The Site of WILLIAMSBURGH

Dense thickets covered hundreds of acres of bog and lowland extending from the 
Wallabout to Newton Creek, running through the central part of the town of 
Bushwick. The region was known as Cripplebush fom the fact that the scrub-oak 
or cripplebush dominated here. The land had apparently been covered by forest 
whose trees had been destoyed in some way and these bushes had taken their 
places. Narrow trails led over morasses known to the Indians and the wild 
beasts, but they were treacherous to the white men.Bewtween the cripplebush 
& East River was the site which was to become the original village of 
Williamsburgh.
 
During the 7 years of British occupation the thickets were wiped out, soldiers 
having used the wood for fuel. So when the war ended the sites for orchards 
& vegetable gardens were ready & waiting. This section became the 3rd Ward of 
Williamsburgh and later the 15th & 16th Wards of Bklyn.

The Bushwick denizens were farmers, gardeners, their produce had to be conveyed 
to the city markets across the river. Every ferry estab'd on the Williamsburgh 
shore led to a public market in NYC. Williamsburgh was started when the Grand St
market, known as CORLEARS Hook Market was estab. in a 
crude form. For abt. 140 yrs. the site of the later Williamsburgh was known as 
the Bushwick Shore & the Bushwick town people called it,The Strand.
There was a little hamlet near the shore in the days of the Revolutioary War. 
James HAZARD  who lived across the river on CORLEARS
Hook, operated since 1797 a rowboat ferry between his place and the TITUS farm
on the Bushwick shore. He soon became actively engaged in starting a settlement 
here in partnership with Thomas MORRELL.

Abt.1800 another New Yorker, Richard M. WOODHULL, purchased 
13 acres of the Charles TITUS farm and laid out a 
settlement upon this tract in 1802. The tract was surveyed by Col. Jonathan 
WILLIAMS, U.S. Engineer, a grand-nephew to Benjamin FRANKLIN  
and a friend to WOODHULL. 
WOODHULL applied the name Williamsburgh to the development in honor 
of his friend. In 1805 he added 5 acres of the Francis J. TITUS farm near 
Driggs Ave, this section became the 14th Ward.

Thomas MORRELL  bought the Folkert TITUS farm of 18 acres 
and laid out Grand St. through the center of the farm up to Roebling St. Together 
withJames HAZARD he had laid out a settlement on his tract which 
he called Yorkton.

WOODHULL had difficulties finacing his enterprise and in 1811 his rights, title, 
& interest in the Williamsburgh development were sold by the sherriff in favor of 
one ROOSEVELT. James Homer MAXWELL, WOODHULL'S 
son-in-law, became the purchaser of Williamsburgh, but he, not having the means 
to continue the title, it again passed under the sherriff's hammer.

WOODHULL had estab. a ferry from the foot of Metropolitan, 
Williamsburgh to Rivington, NYC. MORRELL had started another ferry
running from LORRELL'S Point at the foot of the new street (Grand)
in Yorkton, to Grand St. in NYC. The road of the Bushwick Bridge Co. came to the 
shore at WOODHULL'S ferry. MORRELL'S ferry gradually 
became the preferred one of the public, but the name Williamsburgh Ferry had come 
into common use and it stuck. Both settlements were now combined under the name and
MORRELL seems to have been in control in 1814.

In 1827 the village of Williamsburgh was incorporated. It consisted of 23 farms, 
10 extending to the river shore. Besides the farm houses a few buildings were 
standing on the road leadung to the ferry. On the northside were the ropewalks 
of LUTHER & PITTMAN.
 
The Cripplebush Lane was the only rode leading to Bklyn.

The first village trustees in 1827 were :
Noah WATERBURY
John MILLER
Abraham MESEROLE 
Lewis SANFORD
Thomas T. MORRELL . 
The TITUS farmhouse on the Folkert TITUS  
farm, standing on the north east corner of South First St., and known as 
Charles' Fountain Inn, became the headquarters of the village politics. The 
TITUS  family had purchased the land prior to 1758 
from Issac MESSEROLE.

In 1830 John LUTHER  erected upon land given by the 
MORRELL family for a term of years a small frame building 
which stood gable end to Kent Ave just north of Grand Street., for a 
village Hall. The Board of Trustees held their meetings in the upper part,
where was also the office of the Justice of the Peace. The lower floor was 
a food mart.

Nearly the whole of Williamsburgh  was owned by the
MESSEROLE, 
BOERUM, 
REMSEN, 
TITUS, 
VANDERVOORT, 
TROUTMAN, 
WYCKOFF families.

The Kijkuit or Keikout was the high bluff along the line of Fourth St. 
The names means look-out. The blockhouse was erected here on this bluff 
because the site commandered an excellant view of the East River., as well 
as surrounding lands, in times of danger of attacks from Indians.
The MESSEROLE farm in this section was called the 
Keitout farm, 107 acres of land, between the East River & Roebling St. & 
between B'dway & No. 1st St. 
Jean MESSEROLE came from France in 1663, he is known 
as the first owner. He built his home upon the Keikout bluff and most likely 
formed the westerly wing of the later MILLER homestead. 
Jean MESEROLE died in 1695,the farm remained undivided until 
the death of John MESEROLE 3rd in 1756, his heirs sold 
some of the land. A part came into the possession of Charles TITUS
in 1785 and he left it in 1802 to his son Charles. The son sold it to Justus THOMPSON 
and he sold abt 6 acres to Noah WATERBURY. 
The 25 acres remaining passed under foreclosure to General Jeremiah JOHNSON who 
sold it in 1825 to Garrett & Grover C. FURMAN.The old MILLER homestead 
was demolished in 1853 when the bluff was leveled, the earth was dug down some 60'
and the Keikout bacame a thing of the past.

In 1828 the BERRY, DEVOE, & Van COTT farms 
were bought & laid out in building lots.

In 1834 the 13th & 14th Wards were divided into lots, in 1836 real estate in 
Williamsburgh commanded higher prices than it did nearly a half centry before.
With the Village limits extended in 1835, 72 streets, 13 of them were opened and 
regulated, the majority being dirt roads and 4 were paved with cobblestones, taken 
from the farm fences which had been removed for the opening of the streets.
In 1837, 10 stores and taverns & 59 stables and barns.
In 1819 the only building on the shore was the WATERBURY Distillery on 
North Second St. & the American House at the foot of Grand St.However there were 
buildings east of Kent Ave.

David DUNHAM, a NY merchant, purchased at a sherriff's sale 
James Homer MAXWELL'S right, title, & interest in Williamsburgh, 
when they were sold on execution in favor of James J. ROOSEVELT in 1818. 
DUNHAM shared his purchase with JUDAH 
& Samuel OSBORN. His son est. the first steamferry from 
NY to Williamsburgh.
In 1835 South 7th & So. 8th were the only streets opened south of Grand, running 
from the river, the entire south side had 5 or 6 buildings all told.
In 1861 the 13th Ward from Grand St. to Division & from the river to Union Ave. was 
nearly all built up, gardens were above Roebling St. The 14th Ward was not made 
beyond No. 5th St., a house scattered here and there.

The 15th Ward remained as of old, outside the CONSELYEA Estate, which was left of the 
SKILLMAN farm, the Methodist burying ground was here 
bounded by the Union Ave. & Lorimer St, Devoe & Powers.

The Swamp in 1840's was along Siegel & Morell St., lots could be bought for $100.00 ea. 
In the early 1860's the swamp was filled in and the grade of the streets was raised.

Irish town lay between Metropolitan, Meeker, Bushwick, & Union Ave., including
the "green" which was bounded by Lorimer & Jane Sts., & Union & Skillman Ave.
The 8 houses on the Green were occupied by :
HOBBY, 
PALMER, 
COLEMAN,
MARSH,
STEVENS, 
MEYER, 
TOUSON, 
TOLAND families abt the early 1850's.

The Green Rangers at Old SMULLEN'S Tavern on the Green 
joined the Scott Life Gurads of the Fourth Regiment when the Civil War broke out.
The "swimming pool" at Baby Hollow & McCARUNCH'S 
Skating Rink were on the northside.

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