturbed by the white man for a generation after he had built his first house on Nassau Island.

First Settlements in the Town .- In the year 1639, an exile, and settler of New Amsterdam, Heer Antony Jansen van Salee, applied to the Director-Gen- eral and Council of the New Netherlands for lands ad- joining the westerly side of the settlement of Gravesend; but did not then receive any patent. On May 27th, 1643, he received from Gov. Kiefft a patent for about

200 acres lying in what is now known as the village of Unionville, in the eastern portion of the present town of New Utrecht. This grant was part of the purchase made by Gov. Kiefft of the great chief "Penhawitz," head of the Canarsie tribe, who claimed nearly the whole of what is now known as Kings county as his heredi- tary right. But the patent of Gov. Kiefft to Van Salee made but a slight inroad upon the edge of the wild ter- ritory, lying then about the "Hamel's Hooftden" or headlands of the Narrows, and claimed by the Nyack tribe. New Utrecht was not yet born.

In the year 1645, after the fierce Indian war upon the Dutch colonists (provoked by the arrogance and short-sightedness of Gov. Kiefft), and as one of the terms of the peace then made, all the region lying about the Narrows and extending from Coney Island to the old village of Gowanus, now in South Brooklyn, was again purchased from the Indians by the Governor. But still the axe of the Dutch settler was not heard about the Narrows, and the Indian trails were the only road- ways.

In the meantime, there had appeared the various pre- posterous and arrogant claims of the English to lands in the New Netherlands, which they had neither dis- covered nor occupied. Long Island seemed ever, in the early times, to hang as a glittering prize before the eyes, not only of Englishmen in Britain, but of English- men in the New World. The fugitive Puritans of New England were equally greedy with the intolerant aristocracy at home, and the adventurous cavaliers of Virginia, to control the country which they had neither seen nor settled; and which was now being opened by the enterprise of a people whose language and religious liberty were both as strange and contemptible to the people of the British Isles, as to the other English on the banks of the James, and on the shores of Massa- chusetts Bay.

But the Dutch of the New Netherlands were not un- mindful of the value of the lands they had occupied. In the year 1647, the inhabitants of New Amsterdam and of the Dutch towns of Long Island made a repre- sentation to the States-General of Holland, of the im- portance of their possessions in the New World. In- asmuch as the English had made claims to Long Island, the Dutch settlers took occasion to speak more partic- ularly of that region, which they call, " on account of its good situation, its fine bays and havens, and good lands, a Crown for the New Netherlands."

At about the time of this representation by the Dutch settlers, there was living in the ancient city of Utrecht, on the banks of the Rhine, in Holland, the Honorable CORNELIS VAN WERCKHOVEN, Schepen of the city, a member of the Government of Holland, and also of the Dutch West India Company. He seemed to have been impressed by the representations thus made by the settlers on Long Island. In Novem- ber, 1651, he rose in the chamber at Amsterdam,

* These headlands, as the Journal of the Labadist Travellers of 1679- 80 (pp. 98 and 118) informs us, were the high points of land on Staten Island and upon Long Island opposite, and were named the Hooftden from the resemblance of the shores to the Hooftden or headlands of he channel between England (at Dover) and France (at Calais).

257

THE FOUNDING OF NEW UTRECH'I.

and announced that he would undertake the founding of two colonies in the New Netherlands; one of which was to be on, or near the Hooftden Headlands on the bay of the Great River. He soon afterwards arrived at New Amsterdam; and, after having obtained from the Gov- ernment a grant, he again purchased of the Indians, on November 22d, 1652, that portion of Long Island bor- dering on the Narrows and the bay, called " the Nyack Tract." The original boundary-line seemed to extend along the bay, from a lane between the farms belonging to the late Albert N. Van Brunt and the late Chandler White, to Cortelyou's lane on the present highway leading from the bay to the village of New Utrecht, near the residence of John C. Bennett.

The price which Van Werkhoven paid to the savage owners, or claimants, of this piece of virgin territory which forms the foundation of the present town, was six shirts, two pairs of shoes, six pairs of stockings, six adzes, six knives, two scissors, and six combs. There is no record of the ceremony which took place at this transfer- ance of land, for articles by sixes and couples. The import of the consideration paid is rather to be determined by its weight as a peace-offering and symbol of respect for ancient claims, however indefinite on the part of the savages; for the same land had already been purchased by the Governor. Still, the articles themselves were also, in that primitive time, of no little value to a sav- age tribe very few in numbers, and whose title was even then disputed by the chief of the neighboring Canarsie Indians.

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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 59

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