Wednesday, February 1, 2012

1874 Maps of Old Farmland In Brooklyn

We've just discovered the David Rumsey Map Collection Database and blog, and have been pouring poring over old farm line maps of Brooklyn.

The above (click to enlarge) is part of a farm line map compiled and drawn by Henry Fulton in 1874. Wards 13, 14, 15 and 16 make up Williamsburg. The red line that makes up the right border of section 13 runs along Division Avenue, which still exists today. The little island on the far right edge is part of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The colored areas are farm parcels, labeled with each farmer's name.

Wards 1 is Brooklyn Heights. Fulton Street, the curvy road that starts at the waterfront, is the same shape as today. (Though for some reason we have renamed part of Fulton Street "Cadman Plaza East" today.)

In Ward 1 we see there was Remsen property and Pierrepont property. Jacob and John Hicks owned most of the north Heights. Ralph Patchen owned a nice chunk straddling Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill. The Pierreponts owned the yellow-shaded property centered around Pierrepont Street. Jacon Bergen owned a big part of Boerum Hill. (J. Boerum himself owned a few blocks farther out as well.)

Because there's a special viewer, you can see the maps in higher resolution that we have captured here. Check out the entire David Rumsey Historical Map Collection which includes atlases, maritime charts and more.

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

10 comments:

Brenda from Flatbush said...

Very cool! I am obsessed with Brooklyn's farm past!

mcbrooklyn said...

Thanks Brenda. We love finding the layers under the layers of Brooklyn.

Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener) said...

Brenda: Check out this map of Flatbush. All the old family names, now place names; the future roads sketched in over the old roads; the old rail lines and horse roads.

Oahu: Spam much?!

Anonymous said...

Lovely maps, but one does not 'pour' over them unless one is a cloud. Pore.

mcbrooklyn said...

Good catch!

mcbrooklyn said...

Oahu away.

Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener) said...

"Calvin"=spammer

mcbrooklyn said...

Whew, he posted about 20 "comments."

Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener) said...

Blech! That's why I moderate comments.

mcbrooklyn said...

Hate to hold legitimate people up but we'll probably have to move to that. Seems we've had more spam than ever over the last 2, 3 weeks.