The history of european settlement in brooklyn spans more than 350 years. Gravesend, located in brooklyn between bensonhurst and coney island, is one of the oldest populated areas on long island and in the nation itself. This post is by ivy zeng, who chose to explore her neighborhood of gravesend by selecting her favorite archival documents about the areas history. Few reminders from gravesend s rural days survive around the urban landscape it has become. With a turnout that rivalled fnys mostattended tour, brooklyn between the bridges in october 2003, over 50 forgottenfans turned out on an overcast day with drizzle expected after an extraordinary run of good weather for early forgottentours, clouds and rain have become an inevitability the last. Apr 14, 2008 forgottenfans at lady moody house, gravesend neck road, gravesend, brooklyn. Along with lady moody, anne hutchinson was another pioneer of religious freedom in new netherland. Newyork historical society librarians reveal fascinating stories from the past through exceptional items in the librarys collection. In 1897, the brooklyn museum opens, though at the time it is known as the brooklyn institute of arts and sciences. Additionally, in the early 20th century, transcriptions of the some of the earliest records were made and, later, microfilmed. Deborah, lady moody born deborah dunch 1586 circa 1659 is notable as the founder of gravesend, brooklyn, and is the only woman known to have started a village in colonial america.
In the massachusetts bay colony, where she had first. Brooklyn, in turn, became a borough of greater new york city in 1898. Gravesend was laid out according to a plan of lady moodys own execution, in a square divided into four smaller squares. Emma coney island and gravesend brooklyn historical society. The library also hosts a monthly book discussion club for adults and a talking circle program for seniors. In order to view directories at historic map works, you must register for free. Aug 10, 2008 the history the town of gravesend was founded in 1645 by lady deborah moody, a religious dissenter who designed a street system still in place today near the center of the neighborhood. Between 1854 and 1896 brooklyn annexed each of its neighbors until its borders equaled kings countys. It was established in 1645 by lady deborah moody and her followers as a haven from religious persecution.
In 1898, brooklyn merges with new york city and becomes one of its five boroughs. The town was named for the english seaport of gravesend gravesham, kent. The next year, in 1899, the brooklyn childrens museum, the worlds first childrens museum, opens its doors to the public. Gravesend library hosts a monthly book discussion club for adults. Search for books and periodicals about brooklyn history, politics, development, and culture. Gravesend, brooklyn has changed a lot in its almost 400year history. There are 250 active homes for sale in gravesend neighborhood, which spend an. Living room and kitchen with dinette located on the second floor and wood staircase leads to the 3rd floor with two bedrooms. From its handsome cover, through its nearly 100 pages, to its sepialike rear cover, it offers a wonderful pictorial history of a large swath of the borough of churches. Gravesend, brooklyn borough, new york genealogy genealogy. Gravesend, brooklyn by joseph ditta arcadia publishing books. Accordingly, you might want to narrow your results by using combinations of keywords such as coney island amusement park, or coney island seaside, etc. Most of these towns were settled by dutch speakers, and would become known as the five dutch towns. Kings county historic records microfilm collection brooklyn public.
It was only in the nineteenth century that the then rapidly expanding city of brooklyn annexed the neighboring areas of bushwick, gravesend, flatbush, new utrecht, williamsburg and new lots, becoming the third largest city in the nation by 1860. Book 700, bushwick town records, history, deeds, births of slaves, 16601825. It is also describes the modernday noir novel that boyle has dropped on us. The famous amusement park and boardwalk are located eight minutes east of the center of gravesend via taxi. Then brooklyn itself was incorporated into new york city in 1898. You can also use other keywords, such as coney island landowners, coney island transportation, etc. Very quite sunny 2 bedrooms and 1,5 bath duplex condo in brick building on the second and third floors. Brooklyn historical society makes its collections available to all researchers. Few reminders from gravesends rural days survive around the urban landscape it has become.
The gravesend neighborhood rests at the southern tip of new york city s brooklyn borough on gravesend bay. Within a few years several towns would be established, forming the future core of new york city. Forgottenfans at lady moody house, gravesend neck road, gravesend, brooklyn. Jun 08, 2016 newyork historical society librarians reveal fascinating stories from the past through exceptional items in the librarys collection. This page primarily lists records kept at the city level. It contains numerous historic homes, and even its street plan is the original one first adopted after the area was first settled in 1643. Local history books on new york arcadia publishing. New york city, new york online historical directories. She lived there, in brooklyn heights and park slope, for more than three decades and began writing about it in the 1970s as a reporter for the brooklyn phoenix newspaper. The town of brooklyn incorporated as a city in 1834.
Marcia reiss, the author of eight books about new york city history and architecture, has a long association with brooklyn. Ephemeral new yorks new book was described as beguiling, lavishly illustrated. It is that history on the cuspthe transition of gravesend from long island farming town to an urban neighborhood in the city now borough of brooklynthat fascinates me. Then brooklyn itself was incorporated into new york city in. The settlement began in the 17th century as the small dutchfounded town of breuckelen on the east river shore of long island, grew to be a sizeable city in the 19th century, and was consolidated in 1898 with new york city then confined to manhattan and part of the bronx, the remaining rural areas of kings county. Among the trusted sources that ive found in the course of research for my book is brooklyn historian joseph ditta, whose gravesend gazette blog offers details on the history of southern brooklyn. As a wealthy titled woman, she had unusual influence in new netherland, where she was respected. The terhune and wyckoff families papers 17471932 include documents of two prominent families, affiliated through marriage, from gravesend in kings county, new york part of the new york city borough of brooklyn after 1898.
Church records edit edit source 17151763 baptisms in gravesend, new york church records 17151763, courtesy. In 1833 the village and town of brooklyn sent an appeal to the new york state legislature for a city charter. Gravesend genealogy in kings county, ny usa 1,060,369 new york 55,493 kings county 1,548 gravesend 9 note. Gravesend, brooklyn borough, new york genealogy familysearch. Ferguson was a businessman who lived in gravesend, n. To search our book and map holdings you can access our catalog here. All purchased images are printed without the watermark.
Forgottentour 33, gravesend, brooklyn forgotten new york. Permanently settled in 1645, the farming town of gravesend, long island, was annexed to the city now borough of brooklyn, new york. It is located south of brooklyn, between bensonhurst, brighton beach, and sheepshead bay. Record of births and deaths, 18801894 family history library gravesend. The undisputed classic that launched a thousand cliches still holds up as a young adultfriendly portrait of williamsburgs early immigrant. Coney island and gravesend brooklyn historical society. In what the times called the greatest event in history of brooklyn, flatbush, gravesend, and new utrecht were absorbed into the city with immediate effect. The central crossroads of the original settlement are apparent today in the crossing of mcdonald avenue and gravesend neck road. Box 1643, gravesend station, gravesend, new york 11223, phone. Additional records are listed on the county and state pages. Gravesend, a sixth village, was founded in 1643 by lady deborah moody, an englishwoman who was fleeing. Brooklyn, in turn, became a borough of new york city on january 1, 1898. Permanently settled in 1645, the farming town of gravesend, long island, was annexed to the city now borough of brooklyn, new york, in 1894. Old gravesend cemetery includes the graves of families significant to the early history and formation of the town and brooklyn, that it acts as a reminder of the historical importance of the village of gravesend, and that.
She was the first known female landowner in the new world. Gravesend, brooklyn is part of the arcadia publishing then and now series. Sep 07, 2017 this post is by ivy zeng, who chose to explore her neighborhood of gravesend by selecting her favorite archival documents about the areas history. As a lifelong resident of brooklyn, i looked forward to mr. Please note that when searching our online book and map catalog, the basic keyword to search is coney island, but this will return almost 100 results. Brooklyn historical records have sir henry moody selling the property on which the house. Brooklyn, bushwick, flatbush, flatlands, new utrecht and gravesend. Isbn 9780738564692 offers a unique tour of the history of the neighborhood through postcards, photographs, prints, lantern slides, stereoscopic views, and maps.
Just steps from the water, the neighborhood attracts many visitors due to the close proximity of coney island and the boardwalk. Bushwick, brooklyn, flatbush, flatlands, and new utrecht. It is bounded on the south by coney island, on the west by bath beach, on the north by bensonhurst, and on the east by homecrest and sheepshead bay. These records are kept at the new york city municipal archives. A brooklyn neighborhood both insular and diverse the new. We welcome scholars, teachers and students, genealogists, artists, documentarians, and anyone else curious about the history of brooklyn. Search the collections brooklyn historical society. Find best sellers about civil war, american legends, breweries and wineries, and more. Gravesend became the 31st ward of the city of brooklyn on may 3, 1894.
Gravesend, located in brooklyn between bensonhurst and coney island, is one of the oldest populated. Isbn 9780738564692 offers a unique tour of the history of the neighborhood. The area west of mcdonalds has seen a large influx of immigrants, but thats led to a variety of new restaurant openings that serve cuisine other than pizza. Brooklyns landmarked dutch houses june 8, 2016 by staff. Gravesend serves its diverse community with large collections of russian, chinese and other multilingual materials. It is a neighborhood where people are stuck in the past, unable to move forward, slowly dying, trapped in lives that are going nowhere. Gravesend is a neighborhood in the southcentral section of the new york city borough of brooklyn, on the southwestern edge of long island in the u.
Gravesend is a taut exploration of the ways we hurt and save or try to save one another. I dont know ive grown uplived in gravesend for 20 years and happen to like it, and while i wouldnt call it suburban, id definitely call it residential brooklyn. As a historical archeologist specializing in the early history of new york, i can tell you that what is now the gravesend section of brooklyn was not named for the hometown that. Gravesend brooklyn ny records search the german genealogy. After the english took over, it was one of the six original towns of kings county in colonial new york. An irresistible combo of an insiders tour of brooklyn and true and authentic 21st century noir. Masjid aliman islamic center, 2015 64th street, as visible from the manhattanbound platform of the 20th avenue station. This will give you 10 free credits allowing you to view 10 directories on the site. The gravesend gazette historical news from southern brooklyn. With unforgettable characters, a fist for a plot and a deeply evocative setting, boyle navigates. Top of the house at 2076 west 7th street between avenues u and t. By 1636 the dutch had begun to settled the western end of long island. A search of names will give the book number and the number of pages on which.